Match Report

At 7.30 on Sunday Morning,  John Floyd, this week’s season’s debutant, was concerned about the overnight rain.  He was getting ready to cut and butter bread, to slice cakes and to cut up pork pies, he did not want his efforts to go to waste. The captain assured him that the pitch had been covered and that the sun was going to shine and that there would be hungry people galore.  There are some who have played several games and not yet added their names to the tea rota, John not only volunteered at short notice, having not yet played, he was also the first to volunteer to keep score in the absence of Chris Greer, (last seen  in the Mosh Pit at Blenheim), to umpire and for any other job that needed doing. 

Also volunteering was Matt Bazeley, riding the roller, repainting the lines and finding new ways to transport the tarpaulin. It is great to have so many players and supporters lending a hand, we also later in the day saw Pete manning the barbeque, Howard running bar and the Hickman’s texting in from Denmark to ensure that everything was running smoothly

Visitors UOH CC, won the toss and on a pitch that had been undercovers for 48 hours asked the hosts to bat. Being Father’s day in the UK, the father and son duo of Hamidullah and Ahmad were given the honour of opening the innings. From the first ball it was clear that a significant number of delilveries were going to misbehave. Ahmad adjusted to the variable bounce, Hamidullah did his best to defend his wicket. Hamidullah fell to a catch behind in the fifth over to be replaced by Tim Riley.

Progress was slow as the opening bowlers completed five accurate overs each. Ahamad was itching to attack and attempted several ambitious shots without success, Tim was more circumspect. It was a surprise when both openers were replaced. The reason soon became apparant. Leg spinner Shajbal and off spinner Liam found exaggerated spin from the surface.  Liam bowled slower, but kept an immaculate length, Shajbal pushed the ball through quickly and ripped the ball away from the bat.

Ahamad lost patience against Liam, charged the bowler, missed the ball and was stumped by a large margin.  Mark Ford Langstaff joined Tim and together they battled through 8 more overs at which point Shajbal trapped Mark LBW.  After 20 overs only 49 had been scored, it took the advent of one of the more experienced Middleton Cricketers to add some impetus.  Simmo worked out that he could score against Liam on the leg side, if he played back and waited long enough. On his third attempt he succeeded, so much so that Liam was taken off, having bowled 8 overs for 13 runs, Shajbal always the hardest to play, bowled his 8 overs for 22.

A change of bowling and relief for the batting team. The spin of Gupta was exploited in a flurry of fours as he struggled to find a length.  Even though the bowlers improved, runs began to flow, most balls were picked off for singles and twos, and then just singles as Simmo felt it would be unkind to score too quickly.  Like Ahmad earlier he fell to a rush of blood to the head, stumped for an important 30.

Watching events unfold had been Anirudh Sharma. He came to the wicket with the score on 99.  Any demons in the wicket were ignored as he carved the ball to all areas  of the parish. Soon the scoreboard was flying, Anirudh was catching Tim who had been anchoring the innings. One full toss was dispatched brutally to the leg side, it probably would have gone through the pavilion roof if it had hit. Anirudh’s fifty included five fours and three sixes, Tim’s had an awful lot of singles and twos.

The decaration came just before tea, 186 was more that both teams had anticipated after the first hour of play. There was still some mischief in the wicket if the bowlers could find the right areas to bowl. Not only was it Father’s day it was also the first day of Eid-ul-Adha. To mark the day Hamidullah had brought some Afghan delicacies to add to John’s feast. Cashews, dried mango and mulberries were all tasted and enjoyed. John’s sandwiches were of the variety that do not have the crusts cut off, a substantial spread fed hungry people, notably those who had been up before dawn to see the end of the Scotland v Australia game.

Matt Bazeley had spent most of the afternoon padded up and waiting to bat, it was the first Sunday of the year when Middleton wickets had not all tumbled, would this suggest that UOH would be hard to dismiss? James Lyon had taken a five for on Saturday and took the new ball with Shaan. James bowled immaculately , Shaan with enthusiam. Runs were few and far between until in the tenth over Shaan conceeded two boundaries in the same over.  James sensing his moment took the edge of Nick Halfhead, the visiting captain. It just carried to slip where Mark Ford Langstaff picked it neatly off his toes. Mark cannot touch his toes, and when demonstrating how he caught it proved he cannot and therefore had acheived the impossible.

Two balls later James struck again,  too good for third batsman Cole.  Chowdry is a name that features in these reports as a rapid accummulater of runs. He was supported by the opener Flowers who was grimly determined to stay in.  John Floyd was the home team’s first change bowler left arm round the wicket at good pace. He bowled a terrific spell, notable as it was the first time he had bowled all year. He bowled seven miserly overs, extremely unlucky not to dismiss Chowdry with the near perfect inswinging arm ball.

Ahmad proved equally hard to score from, in his first over he turned the ball sharply and in 10 overs only bowled one poor delivery. He was unlucky in that he found the outside edge three times, each time ball hitting the body of the keeper instead of his gloves. In much the same way that the first  innings had started slowly, the second was following the pattern. As the last hour started UOH were handily placed the 120 runs needed at six and over, easily in range of the dangerous Chowdry.

Having set attacking fields, the need to keep the runs under control became more important. Simmo came on hoping to profit from the aggressive intent of the batsmen. It was not his day, the ball dropping short of fielders, passing just over thier heads or going through the place from which a close catcher had just been removed. UOH had added 95 runs for the third wicket, they were in a position from which  the game could be won, Middleton did not have enough time to take the remaining wickets.

James Lyon replaced Simmo to have  Chowdry  taken on the boundary by John Floyd. Without Chowdry UOH did not have the firepower to score at he required rate, Seril came on to pick up two late wickets, (it should have been three if skipper had looked up to see the ball rather than to square leg), Flowers stumped for a patient 57 and Shajpal caught by Lyon at mid off. 

With five wickets needed in the last over Ahmand deservedly took a wicket with his first ball, but the last five balls were all blocked.  Honours were even and the players were all pleased that they have managed to have a game in sunny, warm conditions. The bar and barbeque did good business with several members of the visiting team the last to leave, not realising that Seril was really quite keen to go home and watch the end of the football.