Debut to remember for Matt Allen

July 6, 2021

MILDENHALL’S Matt Allen had a debut to remember for Suffolk despite finishing on the losing side.

The all-rounder was one of several fringe players included in the team that lost to Essex 2nd XI by 84 runs in a 50-over friendly at Chelmsford on Monday.

Allen took 3 for 54 and then struck 53 off 63 balls in a century stand with Mildenhall team-mate Tom Rash, who top-scored for the visitors with 64 off 81 balls with two fours and two sixes.

Rash brought up his half century and their three-figure alliance in style, pulling Eshun Kalley over long on for six.

The pair had come together with the Suffolk score 87 for 5 after 19 overs and they compiled a sixth-wicket stand of 111 before Allen was bowled round his legs of the last ball of the 37th over.

Mildenhall’s Tristan Blackledge, also on debut, ended undefeated on 28 from 35 deliveries as Suffolk’s reply closed on 249 for 8.

Ben Allison had removed both openers caught at slip while Essex batsman Josh Rymell, who is dual registered and currently playing for Suffolk, was caught trying to hit over the top.

Suffolk had earlier struggled to contain the Essex batsmen, after the home team had won the toss and elected to bat.

After Rash picked up a smart low caught and bowled to remove Robin Das with the total on 21, Nick Browne and Feroze Khushi shared a second-wicket stand of 164 in just 24 overs.

Browne was dismissed for 73 off 83 balls laced with ten fours, before Nikhil Gorantla made an aggressive 42 from 37 deliveries.

Khushi, who scored a century on his three-day debut for Suffolk versus Northumberland in the final Minor Counties Championship match of the 2019 season, this time reached three figures against them.

His 118 occupied 108 balls and contained nine fours and two sixes, before he became one of Allen’s three victims when he was trapped leg before.

Blackledge removed Joe MacGregor, but skipper Aaron Beard plundered 41 off 29 balls to push the final total up to an imposing 333 for 7.

Essex 2nd XI v Suffolk scorecard

https://www.essexcricket.org.uk/matchzone/#md39348c0-a75c-48ed-a25f-7ffba4a4dca3

Words and Photograph: Nick Garnham

Tags: ,

Categorised in: