Scorecard

Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club 3rd XI v Potters Bar III on Sat 23 May 2009 at 13:30
Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club Won by 5 wickets

Match report It was never in doubt...

Despite spending almost all of 51 fielding overs with ten men – a tardy dentist and a broken-fingered skipper being the reasons – TM's Third XI continued their unbeaten start to the season with a fine 5-wicket win over Potter's Bar Third XI.

Toss won, we stuck 'em in. And having won the second, more important, toss, Low gained the right not to run through the beach at the pavilion end to deliver the first ball of an initially frustrating afternoon.

In the very beginning, everything seemed fine. The ever-frugal Alderton struck early as Nathanson pouched a straightforward catch. But then we struggled to make in-roads. And one R. Daley, 'wielding' a bat that sounded like a child's toy, compiled a demoralising hundred that really should have ended in the thirties – dropped as he was off Low by a stumbling TM's Captain. Poor.

In fact, it simply didn't happen in the field for TM's all afternoon. We've all experienced days like these – when, time after time, the ball sails through gaps, no matter where players are stationed, and miss-timed shots fall enticingly short of, or frustratingly over, despairing fielders.

To those batsmen who are able to do this deliberately, and with not a little skill, one doffs one's cap with a rueful smile. In Division 6, you bite your tongue, try your best to keep the damage to a minimum and hope the wind changes.

And change the wind did, as Yoda would say.

In an act of overconfidence, inexperience, or perhaps even misguided philanthropy, Potter's Bar declared on 228 for 5. That left a strong TM's batting line-up 49 overs to get the runs on a track that was flatter than an Alan Shearer interview.

Despite Webby declaring himself out, caught behind, without the opposition appealing – au revoir, for today, Mr. Chips – and Hilton being harshly judged to be stumped out of his ground, I was confident our batting was strong enough to get the job done.

Or was I?

Both James Hutch and Alex Book progressed with aplomb into their 40's – Hutch even hoisting a glorious six over mid-wicket off the opening bowler, Pyrah. But both fell before their half-centuries, leaving TM's with a fair bit of work to do.

However, we were well ahead on the run rate, so all that was needed to guide TM's to victory was an innings of maturity from our number 5.

Enter Gregg Cruder, last seen 'freestyling' around the pavilion on a child's bicycle.

Dismounting with as much dignity as could be mustered, Gregg strode purposefully to the wicket and was not seen again until we had finished the chase – quite easily – off 44.3 overs and with only five wickets down. He made a match-winning 65 n.o. and was ably abetted by Sharokh, the dentist, who hit 4x4 and 2x6 in his entertaining 38.n.o.

Like I said, it was never in doubt.

P.S. I will leave you with a rather apt entry in J.L. Carr's Dictionary of Extra-Ordinary Cricketers:

Noah Mann, c 1770, Hambledon, a gypsy inn-keeper, inventor of swerve bowling, entertained early arrivals at games with daring bareback riding feats and died by falling on a fire while not himself.




Potters Bar III Batting
Player name Runs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 5 wickets
0
228 (0.0 overs)
J. Lewis Caught  H. Nathanson Bowled T. Alderton 0
R. Daley Bowled  S. Navaee 106
T. Rowlands Lbw  C. Low 22
B. Scarisbrick Caught  M. Webb Bowled C. Low 27
S. Moore Bowled  S. Navaee 14
H. Rogers Not Out  27
N. Nath Not Out  12
   
   
   
   

Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club 3rd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Charles Low26.05108254.004.15
Tony Alderton17.0446146.002.71
James Hutcheson2.001900.009.50
Shahrokh Navaee6.0138219.006.33

Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club 3rd XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 5 wickets
0
229
(0.0 overs)		    
Mike Webb Caught  S. Moore Bowled T. Rowlands 8 1
James Hutcheson Bowled  H. Rogers 47
Hilton Nathanson Stumped  S. Moore Bowled T.Rowlands 9 1
Alex Book Bowled  R. Pyrah 45
Gregg Cruder Not Out  65
Kit Hutcheson Lbw  R. Pyrah 1
Shahrokh Navaee Not Out  38
Charles Low  
Stewart Wernham  
Matt Crutchlow  
Tony Alderton  

Potters Bar III Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
T. Rowlands6.0035135.005.83
R. Pyrah22.0281327.003.68
H. Rogers4.0028128.007.00
I. Moore3.001700.005.67
D. Pett9.305600.005.89

  • Umpire :
    Bob Chandler
  • Scorer :