Britwell Salome 203-1
dec.
Main 1-31
RUASCC 204-4
Ward 60 not out, Dip 44 not out
RUASCC won by 6
wickets
Another game, another successful run chase for the
unstoppable RUASCC. On a baking hot sunny
day Eagle lost the toss and the home side made the obvious choice to bat first,
thus relieving our skipper of the opportunity to stick them in on a batsman’s
paradise.
And a long old toil it proved to be. Withers and Main bowled OK on the whole but
with perhaps a few too many four balls giving the two opening batsmen the
chance to settle in. One wide half
volley from Withers was smacked to the left of Ward at point but the fielder,
despite reacting quick enough to get his hands on the ball, spilled it as he
hit the floor. Seemingly misplacing his
ire, Withers then slipped in a high full-toss which the batsman did well to avoid
– although the ball dipped alarmingly and almost bowled him on leg stump before
disappearing for four byes.
There was precious little in the way of excitement or chances
after that. Zia, right hand still in a
cast, bowled ten overs for just 27 runs and Ashman sent down a tidy spell but
neither could make the breakthrough. The
score passed 100, both batsmen passed fifty and Kenny almost passed out.
Finally, with the score on 176, Main found a bit of extra
bounce and a thin edge and Dip took the catch behind. That proved to be the only success – the Britwell
skipper reached his century and after 43 overs tea was called at 203-1.
Over tea we learned that the same wicket had produced more
than 500 runs on the previous day so there was plenty to interest our prolific
top order. As has become the norm in
recent weeks Jas Singh opened with Eagle and they set off nicely, reaching 36-0
from the first ten overs. Eagle again
targeted his favourite area behind square on the off-side and, such is his
mastery over that region, even when he flicked a single into the leg side a
wild throw evaded the keeper and gained him another four runs to the third man
boundary.
Jas played yet another impressive innings in an opening
stand of 81, hitting seven fours before he was bowled for 44 in the first over
after drinks. With 124 needed from the
final 20 Ward set off at a decent rate, reaching 30 by the time Eagle got
himself out, stumped for 42 – a selfless act designed to help push the scoring
along, we think.
This brought Zia to the crease but he lasted barely an over
before he too was stumped, for 0, and Malde also failed to trouble the scorers,
caught at short fine leg off a tentative scoop.
127-1 had become 130-4 and Dip Patel joined Ward with 74 runs still needed
from just eight overs.
Dip started with three consecutive boundaries, then launched
an enormous six over the practice net at mid-wicket as 24 came from the first
two overs. Ward hit a boundary to move
into the forties and another 15 runs came from the 33rd over to
swing the momentum firmly in RUASCC’s favour.
Ward reached a splendid fifty soon after, and the perfectly timed onslaught
meant that just seven runs were needed from the last two.
As it turned out they only needed three deliveries. Ward took a two and a single setting up Dip
to hit the winning boundary, finishing on 44 not out in one of his finest
attacking knocks for years.
And while all this was going on we were keeping an eye on
the tennis score, as Andy Murray became the first British man to win a
Wimbledon title since Jonathan Marray in 2012.
And Kenny almost passed out again.
RUASCC Highlight: Dip’s effortless six over mid-wicket as the fourth-wicket
partnership accelerated towards victory.
RUASCC Man of the
Match: Ward takes the honours for
his brilliant batting, despite dropping a catch off the man who writes the
match reports.
No comments:
Post a Comment