19 JULY 2008

OLD MID WHITGIFT (AWAY)

OMW 181-4 ST JAMES 168-7

MATCH DRAWN

 

 

                                                                BATTING                                              BOWLING

 

Anand (guest of Nabeel)                        5            Bowled                                  DNB

Dave Smith                                         10            Stumped                                 DNB

Jack Smith                                          78            Run Out (by Father)                9-0-48-0

Jon Stretton                                         49            Bowled                                  DNB

Hameed Majeed                                    5            Run Out                                6-0-28-0

Nabeel Shiraz                                        0            Bowled                                 14-2-49-2

Andrew Woolley                                    4            Caught                                  DNB

Stan Smith                                             2            Not Out                                5-0-15-1

Patrick Love                                          3            Not Out                                5-0-15-0

Naseem Majeed                                                  DNB                                    DNB      

Darren Love                                                       DNB                                    3-0-15-0

 

 

 

A very windy and slightly over cast Saturday afternoon greeted us and the lovely home ground of Old Mid Whits. Not sure who won the toss be we fielded first with an opening partnership of messes Jack Smith and Patrick Love.  Although Jack originally struggling with his run up and line, Patrick quickly found a decent line and length and was unlucky not to have the opener out caught behind, unfortunately he did not walk although there seemed to be a loud nick as the batsman played at the ball. Darren came on for Jack but was injured during his second over and had to call it a day. After a good spell of bowling Patrick was replaced by Stan who continued as Patrick left off with some good line and length bowling and was rewarded with the wicket of the opener who tried to lift him over long off where Hameed was waiting and took the catch in his midriff (champagne moment).

 

While Darren limped off to slip and fielded there for the rest of the game, Nabeel came onto bowl, where he quickly found his rhythm and bowled 14 straight overs of excellent line and length bowling. For his reward he took 2 wickets one which the batsman left thinking it was missing on stump by a mile but jagged back in and took his middle stump.  Nabeel was also involved in the only other wicket to be taken that day when the batsman drove the ball back towards him was able to flick the ball with his foot onto the stumps with the non-striking batsman well out of his crease.

 

While Nabeel was toiling away at one end, Hameed came onto replace Stan and was unlucky not to get a plum LWB decision. Hammed was then replace with the returning Jack who bowled a much better line and length had he did from his first spell from the other end and was unlucky on several occasions where the batsmen were able just to get their bats on the ball before it could squeeze through onto the stumps.

 

After a wonderful tea Anand and Dave opened the batting for us. David producing a wonderful forwarded defence shot that flew across the field for four. Anand also got into the act of scoring a boundary before he was cleaned bowled.  Dave soon followed Anand back to the pavilion when he went for a walk down the wicket but forgot to get bat onto ball and the keeper had his bails off before he could recover. This brought Jonno top the middle to join Jack who had replaced Anand. Both proceeded to attack the bowling, with some glorious shots all over the ground.  Jack then decided to have a rest and called for a runner (something to do with a pulled muscle) and the skipper duly obliged. Jack got to his fifty with a flick off the legs and Jonno was also fast approaching his second 50 in consecutive games, but disaster happened when he misjudged the line of the ball and was clean bowled on 49. A small batting collapse the proceeded as Hammed was short of the popping crease when the bails were removed, after a mix up in the calling between Jack, Dave and Hameed.  Nabeel was also quickly back to the pavilion when he misjudged a ball and lost his middle stump. Andrew then steadied the ship before another mix up in the calling saw Dave being run out on Jack’s behalf, apparently he would have made it if had grounded his bat! A fine 78 which included some lofty blows, a man of the match performance.  This brought Stan out into the middle with Andrew with around 5-6 overs remaining and 25 more runs required. Andrew was then caught by a juggling mid on and the opposition smelt victory as Patrick joined Stan in the middle with only Naz and an injured Darren left to bat. But the many patient hours of coaching by Andrew had paid off as both Stan and Patrick held off the OMW bowling attack for a well deserved draw.  

 

After the game we retired to the bar for a well-earned drink only to find the ex England batsman Mark Butcher at the bar. Patrick and Stan obtained photos with Mark, which are posted on the website.