With the Seniors’ cricket season nearing its climax, two of the Middlesex Seniors’ sides are still in the hunt for silverware, with the Over 50’s First Eleven and Over 50’s Second Eleven both reaching the national knockouts stages of their respective competitions.
The Over 50’s First Eleven completed the league stage of the competition with a record of six wins and just one loss from their seven league encounters, with their solitary defeat coming at the hands of Essex, who topped the table with a one hundred percent record, winning all seven of their matches.
Middlesex’s 24-point haul was enough to earn them the runners-up spot in the group and secure a place in the national knockout stages, earning a home tie against Devon in the last sixteen of the competition, with their opponents from the West Country also finishing their group stages in second place, behind Hampshire.
The last sixteen tie, played at John Lyon School in Harrow-on-the-Hill on Sunday 31st July, saw the Over 50’s Firsts secure a comprehensive five-wicket win over Devon, chasing down the 186-run target set by the visitors with over six overs to spare.
That win saw Middlesex earn a quarter-final tie against one of the country’s most fancied Over 50’s sides, Yorkshire, who had themselves won their group convincingly with an unbeaten record this year.
Last Sunday, the Middlesex Over 50’s side travelled to Pudsey Congs Cricket Club to take on Yorkshire in the quarters and played brilliantly to defy their status as underdogs in the game, beating their hosts convincingly by seven wickets, chasing down the required target of 209 at a canter in the 35th over.
Their reward for that victory is a home semi-final, when they’ll take on Nottinghamshire on Sunday 28th August - details of this fixture will be published when a venue is secured, and we wish the Over 50’s every success in their forthcoming semi-final clash.
Standout performers for the Middlesex Over 50’s side this season, all who sit in the top ten performers tables in the County Championship to date, are Naseer Ahmed with the bat, who has hit 391 runs at an average of 97.75 including five half-centuries in nine matches, and with the ball, Kamlesh Desai and Mehboob Elahi, who have taken 18 wickets at 15.22 and 14 wickets at 7.00 respectively.
You can follow the progress of the Over 50’s First Eleven and review the stats, results, and tables from their season to date by clicking HERE.
The Over 50’s Second Eleven are also chasing honours in the national competition, and like the First Eleven have reached the semi-final stages too – with their semi-final clash taking place today at Mount Ambrose in Cornwall.
A league record of six wins and two losses was enough to see the Over 50’s Second Eleven top their group and earn a quarter-final tie at home to Leicestershire, who finished runners up in their group.
That clash, played on Sunday 3rd August at Eastcote, saw Middlesex chase down their visitors target of 258 in the 44th over to earn their place in the semi-finals.
Their opponents in today’s semi-final, Cornwall, topped their league in the group stages and comprehensively beat Warwickshire in their quarter final by seven wickets to earn the last four tie with Middlesex today.
Today’s game gets underway at midday today and we wish the Over 50’s Second Eleven every success in their crucial clash. You can follow the action from their semi-final HERE.
Standout performers this season for the Over 50’s Second Eleven, who again have all earned a place in the competition’s top ten leading performance tables, are Jai Singh and Jason Fenn with the bat, with the former hitting 470 runs at 78.33 including two centuries and three fifties, and the latter hitting 441 runs at 110.25 with five half-centuries to his name. With the ball Mike Stafford is the competition’s leading wicket-taker, with 18 at 15.11, whilst Abrar Dah and Rob Bonneywell both have 12 wickets, at 24.75 and 28.83 respectively.
You can follow the progress of the Over 50’s Second Eleven and review the stats, results, and tables from their season to date by clicking HERE.
