In the final dance of the summer, Scarborough College Under 15’s ventured south to the beautiful and historic Arundel Castle in West Sussex, aiming to add the T20 title to their ESCA 50 over championship. A victory in the semi final would mean that they would be the first school in the country to ever achieve a national T20 final place and the ESCA national title. In the semi final the boys would have to overcome Midlands Champions, Shrewsbury School.
Scarborough, after winning the toss, opted to bat on a good looking wicket for the first semi-final of the day. The innings began slowly, but Harry Amstell breathed some life into proceedings by scoring 17 runs in the fifth over which started to create a foundation. Despite a brief wobble with the departures of Danny O’Connor and Amstell (23), Jack Milburn (52) and Ben Crick (49*) forged a crucial 64-run partnership off 38 balls. A wonderful combination of working the ball into gaps supported by some lusty blows to the boundary and beyond. Milburn’s powerful hitting, including a magnificent six over long-on and a productive 14th over going for 17 runs, were particular highlights. Although Milburn fell with the score at 110 in the 15th over, Crick’s aggressive play continued as he took 21 runs from the final over, propelling Scarborough to a formidable total of 162/7 off 20 overs.
In their chase, Shrewsbury got a few boundaries away early on in the power play but struggled with the introduction of spin. Peer Lidsba took a good catch for the first wicket and Hesanda Abayakoon’s 3-21 proved pivotal, restricting Shrewsbury to 136/5. Harry Hutchinson picked up two late wickets in the innings to ensure Shrewsbury fell short. Ben Crick’s one over worthy of a mention having conceded just one run during the middle overs. Scarborough emerged victorious by 26 runs, advancing to the final against the renowned Harrow School.
Harrow, featuring a strong line-up which was on display during their semi final victory against Kings College Taunton, set a daunting target of 195/8. Despite Scarborough’s bowlers making some inroads, loose deliveries allowed Harrow’s batters to capitalise all too often. Abayakoon was the standout bowler with 1-26 from his four overs, and Danny O’Connor took three late wickets from his two overs.
Chasing a formidable total, Scarborough struggled early against the pace of Aditya Singh and contrasting spin of Kavish Mehta, losing three early wickets to put them up against it. Harry Amstell’s brief but aggressive innings (27 off 15 balls) and solid contributions from Evan Chapman (23) and Danny O’Connor (36) weren’t enough as Scarborough finished 131 all out, falling short by 64 runs.
Despite the defeat, Scarborough College’s U15s have had an exceptional season, finishing as national runners-up in T20 and champions in the 45-over format. The season was marked by numerous highlights, showcasing outstanding teamwork and unity, a great advert for the strength of the cricket centre of excellence at Scarborough College.
We extend our gratitude to all the players who represented the Under 15s with distinction, as well as the parents, teachers, and support staff for their dedication and commitment throughout this remarkable season.
Written by Cricket Centre of Excellence Coach, Stuart Guy
