Under 14 League, Finals Day, 2019

Clydesdale CC are Under 14 League winners.  “Titwood” (Clydesdale CC) played host to the Under 14 League Finals Day, on Sunday the 8th of September.  As with the other age group Finals Day, the format was two semi-finals (first versus fourth in the league and second versus third) and a final.

Semi-final one saw the “Battle of Titwood” (at “Titwood”), between the two Clydesdale CC teams.  The match very much went with the form book – Clydesdale CC II batted first and scored 95 all out, against their table-topping opposition – with Maryam Faisal (19) top scoring and skipper Nikhil Koteeswaran (2 for 9) doing the main damage with the ball.  In reply, Bahadar Esakhiel (25), Ibrahim Faisal (21*) and Koteeswaran (21) made quick work of the chase, although Faisal (M) continued her very impressive performance by taking two (2 for 18) of the three wickets to fall.

Semi-final two was contested by Glasgow Accies CC and Ferguslie CC.  Glasgow Accies CC batted first and lost a couple of early wickets, while Ferguslie CC also controlled the early run rate.  However, some big hitting from Akshat Gupta (25*) turned 40 for 2 off ten overs in 105 for 7 off twenty overs.  In reply, Ferguslie CC lost a couple of early wickets – and they were not able to recover from this.  Nasratullah Safi (4 for 4) led the bowling effort which resulted in Ferguslie CC finishing 45 all out.

The final had a very dramatic start – a wicket first ball, a dropped catch off the second and wickets in each of the first four overs!  As in the semi-final, Gupta was the mainstay of the Glasgow Accies CC innings – this time scoring 23 off just 13 deliveries.  However, when he became Esakhiel’s third victim of the innings, 40 for 4 quickly turned into 50 all out in 8.5 overs.  Esakhiel finished with 3 for 17 – although Andrew Harden (3 for 4) was the pick of the bowlers.  In reply, Faisal (20*, retired) and Esakhiel (16*, retired) ensured that Clydesdale CC would safely reach the target in eleven overs.

Congratulations to Clydesdale CC on their success – and thanks to the club and their groundstaff for hosting, to the umpires Jon Barnes and Neil Cauldwell who stood all day, to the players for their efforts and to all the spectators present on the day.