As Matthias and I strode across the lush North London outfield we were greeted by 3 sights. To our right Martin was engaged in some Olympic standard arm waving (reason unknown). In front of us a girls team were practising on the artificial wicket and one lass in particular kept smashing the ball to the point boundary. Perhaps we should've made an approach but I've always been rubbish at asking girls for their phone number. Beyond them were a youthful looking bunch of blokes chucking a ball about. Blimey, they look keen. Maybe they aren't our opposition... maybe they're playing on the other pitch...of course they were our opposition and by the time I had changed they had all gone down to the nets for a warm up. Barrie and Joe showed their disdain for such enthusiasm by pointedly smoking a pre-match ciggy.
Chris went out to toss and the Cross Keys skipper called correctly. Chris was at pains to point out that strictly speaking this meant he hadn't 'lost' the toss but for every winner there's a loser. Cross Keys elected to field, perhaps recalling last year's fixture (us 136, them 140-4) and opened with a double left arm over combo of Summers and Sykes, the latter of whom soon accounted for Andy P who miscued a high full toss to mid off. There was a possibility that it was over waist height but there was no call of no ball. It will be of little comfort to Andy that subsequently everything vaguely waist high on the full was called. 12-1 became 41-2 when 'psycho' Sykes struck again, Simon playing over one that dipped late to depart lbw.
I joined Raj and we kept each other company for 22 overs. Newton's off spin commanded some respect, but Cross Keys rigidly kept the same field to both of us despite our different techniques and scoring areas. Ignoring the 6 men on the leg side Raj happily kept skipping across to pull into the gap behind square whilst I couldn't believe my luck at only having 3 off side fielders to beat. We added 132 before I popped one up to short extra cover.
With 8 overs to go the slog was very much on, except the slow nature of the pitch made premeditation rather difficult. Raj - having passed 50 - threw the bat at everything but missed and was stumped. Chris lofted to mid on and Hugh was given out lbw. Eventually.
Suddenly 173-3 had become 192-6 but we had a Pirongs-shaped ace up our sleeve. Martin didn't so much hit out as merely dismiss the ball from his presence, accumulating a rapid unbeaten 30 to see us to a challenging 227.
Towards the end of the tea interval The Bohemians arrived from their game on the Ferme Park pitch. Skipper Rob Archdale looked somewhat shaken. Sidling up to us he informed us that they had just amassed their club record score. 452-1. He'd had to retire a couple of batsmen including their new Kiwi import who had made about 180. Their opponents were VCC, who are part of the friendly four tournament but hadn't been able to fulfil their fixture on Friday. Sam was amongst their number and there were several - unconfirmed - sightings of K Runciman esquire. We play Bohemians on July 26th, so get your excuses ready...
Back to business. Tom and Joe were tasked with opening the bowling and what a tremendous job they made of it. 16 overs of quality fast-medium bowling were purveyed, all the more remarkable when you consider that this was Joe's first game of the season (and only his 5th for the club) and Tom's second game of cricket EVER. In no time Cross Keys were 39-5. Altmann-Ricker sliced an expansive drive to me at point. Then Boyd, Pearman, Langridge and Newton all had their stumps rearranged. Joe might have triumphed by 3 wickets to 2 but I think Tom's dismissal of Pearman in his final over was the ball of the day - you could hear it fizz from the moment it left his hand right up to the point it happily crashed into off stump. Amidst the carnage we were putting on one of the best fielding displays I can remember. Simon was moved enough to opine 'I'm very happy to be a part of this'. Matthias excelled at short mid-wicket. Nothing got past him as he flung himself about with abandon, drawing a comment from Martin about anti-gravity pills. Meanwhile Hugh was giving yet another wicket-keeping masterclass, ignoring the odd random bounce and the Arsenal score (0-1 at the time) to get gloves on absolutely everything. He also bagged a stumping - or so we thought. I was at point and was convinced the batsman hadn't got his foot down as was Hugh, Andy P (slip) and Joe (gully) but the umpire decreed 'not out'. Never mind. Hugh consoled himself by commenting (at the fall of the fifth wicket) that he might get to see the end of the football.
Oh dear.
Oh very dear.
Lawrence and Pilkington promptly added 114.
They simply counter-attacked very well. A time game might have seen them shut up shop but limited overs affords no such luxury so they just went for it. The slow nature of the pitch meant there was no margin for error for slow bowlers. Lawrence's nimble footwork knocked Raj off his length and the pair just played Martin very well. They were keeping up with the 7 an over requirement as we started making mistakes in the field with the odd overthrow here and the odd mis-field there.
Enter Barrie, who immediately fashioned 2 chances. Chris hurled himself full length into a diving catch at long off but couldn't cling on. Then a savage pull bounced out of Andy P's hands before he - or anybody else - had time to blink. There was also a top edge that threatened the ozone layer before being brilliantly pouched by Tom at long leg, but alas a no ball for over waist height had been called. I glanced at Andy P but he had his best poker face on.
Chris decided the situation was tense enough to call for the left arm around union, Andy from the pavilion end, me from the Highgate CC end. It did the trick, with Andy accepting a return catch from Pilkington who departed for 48. Andy promptly bagged a second, trapping Sykes lbw with one that kept a little low. 160-7 and the requirement above 8 an over. Lawrence was still there but on 56 he chipped one back to me and the game was pretty much up.
On 174 Summers perished as he attempted a second to Raj at long on and failed to beat an immaculate throw by some margin then Andy had the final say by bowling Tomlins with the last ball of the 38th over. Post match Chris awarded the tankard to Joe for his inspired spell.
DT
Batting:
S Clarke 17
A Pacey 8
R Lal 52
D Terry 81
C Brooks 10
H Evans 0
M Pirongs 30 not out
T Mansbridge 3 not out
M Winter dnb
B Whatley dnb
J Dunne dnb
Bowling
T Mansbridge 8-1-30-2
J Dunne 8-1-12-3
R Lal 2-0-16-0
M Pirongs 5-0-32-0
B Whatley 3-0-28-0
D Terry 6-0-20-1
A Pacey 6-0-30-3
Catches: G Terry(2), Pacey
Captain's Tankard: Joe Dunne
