SCC 3XI vs Crouch End CC
Southgate CC won the toss in a highly anticipated face off against one of the table toppers and chose to bat first, backing themselves to put runs on the board and apply pressure during the chase. It was not always a smooth journey, but SCC showed character, depth and enough attacking intent to reach a competitive 225 all out in 47.4 overs.
The innings began cautiously, with Crouch End’s bowlers maintaining good discipline. Cooray provided the early momentum with a useful 24 from 43 balls. Nish and Bhavesh then backed this effort and worked hard through a testing phase to steady the inning but when Southgate slipped to 129 for 5, the match was delicately poised.
That was when captain Parinda took control.
His innings of 52 from just 42 deliveries, including nine boundaries, was the defining contribution of Southgate’s batting effort. He understood exactly what the situation demanded—absorbing pressure when required before shifting gears and putting the bowlers under attack.
He received valuable support from Santosh, Shrikant and Kushal alongwith lower-order contributions to push Southgate beyond 200 and towards a defendable total.
Chasing 226, Crouch End were put to test through disciplined bowling by Parinda and Santosh for first 15 overs. They lost early wicket, but F Shafiq and W Ludlow rebuilt the innings with patience. Their partnership moved the score from 35 for 2 to 109 for 3 and briefly placed the opposition in a strong position.
However, Southgate did not panic.
Cooray changed the complexion of the match with a superb spell, removing Ludlow and then striking repeatedly through the middle order. Crouch End collapsed from 109 for 2 to 134 for 6, handing the initiative firmly back to SCC.
Shafiq battled hard for his 41 from 78 balls, while H Weymouth counterattacked with 35 from 36 and A Abishek struck a quick 25 from 27. Their 50-run partnership carried Crouch End to 184 and kept the contest alive.
But once again, Southgate found the breakthrough at the right moment.
Shrikant produced an excellent spell of 3 for 21 from 9 overs, including the crucial dismissal of Weymouth, who was smartly stumped by Bhavesh. Shrikant ran through the lower order as Crouch End lost their final four wickets for only seven runs.
Cooray finished as the leading wicket-taker with 4 for 49, while captain Parinda completed an outstanding all-round performance with 3 for 34 from 11 overs.
Crouch End were eventually bowled out for 191 in 39.5 overs, giving Southgate CC 3XI a well-earned 34-run victory.
It was not a flawless performance—44 extras will be an area SCC will want to improve—but the most encouraging aspect was the team’s response under pressure. Different players stepped forward at different stages, and whenever Crouch End threatened to take control, Southgate found a way back.
Captain’s fifty, a collective bowling performance and a composed finish—a thoroughly deserved victory for SCC 3XI.