Merstham CC vs Salfords CC U12 - Match Report (14-May)
An overcast sky welcomed the U12’s to The Ring where they were to face Salfords in the first league game of the 2024 season.
Winning the toss and electing to field, Will ‘Buckers’ Buckley set an aggressive field and threw the ball to Jack Tyte who set the tone for the innings, sending down 6 sharp deliveries and restricting the Salfords openers to 2 runs.
Sam Wells took the second over and after a pair of well struck boundaries, the Salfords opener found her cover drive being safely pouched by an ever present Jack Tyte. 1 brings 2 and the first ball of the next over saw a catch dropped in the deep, however expertly thrown in by Caitlin Owens to the gloves of James Reeves who flattened the stumps leaving the runner well short of their ground.
An over later and Sam was at it again, cleaning up middle stump to leave Salfords reeling at 22-3. The middle overs kept the ebb and flow of a tense T20. A run out here and a dropped chance there had the spectators on the edge of their seats.
With 5 overs still to go and the total climbing at a bit of a rate, up stepped the young Sebastian Reeves who was filling in from the U10 squad. A flighted leggie, pitching 2 stumps outside leg and turning square to take the leg stump of a bewildered Salfords batter. Scenes in the outfield and two umpires trying to work out exactly what had just happened. A 15th over Wicket Maiden had bought Merstham right back into the game. Caitlin Owens took the ball for the 18th over; dot ball, WICKET, Salfords all out for 126.
The run chase got off to a steady start with Buckers and Hayden Grimmer seeing off the new ball and facing down some rapid deliveries from the Salfords openers. 5.2 overs passed before Hayden, having decided to accelerate, found the waiting hands of a Salfords fielder at short cover (24-1). Enter Jack Tyte, keen to step up the pace of the chase, his first ball slammed through mid off and a dicy 3 runs. Smashing a 30* off 17 balls, Jack raised the tempo of the chase and when Ioan Huges smashed Salfords fastest bowler over deep square leg for a massive MAXIMUM, the game was swinging in MCCs favour.
Undeterred, Salfords struck back with a flurry of wickets and tight bowling to leave Merstham needing 25 off the last 20 balls. 5 Wickets down, bought James Reeves to the crease. Striking at 147, his 17 off 12 balls left Merstham needing just 4 off the last 2 balls for a momentus win. But a swing too many left his off stump exposed to a full and straight delivery….OUT!
4 needed off the last. Jess Keller, fresh to the crease. The Salfords opener who had been so devastating earlier in the piece runs in…….OVER STEPS….. NO BALL! 2 runs for a nb in this league and MUST be re-bowled. Perfect Yorker, dug out to short cover and the two Merstham batters SPRINT through for a tight single.
Match Tied, Honours Even. An emotionally and physically exhausted MCC open their account for 2024
