Introduction to this year's Youth Plate
The highest ranked team in the draw is #021 Weston Super Mud CC
The most successful team in the draw is St Johns Athletic having previously been a losing finalist, semi-finalist and quarter-finalist. Western Suburbs Hacks and North Cardiff Cosmos are the only other teams in the draw to make the semis.
There are five newcomers to the Youth Plate: #021Weston Super Mud CC; #028 Meeting Mr Miandad; #034 Applewood Crossing; #063 Newtown Pirates; and #071 SuraXI.
Finally, from next season I have decided to reverse the order of invitation to the plates to begin with the lowest ranked teams. This will ensure that new joiners and the other Division 4 sides are guaranteed to be accepted into the competition and so ensure that all teams in the Irish League setup have the chance to compete in either the Cup or the Plate. I wish I had thought of it sooner.
Back to this year's draw. The game of the round has thrown the highest ranked teams together in Round One: Weston Super Mud and Royal Eleven. In theory the winner should make the final. #037 Barnsley St. Peter's will hope to provide their semi-final opposition and two division four sides meet when the Newtown Pirates face up to Balls Deep.
The game between Weston Super Mud and Royal Eleven was as close as hoped. Captain and wicketkeeper, Mike Simon (35) top-scored in Weston's 140-7 whilst the Royal's Kenneth Kenna took 3 for 18. The chase went to the wire as but the batting looked stronger with the Royal Eleven's Donagh McLoughlin (63*) and Vintcent Scholtz (52) helping them to sneak past the total with a ball to spare. The Royal Elevent now meet the Blazing Dragons in the quarters, who progressed with contributions from Prince Kwenda (3-15), Inga Muddle (75*) and Retief Carlstein (49).
Barnsley put together a large total of 203 together thanks to Nicky Lamb (89*), Richie Grimmond (59*) and Desta arap Lang'at (50) that looked like it might be beyond the Cosmos. But North Cardiff kept up with the comparison thanks mostly to Jarrod Dyer (72) and Wade Horton (57) who was still there with two overs remaining. Needing 19 runs the Cosmos managed 16 but at the cost of six wickets, Thomas Tucker taking three of them in the final over. They face Balls Deep in the next round whose Jakob Sweet scored 81 not out in their winning chase against Newtown Pirates. An honourable mention goes to Gregor McKimmie of Newtown Pirates who took 4 for 23 in a losing cause.
Our own, #034 Applewood Crossing and #028 Meeting Mr Miandad look like contesting the other semi-final but last year's finalists St Johns Athletic will hope to have a say in the matter. There will be another tier four clash, when SuraXI meet FPCC Ireland.
It wasn't plain sailing for the Crossing. Spinners Jignesh Chidamber (3-28) and Jake McGuiness (2-26) did the damage to St Johns innings of 133-7; Naik Razaq top scored with 45 not out. It looked like the were struggling in reply after the fall of two early wickets to Jalal Wali (2-14), but Shrish Swamy (66*) and Cade de Vos (54*) stood firm, stuck it out before accelerating away to win with relative ease.
They next play Western Suburbs Hacks. Craig Musgrove (4-13), Sanee de Livera (3-15) and Anthony Tetley (2-29) demolished Dublin Devils' batting line-up in their victory.
FPCC Ireland's Walter Adair (114*) and Jimmy McKew (64) rattled off the 193 runs needed to beat a solid 192 by Sura XI; Gordon Garratt had taken 3 for 34. They are setup for a meeting with Mr Miandad: Marcas Johnston taking 3 for 21 after Fionn Robinson scored 54 for Miandad and whilst Leigh Sargent knocked 55 not out for Rocket City.
On to the Quarter Finals:
- Tipped semi-finalists Royal Eleven and Meeting Mr Miandad would expect to progress against Blazing Dragons and fourth tier FPCC Ireland respectively.
- A sticky wicket and the fast-medium pace and bounce of Egbert Sneijder (5-31) were the undoing of the Royal Eleven. They were blown away by the Blazing Dragons whose opener Retief Carlstein (53*) finished the job.
- Walter Adair carried his bat for 83 runs, setting a target of 140 to beat for Mr Miandad. Donagh Branagan's 54 put them in with a chance before Mr Miandad scraped past FPCC Ireland in the final over. That was full of drama in it's own right: a half-chance dropped; a batter slipping resulting in a run out; great and poor fielding before McGoldrick sneaking the final run of the final ball. Just one game stands between Miandad and the final.
- Western Suburbs Hacks play in their third successive Plate quarter final against our own Applewood Crossing, in arguably the tie of the round.
- That semi final will be against our own Applewood Crossing who has a comfortable win over the Hacks. Darrell Haggett scored 79 before all-rounder Leroy Trotman (3-19) helped contain Western Suburbs' response.
- Balls Deep are the only other team to have been to the quarters in the plate before. The other remaining Division four side might just have hopes of upsetting Barnsley St Peter's, following their struggles in the first round.
- No fifties with the bat, no three fers; just an upset win for Division Four Balls Deep. Onwards and upwards?
Semi Finals next...
- Third tier Blazing Dragons Cricket Club and fourth tier Balls Deep look well matched in the first semi final.
Well matched indeed! Anton Yachad's (55) and Peter Kendrick's (89*) opening partnership of 93 on a flat track set Balls Deep on the right path. Rohit Bhatt (27) and Hamed Farahi (18) kept runs ticking over before a couple of wickets in the last two overs slowed things down a little. They finished on 204 for four.
Blazing Dragons also began well thanks for a second wicket partnership of 86 by Inga Muddle (73) and Sandy Cubit (35) before a "blip" of their own around halfway. Miran Ibadulla (30) and Vijendra Moliya (34) kept the innings going as the Dragons matched the gradient of Balls Deep's innings but remember those two low scoring overs, for 13 runs, at the end. Well the Dragons accelerated (16th over 13. 17th -10, 18th -10, 19th -15 despite two wickets!!!). Needing 14 runs, they kept chipping away: 2, 3, 2, and 2 leaving five from the final two. A risky one off the penultimate ball meant a boundary off the last ball would clinch it. In the event they scored two to finish 203 for five, just two runs from victory.
- Our own Applewood Crossing may have a slight edge against Meeting Mr Miandad in the other. The semis and final look as if they might be close. Best of luck everyone.
Despite Marcas Johnston (5-15) taking the wickets of those around him, Darrell Haggett bashed out 90 runs from 53 balls for our very own Crossing. Abasi Ali's three early wickets set Mr Miandad sufficiently for them not to trouble the target as they fell 22 runs short.
And so onto the final...
- It turned out to be a day for batters: Anton Yachad (23); Hamed Farahi (64 and top scorer for the day); and
Bart-Jan Braafheid (45*) contributing to Balls Deep's 149 for 5.
- But their response had fallen way short of our own Applewood Crossing's 204 for 3 built by the top five: Darrell Haggett (53); Cecil Guzman (32); Cade de Vos (39); Shrish Swamy (40*) and Robbie Pickett (40*).
So not a classic, but congratulations to me, crackit, (this for the first time in all four competitions) and sjroessel. We both win an award of Pavilion membership. Happy New Year to everyone in the Irish League setup. 