Scorecard

Northwood Town Cricket Club Saturday 2nd XI v Hatfield Hyde II on Sat 31 May 2014 at 1pm
Northwood Town Cricket Club Lost by 16 runs

Match report Northwood Town II won the toss and elected to field first. On a day following a week of rain, the pitch was still in recovery mode and the bowlers were all set to make full use of the conditions.

Energizer Bunny Viraj Manek and Wiley Ali Ghaffer did just that, between them bowling 29 overs at a stretch and picking up 5 wickets for just 60 runs. The order of the day was full and straight, letting the batsmen make their mistakes, and NTCC’s opening bowlers did just that. While Manek relied on his consistent lines and lengths, Ghaffer’s odd slower balls completely perplexed the batsmen. On at first changes came Speedy Mihir Patel and Efficient Harshil Palan, both continuing the consistency with which their predecessors had bowled. Patel tore through the lower order with stunning figures of 11/4 in 8.3 overs, while Palan built pressure with consistent bowling at his end too. The fact that 8 out of 10 wickets were bowled or lbw tells the story of the bowlers’ consistency very well. If cricket is about partnerships, the two duos here exemplified just how well that can be done, both sets of bowlers complementing each other brilliantly.

That’s taking nothing away from the fielders either. One of the most efficient and energized displays I have seen in the field at NTCC over the years. Pressure was built by cutting off half-chances of runs, charging in, loud and clear vocal support for the bowlers, even some diving around, and no dollies were dropped. If the cover cordon of Loomba-Katira-Bhattacharya was close to impenetrable, Lawrence alone made up for the three of us on the leg side with an energized fielding display, with neat support from Patel. The rest of the field, led by keeper Haji, was equally clinical and error-free in its work.

Chasing 107 in close to 60 overs, certainly what let us down was the application in the batting. Eventually being bowled out for 91 in just over 31 overs, Town could have afforded to be more patient and selective in its shot-making. At the top of the order, Akshay Sehwag-Loomba looked in great nick, powering 26 (including a magestic six) of the first 30 runs which Town made, without the loss of a wicket. The lure of Nishil Mapara’s boxing tickets took its toll, and Loomba was forced into a shot which he may not have played on another day, and one brought three for the opposition.

Town again looked in control when Aiden Lawrence and Taz Katira forged a decent partnership for the fourth wicket, running hard between the wickets, converting ones into twos, and frustrating the opposition into swearing at each other.

Unfortunately from there on, it was downhill for Town as the usual collapse ensued and no other Town batsman made it to double figures. Talented batsmen fell to poor shot selection, and full kudos to Hat field Hyde’s Chullundara and Boland for keeping the ball pitched up and tempting Town’s batsmen to go at it. Town finally folded for 91 off just over 31 overs.

Given the circumstances of a stand-in Captain and many players not having played together before as a team, the team spirit was highly commendable and players adjusted to their roles extremely well, especially in the field and with the ball. Everyone was backed by their teammates, and the spirit of teamwork was commendable. Lots of positives to take away on all fronts, which certainly bodes very well for the rest of the season.

Well done lads! Phenomenal effort – keep going.

Hatfield Hyde II Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
11nb 4w 4b  
for 10 wickets
19
107 (41.3 overs)		     
I McLann lbw  A Ghaffar 6
E Mills b  A. Ghaffar 19
S Johnson b  H Palan 39
L Luke ct  F Haji b. V Manek 3
N Whitten b  V Manek 0
A Boland b  V Manek 2
C Chullundara b  M Patel 2
T Watson ct  & b M Patel 0
H Humail lbw  M Patel 16
G McKintosh b  M Patel 0
A Chaudray Not Out  1

Northwood Town Cricket Club Saturday 2nd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Viraj Manek17.0240313.332.35
Ali Ghaffar12.0320210.001.67
Mihir Patel8.311142.751.29
Harshil Palan4.0013113.003.25

Northwood Town Cricket Club Saturday 2nd XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 3w 9b  
for 10 wickets
13
91		        
Akshay Loomba b  C Chullundara 26 3 1
Richard Kessel b  A Chaudray 4
Fozan Haji lbw  C Chullundara 0 1
Aiden Lawrence lbw  A Boland 20 1
Tarang K. Katira b  C Chullundara 14 1
A.N. Other Run out  0
Mihir Patel b  C Chullundara 2 1
Ali Ghaffar lbw  C Chullundara 9 1
Viraj Manek b  A Boland 3
Premal Panchmatia Not Out  3
Harshil Palan ct  Mid On b. A Boland 0

Hatfield Hyde II Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
C Chullundara16.034458.802.75
H Humail3.00100.000.33
A Chaudray3.0118118.006.00
G McKintosh4.00900.002.25
A Boland5.301334.332.36