Anyone doubting the rivalry that has built around the North-South Series only had to stand outside the home dressing room at the Kensington Oval after the North finally broke their duck on Wednesday.
Captain Steven Mullaney led the squad in a rousing rendition of the song he co-wrote with Alex Davies, another of the six Lancastrians in the squad – and the South couldn’t have failed to get the message.
“We all grew up in a council house – now we want a cheque from Andrew Strauss,” the North lads sung with gusto, referring to the winner-takes-all financial structure of the series, which was introduced last year by the director of England cricket as an additional tool in a new focus on white-ball cricket.
After completing a clean sweep in the inaugural series in Dubai and Abu Dhabi last March, the South had maintained their dominance in this year’s opening match last Sunday – meaning the North had to win to keep the series alive.
They responded impressively to that pressure, with a flying start from openers Davies (42 from 32 balls) and Joe Clarke (71 from 58); sensible batting in the middle order from Mullaney (42 from 46) and Brett D’Oliveira (79 from 83); and a swashbuckling 64 from 37 by Derbyshire all-rounder Matt Critchley on his North debut, with four sixes - one of which bounced on the roof of the Greenidge & Haynes Stand and out of the ground.
But a total of 335 looked distinctly vulnerable as Middlesex opener Nick Gubbins struck his second century in consecutive matches, sharing stands of 61 with Daniel Bell-Drummond, 41 with Sam Northeast, and 101 with Laurie Evans.
D’Oliveira had Bell-Drummond caught at cover by Mullaney, and Saqib Mahmood claimed the key wicket of Northeast caught behind, but at 203 for two in the 31st over, the South seemed to be cruising.
Then Richard Gleeson, the Northamptonshire paceman who had previously been struggling to produce the form he showed with the England Lions in their recent one-day series in Antigua, made the sort of impact guaranteed to make an impression on the watching Strauss, plus England selectors Angus Fraser and Mick Newell.
He bowled Gubbins for 109 with a rapid yorker, and followed up with the wicket of the dangerous Delray Rawlins for a duck two balls later.
Suddenly the North could sniff their chance.
Lancashire leg-spinner Matthew Parkinson now took the lead, although the first of his three wickets was a gift as Evans, who struck three powerful sixes in making 64, carved a long hop to deep cover.
Sam Curran was lured down the pitch and stumped, then Essex all-rounder Paul Walter lofted Mullaney’s medium pace to Sam Hain at long on, after supporting Ollie Pope in a threatening seventh-wicket stand of 34.
Pope, the Surrey wicketkeeper-batsman who replaced John Simpson in one of two changes in the South team, remained a threat to the North.
But after Yorkshire seamer Matt Fisher had Dominic Bess caught behind, Parkinson had Jamie Porter chipping to mid-wicket, and Pope was last man out, bowled by Saqib for 42 from 35 balls – to set off those North celebrations.
“It’s a great feeling to have got the win, but now we want to win the series,” said Mullaney, the new Nottinghamshire captain who has so obviously relished the chance to lead the North.
“There was a bit of pressure on today, because we had to win to keep the series alive. But we tried to take that off the lads and treat it as a one-off game. We’ve always backed our ability in this series, and it was great to see the lads show what they could do.
“Clarkey and Davo both batted really well at the start, and then me and Dolly had to rebuild a bit in the middle – I think it helped that we’ve both been around for a bit, so we didn’t panic.
“But a special word for the way Matt Critchley batted. He played some brilliant shots and really showed what he could do.
“We knew the game wasn’t won at halfway, with the batting ability in the South team. Nick Gubbins played superbly again, and it was going to take something special to get him out. That was a special delivery from Richard Gleeson, and definitely the turning point of the match.”
The series will now be decided in the third match, at the 3Ws Oval on Friday.