Scorecard

Sandridge CC 1st XI v Northwood Town Cricket Club Saturday 1st XI on Sat 17 May 2025 at 12:00
Northwood Town Cricket Club Won by 7 wickets

Match report Town made the trip to Sandridge this weekend, hoping to keep their unbeaten run alive. History was on their side, as they’ve traditionally done well at this ground. Spirits were high until skipper Anjum lost the toss and Town were sent in to bowl first. On the plus side, three new players—Deepak Raj, Rohit Bahl, and Patrick Tate—made their 1st XI debuts, all looking suspiciously keen.

The pitch looked like it had been airlifted straight from Town’s home ground—with all the unpredictable bounce included at no extra cost. Openers Daly and Malik wasted no time making the most of it. Sandridge’s batsmen spent the first ten overs playing “catch me if you can” with the ball, relying on edges and mis-hits. The first breakthrough came via a moment of pure magic (or madness) from Bahl, who casually threw down the stumps left-handed from behind the wickets. Daly and Malik then chipped in with wickets of their own, leaving Sandridge wobbling at 38/3 after 10 overs. Tate came on for his first bowl—showing solid pace and enthusiasm, even if his radar was still being installed. Anjum kept things tight from the other end but admitted later he was bowling like a man haunted by his own past performances (victim of his own success, some may say). Enter the spin twins: Patel and Madhavan. They slowed things down like a dodgy Wi-Fi connection @ NTCC clubhouse. Madhavan especially found his rhythm and picked up two big wickets, including the dangerous Khan. Unfortunately, Sandridge’s lower order kept swinging (and running) their way to a respectable 203/7 from their 50 overs.

But let’s pause here for the real highlight: TEA. With Loomba absent, the rest of the team finally got more than half a sandwich each. Sandridge laid out a proper spread, earning themselves at least 15 spirit points, if not actual match points. Chasing 204 on a spicy pitch, Town’s game plan was simple: don’t collapse. Madhavan, clearly still in bowling mode, went for a few big shots and was back before his pads had warmed up. Cue the early panic, as Nos. 9, 10, and 11 started padding up. Thankfully, Gairola (promoted to open) and Han (the rock at No. 3) stepped up with a brilliant partnership. They played smart, ran well, and even made the pitch look… playable? Madhavan, now in the dugout, got a full grilling from Malik for not cashing in on this “flat road.” Just when it looked like a cruise, both Gairola (45) and Han (44) fell short of fifties. Gairola yet again missed out on a 50 @ Sandridge and Han probably was tired and could only carry on if he had get a buggy! Town were 131/3, and fans had flashbacks of past collapses. But debutant Bahl had other ideas. While S. Patel calmly built his inning, Bahl came out swinging—apparently allergic to singles and determined to only deal in boundaries. He smashed 50* in style, including five crisp fours and three monster sixes that nearly hit paragliders (inside team joke with Deepak Raj). Town coasted home in 36 overs, winning by seven wickets in what may be their most stress-free chase in living memory.

Skipper Anjum, reflecting on the win, said: “Three debutants and a 200+ chase? Easy. Our fielding was brilliant. As for my dropped catch—I usually take that one in my sleep. Maybe I was asleep? But full credit to Gairola, Han, and Bahl for making it look easy out there.”

Sandridge CC 1st XI Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
28w 13b  
for 7 wickets
41
203 (50.0 overs)		     
Ferguson run out  (R Bahl) 11 2
Zahir lbw  J Daly 9 1
Asif ct  D Gairola b S Malik 9 2
Safdar lbw  I Anjum 18 4
Umer b  J Daly 28 2
Ali ct  I Anjum b N Madhavan 45 8 1
Atof st  R Bahl b N Madhavan 0
Taylor Not Out  28 3
Khan Not Out  14 1
   
   

Northwood Town Cricket Club Saturday 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Jack Daly10.0221210.502.10
Sajid Shafique Malik7.0127127.003.86
Patrick Tate6.012800.004.67
Iqbal Anjum10.0147147.004.70
Deepak Raj2.001100.005.50
Krunal Patel8.003100.003.87
Nischay Madhavan7.0125212.503.57

Northwood Town Cricket Club Saturday 1st XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
12nb 16w 2b 5lb 
for 3 wickets
35
204		        
Nischay Madhavan ct  b Townsend 5 1
Deepak Gairola st  b U Khan 45 6 1
James Han b  Taylor 44 7
Sangeet Patel Not Out  21 4
Rohit Bahl Not Out  50 5 3 1 1
Deepak Raj  
Iqbal Anjum   1
Krunal Patel  
Patrick Tate  
Jack Daly  
Sajid Shafique Malik  

Sandridge CC 1st XI Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Murphy6.002300.003.83
Townsend2.0021121.0010.50
Khan4.002200.005.50
Zaman1.001000.0010.00
U Khan10.0135135.003.50
Ahmed3.001500.005.00
Taylor6.0039139.006.50
Atif2.001600.008.00
A Khan2.001700.008.50

  • Umpire :
    Colin Lynch
  • Scorer :