Annual charity fundraiser in aid of Sahir
Mersey Rose Recreationals 48-3 & 38-4 Rainbow Toffees 46-5 and 40-3 Match tied Scorecard Mersey Rose Recreationals designates a charity day annually in aid of its charity partner, which this year is Sahir - a Liverpool-based charity that supports the local LGBTQ+ community and people living with HIV. The charity day is a big part of who we are as a club. We want to use cricket to support our local community and organisations that do so much positive work within it.
It also matters who our opponents are in the charitable games. We could have a charity match against any other team, but it seemed sensible to us to find opponents that represented the kinds of values we hope our charitable events reflect. Not only are we about supporting charities like Sahir, we are fundamentally about welcoming everyone, increasing participation in the game and using cricket as a focal point for community development.
Rainbow Toffees - Everton's LGBTQ+ supporters' network - seemed a good fit. They had run their own initiatives in support of Sahir. They were obviously LGBTQ+ inclusive and a part of the local sporting community. Their players were completely new to cricket, but we were determined that this shouldn't be a problem.
On the day of the game they were also a few players short, but we managed to help out by lending them some of our players (Xanthe Page and Steve Fowle, being Everton supporters, were quite happy to play for the opposition) and we roped in some juniors from our hosts, Prescot & Odyssey CC.
The match was played as a two-innings 30-overs game, with each innings lasting 15 overs. Advantages of this were that players out cheaply in one innings could return in the next and that it reduced the scope for a one-sided match. Once the rules and arrangements had been explained to our visitors and we'd had a bit of a warm up to get them used to the feel of the ball, the game started with Anna Page and Aaron McKenna opening the batting for Mersey Rose. It took a while for Mersey Rose to get going against some rather unpredictable bowling, but some positive strokeplay from Jake Vaughan and Darryl Butler helped take the score to 48 for 3. The Toffees earned themselves three wickets (all bowled) and some of their bowlers looked quite handy.
The Toffees got off to a dismal start to their 1st innings when their captain Keith called for a run that was never there and Ian Mosquito ran out Steve Fowle. However, things improved thereafter and their players were able to stay in and looked to play the ball into gaps in the field. Keith occupied the crease for a while and added nine runs. They were helped by Chris Marshall (from No Boundaries CC) who batted with them and offered them advice. The juniors from Prescot also added some experience and a few runs. Rainbow Toffees managed to accumulate 46 runs at the end of their 15 overs for the loss of five wickets - in addition to the run-out there were wickets for Andi Page (2), Aaron McKenna and Ian Mosquito.
At the break Mersey Rose had a lead of two runs and the game was nicely balanced going into the afternoon session. Lunch was provided by the ECB who provided a Taste of Cricket hamper as part of their Raising the Game platform. It is unusual in these post-Covid days to have a cricket tea but this was enjoyed by the players and we were able to make sure people with different diets were accommodated. Musical entertainment was provided by some of the Toffees players.
Mersey Rose's innings started with a running mix-up but they got away with it. Andi Page and Alex Smith (also from No Boundaries) then built a decent partnership without playing too aggressively. Chris Marshall took three wickets for the Toffees as Mersey Rose closed on 38-4 - a lead of 40.
The Toffees' aim was to get somewhere near parity. Things began well but Marshall edged a delivery from Aaron McKenna onto his eye and had to leave the field. The run rate slowed significantly after this but to their credit the Toffees players dug in and with four overs to go the Prescot duo came together needing 19 runs. Mersey Rose's players contrived to ensure a close finish with what we will diplomatically call generous fielding. A few intentional overthrows and encouraging the batters to run for everything resulted in the Toffees requiring 2 from the final ball. Having taken one run, the batters turned for a second - Anna Page hit the stumps with a direct throw but, inexplicably, the bails refused to dislodge and as a result the game was tied.
It was perhaps the best result for a game of this kind. The Toffees players seemed to enjoy their introduction to cricket, and were appreciative not only of the way the game was played but the support and advice from Mersey Rose players. We hope to see them again, not least as some of them are very definitely potentially useful cricketers. It is fair to say that everyone involved felt they had been part of an enjoyable day of social cricket.
Sahir's Community Engagement Worker, Kat, was present at the game to talk with players and present the post-match medals. It is really appreciated when charities' representatives take the trouble to attend events and engage with participants.
Lord Rockingham's XI 105-3 (Net score 290) Mersey Rose Recreationals 94-8 (Net score 254) Lord Rockingham's XI won by 36 runs
Scorecard Following the main event, a softball game was played between Mersey Rose and Lord Rockingham's XI. Lord Rockingham's XI is Andi Page's scratch team, and on this occasion was made up mainly of players from Whitefield and Prescot & Odyssey.
Lord Rockingham's XI batted first and put on 105 for the loss of just three wickets in their 16 overs. Joey Harrison top scored with 22, although he was run out thanks to some quick thinking from Jake Vaughan. Dan Barrowcliffe and Xanthe Page also picked up a wicket each for Mersey Rose. Mersey Rose also played positively and scored quickly. Ian Mosquito (21), Jake Vaughan (14), Aaron McKenna (13) and Anna Page (10) led the attack for Rose but their efforts were hampered by the loss of eight wickets (wickets in softball result in a 5-run deduction from the net score). Zak Harrison was the stand-out performer for Lord Rockingham's XI, taking two wickets and sensationally running out Anna Page.
Mersey Rose lost by 36 runs but the result was largely academic - what mattered most was a friendly day of cricket in support of an outstanding local charity,
The amount raised for Sahir will be confirmed in the next few days. Many thanks to everyone who made this event happen, especially the Rainbow Toffees, Prescot & Odyssey Cricket Club, the ECB and the Googly Fund, which provided a small grant to cover costs. We are very appreciative of their help and support. Also a big shout out to Dan and Xanthe who took photographs on the day.
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