We are a London-based cricket club. Although we don't have our own pitch, we usually play our home fixtures in Greenwich Park. This blog records our regular triumphs and occasional failures.

Saturday 31 August 2013

Cincers survive top order meltdown after Shahbaz and Rockie tame the Tigers

Bowlers coming out of our ears but a batsman or two light.
The line-up for our bout v Judd St Tigers (formerly West XI) shouted 'win the toss and bowl first'.
So the Skip duly lost it and got put in.
He and Tim R opened in a bid to set a solid base but every proper batsman's allowed a failure and Test Match duly feathered one to the keeper early on.
Tight Tigers' bowling - especially from Chris W at the Heath end - kept the runs to a trickle.
The slide got underway when the Skip, pushing one to cover at the other end, called a quick single.
New signing Shah, the non-striker, didn't move. Not an inch.
A livid captain was left stranded and unamused.
Shah spectacularly failed to make up for the shambles by getting himself bowled and when another new signing - Paul - came and went for zilch and Dan P was LB for 2, we were staring down the barrel at 30-odd for five.
Thank goodness, therefore, for Shahbaz.
Batting at six (he didn't want to bat higher because he was keeping), he and Rockie (making another welcome return) turned the tide.
In fact, they opened the floodgates.
Shahbaz began to punish the Tigers' bowling with rasping fours and three sixes.
Despite not having batted much for a couple of years, Rockie also got into the runs - ones and twos at first, then boundaries.
When Shahbaz went for 72, in came James S and proceeded to use Richard H's 'railway sleeper' (apparently, it is a cricket bat as well) to great use.
One six hurtled high into the trees behind the bowler's arm.
James finished on 27 while Rockie strode off on 44 not out.
A total of 179 off 35 was competitive if not impregnable.
What followed was Tigers' innings where they kept up with the rate but kept losing wickets as well.
Only one of their batters got over 20 with the rest getting into the teens at best.
James S struck early with a clean bowled and then - wonder of wonders - an LB decision in his favour though watching Tigers had their doubts over it.
Shahbaz kept well, taking a sharp chance off Chris P.
Just when Tigers seemed to be putting a stand together, the same bowler frightened the life out of batsman Chris D with one that reared off a shortish length.
Taking evasive action, the poor man ended up on his backside with only a dislodged bail for company.
Out - hit wicket.
Chris W for Tigers threatened but when he went on 25 to a sharp catch by Shah (hmm..so he can move quickly!) off Tim R, the game looked up.
The Skip opting not to bowl, it was left to Tim to take some tap in this game but he still ended up with a three for.
Cincers' Man of the Match: Shahbaz.
* Game played on August 25.

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