1st inns U18s Academy - 205 for 6 in 35 overs Sam Crocker run out 53 Joe Hawkins lbw 43 Aaron Oliver bowled 28 Nick Turvey bowled 0 Ben Jones 32 not out Dan Armstrong stumped 14 Jack Roper caught 13 Javod Malik 3 not out Did not bat: Adam Badger, Louie Turpie, Irfan Peera Bowling Rizwan 10-0-54-2, Nabeel 7-0-33-1, Adnan 3-0-16-0, Sean Brown 3-0-16-0, Tom Salliss 2-0-16-0, Mohammed Abbas 6-0-30-1, Pete Lowen 4-0-27-1 2nd inns Saturday 3rd XI - 209 for 6 in 34 overs Mohammed Rizwan lbw 57 Adnan Ali bowled 14 Wahid Chishti caught 0 Masood Khan bowled 1 Gregg Arrand caught 45 Tom Salliss 42 not out Bernard O’Connor run out 6 Sean Brown 16 not out Did not bat: Nabeel Ahmed, Pete Lowen, Mohammed Abbas-Bhanji, Graham Arrand Bowling Badger 6-0-33-1, Peera 2-0-19-0, Roper 5-0-53-2, Hawkins 1-0-10-0, Crocker 8-1-29-1, Armstrong 5-1-26-1, Turpie 2-0-14-0, Malik 5-1-21-0 SATURDAY 3RD TEAM WON BY 4 WICKETS There were some late team changes, Cyrus Suratia did not arrive to the game, which left the Academy a player short. Thankfully, Louie Turpie agreed to forfeit his afternoon watching Birmingham City play football (in a dull home draw against Hull) and play for the Academy. The Academy batted first on a gloriously warm day on a flat batting track. Joe Hawkins and Sam Crocker walked out to open the batting with expectancy in the air, and managed to add 99 for the first wicket. Crocker was particularly harsh on any width outside off stump, regularly milking the backward point region for easy runs against an attack that hadn’t bowled in a match since the previous August, but was run out shortly after celebrating his fifty. Hawkins was controversially lbw for 43 in the over before drinks and when Nick Turvey was bowled without scoring by Rizwan later that same over, the 3rds went to drinks with some momentum and the score poised at 99 for 3. 2nd team batsman Aaron Oliver scored 28 to stage a partial recovery, but never looked fluent at the crease. As the remaining overs ticked by, skipper Dan Armstrong and Jack Roper were given licence to play in their natural aggressive styles, and Ben Jones finished unbeaten on 32 as the Academy pushed the score past 200. The 3rds started well, with Rizwan making the most of an early life after offering a high catch off the bowling of Adam Badger, which dropped between Turvey and Armstrong at mid on and mid off respectively with neither fielder making an attempt to catch the ball. Rizwan went onto make an aggressive 57 but the loss of opener Adnan Ali, Wahid Chishti and Masood Khan in quick succession left Kings Heath feeling the pressure. Gregg Arrand collected seven boundaries in his 45 from 36 balls, full of well timed cover drives and clips off the legs when the bowlers strayed too straight, which pushed the 3rds over the required rate. Once Gregg was caught behind and Bernard O’Connor had been run out, this left two Under 15s at the crease, Tom Salliss and Sean Brown. Both players, unwanted by the Academy, did well to survive the onslaught by the bowlers and stayed together for a number of overs, although scoring well below the required rate. Soon there were 17 runs needed to win from the final two overs, Jack Roper a fiery fast bowler was called upon to bowl the penultimate over despite his previous four overs costing 36. There was inexplicable field placing from inexperienced captain Armstrong, with boundaries needed to win, all fielders were in the ring saving the single. The over began with two wides outside off stump and a head high no ball, then Tom Salliss gratefully seized upon the field placement errors and threaded three boundaries through the off side, two going in the same position to backward point, securing the win with an over in hand. Sean Brown finished with a not out 16, and Tom Salliss unbeaten on 42.
