Saturday 27th April 2002

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Saturday 27th April 2002

1st XI vs. Highgate

Report by: Alan Barnard

Welcome to the first news section of the 2002 season in a weekend that saw the National Cup game vs. Marlow Park washed out on the Sunday (saving at least half the team a long and potentially nightmarish journey in the confines of Daz 'I talk Rubbish' Sivathasan's people carrier). That said, given the glorious weather of the last few weeks, is it any real surprise that we get rain as soon as the season starts? Also, this has to be the first time in living memory (well anyone except Streety's memory that we've got through the first weekend of the season still in the National Cup!!

Fortunately enough, the weather held for Saturdays home clash against Highgate, which I skippered. It was a good job that we got out as strong a team as we did as Highgate had a few first-teamers on display, and seemed rather more keen than us to play. In fact, they were in their whites warming up almost an hour before the start of play (at which time I was lying in bed watching Spurs take the lead against Liverpool). The track looked good, as is customary for this and any other time of year, and after winning the toss, I decided to have a bat.

Gavin Mardell fell after 2 balls, and Tim Beeden and Ses Jayasena followed him soon after. We managed to get the runs to overtake the wickets thanks to a couple of stop-start 20's from David Hinnigan and Ez Prinsloo. Ez was well short of his fluent self, but managed to impress us with some customary hard hitting. The same can be said for Dave, who looked solid, but never really got out of the blocks except for a blistering pull shot into the grocers.

Andy Cooper put in his claim for comedy dismissal of the season, managing to get run out (stumped?) by slip, as he didn't return to his crease after a tentative edge stroke. This brought in Alan Barnard to join Adam Bilimoria, who between them managed to put together the only significant partnership of the innings. We eventually finished on 150 from 53 overs thanks mostly to 39 and 40 from Barnard and Bilimoria respectively. 2 overs before tea, their skipper ran the length of the pitch to the enclosure to ask me if I was going to declare before 55 overs… which rattled the cages of a coupe of die-hard Edmonton supporters standing nearby. To be fair, with the bowling I had at my disposal, he was lucky I didn't bat on to 65 overs!

Promising youngster Steve Sivathasan opened the bowling with John Street and Steve bowling just short of a length on a bouncy track quickly picked up 3 wickets including an excellent catch from Dave 'Thinking' Baker. The run rate was not up to much, and some solid fielding made sure that boundaries were at a premium (the exceptions being Mardell and Cooper, who should make use of Tuesday nights to practise the long barrier). Just as the game was heading for a draw, one of the Highgate Bats took the attack to us, and got them within sight of victory. Dave Baker bowled tightly from the bottom end, and deservedly took 3, including a comedy stumping from Tim Beeden. The stumping was routine enough, but Dave's celebration involved him running down the wicket shouting 'that's thinking'. The problem with this was that it sounded like he was shouting 'you thicko' at the outgoing batsman, and we feared that it was all going to kick off.

When Dave had settled down, Barnard took a blinder, getting down smartly to catch a fizzing low drive in the covers, and dismiss their danger man for 55. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done, both to the score, and to Barnard's hand, which was pissing blood by this stage, and the game was almost won. Ses Jayasena managed to get 2 wickets in an over, and some lively late seam bowling from the miraculously recovered Barnard wasn't quite enough to snatch a win as Highgate eased to a deserved win with 2 overs and 2 wickets to spare. All in all, an enjoyable warm-up, against a reasonable division 1 side - if we can hold our own against them, then we should fair OK in the league. The real test comes against Mill Hill Village in the league opener next Saturday. Watch this Space… Team: Barnard, Ses Jayasena, Mardell, T Beeden, Prinsloo, D Hinnigan, Bilimoria, Cooper, Baker, S Sivathasan, Street

2nd XI vs. Highgate

Report by: Alan Porter

The new season finally got under way on saturday 27 -4-02 in the wind and showers that always greet our start every year the 2s started with a friendly at highgate hnder the leadership of K Fursse and as is usual we lost the toss and were put on a wicket that was very green and was bowler friendly. With the opening partnership of Fursse & Turner we made a steady start until colin got one that stopped on him and was caught for 3. John Hinnigan batted at 3 and did all the hard work in getting an exellent 33 when the lesser bowlers came on the red mist desended and John was bowled Kevin was bowled for 16 and James Hazell also came and went for a low to yet another lbw and he needs to carry on working on playing the ball with the bat rather than thrust the front pad to the ball it just needs a bit of fine tuning to get it right.

Glen Brown came to the wicket with Linsford Miller and took the total over the 100 before Linsford was out to a dubious lbw as time was running wickets began to tumble and the Es declared on 160-8 with Glen Brown 46no. With Martin Loveday foresaking football and steaming in with alot of agression he bowled very will little reward until he bowled an absoulute beauty which the batsmen failed to handle and Turner took his first catch of the season but with highgate slightly stronger than us and with only Martin boeling to our usual standard wickets were hard to come by and the target became easier as the pitch began to dry out.Andrew Thomas making his debut for the club got a debut wicket with Alan Porter taking an exellent catch in the gully that was really the end of our success as Highgate reached the target with the loss of only 5 wickets but at least the early season rust was worked out of the arms and legs and on a green wicket our 160 was a good effort and with any luck with the players we have at the club promotion for the 1s& 2s is a distinct possibility.