Mersey Rose win on the final ball in dramatic encounter at Whitefield
Whitefield 125-8 (Marty Blackhall 21*, Chris Metcalf 15*; Billy Gartside 3-19) Mersey Rose 126-8 (Amelia Short 27, Thomas Bamber 16*; Conner Blackhall 2-16)
Mersey Rose won by 2 wickets Scorecard
Mersey Rose Recreationals won a close-fought softball T20 against Whitefield last night in a game that was a celebration of diversity and inclusion.
The match was part of Knowsley Pride's "Rainbow in the Park" day at Court Hey Park and started at 6.30pm following a vigil in memory of Michael Causer. Knowsley Pride is in its first year and both clubs felt it was an enormous privilege to play a significant part in this inaugural event.
Whitefield's ground was decorated in Rainbow flags for the occasion and rainbow wristbands, sweatbands and other Pride-related freebies were given out to players and spectators. A healthy crowd of over 60 people were present, many clearly there to celebrate Pride, and the hosts had put on a barbecue for the evening.
Demand to play in the game was high and, in order to accommodate everyone, the match was made 12 a-side. Whitefield players Tommy Bamber and Joey and Zak Harrison played for Mersey Rose and Amy Parsons made her debut for the visitors.
Whitefield won the toss and predictably opted to bat first. Their team was a mixture of promising juniors and a few experienced senior players, and they got off to a positive start with Euan Cartwright and Bella Metcalf playing positively and finding the boundary early on. Mersey Rose made the breakthrough when great work from Billy Gartside and Amy Parsons led to Bella being run out. Tyler Blackhall was next in and he played with a sensible and measured approach, which complemented the more aggressive outlook of some of his teammates. Zak Harrison took Euan's wicket courtesy of a catch from Amelia Short, after which Whitefield wobbled a little - they went from 25-1 to 41-4 as Billy Gartside took another two wickets. First, he bowled Conner Blackhall for 0 and then trapped Charlie Nelson lbw. Charlie had hit two sixes in the first four balls he faced and looked particularly dangerous, so the wicket was a huge one from Mersey Rose's perspective.
Whitefield recovered, with Ian Cartwright and Chris Metcalf helping to accelerate the run rate and putting their team back in the driving seat. They both retired on reaching 15 to allow other players the opportunity to bat. Tyler was eventually out when he edged a delivery from Billy Gartside to wicketkeeper Andi Page and the next player in, Louis Metcalfe, was out to in similar fashion a few balls later.
Marty Blackhall helped Whitefield pass the hundred mark and ensured his team posted a decent total. Andi Page gave his gloves to Amelia Short for the final three overs to give him the opportunity to bowl and the decision paid off as he picked up two wickets with Amelia taking a stumping and a catch. Whitefield finished on 125 for 8 - a good total but one Mersey Rose felt they could chase down.
Mersey Rose were particularly indebted to some fielding heroics from Steve Fowle, which were to prove crucial in the final analysis.
Mersey Rose lost opener Billy Gartside early on but Amelia Short led the chase, assisted by Andi Page, Zak Harrison and Tommy Bamber. After 10 overs the visitors were on 74-3 and easily ahead of the run rate, but once Amelia was out (caught and bowled by Chris Metcalf for 27) the scoring slowed down significantly. Aaron McKenna, a Mersey Rose regular who is also a non-playing member of Whitefield, was the player the hosts most wanted to get out, and for a few overs we saw ultra-attacking fields reminiscent of the West Indies' Test team in the 1980s. Aaron did well to stay in against some excellent and purposeful bowling but eventually fell victim to Bella Metcalf, whose impressive line and length merited more than the one wicket.
Although wickets fell, the visitors continued to make steady progress, gradually closing in on the target, and found themselves in a position where they needed 7 runs from the final 6 balls. Out in the middle were Tommy Bamber and Anna Page. Tommy took a single from the first ball, meaning Rose required 6 from 5. That became 6 from the final ball as Anna found herself restricted by a combination of disciplined bowling and good fielding.
Mersey Rose needed Anna to score a six to win, something that was not particularly likely given that she has never previously hit a six in any kind of game. The ball flew to the boundary for four which wouldn't have been enough - but the umpire signalled a no ball, with the additional two runs giving Rose the win. (In the event of a tie a super over would have come into play.)
As dramatic as the finale was, the result was of secondary importance to the game itself. The match was about celebrating cricket as a game for all and it was fitting that every player on both sides contributed something to what was not only a fantastic game but a fantastic occasion.
Many thanks to the umpires, scorer, the photographer and the various volunteers who put so much effort into making this happen. As an event it showed cricket in the best possible light and, for many of the spectators present who may not have been cricket fans, sent out a clear message that cricket clubs can be - and often are - proud to facilitate inclusion.
For many Mersey Rose players, a T20 is a new experience but it was a format they clearly enjoyed. We would like to thank Whitefield for the game and being such extraordinarily generous hosts, and we hope we can repeat the experience next year.
Photo gallery (many of these are provided courtesy of Whitefield CC and reproduced with permission)
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