1st XI vs Twickenham

Southgate’s 1st XI were comfortably beaten by a good Twickenham CC side by 90runs.

Twickenham won the toss and their imposing total of 284 for 5 began with an aggressive 52 from 41 balls by Talbot. However his wicket was one of three in quick succession that reduced the hosts to 66-3. A very makeable chance to make it 66-4 was squandered at this point, leaving Southgate wondering what might have been. As it was, a chance-less hundred from Twickenham captain Nunes off just 87 balls, set a total that always felt a little out of reach.

Southgate's Daragh Edwards (2 for 43) and Vig Sriram (1 for 33) deserve credit for good spells, particularly as it was the first game of the season for each of them.

In response, Southgate struggled to build momentum against a disciplined Twickenham bowling attack. Kunaal Kankate stood out with a resilient unbeaten 66 off 92 balls, but lacked substantial support from the other end.

2nd XI vs Actonians

Southgate 2nd XI began the day in the field and showed early promise with a disciplined bowling display. Opening spells from Will McLoughlin and Josh Holmes were tight, with both bowlers maintaining consistent lines and lengths to keep the scoring in check. The breakthrough came early, and Southgate capitalised with regular wickets to keep the opposition under pressure.

The standout performer with the ball was Ravi Desai, who delivered a spell of 9 overs, claiming 3 wickets for just 28 runs. His control made scoring difficult and helped break key partnerships. He was well supported by Javed Ahmed, Josh, and Will, who each chipped in with a wicket. The fielding effort was sharp, with run-out and catching opportunities taken when presented the chance.

Despite the pressure, Actonians managed to rebuild through the middle overs and posted a competitive total of 200 for 7 from their 45 overs—a total that felt within reach but would require a composed chase.

Southgate’s reply, however, got off to a rocky start. The top order struggled to settle, with wickets falling at regular intervals. Mustapha Mirza showed some resistance with a patient 22, and Nish Shah added a fluent 21, but both were dismissed just as they looked set to anchor the innings.

The middle order couldn’t quite stabilise the innings, and at 73 for 7, the chase looked in serious trouble. However, the lower order showed commendable fight. Mike Cox played a counter-attacking knock, top-scoring with 32 and Josh Holmes adding a brisk 22, helping push the total past the 130 mark. Unfortunately, the resistance came too late, and Southgate were bowled out for 136 in 31 overs, falling short by 64 runs.

3rd XI vs Kay Plus

10th May | 45 overs per side Kay Plus won the toss and elected to bat

Kay Plus: 291 all out (38.5) - Parinda Kularatne 4-17

Southgate 74 all out (22.1)

Southgate 3rd XI fielded a team blending youth and experience but were unfortunately one player short, with only 10 taking the field. Kay Plus CC won the toss and chose to bat first, posting an imposing total of 291 all out in 38.5 overs.

It was a frustrating day in the field for Southgate, with too many missed opportunities and a costly 47 wides contributing to the total. While some good catches were taken, lapses in the field allowed too many runs to slip through. Thilipan bowled with good pace and his 2nd spell bowled with a lot more control. A standout performance came from Parinda, who delivered an outstanding opening spell and returned later to clean up the tail, finishing with impressive figures of 5.5 overs, 5 wickets for just 17 runs.

It was also encouraging to see strong efforts from the younger players. Finn (U15) was excellent in the field, showing real promise, while Aaryan (U15) bowled well and was unlucky not to claim a wicket. Jason (17) also bowled well and deservedly picked up a wicket.

Southgate’s chase got off to a difficult start, quickly slipping to 29-5. Parinda then added a gritty partnership of 18 with Finn, who showed great resilience, scoring 6 from 41 balls. Parinda top-scored with 17, and Kevin chipped in with a brisk 11, but the innings never truly recovered. Southgate were bowled out for 74 in 22 overs.

Bhavesh Kotecha

2nd XI vs Middlesex Titans

10th May | 45 overs per side Titans won the toss and elected to bat

Titans: 167 all out (40) - Ravi Desai (4-21)

Southgate 149 all out (38.1) - Javed Ahmed 59

Southgate’s 2nd XI started off the league season with an away trek to Harrow against a Middlesex Titans side, relegated from Division Two the previous season.

On a less than impressive track for the season opener, Southgate lost the toss and were sent into field – an astute decision from the Titan’s skipper given the lack of a full XI from the away side until the 18th over.

Southgate’s fielding innings started brightly with Javed Ahmed and George Bloyce firing through opening salvos upon an uneven pitch. Javed removed Titan’s opener before Ravi Desai (4-21) and Lewis Johnston made further progress through the Titan’s batting lineup, backed up by solid fielding efforts throughout.

The arrival of Abdullah Rafi not only restored Southgate to a full XI but also resulted in 3 wickets, a catch, a runout, and a knee-shaped crater in the side screen chasing a ball down to the boundary – some impact.

Southgate lost a little control towards the end of the innings, allowing Titans to pile on 30 runs for their final wicket – bowled out for 167 in an encouraging first display of the season.

The batting innings started brightly with skipper Christian McLoughlin (17) and Mustapha Mirza accounting for a couple of early boundaries in a partnership of 22 for the first wicket. 22-1 soon became 38-5 as a combination of accurate bowling and an uncompromising pitch ripped through the top order.

Javed and debutant Nish Shah steadied the innings and started to quieten down a raucous home side. A young Titan’s spinner geed up with the responsibility tasked for not just the home side, but his entire friends and family was promptly hit out of the ground by a couple of lusty blows from Javed.

Unfortunately, with partners falling around him, Javed was stumped for a well-made 59 and Southgate ultimately fell 19 runs short of Titan’s total – bowled out for 149.

A disappointing result to take in but also many positives that will hold the 2nd XI in good stead for the rest of the season.

Lewis Johnston