2nd XI
Matches
Sat 08 Jul 2017  ·  2nd XI Premier
Mitcham CC - 2nd XI
274/7
224/9
Godalming Cricket Club
2nd XI
Locked in amid the roar of London traffic

Locked in amid the roar of London traffic

Godalming CC10 Jul 2017 - 17:40
Share via
FacebookTwitter
https://www.godalmingcc.co.uk/

A scorer's view courtesy of N.P.S. Horne

In scorching weather, cap'n Ben decided to sunbathe so chose to field. The first run off the bat came from the 24th ball; then, however, Anwar launched a ferocious assault -- 50 runs coming in the next three overs. After 10 overs, the pace declined somewhat as George and Carsten kept things a bit quieter but Shreyash and Haris motored along thanks to several missed catches (perhaps our fielders could not see the red ball against the background of passing buses?). At 215/7 after 37 overs, Mitcham's unease, signalled by the sirens of police cars etc, was palpable but we were badly hurt by an unbroken 8th wicket stand of 59, and the declaration after 46 overs, then an excellent tea, came as a welcome relief from the earsplitting racket.

274/7 looked a decent score: perhaps better catching (we put down at least 7) would have made it very attainable.

Inevitably, Stephen (51, inc 10 fours) in 45 balls returned fire with fire. Harri (42) played some superb shots until caught off a truly horrible ball from their only slow bowler. The remainder of our innings was dominated by Baking pow(d)er's soixante-neuf, with help from Torin and George, but we were never quite up to the required rate, and in the end skipper and Saffer defended stoutly for the last few overs, with one moment of alarm when the latter allowed the ball to strike his person when playing no shot -- happily the ball was missing the stumps, and the appeal thus duly rejected.

224/9 from 49 overs meant a losing draw.

Each side having bowled its overs at 14 per hour, the finish was after 8.35pm. And, added to that was the discovery that our team's cars had been directed to a car park whose gates (per tiny notices, seen too late) "closed at 7.15pm on Saturdays: return at 7am on Monday". Only the resourcefulness of a member of our team (who shall be nameless, as I've forgotten) meant phoning a contractor, who directed our guys to a small gap in a hedge through which THEY obtained access.

[AND, finally, I was the only scorer (and was DRY). It was like a Turkish bath in their scorers' hut. There were no "outside" umpires. But who's complaining? It was a game of cricket].

Match details

Match date

Sat 08 Jul 2017

Kickoff

13:00

Competition

2nd XI Premier
Team overview
Further reading