Match Report

In the Sunday Friendly Cup Middleton Stoney avenged last year’s defeat with a statement victory against the current trophy holders, Aston Tirrold. Batting first, Middleton piled up 216 in 35 overs thanks to half centuries from Matt Carpenter and Anirudh Sharma, the home team struggled to 143 – 8 in reply.

Another cool and breezy Sunday, saw Middleton’s first away game of the year. Last year this fixture had not been Middleton’s finest hour. 7 of the players from that game returned keen to prove a point. Well 6 of them returned in time for the start, Ali Meier was delayed by his son’s crucial Abingdon area U8 football tournament in which Ali’s son had got to the final and it had gone to penalties.

Batting first last year, Ali, due in at  7, would have been missed as the team slumped to 22 – 5. This year there was time to celebrate the winning penaty, drink from the cup and still have an hour to spare. Matt Carpenter, opening the batting with Shaan, was in sparkling form. From his  first boundary, off the back foot through cover, he looked in complete control. Allowing for some variation in bounce from the green tinged pitch, he soon had the fielding team spread far and wide. Shaan looked to feed him the strike with defections to both on and off sides.

In no time fifty was on the board. Matt clubbed a huge six to the leg side boundary when on of the Aston bowlers served up a friendly full toss and then reached his half century with a straight drive. The only fly in Matt’s ointment was a chip taken out of his bat. Three bats later he settled on one that suited. Shaan departed for 16, one leg side tickle too many being taken by the keeper.  

Ahmad was up the order to add further impetus to the attack. He smashed his first delivery over mid off for a boundary. His light was dimmed too soon when Raynor at mid wicket took an extraordinary catch, plucking the ball from behind him one handed. Anirudh has played twice before at Aston Tirrold, the first time he scored a century, the second a two ball duck. He played his first two deliveries carefully, before smashing the third towards short extra cover.

Davis at extra cover made a stunning stop, the first of many that he would have to make in the next hour as Matt and Anirudh put bat to ball. Matt fell for 64, caught at deep mid wicket dragging a full ball from the stumps. It had been a perfect start to the innings for MSCC.

Matt Bazeley showed that he too was in the mood. He played an elegant extra cover drive to the fence from his third ball.  By now Anirudh was brutally dispatching any ball from any bowler. Tim Henman has a house behind the bowler, behind the fence, behind the trees, behind the gates and behind the lawn. It looked to be in peril as Anirudh’s bat carved bigger and bigger arcs in his back swing and follow through. 

Matt, not for the first time this season, got out to a poor delivery, tamely hitting a long hop to the safe hands of Davis. Mike Robinson joined Anirudh. For Aston’s there was a little respite as Mike played himself in, Anirudh reached fifty and looked certain to make a century if he could get back on strike. Unexpectedly he half hit a ball to cover, where Davis, whose hands must have been stinging from the repeated stops he made, gleefully took the catch.

Ali Meier had four overs left to take the score into the 200s when he joined Mike. His 2* was integral to the final total, but for a while it looked as if Astons were at last back in contol. The 33rd and 34th overs only yielded 2 runs, the score remained below 200.

In the final over, Mike Robinson failed to score from the first ball. The distant shout of the Simmo calling “Get on with it Colonel” must have been transmitted over the ether. The remaining five balls saw 17 runs added to the total, including  three consecutive boundaries. 

After a self service tea, which included a discussion of the merits of beetroot as a tea item, an eager Middleton XI took the field. Hamidullah had been hampered by a bad back, so was offered the down hill run up. Super – veteran Paul made no complaints about running up hill, he was happy to be offered the new ball. A short ball from Hamidullah was expertly put away by Smith, the Aston’s opener. It was a quality shot, an idication of trouble ahead.

Paul bowled to fielder of the day, Davis. His batting was not of such quality, LBW second ball as he played a poor shot across the line. The new batter was left handed, and careful. Paul made the wise decision to keep him at his end and let Hamidullah bowl to the rather more fluent and aggressive Smith. An early decision to post a sweeper on the cover boundary proved a wise on, Seril on one side and Shaan on the other cutting off a succession of possible boundaries. 

Both bowlers settled into rhythm. Paul did his best to mess his up, once by kicking the stumps in his approach, and once by hurling himself headlong in his follow through. Bad balls were few and far between, the run rate rose. Paul struck again in his sixth over, pleased to have moved one the “other way” to hit the stumps.

Home team skipper Swainstone joined Smith. It was clear that if Aston’s had any chance then it would be coming from this partnership. Ahmad took over from his father, it took all of his skill to keep the batsmen in check. Seril had the other end after Paul. For once Seril struggled to find his lenght, short balls being put away, when the field was set for full deliveries. He nearly held a return catch that was drilled back at him, just above his head. He didn’t take the catch but he did save a certain four.

Although the home team needed to score at 10 an over for the last 15, it looked as if Swainstone and Smith were going to give it a go. Anirudh was summoned from his slumbers at mid on to break the partnership. It did not take him long. His fourth ball, a wide out swinger, was edged and Matt Carpenter took a good tumbling catch to dismiss Smith for 54. Tim Riley took over from Ahmad, Ahmad’s final three overs in the bank in case things got close. He too struck in his first over, Anirudh reaching above the bowler and the non striking batter to take the catch.

It was now a matter of trying to take all the remaining wickets, Four more did fall. Anirudh had done his job, so Seril returned and did his. His two wickets aided by the successful batters of the first innings. Anirrudh clutching a throat high catch at Mid on and Matt taking a stumping. The skipper bowled what he later described as his ball of the season. It pitched on a perfect line and length, drew the batter forward: the ball turned, beat the edge and Matt gleefully took the stumping.  Only the umpire was unimpressed.  Ahmand took the eighth wicket with an off cutter that left the batsmen bemused.

Everyone retired to the Red Lion for well earned refreshment after a very successful outing. We are missing a scorer and an umpire for the season. If you, or someone you know, is able to help us out regularly or occassionaly we would be very keen to know. Next week we return to Middleton Park with the return of Old Leightonians CC.