SCC vs. GCC Match Report

Having fallen two wickets short of victory the previous week, GCC arrived at Sanderstead eager to push on. Skipper Mayne’s unprecedented form at the toss finally faltered, with the visitors inserted on a green looking track.

At the coalface, openers Mayne and Milner had to contend with not only the hooping new ball, but exceptionally blustery conditions. The weather however appeared to breathe renewed vigour into Milner. A useful 21 included a bicep flexing six through cow corner, before a sharp catch at cover brought the party-poppers to a close. Sanderstead fought back in removing Shepherd and Agge quickly, bringing Michael O’Day to the crease. Sporting a new haircut straight from the set of cult favourite Heartbeat, the Perth tyro once again showed his Ashes credentials, in particular with some classy shots of the hip.

All the while skipper Mayne set about converting a solid start into a decent score. His measured innings included a succession of rasping straight drives, alongside some stoic defence in the face of probing bowling. Carter in particular found extravagant movement both off the seam and in the air, and was unlucky to finish with only 1-59 off his 15. Mayne reached a well-crafted his 50 at the 30 over mark, with GCC in a reasonable position at 120-4.

However, when O’Day’s spritely knock came to an end courtesy of a well taken catch behind the stumps, the home side fought back with quick wickets. Hickey, Clark, Wright and Churuman were all guilty of making starts and not kicking on, piling pressure on the strawberry blond leader. When Mayne departed for 79, the innings quickly concluded. 206 all out in a stop-start innings represented a decent score, although a missed opportunity to set an imposing total.

With runs having been easiest to come by off the quicks, pace off the ball was the order of the day. Thankfully this remains a department where GCC are well furnished. Agge and Churaman took the old ball; the former bowling with guile, the latter slowly. Agge drew first blood when he bowled Young. This brought the in-form Muzammil to the crease, who promptly patted back a full toss first ball, which agonizingly Agge failed to hold. The veterans nonetheless continued to plug away with discipline. Agge had his revenge when he removed Muzammil with a whizz-bang turner, before Churaman prized two quick scalps to leave the home side 46-4 and thrust GCC into the ascendency.

This brought Carter to the crease, and a cagey 15 overs ensued. While the required rate increased above fives, all the while both sides felt firmly in the game. The visitors were perhaps guilty of not going for the jugular, but with Carter looking increasingly assured at the crease, GCC opted for concerted pressure. Elgar and O’Day took the new ball, and when each made a break through early on, the momentum appeared to shift. However, the pivotal moment came when the dangerous Carter was dropped at point. When Bull rubbed salt into the wounds by planting Agge for a pair of maximums in a single over, the momentum swung dramatically. The home side looked set, needing five off the last over with three wickets intact.

However, following a series of vociferous appeals, O’Day removed dangerman Carter with the perfect Yorker first ball. Two dot balls followed, before a scampered single. With four to win off two balls, Bull chanced his arm - the ball flew off the outside edge to the vacant third man region, giving Sanderstead the narrowest of victories.

With the league table now looking thoroughly congested, GCC will rue the missed opportunity to steal a march on their rivals. We look forward to hosting the return leg later this summer.