Ashes Series for Deaf Cricketers...
First Test match report by Mike Rose
Tuesday 8th to Thurday 10th July
Southport & Birkdale CC, Trafalgar Road, Birkdale,
Southport, PR8 2H
In cloudy blustery conditions the Test Series began at Southport with Umesh Valjee winning the toss and asking Australia to bat. Australia dominated the morning session as the ECAD bowlers failed to break through with the new ball. Eventually Nick Watkins fell for 27 and Luke Trudgett 39 and the visitors lunched at a comfortable 152-2. The afternoon session was a different story as five wickets fell for 50 runs to put the home side right back into the picture. Mark Woodman 4-73 was the main wicket taker but the bowling of Nigel Davenport and Mike O’Mahony played a key role. The evening session saw the Australians regain the initiative as they were bowled out for 334. Grant Thomson was the top scorer with 90. The ECAD openers Chris Hughes and Umesh Valjee survived a tricky couple of overs at the end of the day.
Persistent rain caused an early end to Day Two of the First Test at Southport. The Australians made an early breakthrough when Chris Hughes was caught at point for 9. Umesh Valjee and Mike O’Mahony redressed the situation as both scored half-centuries in a 99 run stand. However, the stand was broken when O’Mahony was caught behind for 52. Valjee followed soon after for 51, the victim of a superb catch in the gully by Paul Welch. Ben Young became Kym Daley’s third victim when he was clean bowled but further play was impossible as the drizzle became harder and England closed at 140-4 after 53 overs.
ECAD’s first target on Day Three was to score 185 and thus avoid the follow on. However, they lost early wickets as Andy Wood and James Dixon went quickly. Nigel Davenport and Stephen George steadied the ship with a stand of 26 before George was run out. Darrell Sykes joined Davenport and they took the total past the 200 mark with Davenport reaching his half century before being bowled for 65. Some lusty blows from Mark Woodman allowed ECAD to reach 252 before Sykes was the last man out after a 71 minute stay for 14 runs. Kym Daley took 5-73
Australia started badly as they slumped to 59-6 with Stephen George the main architect of their downfall taking three of the first four wickets to fall. The visitors were struggling from then on and a rearguard action led by Terry Hall saw them bat out time which was called early with no prospect of a result. Umesh Valjee claiming a notable scalp by bowling his opposite number, Kym Daley as the match petered out to a draw.