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DT and JG open the innings; JG looks classy in attacking and defending: JG is bowled: DT digs in: Gary Cronin hoists one - and departs: Dave Nanton continues his 1 run average - and hands over to the slugger, The Wath
Sunday, June 8, 2008
FIRST EXCLUSIVE LSSC PROFILE OF 2008 - Gary "Speedtwin" Jones
LSSC V AKQA, Old Haberdashers, Elstree - 35 overs
AKQA 150-8 (Mekta 66no, Keenan 4-35, Berkeley 3-25)
LSSC 112 all out (Chalmers 42no, Nom 3-12, Sheikh 2-19)
A topsy turvy game that could have gone either way- that is until LSSC subsided to 31-5 chasing the modest total of 150 set by debut opponents AKQA.
It must be said at this stage that it was the first time that works team AKQA had played together, although four or five were regular club players.
The rawness was evident when AKQA - a good bunch of lads - were reduced to 16-3 by Pete Berkeley, and then 40-5 by Keenan. It was fairly tight stuff, with DT bowling four overs for five runs (to complete a tight Dad/son day, son Daniel having only conceded three off three that morning).
But then an evident club player, Mekta, came to the crease and started flashing an open face to any bad ball. While Cronin, Nanton and Chalmers all held good catches, and we dropped three more high chances, Mekta played a near faultless and eventually match winning innings.
Still LSSC plugged away and reduced the opposition to 83-7. But Mekta plundered runs in the final 10 overs, capped by Jon Loomes' memorable last over which went for 17 off 13 balls (yes, that's right, 13 balls). John Griffiths was not amused, even beating Berkeley to a sledging of his teammate.
So distraught was skipper DT at not bowling experience (himself) ahead of raw youth (Jon), that DT elected to open with himself for the first time in his 20 years of captaincy.
It started well, with fellow opener John Griffiths looking confident until he inexplicably was bowled. "It moved all over the park. It was a shame, I was feeling in really good touch." he told the waiting reporter.
Gary Cronin then stepped up to the plate, only to hoist a straight one to long on, who inexplicably dropped a dolly catch. Undeterred, Moanin gave the fielder a chance to redeem himself by launching into a suicide run. The astonished fielder duly ran him out.
Dave Nanton donned his garb, pondering his last two innings (total two runs). He was therefore caught when on one, to sustain his season's average, leaving DT still at the crease on, er, three.
A recovery looked possible when The Wath looked at two balls, then started slogging. But a bemused DT was meanwhile caught in the slips, and Owen Dallison departed without troubling the scorer and LSSC were 31-5 (15 runs, 16 extras).
Berkeley came and went to a third slip catch by star batsman Mketa before The Wath got carried away by hitting double figures in his 200th match for LSSC and was duly bowled.
Paul Pearce was then left to revive the challenge but sadly followed a wicketless good bowling spell by declining to play the only ball of a 12-ball over that was on the stumps and was inevitably bowled, leaving LSSC on 58-8.
It was all over bar the Damian Chalmers, whose new bat was singing and who went on to record 42 not out, just beating Mr Extras on 38.
Having excelled behind the stumps, the future LSSC opening bat punished wayward bowling (and occasional good stuff) in a star turn, supported by Keenan and Loomes to put on 54 for the last two wickets.
His two supporters patiently ignored a variety of wides and no balls but, on choosing a decent hittable chance, both perished to astonishing catches in the covers by Nom, who had earlier celebrated his first over for AKQA with a double wicket maiden.
Six of their bowlers took wickets, two of their fielders took five catches. A good team performance by AKQA - we look forward to the rematch.
SCORECARD
AKQA 150-8 (12 extras)
Loomes 5 1 30 0
Berkeley 7 1 25 3
Thomas 4 1 5 0
Keenan 6 0 35 4
Pearce 5 0 23 0
Wathan 4 0 13 1
Griffiths 4 1 17 0
LSSC
Griffiths b 5
Thomas ct 5
Cronin ro 3
Nanton ct 0
Wathan b 13
Dallison b 0
Berkeley ct 2
Chalmers no 42
Pearce b 0
Keenan ct 4
Loomes ct 0
Extras 38
TOTAL 112
MAN OF THE MATCH: Damian Chalmers - excellent behind the stumps, imperious in front of them.
CHAMPAGNE MOMENT: Ok, your correspondent did drop a ball on his head during fielding practise, throw another one behind him from the boundary and almost forget to appeal an LBW (because it's the first one he's ever gotten).
But as he's writing the match report, it goes to Gary Cronin for his sheer determination to get out - having failed at being caught, he proceeded to launch into a suicide run out all in the space of seconds. Class.
