Greys Green (H) – 3.9.11

RUASCC 219-2
Baker 103 not out, Carpenter 70

Greys 216-3
Baker 2-31, Zia 1-70

Match drawn

Exciting times! Our first home match of the season on the perfect batting track at Reading University! Dry as a bone and flat as a road, it brings to mind those Test Matches on the sub-continent where Rahul Dravid patiently compiles 651 not out against a tiring Sri Lankan spin attack who’ve bowled upward of a thousand overs. The Reading pitch is no friend to the bowler and so it proved as only five wickets fell for 435 runs and we saw two unbeaten centuries, including RUASCC’s first ton of the season.

Tranter lost the toss and we were asked to bat first, a prospect welcomed by our batting-rich team (in-form Malde at seven, Zia at eight!) Opening the innings was Dr Eagle who had just scored an unbeaten century for Kidmore End, but he put that temporary blip behind him and got straight back to business with a six-ball duck. Johnny Baker was hardly dressed in time but came in to join Carpenter with the score at 0-1.

The last time these two batted together was at Aldsworth where they put on 73. After 18 overs here they surpassed that total, building a solid foundation against decent bowling from Howles, Shafqat and Skilliter. After 20 overs they upped the pace: Carpenter moved to 48 with an enormous straight six (big boundaries at Reading!) and was the first of the two to reach fifty with a pushed single into the off-side. Baker reached his fify with his seventh four then Carpenter went on the attack, taking 14 from a single Shafqat over including another massive six over wide mid-on.

With the score at 145 Carpenter finally perished, caught on the cover boundary for a brilliant 70 which included six fours as well as the two maximums. Baker carried on the charge and hit a huge six of his own to reach 80 while Rupert Loader, playing his first RUASCC game of the year, found his feet at the other end. Skilliter returned but struggled with his length and Baker picked him off for more boundaries, eventually bringing up his century with his fourteenth four tucked away towards the pavilion where his teammates gave him a great ovation.

20 runs came from the last two overs as RUASCC reached 219-2 with Loader looking increasingly assured on 27 not out. The third wicket stand was an unbroken 74.

Greys need 220 runs to win

After a sensational Patel family tea RUASCC took to the field and Withers bowled three consecutive maidens in the early stages but the Greys openers would not be dislodged. The opening stand passed fifty before the first change brought the first wicket – and it was that man Johnny Baker again, clean bowling Skilliter for 22. Number three Holroyd gave the ball a damn good thump, hitting six fours before he was deceived by Baker’s slower ball. Howles didn’t last long before he clipped Zia’s worst ball of the day, a leg-side full toss, to Rupert Loader at square leg but any hopes of a RUASCC win were effectively ended by the arrival of Mo Shafqat.

Shafqat scored 98 in our first meeting this season and he joined opener Butler who by now had reached fifty with relative ease. Baker collapsed screaming in agony while attempting to bowl the final ball of his seventh over and for a moment it looked like he might have to make another trip to A&E – fortunately it turned out to be (merely) crippling cramp in both legs, which was actually quite funny once we realised nothing was broken. Baker left the field and was replaced by Ashman dressed from head to toe in cricketing blue while Tranter completed the over (one ball for one run).

After 26 overs Greys were 116-3 and needed 104 to win from the final 12, but with a draw looking a certainty RUASCC began to unravel and lost control of the game. The batsmen picked up twos with shots directly to fielders and were comfortably scoring the nine or ten an over they needed to keep the chase interesting. Young Ben Loader bowled a decent spell (5 overs, 0-22) but four overs from Chan and Dersh went for 42 as Butler reached his hundred and suddenly Greys needed a very gettable 39 from four overs.

This was reduced further to 18 from two but Withers kept his nerve to restrict the penultimate over to just six runs. Zia stepped up to bowl the final over and five runs came from the first three balls before a welcome dot ball calmed everyone’s nerves a bit. Needing eight to win Greys could only manage three more runs to finish on 216-3 - a thrilling finish for those who enjoy that particular brand of agony.

RUASCC Highlights: The 145 run stand between Baker and Carpenter, the three enormous sixes (two from Carpenter, one from Baker) and the full toss from Skilliter helped to the square leg boundary that brought Johnny Baker his century.

RUASCC Man of the Match: John Baker.

RUASCC Team: Eagle, Carpenter, Baker, R Loader, Dersh, Dip (wkt), Malde, Zia, Tranter (capt), B Loader, Withers