Yesterday (1st), our three Senior League XIs amassed 778 runs between them, took 21 wickets, held some fine catches and provided great entertainment across South Wales!
At Marespool, Stuart Seaton’s 2nd XI pulled off a fine win over a well-organised Clydach team, but it was not all plain sailing!
Choosing to bat first, MCC got off to a flying start with Gareth Baglow (67 from 50 balls, 8 fours & 3 sixes) and Alan Harris (84 at a run a ball, 10 fours & a six) adding 119 between them before Baggers fell in the 16th over. Alan and Elliott Oates (33 from 32 deliveries, 2 fours & a six) put on a further 78 runs before Alan was dismissed..197-2 in the 27th. However, the scoreboard soon read 207-5!
Seats joined Ben Lloyd, to add a well crafted undefeated partnership of 92 in 13 overs..299-5 after the allotted 45 overs! Ben filed 57no (7 fours & a lot of speedy running!) while his skipper notched 35no (3 fours, & a lot of panting!).
After tea, Clydach had to score at nearly 7 runs an over if they were to win through.
Our guests started very well, with an excellent 100 opening partnership in 13 overs laying a strong foundation. Time to tighten up, our lads!
And tighten up we did, as the score became 157-6 14 overs later! 143 runs now required from 18 overs! Surely too big an ask!
Will, not exactly! There followed arguably the best batting of the match as Iestyn Davies (66, 7 fours & 3 superb sixes) and Josh Hallam (29, 2 fours) added 102 runs in 13 overs. 259-7 when Iestyn left the stage, with at least 28 deliveries of the game remaining to score 41 runs! Had these two been able to carry on to the end, who knows what the result might have been!
Despite this onslaught, our 2nd XI remained calm throughout, taking two further wickets to win by 16 runs as Clydach ended on 283-9. 15 year old Eoghan McKeegan (1-75), Rhys Davies (2-38), Steve Maddock (3-48) and Elliott (2-53) took the wickets to fall to bowlers. A great game, and a great result!
At Chepstow, our 1st XI had a comfortable 79 victory.
All our batsmen chipped in as, at the end of MCC’s innings, the score read 280-6 – Captain Aneurin Norman (a typically belligerent 65, 5 fours & 4 sixes), Luke Smith (21, 4 fours), Greg Thomas (38, 5 fours), Max Phillips (61, 5 fours), Ed Moger (43 (3 fours & a six) and Sean Davies (23no, 2 fours) had seen to that.
After the break, our hosts were soon 8-2 in reply. A partnership of 79 followed (87-3) but after that wickets fell regularly, as Chepstow ended 201 all out. Soorya Selvakumar (1-31), Sam Harris (1-49), Jack Straw (1-40), leg-spinner Alex Oliver (4-51) and Max (2-26) plus a run out by Luke had seen to that! Luke also held 3 catches! Well played, team!
At Merthyr, the result could not have been closer – the home team 200-2 in their 40 overs, our ‘A’ XI 199-9 in theirs..ouch!
Merthyr’s openers added 152 as they made their way to an impressive total.
In reply, MCC lost both openers inside 10 overs..40-2. That became 70-4 off 17 overs. Macsen Denman (35), Sam Martin (26) & Daniel Board (37) (46 years between them!), James Harris (28) and Jon Brearley (18) then combined so well, to take MCC to a situation where 22 runs were required from the final 3 overs!
That became 12 required from 2 overs, 5 from the final over when..DB was run out! It was not to be! A quite superb match with our ‘A’ XI losing by that solitary run!
Next Saturday (8th), our 1st XI play host to Ynysygerwn, the 2nd XI travel to Cowbridge and our ‘A’ XI take on Briton Ferry Town at Murton.
On Sunday (9th), the 1st XI play Pontarddulais (away) in R2 of the Welsh Cup, 1pm start. Our Ladies’ XI are also in action, taking part in a Festival at Ynystawe, playing the host club and Clydach in a round-robin format, starts 11am & 3pm.