Cricketers outplay Keele to give Staffs a 1-0 lead

Skipper Michael Sibbert celebrates putting Staffs 1-0 up

By Steve Moore

Staffs started Varsity off with a bang on Saturday as their Cricket team put in a supreme performance to win by 77 runs.
Batting first in the indoor, 6-a-side, 12-over contest, they posted 107-2 before bowling Keele out for 30 to kick start their campaign to win back the Varsity Cup.
It didn’t start as convincingly as it finished, as Staffs lost opener Nick Pryce for four, attempting a pull shot that was caught off the wall. However, Staffs pushed quick bowler Dan Mulligan up the order and combined with opener Gurjeet Singh, who worked the ball into the gaps, Mulligan’s big hitting gave Staffs a great platform and after Mulligan reached 25 and retired, Maz Mo came in to continue Mulligan’s good work in the same vain.
After Singh also reached 25, skipper Michael Sibbert ran himself out selflessly as the hosts tried to pick up every possible run from the last couple of overs. Even then though, there was time for Maz Mo to also reach 25 and Mulligan to come back in and hit a towering straight six to finish things off, making him top scorer in the match with 32 in the process.
After that top batting performance, Mulligan was rested from opening the bowling. Even without him, Staffs were able to keep the visitors in check, keeping them down to 22-2 after five overs.
It was then however, that the moment that the entire momentum of this years Varsity might swing on as

Maz Mo celebrates after completing his hat trick

Maz Mo bowled a firey over that was reminiscent of Steve Harmison at his best (and admittedly, his worst). He bowled with extreme pace an aggression to reduce them to three down but also sprayed it all over the place to concede eight runs at the same time, with half the over left (most coming through wides).
It was then that Maz really sorted his line out, getting his second wicket of the over through a catch. Following that up by immediately producing a ripsnotter to take the edge and go straight through to the keeper to make it two in two balls. To top that off he completed his hat-trick and finished the match by going straight through the last man and bowling him, leaving the stumps all over the place.
1-0 to Staffs then and, not only that, a momentum creating victory that puts Staffs on top early as they look to win the cup for the first time in two years.