Match Report: NMCC U10s v Hornsey - 27th June 2010
We met perennial rivals Hornsey on Sunday morning. The match was given particular meaning by the Under 11 loss the previous Friday. North Midd batted first and Percy Verity continued his run of under 10 form by scoring 25 retired (which grew to 33 when he came back at the end). Hayden Salt gave strong support with 10 but then wickets began to fall with an alarming frequency. Josh Hurst with a battling 7 (including one marvellous pull for four), Gus Clifford with an obstinate 3, Jamie Lloyd-Williams with a quick-fire 7 and the inevitable extras combined to bring us to a respectable - but not invulnerable - 107 off our 20 overs.
Hayden Salt led out the North Midd team after the break and did a fine job marshalling the fielders. Every one of them deserved credit for a committed performance in temperatures of 80 degrees plus. Max Preston, Billy Sutton-Mattocks, Percy Verity, Gus Clifford and Harry Jenkins created bowling checks on Hornsey's progress, but it wasn't until Jamie Lloyd-Williams entered the attack that wickets began to fall. A double wicket maiden dealt with the cream of Hornsey's batting and from that point on the odds were with us. Nonetheless, the last over came with Hornsey needing an achievable 15 runs - especially since they had 7 wickets in hand. Our fielders, under pressure, succumbed to nerves during the first few balls but then became more disciplined. We won by 11 runs. A satisfying victory.
Post script: one incident stood out for me in this match. Dan Burgoyne hit his wicket but both umpires were unsighted. When asked whether he had hit his wicket he said he had and walked. This was an excellent example of honesty and sportsmanship. Well done Dan. Such moments matter more than runs and wickets.
NMCC U10s v Wanstead Sunday 20th June 2010
The NM U10s took on their Wanstead counterparts in a 'proper' 20 over game on a chilly grey morning. Wanstead started ominously with some very strong batting from their opening pair, aided by a short boundary. However, thanks to some tidy bowling and the generous retirement policy of the Wanstead coach, NM got through to the lesser lights of the opposition line-up without sustaining terminal damage. Wanstead eventually racked up 109 for 4 from their 20 overs. Skipper Percy Verity led the way for the NM bowlers with two wickets and an excellent direct hit run out; Alex Croft picked up the other wicket in a very promising spell of bowling. In reply, Alex McLaren got NM off to a flyer thanks to a powerful 16 (retired) and Archie Harker kept up the momentum with a hard-hitting 18 (retired). Hugo Lloyd-Williams then virtually sealed the game with a brilliantly struck 22 (retired) in which he dispatched the bowling to all parts. NM batted on after reaching the target, eventually making 145. What was particularly pleasing to see in this excellent win was the boys' calling, aggressive running between the wickets and tidy bowling. We did these basics far better than the opposition, the evidence of which was plain to see in the scorebook – while NM gave away 39 extras, Wanstead gave up 75 in wides, no balls and byes. Thus all members of the team contributed to a very pleasing win.
Match Report - NMCC U10s v Winchmore Hill, 17th June 2010 - Warning: X-rated
To use one of my recently-departed father's favourite expressions, after the Lord Mayor's Show this truly was the corporation dustcart. After the paeans of praise for the U9s' performance last Sunday and the excitement of the U10s' last-gasp victory in the Gubby Allen Trophy on Monday, this was very much the Rocky Horror Show.
Following concerns as to whether we would all be there for a 6.00pm start, it had been agreed in advance that NM would bat first and that, if people were late, the batting order would, at least initially, be determined by who got there first. At 5.50pm, with just Hugh Teesdale there, it looked as if he might be opening the batting with Hugh and Wendy, but Laurie/Will, Alex and Gus arrived shortly thereafter to enable the match to get under way. With hindsight, Wendy would unquestionably have been the better option as wickets fell quickly forcing Gus, not a natural batsman (although making rapid progress at the art of bowling Chinamen), to come in at No.5 to join Hugh.
At this point the cavalry arrived, in the form of the RSM charabanc containing Percy, Harry, Billy and Max Preston and the Wheatley Volvo with Guy and Ronnie. Unfortunately the cavalry did not have the same success as Blucher's Prussians at Waterloo and, despite exhortations from yours truly to build an innings and make some sort of recovery, a succession of inept batting and suicidally poor running resulted in NM being all out for a grand total of 38 after just 14 of our allocated 20 overs. Our innings was epitomised by Billy, who came in at No.9 and managed, despite the match situation and the overs still remaining, to run himself out at the non-striker's end before he had faced a ball. When we were all out 5 minutes later, the WH umpire, taking pity on us, suggested that one of the boys who hadn't had much of a go with the bat (in reality most of our team) could come back and have another go; as Billy was the only boy still padded up, he came out to bat again but hit his first ball straight up in the air to achieve the rare distinction of being out twice in the match having faced just one ball - from Monday's hero to Thursday's zero.
To give some idea of how awful our batting was: five of our batsmen were run out and the other five were bowled; three boys were equal top scorer with 2 runs, the other eight did not, in the TMS vernacular, trouble the scorers. So, a total of 38 all out, with just 6 runs off the bat, giving a total, had we been playing a pairs game of - 12 ! The strange thing about this performance was that on paper we had quite a strong team out. One might think, reading the above, that we had been playing Lillie and Thomson at the WACA or Hall and Griffith at Sabina Park, but the WH bowling wasn't even very strong, although they were very proficient at hitting the stumps on the frequent occasions we gave them that opportunity by going for yet another suicidal run.
At half-time I gave the team a bit of a talking to and challenged them to show WH that they were, despite the evidence from our innings to the contrary, a decent team by putting on a good bowling/fielding display. The first four bowlers did their best but somehow the spark was missing, such that after 8 overs we still hadn't taken a wicket and their first four batsmen had retired. It was only when Hugh Teesdale and Will Chapman came on to bowl that wickets began to fall, with Hugh bowling especially well, fast and straight, to take 3 wickets in 2 overs and recover at least a modicum of our pride. Despite a flurry of somewhat unrealistic excitement towards the end as 5 wickets fell (Hugh's 3, plus one to Will Chapman and a direct hit run out by Max Preston), WH won the match by 5 wickets with 6 overs to spare, prompting the WH parents to celebrate with such gusto that I realised that, for many clubs, beating a North Middlesex side is seen as a real feather in their cap - sadly last night it did not require a superhuman performance to beat us !
There was only one contender for the Man of the Match Award - Hugh Teesdale for a really good exhibition of fast bowling that was frankly too good for the quality of the opposition.
Let's hope for better performances this weekend against Wanstead !
Match Report - Gubby Allen Trophy NMCC U10s v Primrose Hill (A) 14th June 2010
After a late afternoon downpour led to doubts as to whether play would be possible at all, NMCC and PHCC contested a hard-fought match in which the result was very much in doubt right down to the final over of the game.
NM won the toss and elected to bat, intending to set a challenging target for PH while the light was good and the outfield (and ball) wet. Luke Hollman and Archie Harker opened the innings but found the going tough, with Luke bowled twice while making 5 in a partnership of 25-2. The scoring didn't accelerate until Percy Verity and Billy S-M came in for an excellent partnership of 34-1, but it looked as if NM would only be posting a modest target until Joe Cracknell and Nick Woodfield shared a 4th pair partnership of 45-0, with Joe taking a particular liking to the PH leg-spinner, and making an unbeaten 28 including five 4s and a 6.
NM's final score of 114 - 5 (net 89) was considered by most to be no more than par, which meant that a good bowling and fielding performance was going to be required for NM to prevail.
The PH innings got off to a solid start and they were quickly ahead of the required rate. After 12 overs PH were 95 - 4, with wickets for Hugh Teesdale, Nick Woodfield, Luke Hollman and Billy S-M, so the last pair only needed 15 (without loss) off their 4 overs for victory. A wicket for Ronnie West in the 14th over gave NM hope, but at the start of the final over PH were on 111 - 5, requiring just 4 to win, and it was the PH supporters on the boundary making all the noise, with the NM contingent quiet and concerned.
The final over was entrusted to Billy S-M, which was not part of the pre-match plan, but he rose to the challenge and, with the field in tight, conceded just 1 run off the first 3 balls. With the pressure and excitement mounting and "3 off 3" required, PH attempted a quick single off the 4th ball but sharp fielding by Archie Harker resulted in a run out and a very different target of 8 off 2; suddenly the PH supporters were very quiet and a sotto voce football murmuring of "You're not singing any more" was heard from the NM parents. The PH batsman was trapped in front next ball and, as the PH umpire's finger was raised for the LBW decision, the North Midd celebrations began. With 13 required off 1 ball, the game seemed well and truly over but Billy was determined to keep the excitement going just a little bit longer so bowled a wide next ball, resulting in one or two palpitations, but another run out, this time by Nick Woodfield, off the last ball gave a misleadingly comfortable victory margin of 15 runs.
This was a fabulous win and the team deserves a lot of credit for holding their nerve at the death and plucking victory from the jaws of defeat.
Joint Man of the Match Awards go to Joe (for his explosive batting display and sound captaincy) and Billy (for 2 wkts and some solid batting, but most of all for that critical last over).
Match Report NMCC U10s v Primrose Hill (A) Friday 11th June 2010
PH batted first on a beautiful summer's evening in Regents Park and started brightly to reach 40-1 but collapsed from there to 60-8, at which point their best batsman (bowled earlier in the innings) returned to the crease and guided PH to a total of 84-8 off 20 overs. Wicket-takers were Daniel Burgoyne (2), Thomas Harrison, Billy S-M, Gus Clifford, Max Preston and 2 Run Outs (by Thomas Harrison and Daniel Burgoyne).
Hayden Salt opened the NMCC innings and batted very well until being retired on 25* (including four 4s) with the score on 42. Like PH we then had something of a collapse to 64-5, whereupon Percy Verity (13*) and Hugh Teesdale (7*) guided NMCC past their target for a comfortable win with 4 overs to spare. With Percy and Hugh retired, the remaining batsmen had an opportunity to bat and Billy S-M took that opportunity to hit a powerful 24*, including three 4s and a 6, leaving NMCC on a 20 over total of 126-7.
Joint Man of the Match Awards to Hayden Salt, Daniel Burgoyne and Billy S-M.
Fielding Award to Daniel Burgoyne for his magnificent 30 yard direct hit run out.
Match Report - NMCC U10s v Wanstead 6th June 2010
Wanstead batted first but, with 4 wickets falling in the first 3 overs and the first run off the bat not being scored until the 8th over, it was quickly apparent that the visitors' strength did not rest in their batting line up. Wanstead scored 54 in total, of which just 13 were off the bat, for 11 wickets, giving a total of -1 net. Wickets were taken by Archie Harker (2), Ronnie West (2), Laurie Pearce (2), Billy S-M and Andrew Lister, with Run Outs by Thomas Harrison (2) and Archie H. The pick of the dismissals was a very sharp catch by Andrew L who had ghosted in from his allocated position of long-stop to a somewhat unorthodox deep 1st slip position just in time to intercept a very quick edge off Ronnie's bowling [Thomas had just asked me why we didn't have slips in U9/10s cricket and I had said that it was primarily because it was unlikely anyone would hold on to a slip catch - so we may have to rethink that rather negative philosophy!].
NMCC scored 113 for 6, with 70 runs off the bat, giving a total of 83 net and a winning margin of 84. The key partnerships came in the middle of the innings, with Archie H (10)/Hayden (10) and Laurie (13)/Alex Croft (2) doing well. Wanstead's bowling and fielding were considerably stronger than their batting and a couple of the bowlers were very respectable. On the whole the NMCC running was good, with only 2 Run Outs in the innings.
All in all, a good win over a young and not very strong opposition. My only criticism would be that we need to be a bit more professional in the field, with less chatting and mucking around, even against weak teams; today's performance made captaining the team very difficult for Archie as people were constantly wandering around and straying from where they were supposed to be fielding (Andrew L being excused from this criticism on account of his exceptional foresight in moving himself to 1st slip!).
NMCC U9s v Winchmore Hill (H) 23 May 2010 - Match Report
After a delayed start (for which my apologies), NM batted first and made 111 - 1 (net 106) off 18 Overs. Just 36 runs came off the bat, but the fact that there were 75 Extras (mainly Wides) demonstrates that this was more because of wayward bowling by WH than poor batting by NM. Good batting from Otto Wieliczko, Max Preston, Emile Hohmann and Guy Lane in particular. With one or two exceptions, calling and running were good, quite a few runs being "stolen" by putting the fielding side under pressure, which was good to see, as was the absence of mix-ups/suicide runs.
When WH batted it was apparent that, as with their bowling, they had a couple of good players, but little depth. Their good batsmen accounted for a number of boundaries in a runs off the bat total of 34 (almost the same as NM's) but much tighter bowling by NM resulted in just 27 Extras and 7 wickets, resulting in a final score of 61 - 7 (net 26) and a winning margin for NM of 80 runs. Wicket-takers were Emile H, Otto W, Max P and Thomas Harrison + 2 Run Outs. Fielding highlights included an excellent Run Out by Emile and Thomas intelligently foregoing a somewhat theoretical caught and bowled chance (and the opportunity of a trip to A&E) by getting out of the way of a ball coming at him with the pace and trajectory of an Exocet missile.
Match Report - NMCC U10s v North London (A) 19 May 2010
NL won the toss and chose to bat. Hugh Teesdale's opening over was an eventful one, the NL opening batsman being pole-axed by a high full toss hitting him on his unprotected back leg. After a bit of TLC from the NL coach he bravely chose to continue but unsurprisingly treated the next ball with considerable circumspection and seemed not entirely unhappy at being able to depart the field of combat when his middle stump was knocked back. The other opener was run out and a 3rd wicket taken, clean bowled by Max Harris. The best partnership of the NL innings then followed, 40 being put on and the partnership only being "broken" by the retirement of the NL No.4 having reached 25. Two wickets for Ronnie W and one for Billy S-M, together with good fielding, helped to restrict NL to a final score of 93 for 6, of which 55 were off the bat. 34 from Wides/No Balls was too many for an NMCC U10s team and the bowlers need to focus on bowling straight, even if it means losing a few mph . Hayden Salt did really well keeping wicket (only 4 Byes), especially for someone who had never kept wicket before.
Archie H and Hayden S looked to get the NM innings off to a good start and were looking to play and run positively from the start. Hayden was out early but Percy V (25 retired) put on 20 with Archie (18) and 25 with Harry Jenkins (11) in a well-judged captain's innings. Harry's lack of backing up/calling always looked as if it could prove costly and both he and Billy S-M were run out, Billy being a little unlucky to attempt a quick single to NL's best fielder, one A.Harker, substitute fielding for Hugh T's early injury victim. A run out mix-up between Max H and Ronnie W accounted for Max and a tumble of late wickets gave NL hope of pulling off an unlikely win, despite NM having overs in hand. However, sensible batting from Ronnie W, assisted by Daniel Burgoyne, together with a number of Wides in a poor 16th over, saw NM limp over the line to 94 for 7 for a deserved, if somewhat laboured, victory with 4 overs to spare.
Match Report - NMCC U9s v Primrose Hill 14th May 2010
NMCC won the toss and invited PH to bat. PH were not the strongest of teams and limped to a total of 61 - 8 (ie. net 21), with 40 extras (mainly Wides and No Balls) and only 21 from the bat. The 8 wickets were shared between Billy S-M (2, with his hat-trick ball being stabbed into the ground, just missing the stumps), Thomas Harrison, Disney Harker, Alex Croft, Jamie L-W and 2 Run Outs; Ronnie West and Max Harris, although wicketless, conceded a grand total of 1 run from their 4 overs. Robbie Buxton kept wicket very respectably (including one catch); other fielding highlights were an excellent diving catch by Anthony Stevens and a very athletic interception by Emile Hohmann. On the whole the fielding was good, with good backing up and not too many instances of wild throws; there were still a few "hands in pockets" culprits (not helped by a chilly evening in an exposed Regents Park setting) and little sign of fielders walking in with the bowler.
The only notable batting performance from the NMCC team came from Max Harris with 10, including the shot of the match, an authentic cover drive. The really rewarding thing about the NMCC innings was the calling and running between the wickets, with numerous runs stolen by putting the fielding side under pressure (something that PH had singularly failed to do to us), and only one Run Out. NMCC scored 97 - 7 (ie. net 62) to win by 41 runs.
Match Report - NMCC U10s v Hornsey U10s (A) 25th April 2010
Hornsey won the toss and invited NM to bat. Hornsey had several very strong players, including one very quick (and good) opening bowler. The young NM team (including 6 U9s and 1 U8) struggled to cope and limped to 60-5 (net 35), with Extras as top scorer. There was not a single boundary in the innings, the closest we got being a beamer hooked (or, given that he is a top Middlesex tennis player, should I say "volleyed"?) off his nose for 3 to Long Leg by Zak Pacey. Only Billy S-M and Max Harris seemed to be pushing for quick singles, the others having apparently forgotten over the winter the basics of backing up and calling.
Hornsey's innings opened with their 2 strongest players in their first 2 pairs, with the result that Hornsey passed the NM total within 5 overs, at which point the game was on the verge of becoming embarrassing. However, the later batsmen were not so strong and NM did exceptionally well to come back into the game, courtesy of one wicket each from Disney Harker, Will Chapman and Hayden Salt and a direct hit Run Out by Billy S-M. With Max Harris taking 2 wickets in the penultimate over, Hornsey were only 4 runs ahead and, with one rabbit at the crease, it was very much game on. Unfortunately the rabbit was not on strike for the final over and the better batsman of the last pair, with the aid of ball by ball advice from the Hornsey umpire, hit two boundaries to take the game away from NM. Final Hornsey score 77-6 (net 47) - Hornsey win by 12 runs.
All in all, not a great start although the team did well to fight back in the later stages of the Hornsey innings to keep the game alive. Nobody really distinguished with the bat, but there were respectable bowling performances from Max Harris, Will Chapman, Billy S-M, Hayden Salt and, most encouragingly in what I think was their first hard ball match, from Alex Croft and Disney Harker.
Reports : Richard Sutton-Mattocks
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