Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Sukhdeo’s Select: A Guayanese XI
Saturday 5 October 2013
By Jock Strap
Photos by Hi-Rez

The most ferocious assault in Candy Fields’ history saw Pirates of the St Lawrence triumph over Sukhdeo’s Select by 7 wickets on Saturday. Max Newman, the 21-year-old New South Welshman, smashed 163 not out in 107 balls to set records and Mont-Saint-Hilaire ablaze.

The men from Guyana, weary from apple-picking traffic, began with the bat, with Raj Sukhdeo, as ever, looking dangerous. The plucky left-hander hammered 87 runs, putting Pirate sweepers in all parts to the test.

Kelly Morton tied down the Terminal End with 7 overs of delicious swing and guile, while Matt Legault produced 6 wicket-taking balls in 4 fiery overs – only one of which stayed in-hand. It was a frustrating display in the field by the home team – 9 chances being shelled in total, with a peppering of overthrows tossed in as the Pirates searched for 20 wickets.

Taking hands out of the equation, Badugu, Joshi, Hess and Bell (picking up his 200th wicket for the Pirates) all hit the stumps, bringing the Black Caps back into the game, aided by twin retirements. In between, Crouch, Farishta and Julius got the ball to nibble and spit on an increasingly crumbly surface, repairing the damage in the field, but 251 in 40 overs, with the skies darkening, looked a tough task.

Enter Newman. With the Pirates teetering at 27 for 2 in the seventh over, Hari and Willy producing brutish deliveries to rid of Joshi and Varma, and the required-run-rate surging towards 7 an over, the fresh-faced Australian exchange student began mounting one of the most destructive innings in Quebec history. Nineteen fours and six monster sixes were launched, some clearing the pylon, as Sukhdeo’s Select scrambled to regain control.

Cap’n Bell, in what he later described as ‘the ugliest innings of my life’, clung on at the other end as Mahfuz peppered his rib cage and Indar, his outside edge. He and Newman added 185 for the fourth wicket – the second-highest all-time Pirate partnership – with the highlight Newman plundering 17 off a Mahfuz over.

Newman’s hundred came up in the 25th over, off just 71 balls. But there was more to come.

With 39 needed off 37 balls, Bell fell lbw to Hari (the top trump of the bowlers) for 51, his fifth half century of the season. Julius, after two beers too many, found himself run out from long-off after a single ball, but it was the final scare for the home side.

Crouch punched the ball around with zen-like ease à la Jonathan Trott, while Newman, after bringing up his 150 with a single, finished the game with a straight six that threatened the sub-station.

When you see him in the Australian side, remember where you read about him first.

Pirates of the St Lawrence versus Sukhdeo’s Select: A Guayanese XI
Saturday 5 October 2013
The Candy Fields, Mont-Saint-Hilaire
Match type: 40 overs per side (11 wickets)
Weather conditions: Pleasantly above normal and not a drop of dew
Result: Pirates won by 7 wickets

Sukhdeo’s Select Innings

Extras 33 (Byes 12, Leg Byes 4, No Balls 0, Wides 17)
Total 250 for 9 in 40 overs

FoW (1-36, 2-114, 3-153, 4-171, 5-200, 6-220, 7-224, 8-224, 9-224)

Pirates of the St Lawrence Innings

Extras 26 (Byes 10, Leg Byes 2, No Balls 0, Wides 14)
Total 255 for 4 in 37.4 overs

FoW (1-17, 2-27, 3-212, 4-213)