Won
| Batsmen | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Naqash Tahir | Out | 29 | ||||
| Bill Travers | Out | 2 | ||||
| Dan Adkins | Out | 5 | ||||
| Dave Allen | Out | 16 | ||||
| Matt Evans | Not Out | 28 | ||||
| Jamie Travers | Not Out | 12 | ||||
| Keith Denyer | DNB | |||||
| Waqas Tahir | DNB | |||||
| Phil Wilding | DNB | |||||
| Matt Hill | DNB | |||||
| Extras | ||||||
| Bowling | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Adkins | 9.0 | 1 | 28 | 4 | 3.11 | |
| Matt Evans | 5.0 | 0 | 35 | 1 | 7.00 | |
| Waqas Tahir | 13.3 | 1 | 41 | 4 | 3.04 | |
| Phil Wilding | 9.0 | 2 | 13 | 1 | 1.44 | |
| Extras | ||||||
| Fielder | Catches | Run Outs | Stumpings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naqash Tahir | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bill Travers | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dave Allen | 1 | 0 | 0 |
September 1 v Welford Park Away – Won by 6 wickets
What did we do before mobile phones? Owing to a late departure from Pound Lane [those who caused this, please take note!] I was not able to reach their ground by the appointed time for the toss. Fortunately, I was able to contact Arsene, (hands-free phone, police take note) who was already on site and maintained our run by calling right and sticking them in.
With the football season already upon us, it was a real struggle to get a team together, so many thanks to Bill for coming out from “The Smoke�, and to Matthew Evans [Matthew] making his debut, so that we were only one short.
Waqas and Thing opened the bowling, but neither had much success and, furthermore, Waqas’ aberrant radar was boosting their extras: after four ineffectual overs, he was replaced by Matthew (Hants. and Hartley Wintney). Thing kept chugging away at the other end, as economical as ever. Bowling with great pace, Matthew clearly unsettled the Welford batters but was somewhat unlucky, and a little expensive: he did however manage to induce a flat-footed edge from their number 3 and ‘keeper, Dave, took a tidy catch.
Mulling over my bowling options, I decided to give Naqas a go and, during Matthew’s last over, I nipped over and told him to get warmed up. Thing wheeled through the next over, his last before being replaced by Adko. Exchanging words with Naqas at a distance, we agreed on a couple of changes in the field as he walked back to the start of his run-up. I should have realised at this stage something was not right, but shouted out to the scorers, “change of bowler……bowler’s name, Naqas�. By this time Naqas was running in, and it was only then that I realised that I’d mistaken Waqas for Naqas! Since the opposition were at this stage 91 for 3, and that Waqas had bowled poorly in his opening spell, I was torn between removing him immediately, or saving face and concealing the mistaken identity! Naturally, I opted for the latter, appearances being everything, and crossed my fingers! Four balls later, my bowling change looked to have a Napoleonic touch as their skipper offering a simple caught-and-bowled chance. The wicket transformed Waqas and he bowled with controlled hostility, continually asking questions of the batsmen – one of the spells of the season - and finished with 4-41 off 14 overs. Adko (4-28), meanwhile, was having a lot of fun turning the ball almost sideways to which their lower order had no answer. From 91 for 3, they collapsed to 128 all out.
At the tea interval, I took great care to select the correct twin to opening the batting with Bill! With another modest target, could we manage to avert yet another implosion and save ourselves a nerve-wracking conclusion?! After the early loss of Bill and Adko, Naqas and Dave set about settling our nerves but, having played shots all round the wicket and looking very comfortable, Naqas missed a straight one and was adjudged lbw for 29: in their partnership of 25, Dave had been very circumspect and was yet to get off the mark. Matthew came out to join him and, as if to show him how it was done, immediately struck a 6, followed by two fours! Perhaps it was the thought of early beer, Dave went for another maximum but was this time he was caught on the boundary for 16, leaving us 88 for 4. I then joined Matthew, who was making batting look very simple, and we upped the tempo. A single to midwicket brought the scores level and me to the striker’s end! Telling myself not to look stupid by trying to finish the season in a blaze of glory, the bowler obliged with a leg-side wide!
