Harpenden Dolphins C.C.

Scorecard

Leverstock Green III v Harpenden Dolphins C.C. on Sat 11 May 2013 at 1pm
Harpenden Dolphins C.C. Won by 3 wickets

Match report Leverstock Green III versus Harpenden Dolphins

11 May 2013


Under a grey threatening sky, with strong winds, Dolphins arrived at Parmiters School to be hosted by Leverstock Green III’s. The pitch at Parmiters is always well maintained, in a vast field bordered by the M25 and M1, but not that you’d know these two critical traffic arteries were there. It is a fine place to play cricket, but in such a vast field, with the wind gusting at upwards of 40 mph it was bloomin’ cold. Definitely a two jumper day or, with the body to carry it off, one might wear one of those tight fitting skins. Clearly, I chose the two jumpers.

Leverstock Green won the toss and chose to bat. Dolphins took to the field with nine men, Amit running a little late and Jason struggling with the directional landmarks of Garston and the crematorium next door. He joined us a while later.

Schalk opened the bowling and – with the wind behind him – he was whistling them through at considerable pace. The opening bat fished at the first two balls that fizzed through just above and outside off stump, then edged a similar third ball that was graciously snaffled by Mike Lacey behind the wicket. Nought for 1. Shalk continued with some hostile pace against the new man, also encouraging him to edge one that unluckily Mike was unable to hold on to. Situation recovered though, in our third over, when Schalk change his line and length from off stump and good, to middle stump and full. Clean bowled, and with Leverstock Green at 1 for 2, Dolphins sensed blood. Messrs Evans and Kumar steered “the Green” out of their early difficulty and posted a 50 partnership before Evans fell, caught at slip by Jason Guest off the bowling of Ollie Lacey. Ollie Lacey had opened the attack at the far end and kept his nerve bowling great length into the very strong wind, so this wicket was thoroughly deserved. With Tom Roche and Rizwan Hamid replacing the opening bowlers Dolphins struck gold again quickly, Riz clean bowling the No. 6 and Tom displacing Kumar who had been in since the third over. At 68-5 after some 20-odd overs Dolphins felt the opportunity to press home an advantage.

However, Leverstock Green dug deep again, Turner at 6 (33) and Flemming at 7 (40) posted a partnership of 49. Jason Guest broke this partnership to halt the recovery at 117-6 and with Amit making the ball turn at the other end he was able to quickly dispatch the incoming batsman without troubling the scorers, pegging “the Green” at 118-7. Yet again Leverstock Green rallied, the aforementioned Flemming being the eighth and final wicket taken by Dolphins (155-8) as we then allowed a ninth wocket partnership of 53, number 9 bat May finishing on 47no with “the Green” having posted a very resilient 208-8 in their 53 overs.

Best bowlers for Dolphins were Jason Guest (7-3-19-1) and Amit Mathur (7-2-21-1). Good supporting bowling from Ollie Lacey, Tom Roche and Riz Hamid, with Schalk finishing with 3 for 51. Zippy tried to contribute into the wind, struggled with line and length, and offered up a varied selection of a dozen tasty pies before politely asking to be removed from the attack.

Amazingly, in such threatening weather conditions, we played through a couple of squally showers and only had to leave the field briefly to allow a particularly heavy shower to blow through. At tea, Leverstock Green had secured 10 batting points and Dolphins 8 bowling points, the scores reflecting the evenly balanced contest.

During tea, Social Secretary Bolt introduced the President to the new-fangled communications vehicle named Faceblog / Twitbook / Tweetface / Facebook. What a marvellous communications tool – allowing me to dispense with my previous in-match update system of carrier pidgeon. I issued a couple of “twitts” or posted a couple of updates and I have made a mental note to use Facebook for in-match updates in future. I urge all our readers to “like” Harpenden Dolphins – hopefully a very easy thing to do as we’re all such likeable chaps.

Mike Lacey and Jason Guest presented themselves as the opening pair to start the assault on the double century target – in culinary terms such a huge meal would generally put the Dolphins off their appetite. But wait! Jason got his eye in with an opening single, then set about scoring 29 off 24 balls, hitting four 4’s and one 6 along the way. With Mike in solid form and us at 36-1 off 8 overs we had declared our intent to have a go at the Leverstock Green total. Skipper Tom Roche came in at No. 3 and stayed there for 32 overs, sharing promising partnerships with a number of Dolphins (Mike Lacey, partnership 36; Graham Barrett, partnership 32; Riz Hamid, partnership 14).

When our fourth wicket fell Dolphins were on 116, Tom still not out on 30 and Phil Simpson arriving at the crease. (93 required off 16 overs.) Tom and Phil then played very sensible cricket, attacking loose balls but playing straight and defensively when necessary. In just nine overs they scored 65, Tom caught out for 72 in an innings of 102 balls. Schalk van der Merwe joined Phil Simpson at the crease, with 28 required off the final 7 overs. Both looked like they could finish the game in Dolphins favour, scoring 20 between them in four overs. But then Schalk skied the ball and was caught having scored 16, leaving Dolphins on 201-6, eight runs short of victory with 4 overs left.

Two balls later Phil Simpson was bowled (23). Seven wickets down, 8 runs required. Two new batsmen at the crease. Clouds encroaching, skies darkening like in the movie Independence Day. Amit and Zippy. “The Green” re-energised, their tails up and sensing their chance. Amit on strike, he tickled two deliveries down to long leg for two each time. Four to win. Opening bowlers called back. Zippy on strike, he takes a single to mid-on. Amit takes a single to mid-wicket.

At this point I should mention that Amit, Zippy and the bowler thought Dolphins had won. You see, we had been chasing a target of 207 all afternoon, only (quite rightly) for Leverstock Green to ask for the scorebook to be checked. On checking, turns out the winning target should have been 209. Batsmen cease their winning embrace and return to the crease. Bowler stops shaking hands and goes back to his mark. Keeper puts his gloves back on. Two to win, 21 balls remaining. No let-up in the fierce wind. Amit on strike. Zippy freezing. Bowler delivers, ball glances Amit’s legs, beats the keeper for two leg byes and the first Dolphins win of the season!

This was the Dolphins biggest successful run chase for 11 years performed in most un-spring like weather. A closely fought contest and our thanks to Leverstock Green for their hospitality and match played in a great spirit.

COYD!

Match reporter Zippy

Leverstock Green III Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 7w 7b 5lb 
for 8 wickets
21
207 (53.0 overs)		     
D Lake ct  (M Lacey) S Van Der Merwe 0
G Evans ct  (J Guest) O Lacey 20
D Young b  S Van Der Merwe 1
A Kumar ct  (M Lacey) T Roche 27
C Casey b  R Hamid 6
K Turner ct  (P Simpson) J Guest 33
N Flemming lbw  S Van Der Merwe 40
D Cordey b  A Mathur 0
S May Not Out  47
M Wood Not Out  14
G Coutched  

Harpenden Dolphins C.C. 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Schalk Van Der Merwe15.0251317.003.40
Ollie Lacey10.0148148.004.80
Tom Roche7.0123123.003.29
Rizwan Hamid5.0120120.004.00
Jason Guest7.0319119.002.71
Amit Mathur7.0221121.003.00
Graham Downes2.001200.006.00

Harpenden Dolphins C.C. 1st XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 3w 4b 2lb 
for 7 wickets
10
209		        
Mike Lacey b  K Turner 28 50 5 56.00 2
Jason Guest ct  G Evans 29 24 4 1 120.83 1
Tom Roche ct  C Casey 72 102 9 1 70.59
Graham Barrett ct  M Wood 14 32 1 43.75
Rizwan Hamid lbw  M Wood 11 8 2 137.50
Phil Simpson b  A Kubar 23 26 3 88.46 1
Schalk Van Der Merwe ct  A Kubar 16 14 4 114.29
Amit Mathur Not Out  5 5 100
Graham Downes Not Out  1 1 100
Ollie Lacey  
Neil Bolt  

Leverstock Green III Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
S May6.013400.005.67
G Evans8.0134134.004.25
K Turner5.011700.003.40
A Kumar9.2225212.502.68
M Wood7.0136218.005.14
C Casey6.0034134.005.67
G Coutched2.002300.0011.50