13 February 2023
A late start, because of damage on the edge of the table after overnight rain, and a break for rain in the early afternoon were not enough to rescue Clifton as they went down to defeat at Westville Boys’ High on Saturday, with the home side romping to a seven-wicket victory on Bowden’s, which had plenty to do with the left-arm spin bowling of Aryan Gopalan.
Early wickets
Clifton started on the right note by winning the toss, but a decision to bat first backfired when Romashen Pillay trapped Ben McKenzie in front, struck on the pads deep in his crease. He was out for two with the total on seven.
Aalok Beharie played a cracking cover drive off of Hamza Mahomed for a four, but was out soon after that for 11, also falling to Romashen Pillay.
Sean McGough then dismissed Joseph Rey for nine, sending the batsman’s off stump tumbling with a delivery that beat him all ends up.
Left-hander Shahzaad Perumal batted nicely for his 25, hitting three fours, before he attempted to dig out a full-length delivery from James Dent and was caught at short mid-wicket.
Rain, then, sent the players from the field. When they returned, a collapse was very quickly set in motion by the left-arm spinning duo of Yaseen Khan and Aryan Gopalan.
Khan accounted for Camden Riley, neatly caught behind off a delivery that straightened on the right-handed batsman and nicked the edge of the bat, for one. That left Clifton on 64 for 5 and just one run later they were down another wicket.
Connor McKenzie, who had stuck around and fought hard for 27 deliveries, tried to turn a delivery from Gopalan to the leg side, but the ball was straighter than he thought and he was given out LBW after being struck on the pads. He contributed nine runs with a single boundary.
Josh Northend was the next to depart, for nine, with the total on 81, also an LBW victim after misjudging a Gopalan delivery and attempting a sweep.
Unfortunately for Keaton Murray, he was yet another LBW victim, receiving a first-baller from Gopalan, whose loop on the ball the Clifton batsmen had trouble reading.
Huzaifah Badat then tried to cut a delivery from Gopalan that was too close to his body and succeeded only in chopping the ball onto his stumps. He was the ninth man out for a single.
Mitchell Tillers lasted nine balls, but, after finally receiving a loose delivery from Gopalan, he holed out to the leg side for a duck and Clifton were all out for just 88.
Gopalan shone for Westville, sending down 5.5 overs and snaring 5 for 12, while Romashen Pillay’s return was a neat 2 for 8 in four overs.
The path of aggression
Chasing a small total, Westville chose the path of aggression and played some shots, which led to them achieving the victory target of 89 in only 13.3 overs.
Up front, Nicandro Kistna and Gopalan put on 20 for the first wicket before Kistna was smartly pouched at second slip off of the bowling of Callum Watson for 13.
Gopalan played some flamboyant shots, including a stunning six over extra cover off of Mitchell Tillers. He added two fours in a 16-ball stay that produced 17 runs before he was out with the total on 38, trying for one too many shots over the top and being caught at extra cover.
Two runs later, Blake Simpson, swatted at a high and wide delivery from Tillers and was snapped up by the keeper for two. That left Westville on 40 for 3, but it brought the in-form Kaedon McAllister to the wicket and he, immediately, took the game away from Clifton.
He was especially harsh on anything short, cutting beautifully for a number of boundaries, and taking advantage of any loose deliveries to lash eight fours in a 22-ball undefeated knock of 38, which powered Westville to the win. At the end, Connor Jenkins was not out on eight.
Callum Jenkins finished with 2 for 35, but went at close to nine runs an over, as the Griffin claimed a comfortable victory.
SCORES
Clifton 88 all out (S. Perumal 25, A. Gopalan 5 for 12, R. Pillay 2 for 12)
Westville 89 for 3 (K.McAllister 38*)
Westville won by 7 wickets
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