Match Report
Match Report
The Southern XI got their Over-40s Inter Regional campaign up and running with a composed six-wicket win over the Western XI at Knockharley, chasing down a target of 180 with more than four overs to spare.
Put in to bat after losing the toss, the West were given a flying start by captain Shariq Nasim, who top-scored with a punchy 69 from 64 balls, laced with nine boundaries. He and wicketkeeper Kushal Narang (31) put on 78 for the first wicket to lay a strong platform.
The introduction of Farooq Nasr turned the innings, however, as he removed both Muhammad Saqi and Umair Maqsood to finish with 2 for 10 from his three overs. From a commanding 78 for 1, the West lost their way in the middle overs, slipping to 107 for 5 as the wickets were shared right around the South attack. Ashley Bain (1-31), Andrew Kay (1-24), Levon Shields (1-11) and Sumit Singh (1-9) all chipped in, while a tidy Southern effort in the field kept the scoring in check.
Late order runs from Renjith Nair (21), Siddharth Joshi (15 not out) and Gurpreet Singh (12) nudged the West up to a competitive 179 for 9 from their 35 overs, but on a good surface it always looked gettable.
In reply, opener Levon Shields set the tone with a brisk 56 from 47 deliveries, striking eight fours and a six to give the South a rapid start. Danish Ali struck back for the West with two quick wickets, but Shields' momentum, together with a well-paced 43 from Mubeen Ali, kept the chase comfortably ahead of the rate.
When both fell, Tahir Rasheed took charge, finishing unbeaten on 43 from 41 balls to see his side home, with wicketkeeper Liam Casey (9 not out) alongside him at the close. The South reached 180 for 4 in the 31st over to complete a convincing win, Danish Ali the pick of the Western bowlers with 3 for 42.
It was an encouraging opening result for the Southern Over-40s and a promising start to the inter regional series, with both squads and supporters enjoying a well-run day's cricket at Knockharley.
Match Awards
Special Mention: The Veterans Cricket Association of Ireland would especially like to pass on their condolences to Levon Shields and extended family on the death of Levon's father, Philip. Levon put on a masterclass of cricket on the day that his Dad would have been proud of, and we raised a beer to Philip afterwards. RIP.
♥ Special Thanks
Particular thanks to Barry Grimes, who ran such a tight ship as Match Manager and organising the day. He was a great support to us all. Our thanks to Knockharley Cricket Club for the use of their ground, to the umpires P. McGrane and A. McGirl and scorer Peter Searson, and to everyone who travelled to support both teams on the day. Special thanks to our Veterans Sponsor, Daniel Wellington, and to the ground staff who prepared the pitch.
Scorecard
| Batter | How out | R | B | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shariq Nasim* | b Sumit Singh | 69 | 64 | 9 | 0 |
| Kushal Narang† | c Farooq Nasr b Andrew Kay | 31 | 48 | 4 | 0 |
| Darryl Calder | lbw b Levon Shields | 3 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Muhammad Saqi | b Farooq Nasr | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Umair Maqsood | b Farooq Nasr | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Joseph Thomas | run out (Farooq Nasr) | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Gurpreet Singh | b Ashley Bain | 12 | 39 | 0 | 0 |
| Renjith Nair | c Ashley Bain b Khalid Bilal | 21 | 20 | 1 | 1 |
| Siddharth Joshi | not out | 15 | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| Danish Ali | run out (Sumit Singh/Khalid Bilal) | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Kamran Mirza | did not bat | – | – | – | – |
| Extras | (b 1, lb 8, w 14) | 23 | |||
| Total | for 9 wickets, 35 overs | 179 |
| Bowler | O | M | R | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashley Bain | 7 | 1 | 31 | 1 |
| Khalid Bilal | 7 | 0 | 49 | 1 |
| Mubasher Siddique | 5 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Andrew Kay | 4 | 0 | 24 | 1 |
| Farooq Nasr | 3 | 0 | 10 | 2 |
| Levon Shields | 6 | 1 | 11 | 1 |
| Sumit Singh | 3 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Batter | How out | R | B | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Levon Shields | b Siddharth Joshi | 56 | 47 | 8 | 1 |
| Sumit Singh | lbw b Danish Ali | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Farooq Nasr | lbw b Danish Ali | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Mubeen Ali | c Shariq Nasim b Danish Ali | 43 | 46 | 4 | 0 |
| Tahir Rasheed | not out | 43 | 41 | 6 | 0 |
| Liam Casey† | not out | 9 | 38 | 1 | 0 |
| Mubasher Siddique | did not bat | – | – | – | – |
| Khalid Bilal | did not bat | – | – | – | – |
| Andrew Kay | did not bat | – | – | – | – |
| Ashley Bain | did not bat | – | – | – | – |
| Ehtesham Ahmed* | did not bat | – | – | – | – |
| Extras | (b 1, lb 2, w 18, nb 2) | 23 | |||
| Total | for 4 wickets, 30.2 overs | 180 |
| Bowler | O | M | R | W |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Renjith Nair | 2.2 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Danish Ali | 7 | 0 | 42 | 3 |
| Muhammad Saqi | 5.4 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Siddharth Joshi | 7 | 0 | 44 | 1 |
| Kamran Mirza | 7 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| Joseph Thomas | 1 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Shariq Nasim | 0.2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Highlights
Report & scorecard compiled by VCAI. Scorecard data via NV Play.