23/05/2018
Matching Green 139-6 V ICCC 140-4. ICCC won by 6 wkts.
(22 May 2018).
An entertaining cup match and a brilliant run chase led by Steve Ward, saw Catholic win by 6 wickets and with 11 balls to spare.
Matching Green won the toss and unsurprisingly opted to bat first. Arul Gopalasamy took the new ball along with Ravi Ramanuja, both immediately were under pressure from the visiting openers Akram and Scantlebury. Both managed peg back the run rate in their second and third overs but without a breakthrough. Arul completed his 4 overs for a very economical 16 runs and was unlucky not to pick up a wicket when a couple of deliveries were hit high in the sky, both landing without a hand getting close. Ravi completed 3 overs for a tidy 15 runs. Adbul Wahab and Naveen Kadhalli were next on, only for the impressive Akram to crunch two huge sixes out of the park. A breakthrough was desperately needed and Naveen provided that, bowling Skantlebury (17) with one that turned past his defence. The dangerous Sibley was next in and smashed his first ball for four, putting the pressure back on the bowlers. A key moment came next as Sibley drove Naveen hard down the pitch only for the bowler to get a hand on the ball which then deflected onto the stumps, running out the stranded Akram (34). At the halway stage Matching were 75-2. Sibley (29) continued to attack at every opportunity but Naveen (2-40) struck again aided by a smart catch from Vince Mulholland at short cover. Greene (1) was the next batsmen in, fresh from a big score at QE2 at the weekend, but he was brilliantly run out but a direct hit from Gajen Gohel, from fully 50 metres. A series of slack fielding and further half chances put down kept Matching well in the game and importantly for them, continued to move the score along. Vince (2-22) finished the innings from the top end, picking up the wicket of Hartnell (19) and Taylor (5). Ravi returned to complete his quota (0-25) with Adbul also returning (0-29). Matching closed on 139-6 with skipper Vince feeling the team had given 20-25 runs away with a combination of the dropped catches, fielding errors and too many extras. That said with a run rate of 7 required, the brief team talk at the break was upbeat, focusing the players on sensible batting, rotating strike and utilising the vast outfield at QE2 to put pressure on the visitors.
Steve Ward and Murali Vallat opened and set a nice tempo in the first over from Greene, taking 7 from it. Spinner Akram started at the bottom end and struck the first blow in his opening over when he served up a full toss, only for Murali (2) to chip a catch straight to deep mid wicket. Mo Zaman was next in and he and Steve immediately put maximum pressure on the fielders with excellent quick singles, two’s, and importantly hardly a dot ball. Mo (15) then fell LBW to Akram to one that kept a little low, the score now 51-2 off 8 overs. This became 51-3 when Guru Srinivasan (0) was caught second ball paddling an easy catch to Hartnell junior at short third man, which left Matching feeling they were now on top in the match. Akram finished his 4 overs (3-20), replaced by the experienced Hartnell, with skipper Dawson (0-22) on for Greene. Crucially neither could take another quick wicket as new man in Sujen Sube and Steve continued to rotate well. At the midpoint, Catholic were 63-3, just behind the rate. Sujen (12) eased the scoreboard pressure a little with a lovely struck four down to the pavilion but was then bowled by Hartnell who completed his quota (1-32). With the score on 94-4 off 14, Catholic required 46 off 6 overs, but skipper Dawson had already thrown his main bowlers in the attack. Greene came back for his last over with the aim to take a wicket but Steve nailed a couple of cracking drives, taking 11 from the over. With Gajen now at the crease, Steve’s lungs were now the main concern, just as he passed his half century, as Gajen turned 1’s into 2’s with his electric pace. The 17th over and first over from Taylor was another big moment. Taylor gave up 3 wides and some loose deliveries, 12 coming from the over. 18 runs were required from the last 3 overs. Sibley was now asked into the attack but to no avail, Gajen despatching a six with the help of a spill over the ropes by Akram. Another 12 runs from the over. With six now required, Steve finished the job in style on the first ball of Taylor’s next over, with a huge six over long on. Steve had played one of his best innings for the club with a brilliant and near faultless 69 not out, including just 4 boundaries. Gajen too had played another important innings with his 17 not out, made in quick time.
This excellent result for the club takes Catholic into a second round tie away at South Loughton CC, due to be played in the week of June 12th.
