Match Report
Amid late controversy Crusaders scrambled to a one wicket victory at Downe on Sunday, with final pairing Rana and Whale scoring the necessary 14 runs from the final 3 overs, in a game that ebbed and flowed from start to finish.
Wajih decided to leave the team text until as late in the week as was humanly possible and was rewarded with a positive response from sixteen players. After some juggling, Richard May made his debut, Pommie returned to the side, having apparently fulfilled all the Indian-male parental responsibilities for a new-born and our ‘Professional Cricketer’ this week was Jagdesh.
After a week of prolonged sunshine, early morning rain livened up the pitch, whilst patches of the outfield were still in the process of drying out when start time approached. Downe were in no great rush to get the match underway, with several of the side nursing Post-Wedding ailments, following the nuptials of Tom Hobbs the previous day and when the toss was finally made the home skipper elected to bat.
Pommie showed no signs of his lengthy sabbatical and in partnership with Riyad immediately put the Downe openers under pressure. After eight overs the score had trickled along to only 10, with the ball regularly beating the bat and the Crusaders fielders ensuring no easy runs were conceded. Pommie made the breakthrough, when Warne feathered a leg-side delivery and was smartly snaffled by Rana. Once again Riyad was unlucky to remain wicket-less, but the constraints he placed on the opposition batsmen clearly paid dividends to the bowlers that followed him.
Capital Glovers duo May and Whale replaced the openers and after initially struggling to find his line and length Richard settled nicely, bowling some gentle in-swingers. He could have had two wickets early in his spell, with Chand unable to bend his knees and Goldie spilling a chance at Long On, before eventually getting his reward, with Taylor adjudged LBW by his ‘umpiring’ son to a delivery that appeared to be heading leg-side. When Spud removed the dangerous Parfett Jnr with a ball that spat off a length and was fended to Chand at slip, it appeared that Crusaders might run through our hosts. Foot and Holden had other ideas, with the former quick to dispatch anything loose and the latter happy to survive. It took a marvellous piece of cricket to break the partnership, when Foot trying to keep the strike was taken one handed, by Pommie diving at full stretch. From the sublime to the ridiculous, Pommie followed his moment of brilliance with the sort of fielding to which we have become accustomed – two dropped dollies and several fumbles.
After Chand and Wajih had made further breakthroughs and Rana had executed a bizarre run out following Johnny G’s dropped chance at slip, Downe owed their final total of 147 to some late scampering from Walker (19) and Taylor Jnr (9). With a wealth of batting talent at our disposal, what could possibly go wrong?
Wajih, having bowled, opted to drop down the order, hoping he might not be needed and opted for League Pro Jagdesh in partnership with Goldie. Jagdesh’s contribution was almost as short as last week, when the first ball he faced was flashed through the slips at a catchable height. Two balls later he was not so fortunate, playing ambitiously at a swinging ball from Taylor he failed to connect, with the ball going on to hit middle. Rich was given the number three spot (must be the new Skipper’s pet) and he produced a patient, watchful innings to anchor what proved to be a fairly woeful start. Goldie struck three boundaries on his way to 16, before he became Taylor’s second wicket and he was quickly followed by Johnny G – bowled behind his legs – and Pommie to a rash attempted pull shot, which spooned to Warne at Cover.
When Rich was out in the nineteenth over, having gradually found his timing to accumulate a steady 27, we found ourselves five down for only 63. Chasing a relatively low target, the run rate never became an issue, but we relied on a typically bullish knock from Wajih, who clattered a brisk 40 to get us back on track. John Rana, who’s batting, has been steadily improving over the past few games played the perfect foil, trading mainly in singles, but more importantly keeping his wicket intact.
Chand, Riyad and Nita ensured that Spud would not have a comfortable afternoon sat in his shorts doing the scorebook, when they each contrived to throw their wickets away. With 14 needed for victory last man Spud joined Rana in the middle. Four balls into the 38th over came a moment of some controversy. Rana wafted at a shortish ball from Parfett that continued through to the keeper. There were loud appeals – apparently the nick had been heard in the village, the square-leg umpire was on his way in to collect the stumps – but the Downe Umpire, after tapping his hearing aid and waving his white cane – remained un-moved.
Somewhat fortunately for Crusaders, the Downe skipper had miscalculated his bowling quotas, which left one over to be bowled by a ‘sixth bowler’. The task fell to Foot and unfortunately his first two deliveries matched his name times 3 outside off stump and were called foul by Umpire Greggains. With a further eight runs taken from the remaining legal deliveries, Crusaders comfortably collected the final two runs required from Parfett’s final over to scramble home with two balls to spare.
Yorkshire Puddings and Roast Potatoes washed down with some Harvey’s was a fitting end to the day.
