Scorecard

Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club 2nd XI v Rickmansworth on Sat 30 Jul 2011 at 1:00pm
Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club Won by 4 wickets

Match report II’s get 100% in Rowley Lane examination

We haven’t won in six weeks. And yet, despite four no-results – more than any other team in our division – we are still in touch: sixty points off second place.

It’s a big ask. But the II’s specialise in big answers (often incorrect, but big answers nonetheless). And with the influential skipper back at the helm, all things are possible, Insha'Allah.

And so to last week’s game against Rickmansworth at Rowley Lane, a ground on which we have won every match this season.

We continued our winning ways by winning the toss – the first small victory of the day – and sticking them in. And unlike the previous couple of weeks, we began by fielding well. This had a lot to do with the introduction of Will Hughes to the team and a skipper looking to run off some of the U S of A’s generous hospitality.

Their openers looked mighty unsure when faced with the heady potency of a King Size Rizla (14-6-21-1) – who was unfortunate to have three chances cymballed behind, as well as a missed stumping. And there was no respite at the other end either, as both batsmen were seduced by the Swiss chocolate mechanics behind Selvam’s box of assorted swinging creams (9-1-36-0).

Charitably, I’ll say that it was the pressure we exerted that caused their rotund opener to hit not a single shot along the ground. However, he did give us some streaky tap early doors and it was good to see the back of him (for now, but more on this rascal later).

Once yon’ space hopper had been skittled by Veera (5-1-21-2), the mood in the field lifted. And with the prudent introduction of the spinners, we gained complete control of the game as wickets fell regularly.

Arun (8-1-20-3), whose bowling is to me redolent of a very expensive patio door sliding open and shut, open and shut, open and shut, was as caramel as ever. And with Warsi (13-0-39-3) jolting in off three paces like a clockwork soldier at the other end, their batsmen were struggling to keep their heads above water in an insidious and fast-moving stream of top-quality spin. Indeed, Warsi so bamboozled two of their top order that they left hugely-spinning balls that were their immediate downfall (one of which was a peach of a wrong ‘un that bowled the unfortunate batsman around his legs).

There was, however, some clever strike-farming by their number nine which led to a last wicket partnership of over 30 runs, and so we were faced with chasing a moderate total (149) rather than a something even less substantial.

Tea then passed, as tea does during these games, and we were back out to knock ‘em off.

We started off fine, with Warsi (17) and Crutchlow (48) putting on 40-or so, before the diminutive Pakistani all-rounder departed, heaving across the line. But throughout the partnership, their portly opening bat was making a vocal nuisance of himself.

Unashamed, he sodcasted a fatuous stream of doggerel from mid-off and mid-on, all the while looking like a man who would struggle to tie his own laces without sitting down, unless there were a doughnut positioned on the floor next to each boot.

Anyway, Saffy (12) stuck around for a while but then he and Crutchlow went in quick succession and it was left to the limber Hughes (32) and the gnomely Haris (26no) to take us safely home.

Then Hughes was out. Then Hassan was bowled for 0. Then Arjun was lbw for 0. And we were really wobbling.

NOT REALLY!

Haris and Arun (4no) took us over the line to a comfortable victory and we maintained our 100% winning record at Rowley Lane.

Should, unrealistically, we have been able to name this same team week-in, week-out across the majority of the season, I think promotion would have been a formality. As it is, we continue to orbit the ambit of possibility, carrying but our dreams and an appetite for victory that would shame Steve Waugh. Some shit like that, anyway.

Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club 2nd XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 6 wickets
0
150
(0.0 overs)		    
Muhammad rehan Warsi Bowled  17
Matt Crutchlow Caught  48 2
Sarfraz Ahmed Bowled  12 1
Will Hughes Bowled  32
Haris Ali Soomro Not Out  26
Hassan Ali Bowled  0
Arjun Chopra Lbw  0 1 1
Arun Madhasaravanan Not Out  4
Rizwan Siddiqui  
Selvam Ramasamy   1
Veerapandiyan Rengasamy   1

Rickmansworth Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Rickmansworth Batting
Player name Runs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
149 (0.0 overs)
S Hussain Bowled  Veerapandiyan 21
A Marsh Caught  (ct Veera) Rizwan 9
G Cusack Caught  (ct Crutchlow) Veerapandiyan 18
P Brannan Stumped  (Arjun) Arun M 24
I Hanif Bowled  M R Warsi 13
P Plumer Lbw  M R Warsi 4
R Collins Bowled  M R Warsi 9
I Almond Caught  (ct Safraz) Arun M 3
M Robinson Run out  Selvam-Arjun 33
N Latif Caught  (ct Crutchlow) Arun M 0
M Cusack Not Out  6

Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club 2nd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Selvam Ramasamy9.013600.004.00
Rizwan Siddiqui14.0621121.001.50
Veerapandiyan Rengasamy5.0121210.504.20
Muhammad rehan Warsi13.0039313.003.00
Arun Madhasaravanan8.012036.672.50
Sarfraz Ahmed0.40300.004.50