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Week 9 Roundup

Week 9 Roundup

Will Nicoll6 Jul 2016 - 11:07
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20/50 points

North Midd 1st XI vs Shepherds Bush (Home)
Shepherd's Bush 117/10 (53 overs)
North Middlesex 121/5 (30 overs)
North Midd win by 5 wickets

Winning the toss we decide to examine their batters early doors. It was a good looking wicket and we could have easily batted first. This exam was never going to be easy. Joel Hughes (3/18 off 14), the equivalent to post graduate quantum mechanics and the returning Ethan Bamber (3/29 off 13), neurology, bowled in tandem not leaking any runs and also taking wickets. Bush fell to 3/22 with Hughes taking the first 3 wickets. Semper (3/25 off 17) came on first change, his 40mph non-turning seam up again proving impossible to get away. A great spell from the bad man. Nurse (0/21 off 5) and T Nicoll (1/15 off 4) backed up nicely. Wickets fell continually with 6 superb slip catches and they were eventually out for 117. A small total, perhaps not so straight forward with our recent batting displays. They had a decent attack and Cracknell fell early to a decent ball without scoring. Fahrenheim was run out half way down the wicket, also without troubling the scorers and we slightly nervous at 27/2. However the ever reliable Holmes (36) and very welcome slight of Flowers (30) hitting the ball cleanly saw us to 75 before our 3rd wicket fell. Evan and O'Driscoll both fell in quick succession but we came home easily in the end with some big blows from T Nicoll (40*). A much needed win and I'm sure not the last.

North Midd 2nd XI vs Ealing (Away)
North Midd 35/10
Ealing 36/1
Ealing win by 9 wickets

A bold declaration proved ill advised as north midd's 5 game unbeaten streak came to an end away to Ealing. Not really. A change of skipper didn't change our tossing fortunes as Rich couldn't add to our grand total of 1 correct call this season and we were duly inserted on a deck that looked like it would get better as the day wore on. Zulf and Atif strode confidently to the middle looking to improve on our customary 30-3. Alas had we been 30-3 it would have been a triumph. A combination of very good bowling (glasper 6-20 odd) and bad luck to go with our inept batting display led to 13-7, 2,2,4,2,0,0,0 - not an ideal top 7 scores. A small rally from the lower order (in relative terms) saw us get to 35 before injury to Jimmy saw our innings brought to a close. Unsurprisingly tea wasn't ready so we trooped out and 20 minutes later we were back for tea having lost by 9 wickets. Bad day at the office - our 9 bowlers had nothing to bowl at. Let's be better next week.

North Midd 3rd XI vs Ealing (Away)
Ealing 3s 162/10 from 52.5 overs
North Midd 3s 120/10
Ealing win by 42 runs

With much of the Midd now having returned from its sojourn into the deepest depths of Somerset to watch Barry Gibb strive for former glories in front of a crowd far too young to know who he is or what the hell that squealing noise was, availability was at an all-time high after a week that has seen England become about as popular as Donald Trump at a ‘Mexicans Against Walls’ convention. Despite all this, the Middies arrived in spirits so positive that even a Roy Hodgson pep talk would struggle to suck the optimism out of them. Indeed, Woy would have been proud as the Middies made more changes than the Labour front bench. Back at the wheel of the NM3 Victory was the Swindon Afzaal, while former skipper Lake returned after a spell in absentia. If this was not thrilling enough, clambering aboard too onto this vessel of triumph came the great figure-flatterer Chambers, still searching for that elusive top order scalp. In the absence of the ever-impeccable Michael Edwards; the equally impeccable Medway would don the gloves. In the slightly altered words of Bob the Builder, Banks, Harris and Barrow joined the fun as the mighty 3s looked to get the job done. They were accompanied by young firebrand Garrett and regular spinners Mishra, Howeld and Friend as the champions set sail on another crusade. With cricket losing last week’s wet/dry referendum, it was important that the day’s trip to Ealing’s finest fallowed prairies should be supplemented with a win. For, in the words of Sir Bruce himself, points win prizes. And what a scene it was as the champions arrived at Harlington, the mighty Queens Park Rangers’ training ground – the Bletchley Park of many a relegation, the stomping ground of Sir Clint Hill, Shaun Derry, Paul Furlong, Paddy Agyemang and countless other of Friendy’s heroes. Indeed, things only improved when the Middies won the toss and invited our esteemed hosts to bat. Young firebrands Harris and Garrett took the new ball, hooping it both ways much to the palpable discomfiture of the batsmen. After Harris bounced out the opener with a half pace loosener, the new man came in, deciding that playing and missing was the best form of attack – and didn’t he do well, wafting at thin air for fourteen consecutive deliveries. The conditions, though, were causing problems, with the wind, stronger than a tornado after a dodgy curry, causing the airy drives of the opening bat to evade the fielders. With frustration in full swing as the Middies plugged away for little reward, Doctor Mishra entered the attack. He immediately got himself into the wickets enclosure before drinks were taken at 80-2 (average, almost acerbic squash). Post-cordial, Chambers was superb, cleaning up the opener with a serious delivery. From here on in, the Middies fielded and bowled with splendour. Young Howeld (11-2-42-2), effervescent throughout, bowled beautifully and with much control, garnering two shnicks to Jordan at slip. The good doctor continued plugging away at the other end (21-5-40-5), first forcing the batsman to slap one straight at Garrett’s midriff, before something monumental occurred. A Howeld full-bunger, driven to the left of Friendy at mid-wicket, sprawling one-handed dive, on the ground with one (ish) stump to aim at, thrown in one movement, stumps decimated. Out. Full Flintoff celebration. “The best piece of fielding I’ve ever seen live”, Max Banks 2/7/16. “Wow, stunning, just wow”, Jonty Rhodes 2/7/16. “Can you teach me how to do that?” Joe Hart 2/7/16. From then on, it was foot on throat stuff. With the hydration break having had the desired effect on both bowlers and fielders, the Ealingites had been forced into a corner. The only worry now was that Harry Kane might turn up to take it. Fear not. First, despite Medders having the ball in his hands and standing up to Dre, the batsman went for a peruse of bits of the pitch that weren’t in his crease – a risk. Ciao. Next ball, he trapped the new man plumb in front. When the number eleven chipped one to mid-off, that was that. 16 wickets in three weeks for the doc. Indeed, like the whiff of hoisin sauce at a duck pond, the sight of Dre brews an ominous foreboding amongst batsmen up and down the Middlesex leagues. And so it was, 163 to win – competitive but gettable, theoretically. Tea was pleasant – onion bhajis always a glorious addition to the eating experience. Then we batted and, without sticking my neck out too far, I reckon there have been days in our cricketing lives when we’ve done it better. A chase so rubbish that ITV would get Bradley Walsh to present it. It’s difficult to pinpoint what exactly went wrong but six out slog-sweeping is fairly jazzy, if a bit braindead. There was a lack of clear thinking as the left-arm spinners tied us down and we resorted to countless headless swings. When the final wicket fell, we were 40 runs short. Oh crumbs. Apart from three fairly catchable chances that didn’t stick, they didn’t bowl or field better any than us but, it is unarguable that they scored more runs. Alas, ay caramba. An unfortunate occurrence that we’d managed to fall so short with such a strong batting line-up. Perhaps what summed up the day was, if not the M40 traffic and our tour of Greenford on the way home, the fact that the 2s and 3s ended their tarriance of Ealing with a combined score of 155-20. However, the fight goes on. This is our title and this woe is but a bump in the road, a minor derailment of the winning train. In all great success stories, there is adversity (think Mufasa’s death in the Lion King and Simba's return). The NM3 Victory has not yet capsized – indeed, it is heading towards crunch-time. Our esteemed friends from Hampstead are coming to see us next week. Acton claimed a losing draw against them yesterday, meaning that we haven’t lost too much ground. Losing is rubbish, we haven’t done it much in the past two years. We go again. Points win prizes. There’s a title to defend.

North Midd 4th XI vs Richmond (Away)
Richmond 4s 108 all out off 45 overs
North Midd 109 for 1 off 21 overs
North Midd won by 9 wickets

Fielding one of the strongest sides ever assembled by North Midd 4s, we departed on the long journey to Richmond in high hopes. With Richmond just a point above us this was a vital game to win. Richmond 4s' new arena looked a picture – sight screens, proper covers, even a T20-style dug out. Was this really a 4s ground? The deck was dry and hard, which probably persuaded the Richmond skipper to bat first when he won the toss. In came young Teasdale, charging down the hill. We were expecting the ball to fly: instead it just died on what was actually a typically low, slow track. From the other end, KP struck almost immediately with two wickets in an over. His brilliant 4 for 11 off 7 overs knocked the top off the Richmond innings and we were looking at cleaning them up for a very low score. Their opener, however, dug in. Despite bowling with real gas at times, Hugh failed to make the breakthrough but the returning G-man took over and, with Dyke wheeling away brilliantly from the other end, choked the life out of the Richmond innings. The dangerous Atkinson was snapped up by a great catch at cover by 4s debutant Sherry as Richmond crawled along at 2 an over. Once G had broken the one substantial partnership of the innings, he quickly wrapped up the tail, finishing with 5 for 39 off 14. Dykey bowled 15 overs for just 32 playing a vital role for the team. After a great tea in the Sixth Form Centre, we began our reply with the contrasting styles of G Patil and R Verity. While Rich patiently saw off the good balls bowled at him, G dispatched the garbage coming his way with typical alacrity. The first over to him went for 21 and we were on our way. Rich and G put on 69, of which Rich amassed 4 (he maintains he got all the good balls). Seb went in to se us over the line, with G continuing to pump Richmond all over their lovely new park. A nine wicket win, with G finishing on 76 not out to go with his 5-for: a brilliant performance and an all-round great team effort in the field. This is more like it!

North Midd 5th XI vs Stanmore (Home)
Stanmore 264-9 dec
North Midd 130 All Out
Stanmore won by 134 runs

Bowling first on another green wicket at Walthamstow, the Midd got off to a good start with Alex Harris picking up a couple of early wickets. Oscar Riley opened from the other end with absolutely no luck at all, the batsmen playing and missing ball after ball. Stanmore’s nos. 3 and 4 soon settled and increased their run rate, although there were chances off the bowling of both Alex Croft and James Martland, bowling for the first time in 3 years. Enter Charles Martland, who, by taking the pace off the ball showed us how it was done. A wind-assisted full bunger did for the number 3 for 50 and a smart catch by Alex Harris removed the number 4 for 52. A couple of strange LBWs, two very well-judged boundary catches by Alex Croft and Richard Nicoll and another caught suddenly meant that Charles had taken 7 (SEVEN!). A couple of heaves to the fence took Stanmore’s total up to 264-9 declared. Charles’ full figures: 12-0-63-7 Post-tea, the oppo skipper was worried about rain ruining their chances of forcing a win, Arj assured him that the rain wouldn’t come for a while at least. David Boyd, Charles and Simon Friend fell cheaply and Stanmore felt they had the game there and then. Oscar Riley and Louis Hayward made them doubt themselves though, both playing fantastically mature innings with Oscar reaching the 50 milestone. Then the rain came, and boy did it chuck it down. Everyone took to the cars immediately and then realised that we had only faced 18.3 overs, 9 balls short of what would constitute a game, fair to say Stanmore were not too impressed. 15 minutes late, the shower had passed and the pitch looked like the one we had started on a couple of weeks ago. The captains agreed that 8 overs had been lost, so we would have another 22.3 overs to block out for a point. Oscar and Louis both fell soon after the restart. Richard and Dave Shields, having smashed a finger while keeping, offered some resistance before a flurry of wickets fell for virtually no score, leaving James Martland and Richard around 10 overs to bat. Rich took to the bowling hitting some lovely boundaries before ultimately falling agonisingly close to earning a draw with just 9 balls remaining in the day. Some completely unnecessary nasty words on the field and some cheap comments off it by the opposition didn’t help the mood having come so close to rescuing the game, North Midd bowled out for 130.

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