Match Report
Crusaders extended their unbeaten run to five games, but were unable to dislodge the Lessa Wanderers lower order, who batted with a mixture of firm resolve and some gay abandon to see out the overs for a draw.
Buoyed by a run of good form, Spud was put under pressure to bat first, regardless of the weather or pitch condition. With heavy cloud cover, humid conditions and a very grassy covering on the track, given a choice he would have opted to bowl. After an incorrect call at the toss, that decision was not his to make, with Lessa taking the opportunity to bowl first and Crusaders given two and a half hours to set a target.
Crusaders made a number of changes, with Harpreet, Shahzad and Herman freshening up the eleven. Mr Shah returned to the starting line-up and partnered Nita for what the skipper hoped would be a steady and fruitful opening stand. Nita was on a run of three consecutive fifties and appeared to have overcome the nervous start to the season that had seen him dismissed three times without scoring. Shahzad later told me that he offered to take first strike, but Nita was adamant that he would deal with the opening exchanges. Hopes of a solid foundation were ended when Nita drove expansively at the first ball of the day and was held at widish Mid Off by Hameed - despite two fielders converging on the same catch. Not the ideal start.
Shahzad looked typically unhurried, playing an exquisite back foot Cover Drive and a nicely timed Drive through Mid On for boundaries, while Sonu was typically aggressive, but was finding the Lessa bowling difficult to time. He perished in a similar manner to Nita, with Clark taking a well-judged catch over his shoulder. Harry was next in and soon had Mr Shah scampering singles and a couple of two’s. This energetic episode was never going to be sustainable and with The Whitechapel Hospital on Red Alert, Shaz’s innings came to an end with a rather ungamely heave at a straight ball from Feroz.
Jagdesh joined Harry at the crease and the pair set about repairing the damage. Harry played very sensibly with a straight bat and Jagdesh played as Jagdesh does. It was not without some scary moments, but runs came steadily and when Feroz completed a good ten over spell, the backup bowlers were taken to task. Harry completed his Maiden Crusaders fifty, and was particularly severe on Clark and Glancy, whose combined eleven overs disappeared for 90 runs. Harry eventually fell for 81, with a partnership that yielded 121 runs for the 4th wicket.
Jagdesh passed fifty and finally perished for 63, with Parvesh, Damon and Sam all dismissed in the closing overs trying to push the score beyond 200. The declaration was made at 211, five minutes before time after Sam had his stumps re-arranged by Feroz Jnr.
Damon bemoaned the lack of Cakes during the Tea Interval, but it was a decent spread to set us up for a stint in the field.
Harpreet and Sam were given the New (Old ) Ball with Lessa choosing to promote Kai a pinch-hitter to the opening spot. It was soon apparent that anything full was going to get the kitchen sink thrown at it and Spud immediately had to re-think his field. Preet was bowling beautifully down the hill and with two men back on the fence protecting the straight drive he held one back and Spud pouched the miscue at Mid On. This brought Feroz to the middle and he was quickly into his stride aided by some unusually loose bowling from Sam. Harry replaced Vice-Captain Sam and after a couple of wild early deliveries he was soon rubber stamping a Man of the Match performance. Preet completed an eight over spell that yielded just 15 runs and put Crusaders firmly in the ascendancy, however wickets would be required if we were to win the game.
After Harry held on to a firm return catch to dismiss opener Bishop and Sonu trapped Faheem in front it appeared that the game was swinging in our favour. Some frenetic running between the wickets and bold hitting from Feroz and Glancy soon reminded us that we were still very much in a contest. As so often in cricket, it only takes one magic ball to potentially change a game. Parvesh was at his mercurial best serving up array of half trackers, head high full tosses and wides, interspersed with the odd pearler. It was one such delivery that did for Feroz, who was beaten by a Leg Stump Yorker, dismissed for an entertaining 64. Glancy continued to chase the improbable victory, but his blustery innings of 39 was ended by the introduction of Herman. Replacing Parvesh at the bottom end, his first ball found the outside edge and to the surprise of many it nestled in the hands of Shahzad at slip, who up until that point had appeared to be on the field only for decorative purposes. Herman added a second wicket, trapping Clark LBW - one of threeClark’s playing for Lessa, but time was against Crusaders and Lessa closed on 159-7.
