Match Report
Crusaders selected a strong eleven, including Bangladeshi Super League players Shakil and Nazir, against opposition that they had failed to beat in three previous encounters. The Sun was out, the outfield lightning fast and the pitch hard and dry. If we had put together a run of reliable batting totals it was a no-brainer to bat first, but such is the fragility of our line-up Spud offered first knock to Woodside Green.
Sonu and Sam opened the bowling, but neither side could claim to have won the opening exchanges, with runs being accumulated at a steady rate and only opener Stevens returned to the hutch, clean bowled by Sam for 15. The turning point for Woodside Green was the unfortunate injury to opening bat Smith who aggravated an existing back problem turning for a quick second run. Up to this point he had been scoring freely and appeared set for a big score – he was to play no further part in the match.
From then on Crusaders bowlers began to turn the screw, backed up by some solid fielding. Sonu completed a tight six over spell, conceding just 16 runs and was replaced by an equally profligate Shakil, who removed the dangerous looking Borrett courtesy of a wonderful catch from Nita at Point. For the previous fifteen overs Nita had been performing like a ‘Big Nancy’, shying away from catching opportunities and wafting arms and feet at balls he should have been stopping - a definite case of ‘from the ridiculous to the sublime’
With time running out Woodside tried to go on the offensive to push on towards a defendable total. Chand, Spud and Harry continued to do the basics well, bowling wicket to wicket and ensuring that each shot from Woodside was not without risk. For a while it appeared their most likely route to runs was to let the ball go and rely on a floundering Daymo to allow the ball through for byes – a tactic that yielded 22 additional runs. Chand and Harry picked up a brace each and Spud mopped up the tail, reducing Woodside Green to 172 all out, with two and a half un-used overs. It was a total that should have been well within our compass, but we had been here before.
Damon attempted to diffuse the ‘ByeGate’ situation by way of a self-deprecating changing room speech – some nonsense about the ball disappearing when it went past the batsman. This seemed to un-nerve Johnny G from his usual course of attack – maybe he was feeling sorry for an unusually reticent Damon? Tea finished with a sparring session in the Addiscombe Weights Room with Gman’s inability to lay a glove on Damon mirroring Damon’s inability to lay a glove on the ball.
Woodside Green were missing the opening bowler who had done the damage in the 2017 fixture and were very much hinging success on making early breakthroughs with the opening pairing of Mears and Imthiaz. Both Chand and Nita walked the tightrope in the early exchanges, with Chand dropped at Long On from a powerfully hit drive and Nita playing and missing outside off stump. Woodside Green appeared to have made the breakthrough with Imthiaz convinced that Chand had feathered a chance to the keeper. Chand stood his ground and Mr Sandu was un-moved. After several overs of chuntering the opposition eventually calmed down – one decision was not going to change the outcome of this game. Chand was at his expansive best, striking the ball to all parts, passing fifty that was met with an undignified silence from the opposition and managing to fit in his renowned behind the legs Squash Shot to irk the oppo even more. Nita played a – dare I say it sensible supportive role.
Woodside Green’s back up bowlers were lacking in threat and the only mild disappointment was that Nita couldn’t see us through to a 10 wicket victory, as he holed out to Long Off for 56 with only a few runs required. Chand remained unbeaten on 87, as a huge six from Nazir took us past the target.
