Scorecard

Northwood Town Cricket Club Saturday 2nd XI v Letchworth Garden City IV on Sat 29 Jun 2013 at 1 pm
Match was Drawn

Match report Outstanding performances from Suvin Mekwan and Geet Patel couldn’t quite see Town over the finishing line in the home game against Letchworth Garden City.

Losing the toss, Town were asked bat first on an inviting strip in glorious sunny, conditions. Openers Mekwan and Sandip Thakrar set about constructing a perfect opening partnership with some assured batting, strike rotation and quick running in between the wickets. The pair put on a morale boosting 116 before Thakrar was caught on 40. What was to follow was the Suvin show!

With some quick wickets falling around him, Mekwan continued with his shot making to charge the Town innings along with a flurry of boundaries. On 98, Mekwan brought up his ton in style with a majestic 6, straight down the ground. Cue the rapturous applause from the roof terrace.

Mekwan finally fell on 116 and the task now was to get as many runs as possible before the planned declaration at 50 overs. This was to come a short time after as Skipper Neil Cheesewright waved the batters in on 215 – 8 after 49.3 overs.

Opting to start with the old ball, Town opened the bowling with the guile of Geet Patel and the raw pace of Viraj Manek.

It was a sharp run out though that started proceedings as Mekwan and Cheesewright combined to leave the Letchworth opener stranded after daring to run a quick single to the bullet arm of Mekwan. Shortly after Manek struck, dismantling the stumps of Hibbard with a dart of a delivery. Then, enter the star turn, Geet Patel. With a mix of loop and loft with rigorous rip, Patel had the Letchworth batsmen left flailing with a dominant spell of bowling that turned their game plan on it’s head. With regular wickets falling to Patel, it was soon clear that Letchworth had only one thing in mind, to bat out and save the game.

With 37 overs gone the 9th Letchworth wicket fell and Patel had his 7th victim. His remarkable spell returning figures of 7-55. Town sensed victory buoyed by appearance of the number 11 entering the crease. Surely Letchworth couldn’t hold out, could they? In baking sunshine and with the wicket flattening out, the stubborn Letchworth tail enders resistance remained firm and the momentum gradually ebbed away from the town field.

With credit to the ‘tail enders’, that final chance of a wicket was not forthcoming and Town’s worst fears where realised as the last ball was blocked out to the bowling of Mekwan. Letchworth had survided (131-9, off 50). Town were gutted.

19 points was some consolation to Skipper, Neil Cheesewright. “We gave everything today. I could not ask anymore from my players. On any other day we would have cleaned up at the end and would have been celebrating 30 points. I feel disappointed that we could not give the crowning glory to Geet and Suvin to mark their superb individual efforts today, but I know that our first victory is imminent.”


Northwood Town Cricket Club Saturday 2nd XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
3w 6b 6lb 
for 8 wickets
15
215		        
Suvin Mekwan st b. Tom 116 15 4 1 1
Sandip Thakrar ct b. Wanchoo 40 6
Pradip Pandey lbw b. Burley 1 2
Phil Carter ct b. Wanchoo 12 3
Geet Patel ct b. Wanchoo 2
Rishi Adatia ct b. Nowland 10
Neil Cheesewright b Nowland 7 2 1
Viraj Manek ct b. Tom 6 1 2
Shahmir Syed Not Out  6 1
Jack Daly  
Neal Furmenger  

Letchworth Garden City IV Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Myatt12.023000.002.50
Wanchoo17.0269323.004.06
Burley11.0157157.005.18
Tom7.3043221.505.73
Nowland2.01321.501.50

Letchworth Garden City IV Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
11w 10b 3lb 
for 9 wickets
24
131 (50.0 overs)		     
Wanchoo ct Cheesewright b. Patel 10
Nowland run out Mekwan/Cheesewright 4
Hibbard b Manek 3
Powell ct Cheesewright b. Patel 1
Om ct Manek b. Patel 13
Williams ct Mekwan b. Patel 11
Myatt ct Manek b. Patel 12
Manning ct Pandey b. Patel 1
Williams Not Out  19
J Nowland ct Pandey b. Patel 2
Burley Not Out  31

Northwood Town Cricket Club Saturday 2nd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Viraj Manek10.0126126.002.60
Geet Patel22.065577.862.50
Neal Furmenger9.06700.000.78
Jack Daly4.01500.001.25
Suvin Mekwan5.001700.003.40