BATTLING 1864'S PROVIDE STERN TEST TO CIVIL SERVICE.

8th Aug 2025

BATTLING 1864'S PROVIDE STERN TEST TO CIVIL SERVICE.

        Sat 2 August 2025: NTCL Division 5 Central: SNCC v Civil Service (a) 40/40

Civil Service, Northumberland 245-3 (40o) Vikram Narula 86, Naveen Janjanam 88*: Tom Oliver 2-29, George McConnell 0-48, Varun Gudipati 0-48, Elliott Mee 1-51, Tom Young 0-36, Dominic Johnson 0-22.

SNCC 1864 210-9 (40o) George McConnell 53, Aadi Bethanabatla 32, Jacob McCord 49, Belinda Wewalage 21: John Colley 1-23, Prabhat Singh 2-52, Navendra Boyapati 0-31, Santhosmon Devasia 3-21, Naveen Janjanam 0-23, Shailesh Walke 1-24, Anwar Mohmmed 1-26.

Civil Service, Northumberland won by 35 runs - 29 points, 1864's 6.

A battling performance by the 64's chasing a commanding 245, after George (53), Aadi (32), Jacob (49)  & Belinda (21) provided a good platform, but then ending the chase 35 short having been only 17 runs adrift after 34 overs, 4 down, but a clatter of 5 more wickets saw the close at 210-9.

A sunny day at Heaton Medicals, Civil Service chose to bat. Saluja & Walke faced the left arm seam of Tom Oliver & George McConnell. Only 3 runs in 4 overs then some acceleration by Saluja (16) but in the 7^th he edged a widish delivery from Tom to be caught by w/k Belinda, 19-1.

Varun (rm) & Elliott (lb) entered the attack, Narula stroked 8x4 but in Elliott's second Walke (16) drove towards point where Olly took a good catch over his head, 66-2. This was the last success for 20 overs as Narula, with cover drives & leg side flicks & the powerful Janjanam punished variations of length & line. Elliott's creditable attempt to restrict Janjanam to off side shots & not target the legside boundary, led to him being adjudged to have bowled 7 off side wides in over 22. 40 runs were conceded in that & the next over from Tom Y. It can be tough to be a slow bowler !

Tom Young (lb) & Dominic Johnson (ob) had short spells & after 30 overs the total was 180-2. Tom Oliver & George returned & in the 36^th Narula (86,105b 10x4) driving, was caught at mid off by Dominic, 208-3. Janjanam continued to attack as Tom, Varun & George strove for a further breakthrough. None came & the innings closed at 245-3, Janjanam (88*, 67b, 14x4). Tom Oliver the pick with 2-29 from 8 overs with one maiden.

In reply George & Aadi faced the seam of Colley & Singh. A splendid opening partnership of 71 in 14 overs as George plundered 8 legside boundaries, Singh, Colley & Boyapati suffering. But second change Devasia (rm), with a slingy action, bowled two maidens & at 74 in the 15^th George (53, 51b, 8x4) succumbed to him, bowled by an in swinging delivery. Another good innings from George, a pity he could not go on.

Olly joined Aadi & the pair pushed the score to 97 in the 22nd when a moment of indecision led to Olly (10) being run out. Two overs later Aadi (32, 66b, 4x4), who had scored nicely through the offside cutting & driving, aimed to go down the ground but missed a full ball from the medium paced Mohmmed & was bowled, 111-3.

Jacob joined Belinda & played freely against change bowlers Mohmmed, Janjanam & Walke. Hitting straight or to mid wicket 7x4 1x6 from only 36 balls until at 183 in the 34^th he was bowled by Singh, driving. In the next over Fraser Hall (0) cut Walke to point & was caught. Belinda (21, 35b, 2x4) edged Singh to w/k Nallagoni at 194. Elliott (2) driving, edged behind off Devasia, 197-7; in the pursuit of runs, 4 wickets were lost in 4 overs.

In the 39^th Tom (3) edged Devasia to w/k Nallagoni & in the last Tom Young (0), scooping but without sufficient elevation, did the same off Colley. A brave effort which probably needed one of the run scorers to bat through.

The fielding was good, exemplified by Olly Alexander at point & in the covers.

Onward to Sat 9^th August SNCC 1864 v Newcastle (h) 40/40 from 1300.

We  hope you can be there to cheer the team on.

Duncan.