Scorecard

Aldenham Cricket Club v UCS Old Boys on Sun 25 Sep 2016 at 1230
Aldenham Cricket Club Lost by 4 wickets

Match report On the final day of a great season, the Aldenham boys weren’t going to let a few blustery showers deter them from playing probably one of their strongest fixtures of the year against UCS Old Boys. Grey skies but a spot of sun promised later by the Met Office saw occasional skipper Jegs Knight lose what proved to be an important toss and we got inserted.
The openers waltzed up to the crease and we held our breath – woe betide anyone who fingered Watfa before he’d made two – yes just two paltry runs – to catapult him into the ‘1000 club’ already populated by Minty Munroe and Kazza Barot the previous day. Eight dot balls were all he could stomach, the ninth was slammed for a boundary followed by immense relief (notably Hannah) and applause all round for yet a third very fine achievement. The awards committee have some tough decisions ahead.
But that was that. Tan and new boy/software expert Ubaid Khalia prodded about for 11 and 8 respectively before falling to the UCS paceman Roberts, the pick of their bowlers. Dan Knight promoted up the order opened up with a boundary and played serenely for 22, matching Kazza’s score of 22, before Roberts added both to his tally.
Chewett at an uncustomary five hit a gritty 16 on an unpredictable, rain-affected track, which was particularly tricky at the bottom end with a fair bit of bounce. By contrast, Minty was in belligerent mood, taking the fight to the oppo in his trademark, swashbuckling style, slamming five boundaries in his first eight balls. Was he going to turn things round like he’d done several times this year? Sadly no, though he did top score with 35.
The parish never recovered from an uncharacteristically low run rate. We stumbled to 151 all out, although not before the skipper put on a little cameo performance and still proved he hadn’t forgotten how to hold a bat, clobbering one delivery across the long-on boundary.
But then it was tea and relief was at hand. Dick Dastardly, in his own inimitable fashion, had produced scones and cream, chocolate-filled pancakes and a host of other delicacies to send Aldenham into the field buoyed up for a fight and hyped up on calories.
Then things started happening rather too fast. Six overs in and the oppo were 50 for 0. We’d hardly blinked. The wicket had died and there was little in it for either Leavers or Chewett. Jegs quickily switched to an all-spin attack of Dickie and Chewett senior and wickets started falling inbetween some big hitting. Itty snaffled a nick behind with Minty continuing as one of the stand-out catchers of the season by pouching a second catch off Dickie at cow. The run rate was slowed by the club’s metronomic off-spinner, Chewett the older, who tied up the UCS batsmen in knots and picked up a fine couple of stumpings, courtesy of Mr Haque.
Try as we might, though, the UCS lower order ground stubbornly on, eventually passing our total with just minutes to spare. Verdict: a good, competitive game; some food for future thought with Minty’s comment, “Maybe we’ve gone a bit soft against good opposition”; an unnecessary clap; a couple of misjudged ‘jugball’ calls; and, of course, never a dull - or quiet - moment with Jegs at the helm. Roll on next season - and see you in Garston.

Aldenham Cricket Club Aldenham Cricket Club Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
2w 4b  
for 9 wickets
6
151		        
Tanios Watfa b Roberts 11 27 2 40.74
Ubaid Khaliq ct & b Roberts 8 19 1 42.11
Dan Knight ct Roberts 22 36 3 61.11
Karan Barot ct Chapman b Roberts 22 41 2 1 53.66
Chris Hewett b Ward 16 45 2 35.56
Chris Munroe ct Ward 35 28 6 1 125.00 1
Itty Haque lbw Chapman 0 7 0 1 2
Tim Hale b Chapman 13 19 2 68.42
Julian Knight b Ward 8 16 1 50.0
Colin Hewett Not Out  7 14 1 50.0
Richard Doughty Not Out  1 5 20.0

UCS Old Boys Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Roberts15.0353413.253.53
Virk2.01500.002.50
Jesnick11.013800.003.45
Ward9.022438.002.67
Chapman7.001728.502.43

UCS Old Boys Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 6 wickets
0
155 (30.3 overs)		     
Virk ct Haque b Doughty 38
Durban st Haque b Col Hewett 30
Sogani b Doughty 4
Craig ct Munroe b Doughty 15
Khosla Not Out  22
Maurya st Haque b Col Hewett 13
Pickauer lbw Col Hewett 2
Ward Not Out  0
Chapman  
Desnick  
Roberts  

Aldenham Cricket Club Aldenham Cricket Club Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Tim Hale4.012100.005.25
Chris Hewett4.002300.005.75
Richard Doughty10.0053317.675.30
Colin Hewett11.012638.672.36
Chris Munroe1.301400.009.33