Match Report

AHMAD MAKES A CONTRIBUTION.

Last year The Min needed three to win from the last ball, they achieved 2 and thus the game was a draw with scores level. Hoping to score one more run in the chase this year, The Min again opted to bowl first when Captain Richard Beswich won the toss.  The feverish weather of the week had finally abated. Hours of work by Groundsman Paul had ensured that enough water had stayed in the surface to hold it together but neither side was sure how the pitch would play.

The Min draw their players form all over the South East, many have been coming to Middleton Park for years so there were several familiar faces to greet. Prominent among their number were bowler Patrick Wigg, batter Amir Khan and the irrepressibly enthusiastic Iqbal Miah. One gent had driven three and a half hours round the M25 from Kent, at least he had the Test Match commentary for company. Sadly a late drop out had left just 10 of the Min standing and able to play.

Middleton welcomed two new Sunday players. Hamidullah’s younger son Mukhtar cleared the adminstrative hurdles to be our youngest on the day, while at the other end of the age group scale was Sid Muthevi whose journey to the ground took in India, the USA and Sweden over a period considerably longer than three and a half hours. Sid had been recovering from an injury since his last game, a matter of twelve years or more, but had been recommeded by George Williams to join the club.

In a nod to the Middleton Stoney youth policy the first five batsmen were all under the age of 65. The two over 65’s in the team were well down the order. Belying any of the signs of age openers Lancaster and House set to the task of seeing off the opening attack of Wigg and Aamir Kahn. Wigg was accurate from the start, swinging the ball in from a wide angle, while Khan was the livelier moving the ball away from the right handers. 

Wiggs first four overs were scoreless. The only movement on the scoreboard was from two sets of four byes as Khan erred in line. There was early evidence that he ball would keep low, but otherwise the pitch behaved well. Howard survived a brace of LBW shouts from Wigg, the ball either clipping the inside edge or drifting down the leg side. Tim flirted around the off stump before taking the attack back to the Min.

Two boundaries in four balls looked to have broken the shackles. As Tim looked to accelerate he became a victim of a low bounce from Khan, departing for 21. Jay Mumtaz had found a bat he had thought lost and was consequently in a good frame of mind when he strode out at 3.  

Howard watched Jay stike the ball cleanly with drives  straight to fielders for no runs. Howard stroked the ball through the gap at extra cover for 4 then followed with late cut for another a couple of balls later.

Howard had seen off the openers, the score approached 50 and he was ready to bat on. Flashing at a wide delivery Howard’s outside edge spiralled toward backward point. Fielder Beswick, in a move reminiscent of Mikhail Baryshnikov’ temps levé at Covent Garden plucked the ball one handed from the heavens.

Matt Bazeley was wearing a helmet in an effort to correct a technical flaw in his batting.  His later evaluation of the strategy was pithily downbeat. His six runs did feature a five granted as his inside edge ran onto the wicket keepers helmet for penalty runs.

Sid walked confidently to the crease to join the Jay. By now Jay’s was in full flow and runs were accumulating at pace. The communication between the two was more negotiation than statement and the running between the wickets was interesting.  49 had been added, made up of boundaries and singles when Sid called for a quick one. Half way down he fell to the turf clutching his thigh. Determined not to be run out he crawled on two arms and one good leg to make his ground.

Unable to carry on his place was taken by Ahmad, 40 years the junior of the top five! The close of the innings was in sight as Jay and Ahmad pressed on. Ahmad attacked powerfully, notably just wide of mid on but Jay fell caught at mid wicket for 38. The skipper was in briefly, long enough to be hit full on the end of his gouty big toe, a factor that may have contributed to his cantakerousness with some of the fielding team in the second innings. 

Mukhtar and Paul also gave brief support to Ahmad whose innings was a class above the rest. Mukhtar was given out by Hamidullah, the square leg umpire who had to cover his eyes and then run off to get his pads on.  Knowing it was the last over next, Ahmad tried to take a single off the fifth ball of the over to get the strike. 

Hamidullah was having none of it and stood his ground as Ahmad arrived next to him. The run out led to the declaration and the prospect of tea provided by Jay and Nathalie. Such a prospect had led to larger than normal assemblage of partons in front to the pavilion. 

Tea was spectacular, a Franco- Pakistani banquet that had both teams regretting the limited time of the tea break. With Sid unable to carry on, the skipper approached some of those who had their minds on the tasty leftovers of tea to see if  they would mind standing in for Sid. Simmo jumped at the chance and ran home to get his kit. ” I will be back for tea” were his last words.

Contact lenses can be very tricky. Putting them in with oily fingers extremely tricky. Despite an extended break, by the time Simmo was back the players were taking the field and the subsitute had to go without sustinance.

A target of around four an over for forty overs looked to be a generous offer. Hamidullah chose ends and took the new ball.  Beswick and Beswich opened the batting, a four to square cover in his first over showed that they were on for the chase. Ahmad was tidy from the start, like Wigg earlier he started with a maiden.

Hamidullah found the spot that kept slightly low, and bowled Beswich for a duck in his third over, Ahmad bowled Barrowcliff more conventionally three overs later. Beswick looked in good touch and would prove to be the key wicket to get. Yosuf Khan eschewed defence and set about Hamidullah’s bowling. 

Mukhtar found himself under a high ball at mid on and made a good attempt to take the catch. When the next ball flew over the boundary for 6 MSCC wondered if that drop would prove expensive. Seril replaced Hamidullah. He tossed the ball up wide of off stump. Khan dispatched it through extra cover. The same ball slightly wider, and this time Khan could only drag the ball back onto the stumps. A danger man gone.

The game remained well balanced. Beswick was in good touch. First Stacey and then Wigg offered support. Stacey became Seril’s second victim, Seril holding on to firm return drive to take the catch.

Ahmad made the key strike, with Beswick caught behind for a very good 33. Seril found the edge of Wigg’s bat. The ball surely destined for Simmo’s hands at slip. A late sideways move from the keeper knocked the ball out of his reach.

Wigg analysed the scoreboard, looked at what was still needed and made his plans to win the game. He had seen the danger of the low bounce and prepared to defend any ball that might do so. He had been joined by Miah and gradually the game swung towards the Min. Paul had replaced Seril, and Mukhtar had replaced Ahmad. Runs came mostly in singles, each bat managing only one boundary.

There was plenty of time left in the game, frustrations grew in the field as singles came when they should have been cut off. Bowlers struggled to find the right line. Mukhtar dropped slightly short just outside the leg stump. Wigg thought this was the ball for his second boundary. He shaped to pull the ball away to mid wicket. The bounce failed, somehow he top edged over the head of Howard.

Howard turned, followed the ball and made a very tricky catch over his shoulder look easy.  A sixth wicket fell with only five more runs added. Ahmad at mid on somehow holding on one handed to a catch he completely mis judged.

The Min needed to score 45 runs with 2 wickets left. Miah picked up singles, his new partner Casey did the same. 45 became 35, then 25. Ahmad and Hamidullah returned. Casey smashed a boundary through cover and Ahmad was stung. The next ball was full fast and too good. Casey out for 15. 

One wicket to get, the target creeping ever closer. It was now Miah’s turn to strain a hamstring. No longer running singles, but hopping the runs required came down to 15 runs. Chosing to run when hitting straight to Ahmad at point was therefore not his best decision. He was safe, but his partner was stranded a yard short of his ground.

It had been an exciting finish to a competive game, just the type of game that keeps Middleton’s old guard keen to play and the younger members enthused. Well done to both teams. Stories were exchanged over beers poured by Seril and burgers barbecued by Tim House.