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Trophy success for Over 50s Second XI
Somerset Cricket Foundation’s Over 50’s Second Team ended a stellar 2024 season in triumphant style by winning the Over 50s Second XI County Championship Play-Off Final against Essex.
Having played some outstanding cricket to win nine out of 10 games in a group containing Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, and then winning three knock-out matches against Bedfordshire, Wales and Surrey respectively, Somerset could rightfully claim to be the form side of this year’s Competition, which features 27 teams.
Essex have long been one of the main powerhouses on the Seniors’ cricket circuit, and they entered this year’s Competition as 2023 champions. So, it was the toughest of tests that lay ahead for a Somerset side making the long trip across to Valley End CC in Surrey.
With heavy rainfall in the area in the lead-up to the Final, and further showers expected on the day, Essex won the all-important toss and invited Somerset to make first use of a pitch showing more than a hint of green.
Somerset possess a really formidable pair of opening batters in Phil Higginson (Curry Rivel CC) and Mike Denning (Chew Valley CC) – relative of the late, great Pete “Dasher” Denning – who had scored over 900 runs between them in this year’s campaign, usually in quick-time.
However, on this occasion, both openers fell before they could get going – with Higginson out to a stunning one-handed slip catch and Denning drilling a drive to cover. Mark Hannaford (Lydeard St Lawrence CC) and Mike Fisher (Congresbury CC) had also both regularly made important contributions with the bat during the course of the season, and it was they who set about re-building the Somerset innings.
The pair had put on a useful 57 for the third wicket, when Fisher departed for 28 (including five fours and a huge six over square leg). 73 for three soon became 96 for five, as, firstly, Hannaford (36) was trapped in front by Essex captain, Vince Mulholland, and then Matt Kearsey (Lympsham & Belvedere CC) dragged a delivery from off-spinner, Adnan Hashmi, onto his stumps.
The man from Weston’s wicket felt like a big one, as it was his magnificent undefeated knock of 80 that had helped Somerset overcome Surrey in the semi-final a fortnight earlier. Jon Dalwood (Chard CC) had been involved in a match-winning unbroken partnership of 99 for the fifth wicket with Kearsey in that victory over Surrey; and this time around he was joined in the middle by his skipper, Jon Kerslake (Taunton CC).
The same pair batting together had shown a good deal of composure in guiding their side to a four-wicket win over Wales in the quarter-final; but this represented an entirely different proposition. With 15 overs remaining and three figures not yet on the board, the game (and probably the final, itself) was very much in the balance.
A period of consolidation followed, with Dalwood also having to contend with a thigh injury mid-way through his innings, which necessitated the use of a runner. Slowly but surely, runs started to flow more easily and Essex went on the defensive for the first time in the match – with Dalwood finding the boundary four times, and Kerslake (26*) keeping things ticking along.
A crucial partnership of 63 ended when Dalwood was caught at long-on for a well-made 42. However, at 159 for six with less than a handful of overs remaining, further impetus was still required if Somerset were to give themselves a chance of a competitive total to bowl at. This came in the form of a superb cameo from Alex Keevil (Beckington CC), who smashed 16 off just nine balls.
A couple of late wickets saw Somerset close on 185 for eight from their 45-overs – with Hashmi (four for 34) and Mulholland (two for 24) the pick of the Essex bowlers.
A target of 186 was a lot less than the Somerset players and their large contingent of travelling supporters would have wanted to set at the start of the day. Nevertheless, the track remained a challenging one to bat with any freedom on; and the quality of Somerset’s bowling line-up was unlikely to have been surpassed by any other side in the Competition – confidence and belief, therefore, both remained high.
Early wickets were the order of the day; and, after a couple overs, the Essex reply stood at two for two! Perry Reeves (Wells & Horrington CC) struck first, removing Asif Iqbal for a duck with the last ball of the opening over, before Krish Subramanian (Taunton CC) induced Hashmi to play-on in the next.
Throughout the summer, in completely contrasting styles, Reeves and Subramanian proved themselves to be an outstanding new-ball pair – with the former steaming-in and hitting a hard length on and around off-stump, whilst the latter’s mesmeric left-arm spin created a web that ultimately saw him snare 24 victims, leaving him as the Competition’s leading wicket-taker.
The dangerous Mazhar Malik and Matt Duggan were looking at a similar type of re-building job to the one Somerset’s batters had faced a little earlier. Runs were very hard to come by, though, and Malik (18) eventually succumbed, leg-before, to Subramanian’s metronomic accuracy, with the score on 38.
When Reeves was replaced by the off-spin of Clive Hamblin (Kilmington & Stourton CC) there was to be no release of the pressure that had been steadily building. Hamblin had barely bowled a bad ball all year long, and quickly settled into an immaculate line and length.
By this stage, Duggan had been joined by Andrew MacKinlay, whose unbeaten half-century had almost single-handedly got his side over the line in their nail-biting semi final win over Hertfordshire. Under darkening skies, the two Essex batters started to find some momentum, with Duggan strong on the off-side and MacKinlay whipping a couple of boundaries through the mid-wicket region.
With the fourth wicket pair having moved the score on to 74 for three after 26 overs, a heavy downpour forced the players from the field. As things stood, Essex were 18 runs behind the DLS par score. However, Somerset were staring at a potential nightmare scenario of the rain disappearing for just enough time to allow their opponents to get back out there and get their noses in front, before the showers returned to end any dreams of heading back to the West County with the trophy in their hands.
Thankfully, the weather had other ideas! The clouds parted, the sun briefly appeared, and the umpires announced that a full game could still be played to its conclusion.
The left-arm spin of Subramanian had now been replaced by the equally impressive left-arm spin of (a heroically hobbling) Dalwood, with Kearsey taking over from fellow off-spinner, Hamblin, at the other end. And it was Kearsey who was to play a vital role during a pivotal passage of play.
Shortly after the resumption, he pinned Duggan (35) plumb in front, before moving quickly and tumbling to his right in the dark, damp pocket of deep mid-wicket to catch MacKinlay for 26 off the bowling of Dalwood, giving the spinner a much-deserved wicket.
When Kearsey bowled the busy Stephen Ward (15) with an absolute beauty, the Essex total was 107 for six. With the run rate edging towards the seven-an-over mark, Somerset hearts were starting to beat a little easier, but there was certainly no room for any complacency.
Zaheer Nazir, in at number eight, wasted no time in finding the rope at backward point on several occasions, and the chase was seemingly back on. With Kerslake marshalling his bowlers nicely, Hamblin was now into the attack again, picking-up the wicket of David Clout in his final over, courtesy of another Kearsey catch.
Hamblin finished his spell with remarkable figures of 9-1-21-1, before being replaced by Reeves for one final push. For someone born and raised in the same county as his opponents, there was a degree of irony in Somerset’s burly seamer being the man to inflict the fatal blows to the Essex innings (as often seems to be the way in sport).
With the score on 152 for seven in the 43rd over, Craig Miller was “yorked.” Three balls later, the game was almost done, as Reeves produced the perfect “nip backer” to find the top of Nazir’s leg-stump, for a gutsy 35 made in even time.
Reeves still wasn’t finished, however. In the game’s final over, he cleaned-up Mulholland, and that really was that! Essex were all out for 160, leaving Somerset victors by 25 runs. Reeves ended with the brilliant figures of four for 23 from 8.1 overs – something that the former chef should be able to dine-out on for a good few years to come.
Somerset’s bowling unit, which had been exceptional all year, had arguably saved its best collective performance for the final, itself. Alongside the aforementioned Reeves and Hamblin, the sublime Subramanian took two for 24, Dalwood (on one leg) one for 39 and Kearsey (bowling at the death) two for 51 from their full allocations.
All that remained was for Captain Kerslake, who had also enjoyed an excellent season behind the sticks, to receive the trophy from competition organiser, Keith Milton, in front of a jubilant crowd of team-mates and supporters. A very special moment for Somerset Seniors cricket and all those individuals who had helped to grow the Seniors game across the County, and a first piece of silverware along the way! Every single member of the team (and the squad, as a whole) had done Somerset and themselves proud.
All credit to the Essex players and supporters, who were extremely gracious in defeat, which reflected well on a match that was played in great spirit. Many thanks should also go to Valley End CC for their wonderful facilities and hospitality, and to the Competition management for organising a great event.
It was a very happy band of Somerset folk who travelled home that night, with thoughts already turning to 2025 and beyond.
Match report supplied by Jonathan Kerslake.
