Harlow Cricket Club’s First XI victory away at Ardleigh Green last Saturday was dominated by an outstanding 211 not out from club professional Jason McNally. The innings was all the more remarkable when one considers that the next highest score in the game, played on a damp and extremely challenging surface, was 38 from Ardleigh opener Paul Hurworth. The sheer attacking brutality of his assault on the bowling was staggering as he hammered his first hundred in 83 balls only to accelerate yet further adding the second in a mere 57 deliveries with a grand total of twenty-two fours and twelve sixes.

Looking back on McNally’s outstanding effort Harlow CC club chairman, Alan Howick, reflected that in all his years associated with the Marigolds based outfit he had witnessed very few double hundreds especially at First Team level.

“I can’t recall a first team player scoring 200 in a fixture for a long time. It’s truly an outstanding effort at any level to make such a big score but do to so at First Team level is something very special. We were delighted to have secured Jason’s services for what was always going to be a crucial season for our club and he has surpassed our expectations. We are all keeping our fingers crossed that the lads can bounce straight back with promotion to Division Two at the first attempt”. Alan Howick

McNally was brought back to Harlow having been a proficient youth and first team player at the club before moving to Australia nine years ago.

“I’ve always kept in contact with many of my former teammates, including current captain Ryan Jessey. We were chatting after he was given the job of getting Harlow promoted and he joked about me coming back to play. It wasn’t a serious proposition to start with but once I’d got the idea things just fell into place and it became reality. Scoring a double hundred has also been a target of mine after I once ended up 199 not out which was my previous best. I’m delighted to be helping the club and doing my bit alongside the other lads in the side to achieve our goals”. Jason McNally

McNally, who bats in the key position of 3, is a genuine all-rounder. He has taken 21 wickets and is acknowledged as the sides quickest and most hostile bowler. Only Sarfraz Ahmed (31 wickets) has claimed more victims for Harlow in the Shepherd Neame Cricket League at First XI level this season and Jason also has numerous catches in the outfield to his name. The influence of both Sarfraz & McNally has been felt on and off the field as both frequently can be found in the nets coaching younger players and providing little nuggets of cricketing knowledge and experience to the next generation of players.

Formal records at Harlow CC go back to 2002 and McNally’s innings of 211 not out stands as the highest by any first team player in League Cricket in that time, only surpassed at that level in 2009 when A Jhunjhunawala made 223 in a cup game that included a young Jason McNally making 13 when opening the batting. It is also by far the best knock by any batsman at any level in the entire Shepherd Neame League this season with the next best being 166 by Westcliff opener Lewis Wright.

Jason was just unable to beat the top three Harlow innings in the last 17 years however as the following scores retain their current place in history – until McNally next picks up his bat and threatens the records that is!

Jack Sykes 239 not out 2016 (Fifth XI)
A.Jhunjhunawala 223 2009 (First XI)
Alan Jones 215 2014 (Under 13 Colts)