DOUBLE MATCH REPORT: 05-07 MAY 2026 (v ESSEX) & (v MIDDLESEX)
- Steven Fletcher
- May 7
- 7 min read
Having secured back-to-back wins against both Worcestershire and Somerset in three-day encounters over the last fortnight, SACA were back in red-ball action again this week, with two SACA sides taking to the field, one in Northwood, where Middlesex were the opponents, and one in Billericay, against Essex.
With both Essex and Middlesex fielding sides boasting plenty of first-class experience within their ranks, and SACA fielding two separate sides for the first time this season, both matches looked to be tough encounters on paper, although coming into the games in good form gave SACA plenty of cause for optimism.
Match reports on both red-ball clashes can be seen below…
ESSEX v SACA MATCH REPORT
RESULT: MATCH DRAWN
At Billericay Cricket Club, SACA skipper Ismail Mohammed won the toss and elected to bat first against their county opponents.
Despite the early loss of opener Amir Khan, with the score on 9, Rahul Tangirala and Savin Perera built a formidable second wicket partnership to take the SACA score to 109 for 1 at lunch.
Tangilara and Perera had added 126 for the second wicket when Perera fell, for a patient 39 off 86 balls with the SACA score moving on 135 for 2.
Tangirala was far from done yet however, as he added 48 runs for the third wicket with Ajay Khunti (26 off 40), before bringing up his first SACA century of the season, mid-way through the afternoon session, off 190 balls, before he and Mohammed saw things through to tea with the score on 231 for 3.
Their partnership, which had added 135 for the fourth wicket ended when Mohammed departed for an impressive 58 off 113 balls with SACA now on 318 for 4.
Tangilara’s kept going, and his well-earned one hundred and fifty came up off 255 balls, before his magnificent innings came to an end on 165, scored off 255 balls, as SACA pushed on at the end of the day.
The wickets of Viv Hassen (16 off 8) and Hamidullah Qadri, out for a first ball duck, saw Essex seamer Charlie Bennett pick up his third and fourth wickets of the innings, as SACA pulled the plug towards the end of the day, declaring on 363 for 7, leaving Essex six overs to bat in the evening gloom.
Left-arm pacer Jaskaran Singh took full advantage of the conditions to dismiss Robin Das and Luc Benkenstein before the close, with Essex ending the day on 46 for 2, trailing by 317 runs.
Day two was a blustery, cold affair, as Essex batted their way back into the game, despite Singh picking up his third wicket of the innings early in the morning session to reduce the hosts to 79 for 3.
Essex’s saviour was Simon Fernandes, who batted superbly to end the day unbeaten on 203* off 272 deliveries, as Essex closed day two on 435 for 8, leading by 72 runs. Fernandes was well supported with knocks of 73 from Noah Thain and 54 from Johnny Connell.
Day three began with SACA hunting for the final two wickets to wrap up the Essex innings, and it was Singh who picked up both of them inside the first eight overs of the day, completing a five-wicket haul in the process in only his second competitive game for SACA, finishing with fine figures of 5 for 106 from 18.2 overs.
Essex were dismissed for a total of 461, with a lead of 98 runs on the board.
Cyrus Shafi and Tangirala opened the second innings for SACA and had put on an unbeaten partnership of 37 before bad light and light rain forced the players off the field and an early lunch was taken with both batters on 18* and SACA having reduced the arrears to just 61.
Seven overs into the afternoon session and the partnership, which had reached 66, was broken when Shafi departed for 39 from 62 balls. Tangirala and new partner Perera then put on 38 for the second wicket before Tangirala was next to go, for 42 from 55 balls, with the SACA score on 104 for 2.
Ajay Khunti had put on 29 with Perera before the former fell for 13, as did skipper Mohammed soon after, for 8, with the SACA score now on 158 for 4, with their noses 60 runs in front.
Perera and Amir Khan then steered the side through to tea without further loss, although not before Perera reached yet another half-century for SACA, bringing up his milestone off 59 deliveries. Tea was taken with the score on 188 for 4 and a lead of 90 runs on the board.
The evening session saw the inevitable draw play out, although not before Perera’s innings had come to an end, just four runs short of bringing up his century, eventually out for 96 off 118 balls.
Hands were shaken at a little before 5.30pm, with SACA on 259 for 6 and Viv Hassen unbeaten on 35*.
A fair result across the three days, with plenty of positives for SACA to take forwards into the coming games.
MIDDLESEX V SACA MATCH REPORT
RESULT: MATCH DRAWN
At Merchant Taylors’ School, the home side won the toss and asked SACA to bat, and Middlesex’s bowlers struck early to get rid of both SACA openers for single figures, with Aum Patel (6) and Daniyal Khan (8) both dismissed inside the opening twelve overs of the game.
Number three Jay Madan temporarily retired hurt after a blow to the elbow, to be replaced by SACA skipper Hisham Khan, although he lasted just 16 balls, out for 2, with the SACA score on 34 for 3.
Feroze Khushi and Omar Akram added 37 for the fourth wicket before Khushi fell for 37 from 41, which saw Madan return to the crease after treatment to resume his innings with the score on 79 for 4.
He and Akram had added 40 for the fifth wicket before Akram departed, out for useful 34, scored from 60 deliveries.
A partnership of 44 between Madan and Gennaro Reddy took the score to 163 before SACA lost their sixth wicket, with Reddy falling for 30 off 32, and he was followed by Madan soon after for 33 off 73, with SACA desperately needing a partnership, on 167 for 7.
Thilan Walallawita, playing against his old county, came and went for 7, with Manraj Johal also falling in the same over for a duck, with SACA now in trouble on 187 for 9, bringing coach Adeel Shafique to the crease at number eleven.
The partnership SACA needed to stay in the game then came, and it was Shafique and Shariq Sheikh who delivered the goods – adding an incredible 114 for the final wicket before Shafique eventually departed, for a superb 63 off 93 balls, leaving Sheikh unbeaten on 50* and SACA all out for 301 in the dying stages of the opening day.
With bad light coming into play, the Middlesex batters had just two overs to survive to stumps, as they reached 12 for 0 at the close.
The second day saw Middlesex’s batters dominate over the course of the day, as an unbeaten hundred from Josh De Caires (101*), 93 from Nathan Fernandes, 82 from Aaryan Sawant and 56 from Luke Hollman were the main contributors as Middlesex ended the day in command on 463 for 5, leading SACA by 162 runs with five wickets still in hand.
On day three, Middlesex batted on, with De Caires adding to his overnight score, eventually falling for 171 off 138 balls, before Middlesex declared with the score on 582 for 9, with a lead of 283 runs on the board.
Wickets were shared among the SACA bowlers, with Khan, Manraj Johal and Khalid Hamidi picking up two apiece, and Walallawita, Akram and Sai Boorghu sharing the other three.
SACA needed to bat deep into the final day to claim the draw, and that they did, as openers Patel and Khan stuck on 94 for the opening wicket before Khan fell for 52.
Patel went next, just three overs later, for 40 off 82 balls, with Madan falling in the very next over for a duck, with SACA on 98 for 3, still trailing by 185 runs.
Khushi and Khan then dug in and added an unbroken partnership of 79 to take the side through to the tea interval with the score on 177 for 3, with Khushi on 41* and Khan on 29*, trailing Middlesex by 104 runs.
Khan and Khushi had added another 36 runs to the score when Khan fell, for an important 42 off 62 balls, whilst Khushi by now had passed fifty, bringing up the milestone off 65 balls.
Omar Akram added 25 runs for the fifth wicket with Khushi before departing for 17 off 33 balls, before Reddy then joined Khushi in a 55-run partnership for the sixth wicket, with Reddy chipping in with a useful 30 from 41, as SACA pushed the score along to 293 for 6, with their noses in front by 10 runs.
Khushi kept going and brought up a deserved century, his second three figure knock for SACA this season, with the ton coming up off 133 balls in an innings that included 9 fours.
The four that brought up his century proved to be the signal for both captains to shake hands, with Khushi finishing unbeaten on 102*, as SACA reached 304 for 6 to earn a well-deserved draw.
SACA head to Hampshire next, for another three-day red-ball encounter, which start on Monday at the Utilita Bowl Nursery Ground.
SACA HIGHLIGHTS FROM ESSEX THREE-DAY MATCH…
Batting:
Rahul Tangirala 165 (265)
Savin Perera 96 (118)
Ismail Mohammed 58 (113)
Rahul Tangirala 42 (55)
Bowling:
Jaskaran Singh 18.2-1-106-5
Ismail Mohammed 11-1-38-2
SACA HIGHLIGHTS FROM MIDDLESEX THREE-DAY MATCH…
Batting:
Feroze Khushi 102* (133)
Adeel Shafique 63 (93)
Daniyal Khan 52 (63)
Shariq Sheikh 50* (106)
Hisham Khan 42 (62)
Aum Patel 40 (82)
Bowling:
Hisham Khan 20-6-78-2
Khalid Hamidi 12-0-79-2
Manraj Johal 18-3-95-2
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