Match Report

Ahmad’s efforts go unrewarded.

Middleton Stoney are sponsored by Nolan Gas and Nolan Oils

When the current players retire from the game and gather on the pavilion forecourt to recall the great games of yore, today’s fixture with Astons is unlikely to be recalled with fondness. That would not be from an ill feeling between the sides or any sense of injustice, it would just be a game when Middleton as team performed disappointingly, with one clear exception.

Heavy rain meant a damp pitch, and as Astons pitch slopes considerably one end being damper than the other. Winning the toss, with just 7 men ready, the decision to bat first was the only option. MSCC looked to have depth in batting, the top four have all scored hundreds, two of them hundreds this season, and two more sat at the top of the batting averages for this season.  

Astons opening bowlers were Saunders and O’Corbett. O’Corbett was lively bowling down the slope and Saunders swung the ball in, left arm over.  Three calm overs passed as Tim Riley and Harry Way negotiated the new ball.  Problems began in the fourth over. Harry tried to hit the ball over the top, played too early and looped a simple catch to mid off. Two balls later Anirudh, century make on the same ground last year and on his birthday, had his middle stump uprooted by a fast, straight yorker.

2 runs on the board and 2 wickets down, Tim and Mark Ford Langstaff settled to see off the opening bowlers.  Mark hit one firm pull for four, Tim cut for four and the dangerous O’Corbett was replaced.  From the softest delivery bowled, Mark gently placed the ball into the cover fielders hands, instantly regretting trying to place the ball rather than hitting it hard.  Matt Bazeley was promptly LBW for a single. Ali Meier joined Tim, ” no risks” said Ali.

Saunders was replaced by the gentle bowling of Imbush. Tim thick edged to short third man and set off at a gallop turning for a second run. The fielder picked up an threw down the stumps much to Tim’s bemusement.  Middleton were 22 – 5 after 13 overs. The expected run fest had not materialised. Stevyn Jackson, a little stiffer than normal having kept wicket the previous day, helped Ali battle though the next half dozen overs, runs coming at trickle, other than one back foot four through the off side from Ali. Calling for a single Ali cantered home, Stevyn was not so quick to trot and was run out by a furlong.

 On some days being run out is an infectious disease. Shaan Singh was the third to fall, the second person to be victim of the same fielder’s direct hit.  Ahmad was next man in, to be joined moments later at 42 – 8 by Arvind Sharma as Ali left a ball that cut back a long way, looped and dropped on top of the bails. Ahmad showed his intent with a straight drive for a boundary, Arvind got off the mark, chipping just over the head of cover. With Arvind giving support and Ahmad brutally dispatching the bad ball, the score moved from dreadful to poor. Arvind played a perfect off drive for a boundary of his own and grew in confidence. Three figures was now not too far away.

Arvind was surpised to be given out  caught behind, perhaps the ball clipped the off stump to create the noise, either way it was a good delivery that got him out. Hamidullah joined his son, the junior partner in the partnership.  Ahmad continued to attack and to try to keep the strike. Hamidullah defended the good balls. Three more boundaries were scored when Hamidullah sensing a chance hit one of his own could only hit the short delivery into the hand of mid off. 

It would need an exceptional bowling and fielding performance to win the game having only managed 106.  The early breakthrough did not come despite Hamidullah bowling tidily and Anirudh giving little away. Ahmad was the pick of the bowlers, his 7 overs going for only 6 runs. Harry picked up a catch for Ahmad’s only wicket and Shaan showed his promise by bowling the top scoring Smith for 42.  It was all to be in vain as the Aston’s middle order began to play more confidently winning the game by seven wickets with nine overs remaining. One further wicket looked likely as the ball was hit in the direction of Mark Ford Langstaff at long on, just as he was checking that his feet were inside the boundary, the ball his the telegraph wire that crossed the ground and the ball plummetted to the floor.