SOUTH NORTH DEFEAT MCC IN ENTERTAINING GAME

21st Jul 2022

                    Wed 20^th July 2022, Roseworth Terrace, 45o/side

MCC 230-7 (45o) TE Neville 50, JW Welch 29, WG Burnett 29, NJ Longhurst 55*: Cameron Skinner 1-38, Will Alexander 1-25, Josephine Nkomo 3-32, Aadesh Sahadevan 0-16, George Gray 0-29, Sadiq Khan 1-53, Belinda Wewalage 1-20.

SNCC 231-8 (38.1o) Alvin Dithole 103, Sam Ewart 31, James Miller 41, Aadesh Sahadevan 12, Will Alexander 11: S Laurent 0-51, CF Sibley 1-38, RG Coughtrie 0-24, NJ Longhurst 1-25, WG Bates 3-51, TE Neville 3-29.

SNCC won by 2 wickets. Player of the Match: Josephine Nkomo.

Roseworth Terrace welcomed the MCC for their annual friendly fixture. Sponsor Roddy Golightly, too ill to attend, was much missed. A 45 over/side game was agreed between captains Richard Coughtrie & James Miller, MCC to bat first.

Bates & Neville faced the right arm seam of Cam Skinner (Grove) & U15 Will Alexander (Park). At 16 in the 6^th Bates (7) cutting, edged to w/k Ewart off Alexander. Will 6 overs 1-25, two maidens, a tidy spell. Welch joined Neville & the pair advanced the score steadily amid some good fielding, especially in the covers by Josephine & at mid off by James Miller. Difficult chances were missed in overs 9 & 10. Josephine began an accurate, full-length spell of 9 overs in the 13th in tandem with first Aadesh (U15 rm) & then George's off spin.

At 80 in the 17^th Welch (29) was lbw to Josephine whose full length, at the stumps line were a constant. George (U15) wheeled away from the Park end maintaining a mostly immaculate length. Over 23 saw two wickets to Josephine, a full delivery hit Sibley's (6) off stump & 4 balls later Neville (50, 9x4, 70b) swung & missed to be bowled, 98-4.

Josephine finished her excellent spell of 9-1-32-3 in the 29^th, reward for bowling full & straight. Sadiq's leg spin took over & in his first, Nicholson (10) cutting, edged to w/k Sam Ewart who took the catch, 124-5, Burnett (29, 5x4) & Longhurst took the score to 154 when, in Belinda's first over, the former struck a full toss, high to long off, to be caught by Miller.

George's excellent spell had ended in over 34, 9-1-29-0, a very good return against experienced players, only 4 boundaries conceded from 54 balls. Longhurst smote Belinda's second for 15 & in company with Lewis, punished Sadiq with regular boundaries. At 216 in the 44^th Lewis (15) edged the returning Skinner to w/k Ewart, 216-7. Richard Coughtrie 10* & Neil Longhurst 55* (9x4,1x6, 41b), some delightful strokes down the ground, saw MCC to 230 at the end of the 45 overs. 

After tea between innings had been consumed with relish, Dithole & Ewart faced the right arm medium of Laurent (Grove) & Sibley (Park). An explosive start saw 61 come up in 6 overs, 11x4 1x6, Alvin 34, Sam 20, shots all around the ground. At 77 in the 10^th Sam (31, 4x4,2x6, 35b), who had survived a chance to point, cut again & this time Welch took the catch off Sibley, a confident, attacking innings from U15 Sam.

Sadiq (5) was lbw to Longhurst on the crease at 93 in the 14th. James Miller joined Alvin & the pair put on an exhilarating 72 in 8 overs before Miller, carrying a thigh injury, was stumped by Lewis advancing to Neville's off spin. James 41 (6x4, 2x6, 24b, 32m) majestic, 165-3 in the 22nd.

After Alvin had rather destroyed Longhurst's figures with 20 in two overs, the spin of Bates & Neville bowled in tandem for the rest of the innings. Aadesh (12, 2x4) drove hard to be well caught & bowled by Bates, 198-4. At 204 in the 31st, Belinda (4) was lbw to Bates.

Alvin reached a delightful century (103, 15x4,3x6,83b, 132m) with a 6 off Bates only to fall next ball, bowled as he advanced, 215 for 6. Will Alexander (11) hit two nice boundaries before edging behind to Neville, 227-7. George's (2) attacking shot lobbed into the air to be caught by w/k Lewis one run later, also off Neville, 228-8.

3 to win, a bye brought Cam Skinner onto strike & he steered to backward point off Laurent's first ball to secure the win by two wickets, Josephine 0*, Cam 2*, after 38.1 overs. The game ended at 1705.

Umpires Brian Giles & Steven Mordue, groundsman Craig Thomson, Bill Kidd & the team were thanked for their efforts. Richard Coughtrie said how much the MCC liked this fixture on a superb ground & was sad that Roddy Golightly, sponsor for 6 years, could not be with us. A card of best wishes was signed by many. The Player of the Match award went to Josephine Nkomo for her spirited fielding & accomplished bowling, three of the top 4 wickets in the MCC order, straight & full, an example to all.

We hope to repeat in 2023.

Duncan.