Match Report
Sunday 26 July –v- Herongate and Ingrave at Brentwood Road
Crusaders travelled back into 'bandit country' for the second week running with a trip to Herongate. Opting for an early meet, Spud, Darren, Dave and Kev enjoyed the ale at The Old Dog, before most of the team assembled pitch side. Ominous by his absence was the skipper, who was still navigating the rigours of the M25. Mr Taylor stepped into the breach, winning the toss and thus making his only worthwhile contribution to the day.
Mike has shown in the past that he is a fan of putting something solid and reliable at the top of the order, opting for Moysey, who incidentally can't remember the last time he delivered something solid and reliable. Allied with the free-scoring Nita we got off to a slow start, with both opening bowlers recording maidens. Nita soon found his range and peppered the short boundary with a range of shots. Darren was his usual circumspect self.
With the score on 70 Darren (21) drove loosely to mid-off and was comfortably taken. He was replaced by TC, who after struggling initially, started to play with some fluency - the highlight of his innings a first ever six (the cruel amongst us will have to say it was fielder assisted). Nita and Johnny added another 43, before the former was dismissed for a fine 80. At this point your reporter led an expeditionary force back to the Old Dog, timing their return perfectly for the tea interval. In between times Wajih had evidently blazed a splendid unbeaten 74, kept company by Damon as our score reached 222-4 at the end of 40 overs.
Tea was right up there with the best of the season, with a vast array of delectables, with new boy Kev particularly keen on this non-participation part of the match.
Danglers and Ahmed bowled with pace and accuracy, putting the Herongate openers under immediate pressure. With two wickets apiece to our opening duo and our hosts teetering at 32-4 most observers would have considered the game done and dusted. Herongate obviously had other ideas, cruelly targeting our change bowlers. It serves no purpose (other than my own immense enjoyment) to go in to great detail about the complete carnage that followed, but in order to accurately reflect the passage of the game I feel I must highlight some of the most expensive overs in Club History.
First up from the Brentwood Road end, delivering an array of tasty morsels was the ever dependable and much maligned Mr Taylor, whose first over disappeared for 19. Somewhere amongst the dross, Kev took a fine catch from Mike's bowling, but this only served to bring the destructive talent of Palmer to the crease. After four reasonable overs from Gordy, Wajih decided to introduce himself to the attack. Anything Mike could do Wajih could surpass. Four consecutive sixes sailed back over his head in a first over that went for 25. Not to be out done Mike rolled the Buffet Car out of the sidings. Another four consecutive sixes were battered towards the houses, with residents reaping the benefits of purchasing armour plated glass.
From seemingly being out of the game, Palmer had single-handedly put Herongate in control. Amid the carnage Spud had wheeled away economically from the other end, adding two wickets in his final over, that reduced Herongate to 198-9. With the Herongate score progressing to 204, Wajih played his final cards, bringing back Moysey. Four balls later and three more sixes had taken Palmer to a fabulous hundred and the scores were level. Two dot balls, including a dropped catch by Jagdesh at gully, meant we had the number eleven on strike.
After much discussion the ball was tossed to Mr Taylor. Had the Skip completely lost the plot? The Herongate scorer obviously thought so as he repeated the name Taylor in high-pitched incredulity. The number eleven took a first ball sighter and then attempted to launch the second over the infield. He only succeeded in spooning it to mid on and the waiting clutches of Nita and somehow we had snatched a tie.
