Weather and Evans hinder CW XI preparations
Cricket Web XI vs Marylebone Cricket Club (3-day fixture)
at Durham University
Scorecard
Ball by Ball
Rain and the unexpected brilliance of Laurie Evans blunted the Cricket Web XI and restricted them to a tame draw against the Marylebone Cricket Club. Evans cashed in some loose bowling and looser catching - he was dropped on 50 and 74 - to score an unbeaten 162 for the MCC. The innings took on even greater glory when placed in the context of a total of 310, achieved batting first after winning the toss. The Webhead seamers made short work of the top order before Evans got stuck in, scoring many of his runs in partnership with the lower order, as the MCC added 238 for the final five wickets.
CW XI batted shortly before lunch on day two against a largely inexperienced bowling attack. Both openers were out for 35 to leave the score at 91-2 in the 24th over. Chris Butler and Pete Young were cued to score their first significant runs on the tour, and chipped in with 89 and 135 respectively. Young was in sublime touch after his half-century. He was dropped twice before it, with the earliest when on 11. The third wicket stand flourished to the tune of 179 runs and laid the foundation for an eventual score of 369-5 declared. Before Kennett called his team in from batting, Shan Jasotharan managed to inject some life into the inevitable draw. Earlier rain had washed out almost five hours of play, limiting the match severely on the final day.
Jasotharan used his feet masterfully against countryman Dave Richards to hit the spinner for five consecutive boundaries, numbered in his 34 from 19 balls. As Richards struck back to bowl Young, having earlier dismissed his captain Dan Smith, Kennett called the innings to a close. Only an hour and a half remained in the game, and both captains agreed to play the full 22 overs left, with the tourists attempting to find some semblance of bowling rhythm. Collins dropped Sibanda off the third ball of the MCC second innings, and the Zimbabwean went on to play a streaky 33 before holing out to Demeza on the square leg boundary. MCC scored a solid 92-2 behind Zoheb Sharif's 31 not out, and the CW XI seamers failed to build significantly on their good work in the first innings.
MCC 1st innings 310
LJ Evans 162*, S Choudhry 29, SM Butler 20
NA Borcich 4-71, DM Kennett 3-80
Cricket Web XI 1st innings 369-5 dec.
PE Young 135, CR Butler 89, T Mamesh/DP Smith 35
DP Richards 2-60, REM Williams 2-61
MCC 2nd innings 92-2
V Sibanda 33, ZK Sharif 31*
Match drawn.
Man of the Match: LJ Evans