Duel in the setting sun ends in last-over victory at Finchley as Chris P & H hold their nerve

Not much riding on it, lads.
Two overs to go, Finchley's fast bowlers steaming in and the sun seemingly setting on Cincers' chances of a winning season yesterday.
Six games won, six lost and it came down to the last 12 balls of 2012.
And the last two wickets.
Chris P and Chris Hope at the crease, the run-rate suddenly soaring to seven an over and the next man in - the Skip - nipping nervously in and out of the loo.
'I think this has slipped away,' sighed one distinctive Antipodean voice from the pavilion.
The day started remarkably well.
Nearly everyone was on time. Sort of.
Abid, of course, had seen through the ruse of pretending it was a 12 noon start and rolled up with Majid and new signing Ali at nearer to 1pm.
It was to be a family affair with Dee and his son Gaurav playing for us and Dee's other Saj skippering the home side.
Oh, and Dee's nephew Krisa batted two for Finchley.
As far as we know, no-one else on either side was a member of the Hingorani tribe but you may know better.
Finchley, fielding their strongest side yet for a Sunday game v Cincers, batted first.
They were unpleasantly surprised by the pace and accuracy of Ali who began with a maiden and ended up giving just six runs off four overs.
At the other end, Chris P was also tight.
He struck first, thanks to a sharp catch by Majid at mid-off.
Not long after, Majid himself struck without bowling a ball.
He ran out Finchley's dangerous number three with a direct hit, thrown under-arm.
When Chris P struck again, courtesy of a catch square of the wicket by Gaurav, Finchley were rocking at 21 for 3 off about 10 overs.
Enter Saj.
He and Krisa started to right the innings, with Saj in particular striking some meaty blows.
Just for the fun of it (well, he was asked to), the Skip brought Gaurav on to bowl.
So it was younger brother bowling at older brother with father keeping wicket.
It was all set up....for Gaurav to miss a dead-cert run-out.
Saj, in full IPL mode, had charged down the wicket from the non-striker's end.
He got sent back but was so far out, he needed a bus ride to get back in.
But the thrill of wrecking his brother's day (and winning some complex inter-Hingorani family bet not authorised by the Gaming Board) got to Gaurav.
He threw miles wide when he could walked up to the stumps, had a cup of tea and then taken the bails off.
That wasn't the end of it.
Not long afterwards, with Saj still grinning at his let-off, he edged one off Gaurav to the keeper.
Dee, as sharp a reflex-catcher as Cincers has had all season, could only tip it away with his finger tips.
'It's because he loves Saj more than Gaurav,' came the cruel quip from one of Finchley's umpires.
Should we add that Gaurav also put Saj down at point? No, that would be rubbing it in.
With the innings at 70 and the run-rate increasing, Krisa holed out off Majid to Chris P at mid-off.
Five runs later, another wicket fell - with Chris P again the catcher hareing in from mid-on to give Gaurav his first of the day.
Saj, though, was powering on.
And he was joined by Finchley's usual opener, Jilesh, a compact left-hander with a bit of a Sangakarra-esque look to him.
Well, the Skip would say that because he got him out.
Coming on after the drinks' break, he floated one up (what else does he do?) only for the batsmen to miscue round the corner where Chris Hope took a good catch.
There was better to come.
In his second over, the Skip was charged by Saj, done by flight, guile and vicious turn (we can tell who writes this rubbish) and smartly stumped by Dee.
When FInchley's big-hitting 'G' nicked one off Gaurav to Dee, Finchley were well and truly tottering at 114 for 8.
It should have been nine down shortly after.
With both batsmen at the wrong end and the Skip bellowing 'bowler's!', a run-out looked certain.
Dee got the ball up the other end. Not the best throw he's ever made but it should have been safely gathered by the Captain and the bails taken off.
Er..instead, it rolled harmlessly through his legs.
How the game restarted after that Keystone Cops' climax, God only knows.
But the farce took the edge of Cincers' game and the match drifted.
The Skip got carted for a few too many boundaries.
He and Abid started having a domestic, culminating in Abid at short-cover downing a sharp chance and compounding the error by telling the bowler 'I almost got you a catch'.
Almost. A word which gives so much meaning. But not a wicket.
Finchley were putting on the runs.
It took Frank at one end and Abid, after virtually threatening legal action if he didn't get a bowl, to finish of the innings from the other end.
Finchley closed with 4.2 of their allotted 40 overs unused.
But 163 was a tall ask.
It got even taller when we saw the quality of their bowling.
Majid's unfamiliarity with Finchley's electronic scoreboard meant that our run-rate to begin with looked astronomical - 1 for 0 off 0 balls.
As soon as he'd reset it, reality hit back with a vengeance.
Test Match was bowled for a duck.
He had been a reluctant opener on the day.
'I've had two hours' sleep because of the baby. Oh, and I can't see much out of my right eye,' he told the Skip.
'Join the club,' the Captain muttered softly.
Gaurav and Ali, though, started brightly.
We were well ahead of the run-rate.
After a very harem-scarem shots from Ali, the Skip was about to ask Take the Pin Out (sadly injured but umpiring for us) to tell him to calm down.
Too late. Next ball, Ali skied one and departed.
Moyners was next in, not before a few nervous 'have they any quickies' queries before he trotted out.
They did.
Shortly after he arrived, Finchley put on Dinesh...probably the quickest bowler we've faced all season.
From the sidelines, the Skip quietly reflected on the wisdom of batting himself at 11.
That said, the Gaurav/Moyners' partnership prospered.
Gaurav in particular played some sumptuous drives through cover and mid-off.
It was all going so well until Dinesh jagged one back in sharply...so sharply, he cracked one of the stumps.
Gaurav was gone but for a well-played 40.
Next in was Frank, hustling out with that familiar hunched look, sniffing the air and relishing the scrap.
And a scrap it was.
To our horror, he almost holed out before being dropped by G.
Saj's legspin (similar to our Skipper's but quicker and with the added ingredient of some actual spin) had Prenesti baffled.
Coach, coach yourself!
It was offspin, though, that did for him - a flat, sharply-turning delivery from Finchley's Will that pitched outside off and took the Aussie's leg stump.
He and Moyners had put on 40-odd at a decent lick.
But at 90 for four, we still need 74 to win.
Abid arrived but then departed for 0, bowled trying to tickle a right-arm round-the-wicket spinner down to fine leg.
Majid started as he finished last week's game - by whacking two fours square.
When Finchley responded by putting a man back on the boundary, Majid took due notice and then hit it straight to him.
That was his first humiliation. His second was being told by Abid and Ali, in Urdu, what a stupid shot it was.
Now it was our turn to totter. Not much over a 100 on the board and six down.
But as I said, this was a family affair.
Out came Dee to steady the ship and, in partnership with Moyners, get the show back on the road.
Some lovely late-cuts from Hingorani Senior, combined with trade-mark, middle-of-the-bat boundaries from Tim M, led to a few Finchley heads drooping.
History, well, the scorebook, doesn't record who was out next but let's assume it was Dee.
'It was the first straight one he'd bowled,' said Dee...which is presumably why he missed it. (Nets resume in October, folks).
As he strode out, Chris P, batting at nine, had all the confidence and bravura of a man going to the gallows.
And when Moyners went for a quick single (yes, that's right) to one of Finchley's best fielders (G), it looked all over.
A direct hit sent the batsman on his way for a fine 44 but seemingly not enough on the day.
Chris Hope, playing his second game for Cincers, was in at 10.
Busy running between the two Chris's seemed to calm Cincers' frayed nerves but slowly, slowly, the run rate started to climb.
A bead of sweat rolled down the Captain's brow as he fiddled with his bat and contemplated going in.
And so it all came down to those two overs.
Fourteen runs needed. Just two wickets left.
Too much with G back on at one end, surely.
Surely not!
With a swish, Chris H, batting in a bumble-patterned cap,hit a priceless four.
Chris P, who until then had dealt in singles, struck a three.
Another three came from Chris H.
Cincers on the side were going wild.
With Frank giving the Skip a bear-hug to calm his nerves, a huge cheer rang out when Chris P hit the single that drew the scores level.
So 14 off two became one off six.
Last over of the season and Finchley were forced to bring every man in.
The scene now truly was set - set for a swash-buckling end to the 2012 season.
No nervous jab from Chris P to finish it.
No, a might heave to mid-on, a boundary to bring victory and the curtain down.
And presumably to bring down those gallows he'd been expecting when he walked out!
A great finish and a great game.
Many thanks to Finchley for being fine hosts as ever and to Paddy for a great tea.
And many, many thanks to all Cincers for another great season.
Final result: played 13, won 7, lost 6.

It's Majid the Magnifico under the hot Clapton sun but 'five-man' Cincers just can't tether the Camels

A blistering innings from Majid kept Cincers in the game yesterday.
Under the burning Clapton sun, the pace bowler turned middle-order maestro to smash 71 in rapid time.
Backed up by a late flurry from Dee and with even the Skip hitting a four off the innings's penultimate ball, Cincers posted a formidable 158 for 9 off the allotted 30.
But it was not enough.
Down to just three team regulars and with the game only proceeding thanks to opponents Camel pooling their players with ours, Cincers were short of front-line bowlers.
The Camels crossed the line with an over to spare, with their skipper Guy hitting a fine undefeated half-century.
Millfields at Clapton offered no changing facilties, no toilets and even a problem with parking.
What it did provide was a cracking wicket and close-cropped, lightening outfield.
We had only three regulars - Dee, Majid and the Skip - with Abdullah playing only his second.
Newcomer Neil was playing his first....er, game of cricket, that is!
Camel generously shared some of their players with ours to make it a match, a sort of seven v eight, with dismissed batsmen allowed to come back in until 10 wickets were down.
Under the baking sun of what was one of the hottest days in London this summer, the Skip won the toss and put us in.
We started slowly but then lost two wickets.
The Skip was going well until he smashed a full toss back over the bowler's head - and watched in astonishment as it stopped going over the bowler's head and into his out-stretched arm.
The bowler - Camel's Jason (he of the right/left batting style of an earlier game) - was mobbed by his team-mates.
To make matters worse for the Captain, he couldn't even walk off.
Because of the shortage of players, he had to start umpiring immediately.
But Camel's Matt - batting for us - kept his head down and began to build the crucial partnership of the innings with Majid.
The paceman whacked 11 fours and one five after a run-out attempt went for over-throws.
Matt may only have scored 15 but he stayed with Majid while the other man cut loose.
Dee - on his second go at the crease - made a quick 12 while the Skip (also second-time round) took 9 off the last three balls.
A score of 158 off 30 would take some getting.
But with a great pitch and fast outfield, Camels were always in with a chance.
They showed their intent with a series of snatched one's and two's (er..Cincers still doesn't do this enough) even though Majid and Abdullah started well as Cincers' opening duo.
But the Camel batsmen were up with the rate and no wicket down....until a mix-up mid-wicket by the batsmen.
A sharp throw by the Skip came in to the non-striker's end and Majid at the stumps took the bails off.
Camels' dangerman Jason clubbed a four off the Skip but then he holed out off Matt to Neil at mid-on.
The astonished fielder couldn't believe he'd taken the chance. Great effort.
At the other end, Majid took a fine catch at cow corner off the Skip but the leggie let himself down with were one or two too many boundaries.
That said, Camel's Skelly, fielding for Cincers, almost pulled off a stunning catch off the Skip at short cover before pouching a second, easier chance in the same position.
A quite extraordinary over-his-head catch at mid-wicket by Jason (fielding for us) gave Skelly a wicket.
But the Skip shelled a fiercely-driven shot that would have been a superb caught and bowled...had he taken it.
bdullah chipped in with a clean bowled but all the while, Camels' skipper Guy was pressing on.
At one point as pressure mounted, he eased it by powerfully hitting Majid back over his head to the long-on boundary.
We were running out of bowlers.
So off came Dee's keeping pads (given to Skelly) and he bowled two tight overs as good as any of the regulars.
It was Neil - the newcomer - who had the honour of bowling the last over with just a few needed to win.
Not great organising by the Skip but then under 26 degrees of sun, Lancastrians do get sunstroke.
Victory came off the final ball of Neil's maiden over - and I mean maiden - in cricket.
Well done to Neil on his first match.
Many thanks to Camels' Matt and Skelly for playing for us.
And thanks to Guy, James and all at Camels for allowing the game to go ahead.

A trip down memory lane for the Chairman but no cigar as Cincers stumble at final Tour hurdle

What! No sightscreens?
The Chairman's spiritual cricket home and not a white-washed,iron-wheeled sightscreen in sight for him to spend ages moving this way, that way....and back again.
No worries, as Frankie says - everything else at Totnes and Dartington CC's pitch was tip-top.
The cream tea scones, the warm welcome and the stunning rolling-countryside views were all first rate.
Only two things marred the day: the unforecast drizzle and...... our batting.
Winning the toss yet again, the Skip confidently put us in and expectations were high.
Test Match and Selfish started cautiously, with an eye to building a big score in the 40-over game.
Going at barely two an over against a tight Totnes attack, we'd reached 57 when Tim fell for 17.
Very soon after, Simon went for 35.
Gaurav, who had hit a confident cover-drive for two off his first ball, and Stephen H looked set to build a sizeable partnership.
But then both were bowled in quick succession, Frank came and went and so did Dee.
The Skip, due in at seven, postponed his arrival to promote bigger hitters such as Tom and Alex.
Sadly, there was to be no repeat of Alex's 20/20 heroics from Friday night apart from one lustily-struck four.
Tom tried in vain to work up a partnership with the Cincers' tale.
The Skip's shot against the sort of gentle spin he dishes up was an object-lesson....in what not to to with nine overs left.
He was bowled. 102 for 9.
Richard H prides himself on not being out but the last wicket partnership could only garner another five runs after Tom skied one. He was caught for 10.
Defending 107 over 40 overs against a clearly talented home side was always going to be what you'd call 'challenging'.
But thrown the new ball by the Skip (OK, on Frank's advice), Selfish delivered the goods - getting a couple of early wickets clean-bowled.
Gaurav went close from the other end but Totnes were always up with the rate.
Another three wickets fell - two more to Simon (to make him leading Tour wicket taker) and one to Tim testing the Dartington wicket with his offies for the first time in many a long year.
But Selfish even had a hand in his wicket, taking a superb diving catch at mid-on.
With not much more than 10 to win, the spinners came on - Richard from what we'll call the Cream Tea End (near the Pavilion) and the Skip from the Cow End.
The denouement came off the last ball of the 25th over - a flighted full toss from Richard which the opposition skip deposited for a square six into the waiting hedgerow to finish on 65 not out.
And with that, the curtain came down on the playing part of the 2012 Tour.
Many thanks to Totnes and Dartington for their fine hospitality.
Thank you to Dee for keeping over two days, taking a couple of fearful blows from sharp throws and for carting the Skipper's kit around.
Ta to Richard H for the tour pics.
And many thanks to the Chairman for organising the entire weekend. A superb job.
* Player of the Tour: S. Bevan - 82 runs and five wickets.
* Tour newcomer award: C. Payne 3 wickets (best spell - 2 for 9 off 7 v Lustleigh)
* Tour fielder award: S. Hall (for his match-winning catch v Lustleigh)
* Top score of the Tour: T. Ross (50 v Cavendish Cavaliers)
Other stats:
* A. West - top score of 39 (v Cavendish Cavaliers)
* R. Hadlow - four wickets (best - 2 for 18 off 4 v Cavendish Cavaliers)
* B. Carlin - two wickets (best - 2 for 3 off 4 v Cavendish Cavaliers)
* F. Prenesti - two wickets (best of 1 for 28 off 7 v Cincers playing for Lustleigh)
* S. Hall - 78 runs (best of 49 v Lustleigh) One wicket.
* T. Lowe - 33 runs (best of 21 v Cavendish Cavaliers). One wicket.
* T. Ross - 79 runs. Two wickets.
* D. Hingorani (keeper). Two catches, one stumping and one run-out.
* G. Hingorani three wickets (best - 2 for six off two v Cavendish Cavaliers) 20 runs.
OUR PICTURE: 'You hit 'em, I'll catch 'em'. Tom and Westie appear to be discussing tactics for their final Totnes night-out

'Cool Hand Hall' to the rescue at deep long-off as Cincers snatch late victory at Lustleigh

Two catches from Stephen H - one a stunning virtuoso effort by the boundary rope - turned the tide for Cincers on Saturday.
Day Two of the Devon tour was looking decidedly dicey with four overs to go.
Hosts Lustleigh needed just over 30 to win off four overs but with wickets to spare.
Take the Pin Out (AKA Richard) was running - or should that be 'trundling'? - in to bowl.
The game had reached its climax.
Lustleigh skipper Mike, on 46, tensed and then launched TTPO to longish mid-off.
'Hallers' pouched it, no problem.
The batsmen had crossed, bringing Gaurav - treacherously batting for the oppo as they were men short - on strike.
With a stride or two, he met a classic Hadlow 'grenade ball' full in the middle of the bat and stroked it imperiously for a straight six to long-off.
Or so he thought.
At the last moment, Stephen H moved and plucked the ball out of the air before pulling himself up inches from the rope.
Was it as good as his Entrecasteaux effort of last year? No. But it was a damn close-run thing.
And with that, barring the odd drama and slogged boundary, the game was in the bag.
The venue yesterday, Lustleigh on the edge of Dartmoor, was surely one of the most beautiful grounds we've ever played in.
It was a classic picture-postcard, village pitch, tucked away down a steep track, bordered by streams and lush, over-hanging trees.
'If it hits anything on a tree, it's a six,' said Lustleigh's Mike.
Our skipper took him at his word and got clouted for a square six when he was bowling.
Once again, just like Friday, the Captain was prevailed upon to bat first after the oppo said they were weak in the batting department.
They were also several men short so we lent them Frank (who loves nothing better than to play against his own side) and more controversially, Gaurav.
'Are you sure about Gaurav?' asked the Chairman.
He was right to be nervous.
Not long afterwards, Gaurav took the catch at shortish mid-on that ended the Chairman's innings.
Tom followed shortly afterwards, caught by Cincers' Chris (we'd also lent them two other fielders to make up for late-comers).
To rub it in, the bowler was Frank.
But then Selfish and Stephen H prospered, although the sticky, bounceless, rain-affected pitch was never easy.
We were going at about four an over and looking to accelerate when Selfish perished for 47.
With JP still feeling his way back in after his enforced summer lay-off, that left Hallers as our main weapon.
But on 49, he went too, stumped as he went for consecutive boundaries.
Thereafter, we fell away a bit to finish on 134 for 9.
In the field, though, Lustleigh were pegged back.
Thanks to very tight bowling from Chris and Stephen, they were going at less than two an over.
It was all going swimmingly until Hallers went and got a wicket.
Enter Frank, batting so high up the order he should have had a nose-bleed.
Bustling with Aussie energy, he soon carved a boundary (Lustleigh's first) and scampered a few quick singles.
Facing Hallers, the team coach was clearly determined to show us what to play at and what not, with one particularly finely-judged leave outside off.
But against Chris the following over, he left one too many.
His off stump was knocked back to wild jubilation from Cincers.
A few balls later, Chris struck again - another clean-bowled in a highly impressive spell.
Lustleigh were well and truly pegged back, with Cincers' modest total looking a tall order.
The Skip, replacing Chris, began well by bowling a maiden.
But afterwards, he lost his line and length, with his remaining four overs going for 37 no less.
How long has he spent in the winter nets?
Test Match, restored to full bowling position, kept us in, though.
He went for barely two an over.
The Skip, meanwhile, withdrew to lick his wounds and called on Selfish to dry up the runs.
He promptly removed one of Lustleigh's main batsmen.
Fielding at square leg, Take the Pin Out courageously dived and went down with a fearful thump.
He saved a boundary but at a price...he did his shoulder a mischief.
Thankfully, he was able to come on to replace Test Match.
So the scene was set for 'caught S. Hall bowled R. Hadlow' combination to bring the curtain down on a great match.
Many thanks to Lustleigh for a wonderful game, venue and delicious cream tea.
* PICTURE CAPTION: Exit stage left the Vice-Skip after a controversial run-out...enter stage left Dee.
ENDS

'Tonking' Tim leads Cincers to opening tour victory - but where were the sixes? asks latecomer Selfish

Forget Test Match and say hello to 'Tonking Tim Ross!'
The Chairman (quick-fire 50) declared the Cincers 2012 Devon tour by leading us to a storming 20/20 victory
Aided by Westie (39) and Tom (21), Tim put Torquay's Cavendish Cavaliers to the sword with an impressive 142 total.
In reply,  Cavaliers put up a brave but doomed fight.
In the gathering gloom (well, pitch-black night really) they  could only muster 40 all out - 'just one more than I scored', said Westie.
Winning the toss on a rain-affected pitch,  the Skip had a brainstorm and for once put us in. 
It was a slow, steady start by Test Match and Tom ('do they realise this is a 20/20?' muttered Frankie fielding for the oppo).
The pace quickened after the Skip used all his technical know-how and said: 'Can you hurry up, please?'
Eight off the fourth over, 11 off the fifth and Cincers were up and running.
No mean feat on a sticky, damp wicket.
Tom departed for 21 after announcing he was 'going for it', Test Match - AKA The Chairman - pressed on, hitting 13 in one over.
At the other end,  Mr West was getting into his stride - so much so that the departure of Tim on 50 was no set-back.
Westie was sending the ball so high into the sky there was a momentary panic when a Lancaster bomber (booked not by the Skip but for the Dartmouth regatta) flew low and straight over the wicket.
'Pirates at 5pm,' crackled the RAF radio as they spotted the Skip umpiring.  
Add in a few cultured drives from Stephen H and Cincers passed 140.
All very well, asked Bevan arriving this morning, 'but where were the sixes?' asked Selfish.
Dusk was already falling as Cavaliers - who confessed they were probably the worst team in Devon - began their reply.
They were soon struggling, with Gaurav and Chris P together taking 3 early wickets.
With four overs gone,  the Skip brought himself on and made an astonishing discovery...his flighted leggies work much better in the dark!
(Frank, you're sacked as coach. I'm just bowling at night-time in future).
Cavaliers gamely fought on but with both Take the Pin Out and the Skip taking a couple of wickets each, the match was surely over.
Even Tom went for only a handful of runs (and bagged a wicket). 
As an owl tweeted from a nearby branch, the last rites were read with Frankie nipping out the penultimate batsman and the Chairman taking the final wicket.
As the moon rose over Torquay, a plaintive Devonian cry cut the cool night air:
'Worst team in London my arse!' (which was how The Chairman cunningly described us to get the fixture in the first place).
PS Many thanks to Cavaliers for giving us the game and best of luck for the rest of the season.
PICTURE CAPTION: Fine body of men - Cincers line-up for the opening tour game in Torquay.
ENDS