SACA V WORCESTERSHIRE - MATCH REPORT (20 - 22 April 2026)

RESULT: SACA WON BY 151 RUNS

Following SACA’s well-earned red-ball draws against both Surrey and Kent over the last fortnight, they were back in action this week against Worcestershire, in a game played at Moseley Cricket Club in Birmingham.

After Worcestershire skipper, Henry Cullen, had won the toss and stuck SACA in, openers Aum Patel and Daniyal Khan built a solid opening partnership, and the pair had added 102 for the first wicket before Khan was trapped in front for 42, scored off 65 deliveries.

In the partnership with Khan, Patel had brought up his fifty off 70 balls, and he and Savin Perera then added 81 for the second wicket before Perera fell, caught behind for 31 off 74 balls.

Patel then brought up his century, with the milestone coming up off 151 deliveries, before he departed soon after for exactly 100, with the SACA score on 197 for 3.

Feroze Khushi and Ismail Mohammed then added 65 for the fourth wicket before Mohammed was adjudged lbw for 29, with Khushi and Ajay Khunti then adding 67 for the fifth wicket before Khushi was dismissed for 55, with the SACA score on 329 for 5.

Khushi’s half-century came off 71 balls and followed the unbeaten hundred he hit in only his last innings, whilst Khunti also reached the milestone, bringing his fifty up off just 49 balls.

SACA’s declaration came soon after, on 362 for 5, with Khunti finishing unbeaten on 66*.

With 14 overs’ play remaining in the day, the SACA attack were unable to make the breakthrough, as Worcestershire’s openers saw things through to the close on 70 without loss.

Fortunes for the SACA bowlers changed on day two, with right-arm seamer Manraj Johal breaking through with his very first ball of the day, dismissing opener Isaac for 33, without any addition to the overnight score.

From there, things just got better for SACA, as the left-arm spin of Thilan Walallawita accounted for four Worcestershire wickets in the morning session, and the right-arm off spin of Hamidullah Qadri accounted for a further two, as Worcestershire were reduced to 220 for 7 when lunch was taken, still trailing by 142 runs.

Just seven overs into the afternoon session and Qadri had his third wicket, with Worcestershire now on 244 for 8, before the return of Johal blew away the Worcestershire tail, with the seamer picking up his second and third wickets as the visitors bowled out for 269, 93 runs in arrears after the first innings.

Walallawita finished with fine figures of 4 for 105, with Johal taking 3 for 50 and Qadri 3 for 70.

Opening up for the SACA second innings were Patel and Qadri, and the pair safely navigated the thirteen overs to the tea interval with an unbroken partnership of 53, taking SACA’s lead to 146 runs.

After the interval they continued to build, with Qadri reaching his half-century off 70 balls, before Patel then fell for 32 off 63 balls, having added 105 with Qadri for the opening wicket.

Qadri was next to go, departing lbw for 68 off 100 deliveries, with the SACA score now on 113 for 2 with a lead of 206 runs already on the board.

Perera and Khushi then saw things through to the close, adding an unbroken 65 partnership, leaving themselves well set to continue on the final day, with Perera on 38*, Khushi on 25*, SACA on 178 for 2, and the lead standing at 271 runs.

Khushi and Perera restarted on the final morning looking to strengthen their lead and 17 runs had been added before Khushi fell for 35 with the SACA score on 195 for 3.

Perera then departed soon after, although not before the prolific batter had posted another half-century, falling for 54 from 110 deliveries, as the lead was extended to 304 runs.

As SACA pushed for quick runs, Ismail Mohammed (10), Ajay Khunti (16) lost their wickets, before Jay Madan (20*) and Zaman Shafi (12*) added some quick runs to set up the SACA declaration, with the score on 271 for 6, setting Worcestershire a target of 365 runs to win.

With SACA needing ten wickets for victory, their progress was halted by an opening stand of 62, before Walallawita broke the partnership and then followed up with another, as both openers were removed by the left-arm spinner, with Johal also removing the Pears’ number three soon after, with Worcestershire on 77 for 3.

SACA’s progress was then frustrated as 102 runs were then added for the fourth wicket, before Khunti got things back on track, and boy did he get things back on track, as he followed up his first wicket, with the Worcestershire score on 179, with six more wickets, as the visitors were bowled out for just 213, with Khunti finishing with incredible figures of 7 for 31 from 7.4 overs.

It sealed a really impressive and comprehensive victory for SACA against their first-class county opponents, by the margin of 151 runs, securing SACA their first red-ball win of the 2025 season, which will give them huge confidence ahead of another three-day clash next week when they face a talented Somerset side.

SACA HIGHLIGHTS FROM WORCESTERSHIRE THREE-DAY MATCH…

Batting:                                                                  Bowling:

Aum Patel                       100 (151)                         Ajay Khunti                                7.4-0-31-7

Hamidullah Qadri       68 (100)                            Thilan Walallawita                    24-3-105-4

Ajay Khunti                     66* (60)                            Manraj Johal                              12-2-50-3

Feroze Khushi               55 (71)                              Hamidullah Qadri                     22-3-70-3

Savin Perera                  54 (110)

Daniyal Khan                 42 (65)