In a recent match between the Nomads and Morden CC, a minor umpiring difference of opinion between our own skipper Mr Emil Todorow and legendary Morden stalwart Mr X led to Mr X asserting that he was a faster bowler, a better bowler and, in fact, a better cricketer than Todorow. The Nomads have been discussing this at length in recent weeks, with many helpful and interesting comments made on the subject.
Finally, in a special feature, Clapham Nomads Blogspot has decided once and for all to establish who rules the roost in South London cricket as we compare two men who are very different and yet, somehow, so very much alike.
In a searching and unbiased examination, we will study their cricketing ability, their wider cricketing awareness, and also seek to learn more about the men beneath the white flannels. They will be assessed head-to-head in 8 different areas; batting, bowling, fielding, captaincy, temperament, cricketing experience, hair and piss-taking.
BOWLING -
TODOROW's bowling record in games against Morden is 38-4-123-4, an average of 30.75, but his seasonal average has been better than this in each of his 20 summers of cricket. He is unorthodox but undeniably effective with almost 300 wickets for Clapham Nomads and over 150 - often in trying circumstances - for Open University. Rating - 8 out of 10
Mr X's record in these matches is 38-6-129-4, uncannily similar to Todorow's and indicative of the fact that there are more similarities between the men than there are differences. He is an effective line and length merchant but perhaps lacking just a touch of the Nomads player's flair and variation. It would be a co-incidence if his overall record was also, like Emil's, much better than in Nomads/Morden fixtures. Rating - 6 out of 10
BATTING
TODOROW's batting average against Morden in recent seasons is only 6.67. However, in games in which Mr X was playing this rises to 17.00, indicating that Emil thrives on this great rivalry. He can be a slow starter but when he gets going his square cut is a thing of savage beauty. He has opened the batting many times and may just be harder to dismiss than Mr X. Rating - 6 out of 10
Mr X, like Todorow, can struggle early in his innings but once he is established his footwork and variety of strokeplay may just give him the edge here. Only 2 of his scores have been recorded in Nomads' scorebook; 14 and 30. Rating - 7 out of 10
FIELDING
Mr X has taken at least 1 catch against the Nomads and may have taken more. He is a competent fielder and I can recall neither any great flashes of brilliance nor any particularly serious errors. Rating - 6 out of 10
TODOROW himself would admit that this is not the strongest area of his game but his ground-fielding is becoming more dependable and he has arguably the more powerful throw of the two men. Rating - 5 out of 10
CAPTAINCY
Mr X has extensive captaincy experience and his assertiveness and personal charm make him a natural leader. His field positioning is astute. He remains the only man to captain Morden to victory over the Nomads but he has also led them to a minimum of two defeats. Rating - 6 out of 10
When TODOROW became Nomads' regular captain, he took a long look at the club's on-field behaviour problem and banned him. He may not quite have Mr X's tactical knowledge but he has helped to generate an atmosphere which, dare it be said, may just be slightly happier than Morden's. His record as captain against Morden speaks volumes; Won 5 Lost 1, a success rate of 83%. Rating - 8 out of 10
TEMPERAMENT
TODOROW is a man who experienced early hardship and whose personal philosophy encourages him to relish suffering. He is calm, unflappable and a stoic. He carries this on to the cricket field. If he is hit for 6, he will follow up with an unplayable yorker. If he is given out LBW unluckily, he will shrug it off with just the tiniest glance at his inside edge. If he is confronted by very bad behaviour from an opponent or, more usually, a team-mate, he will deal with the situation coolly and efficiently - and kick the offender up the backside. Rating - Zen-like. 9 out of 10
Until this season, I can recall no incidents involving Mr X. He seemed a pleasant, affable man. He still does, but one or two cracks are starting to appear; blaming his own wayward bowling on Clapham Nomads' excellent choice of balls, obsessively questioning umpires' decisions and entering into childish comparisons of cricketing ability with senior opposition players. Rating - An Area to be Watched. 6 out of 10
CRICKET EXPERIENCE
Mr X is about 60 and has been playing organised cricket for almost 50 years. He grew up in Wimbledon, overlooking Dundonald Road Rec, and remembers the Rec as a pleasant place to play cricket, which shows he does possess a long memory. It is evident from the ability he still possesses that he must once have played at a high level. He still plays for a well-organised and established League club and is likely to have coaching experience. Rating - Vast Experience. 9 out of 10
Emil TODOROW is 57 but didn't hold a bat until he was 33 and didn't start playing organised cricket until he was nearly 40. Since then, though, he has played in 350-400 matches, well over 150 of them as captain. He has helped build up a club from nothing and has vast experience of the low-budget end of non-league cricket. He loves the game deeply and is a good judge of a cricketer; his favourite players being Graeme Hick, Sir Richard Hadlee and 1980s Nottinghamshire seamer Andy Pick. Rating - Unique Experience. 7 out of 10
HAIR
Mr X is clearly a man who takes pride and interest in his hair. It is always neat and well-coiffured, if just slightly long for a man of his age. I suspect he may use an expensive conditioner. In cricketing terms it doesn't particularly help or hinder his play, and the way his hair bounces interestingly when he is appealing vigorously for LBW causes umpires to treat the appeals only marginally less seriously than they otherwise would. He has quite good eyebrows too. Rating - Nice Hair. 9 out of 10
Despite once being described as 'shaggy-haired' in the Daily Telegraph, TODOROW's hair is absolutely first-class. It is the hair of someone who is his own man, of a cerebral man of culture. It is professorial. When he bowls, his hair often floats in the breeze, providing aerodynamic assistance to his run-up and sometimes intimidating younger, more impressionable batsmen. Rating - Best Hair in Cricket. 10 out of 10.
PISS-TAKING
Mr X may, for all we know, be excellent at taking the piss; though the humour in Morden CC's sledging and banter is less subtle and, in fact, less funny than that found in most teams. He has had little opportunity to take the piss out of the Nomads because of the way results have gone. As Todorow would put it; "The piss has been on him." Rating - Gnat's. 4 out of 10
No-one takes the piss quite like TODOROW. He is a master of the art and is devoted to it. In the words of Benny; "A piss-taker he is, always was and always will be." Rating - Young's Special. 10 out of 10.
So there you have it. But what does all this reveal about these two great men? In terms of pure cricketing ability i.e. batting, bowling and fielding, the aggregate scores are Todorow 19 Mr X 19 which underlines the intense similarity between these men and hints at the suspicion that they were, in fact, separated at birth. In a wider cricketing context, bringing in captaincy, temperament and experience, we find Todorow with 43, compared to Mr X's 40, beginning to forge clear. However, it is in the widest sphere, taking the pair not just as Sunday Sportsmen but as rounded men of the world, that a victory by 63 to 53 means that it is Mr X MBE but it is Sir Emil Todorow.
Monday 27 July 2009
Sunday 26 July 2009
Putney v Clapham Nomads - 26/7/09
It was down to Putney to join the long list of players who have performed at Putney's historic ground on Lower Common; Jack Hobbs, Jim Laker and now the Nomads. Putney's skipper had accidentally revealed in a forwarded e-mail that he wanted his Fixtures Secretary to find weak opposition as they had been thrashed a lot lately, so the home side's smiles were bright as Messrs Todorow, Crossland and Lefebve (combined age 158) approached them at the start of play; perhaps less so when the rest of our honed young athletes arrived.
Nomads were inserted under a menacing sky. In the absence of Mark Bradshaw, and with Prasanth running late, Ben Fewson and Mahesh Vyas opened and the start was somewhat shaky. Vyas was dropped twice by first slip in the first 5 overs while Fewson snicked one through the slips for four and dug out one that barely bounced. The bowling wasn't particularly threatening though Willow kept a decent line and length from the Pavilion End. 8 overs passed on 24 for 0 but a double bowling change was the cue for acceleration as the batsmen set about "Kermit" and Fahad. As ever, Vyas played exclusively on the leg side early on while Fewson was strongest through the covers. This disrupted the fielding side almost as well as having a left-hand / right-hand combination. 50 was passed in the 11th over and Vyas celebrated by cutting a 4 past point, a sure sign that he was finding form. Both batsmen looked in good touch, in fact, (though Fewson was dropped at mid-on while in the 30s) and it came as rather a surprise when Vyas finally skied one off Fahad and departed for 40 - his best Nomads score for some time. 79 for 1.
Jim Joyce joined Fewson but still appeared hampered by the back injury he sustained last week and he managed only a rather edgy 6 before being bowled.
Out came Prasanth but, after a couple of nice shots, he was undone by a ball that bowled him around his legs. A rare low score for this most consistent of players. 122 for 3. Ben Fewson had by now reached his 50 and he was joined by Amin in an uncharacteristically defensive mood - he blocked for an over before the top of his bails were clipped by a good 'un. Hassan Khan appeared in the unusually low No.6 slot and faced up to the leg-spinner Hill, whose nickname "McWarne" appeared to be based more on his Scottish accent than his degree of turn. Having said that, he had a close LBW shout against Hassan. The No.6 hit a couple of nice shots but didn't last too long, top-edging a pull and being well snapped up in the deep. 139 for 5 was probably the high-water mark for Putney. Ajmal caused the ball to be lost in undergrowth 3 times in an over from Hill - one a mighty 6 - and Fewson repeated the trick in the following over. Hill took revenge by bowling Ajmal and then did the same to Gopi 3 balls later
Nomads might just about have fitted the bill as the type of opposition Putney were seeking if 179 for 7 had been followed by a tame late-order collapse; instead it was followed by Afghanistani debutant Ismat who absolutely creamed his second ball back over the bowler's head. He followed this with several more good straight hits and, although he was trapped LBW for 25, I think Putney found the strength of this No. 9 a little hard to stomach.
Ben Fewson was beginning to acquire an air of invincibility, firstly when a ball rapped some combination of edge and pad before rolling agonisingly back onto his stumps without dislodging a bail, and then when a throw back to the bowler bounced on top of his helmet and made an interesting springy noise without in any way perturbing the batsman. Even a helmetless blow on the head would probably not have affected him - it was that sort of day - and the chance of a second century this season began to dawn. Emil Todorow came out at No.10 but found difficulty in playing either big shots or giving Fewson the strike. A few scrambled singles left Ben on 88 at the start of the penultimate over and a 4 and 2 from the first two balls put him in pole position. Three were required for the ton with 1 over to go. Fewson hit firmly to long off and, while he and new batsman John Crossland were debating whether to go for 1 or 2, a misfield solved the problem and took him on to a very high quality 101. Nomads closed on an imposing 244 for 9 from the full 40.
Tea was taken in the Pavilion which was oddly situated across 2 main roads and captain Todorow formulated his plans; he would give his six bowlers six overs each and the best 2 would ball the remaining overs if needed. The Putney openers were left hand / right hand and the lefthander attempted to take on Hassan Khan and particularly Todorow. He played 3 or 4 fine straight drives but the wily skipper produced a piece of Ballard-esque trickery and bowled the youngster round his legs. I have never seen a batsman so upset by a dismissal; he shunned the comfort of his team mates and sat in a patch of long grass behind a tree with his head in his hands, gazing at the ground and possibly convulsing a little. He should have realised that it is an honour to be out-thought by Amateur Cricket's craftiest bowler. Hassan picked up a wicket caught behind and then No. 4 Hill smacked a Hassan half-volley straight to Ajmal at square leg. Ajmal caught it cleanly but threw it to the floor instantly in celebration. The batsman was adamant that this counted as a drop and stood his ground. Ajmal was indignant but Nomads allowed the batsman to remain, sensing perhaps that it was unlikely to make too much difference. Ajmal greeted Hill with a bouncer when he entered the attack but this was pulled for 4. Hill was probably Putney's most effective batsman and when he was 4th out with the score in the 40s the game seemed up for the home team.
Wickets were shared out evenly with both openers and both 1st changers (Ajmal and Ismat) taking at least one. I left at 6.30 with the score on 62 for 6 from 22 overs in increasing drizzle and it was evident that not even Duckworth and Lewis could save the home team. In the event, another fine cricketing combination - Gopi and Amin - accounted for the remaining wickets and secured victory for the Nomads by 158 runs.
Man of the Match was clearly Ben Fewson. I'll pass on Fielder of the Day for this one because I've largely forgotten the game by now (7th August). NL
CLAPHAM NOMADS - 244 FOR 9 FROM 40 OVERS
Fewson, 103 Not out
M. Vyas, 40
Joyce, 6
Prasanth, 5
Amin, 0
H. Khan, 8
Ajmal, 16
Gopi, 0
Ismat, 25
Todorow, 1
Crossland, 1 Not out
F.O.W - 79, 98, 122, 124, 142, 179, 181
PUTNEY - 86 All out
H. Khan, 6-1-8-1
Todorow, 4-0-17-1
Ismat, 6-1-16-2
Ajmal, 6-1-29-3
Amin, 3-0-7-2
Gopi, 1.4-0-4-1
Nomads won by 158 runs
Nomads were inserted under a menacing sky. In the absence of Mark Bradshaw, and with Prasanth running late, Ben Fewson and Mahesh Vyas opened and the start was somewhat shaky. Vyas was dropped twice by first slip in the first 5 overs while Fewson snicked one through the slips for four and dug out one that barely bounced. The bowling wasn't particularly threatening though Willow kept a decent line and length from the Pavilion End. 8 overs passed on 24 for 0 but a double bowling change was the cue for acceleration as the batsmen set about "Kermit" and Fahad. As ever, Vyas played exclusively on the leg side early on while Fewson was strongest through the covers. This disrupted the fielding side almost as well as having a left-hand / right-hand combination. 50 was passed in the 11th over and Vyas celebrated by cutting a 4 past point, a sure sign that he was finding form. Both batsmen looked in good touch, in fact, (though Fewson was dropped at mid-on while in the 30s) and it came as rather a surprise when Vyas finally skied one off Fahad and departed for 40 - his best Nomads score for some time. 79 for 1.
Jim Joyce joined Fewson but still appeared hampered by the back injury he sustained last week and he managed only a rather edgy 6 before being bowled.
Out came Prasanth but, after a couple of nice shots, he was undone by a ball that bowled him around his legs. A rare low score for this most consistent of players. 122 for 3. Ben Fewson had by now reached his 50 and he was joined by Amin in an uncharacteristically defensive mood - he blocked for an over before the top of his bails were clipped by a good 'un. Hassan Khan appeared in the unusually low No.6 slot and faced up to the leg-spinner Hill, whose nickname "McWarne" appeared to be based more on his Scottish accent than his degree of turn. Having said that, he had a close LBW shout against Hassan. The No.6 hit a couple of nice shots but didn't last too long, top-edging a pull and being well snapped up in the deep. 139 for 5 was probably the high-water mark for Putney. Ajmal caused the ball to be lost in undergrowth 3 times in an over from Hill - one a mighty 6 - and Fewson repeated the trick in the following over. Hill took revenge by bowling Ajmal and then did the same to Gopi 3 balls later
Nomads might just about have fitted the bill as the type of opposition Putney were seeking if 179 for 7 had been followed by a tame late-order collapse; instead it was followed by Afghanistani debutant Ismat who absolutely creamed his second ball back over the bowler's head. He followed this with several more good straight hits and, although he was trapped LBW for 25, I think Putney found the strength of this No. 9 a little hard to stomach.
Ben Fewson was beginning to acquire an air of invincibility, firstly when a ball rapped some combination of edge and pad before rolling agonisingly back onto his stumps without dislodging a bail, and then when a throw back to the bowler bounced on top of his helmet and made an interesting springy noise without in any way perturbing the batsman. Even a helmetless blow on the head would probably not have affected him - it was that sort of day - and the chance of a second century this season began to dawn. Emil Todorow came out at No.10 but found difficulty in playing either big shots or giving Fewson the strike. A few scrambled singles left Ben on 88 at the start of the penultimate over and a 4 and 2 from the first two balls put him in pole position. Three were required for the ton with 1 over to go. Fewson hit firmly to long off and, while he and new batsman John Crossland were debating whether to go for 1 or 2, a misfield solved the problem and took him on to a very high quality 101. Nomads closed on an imposing 244 for 9 from the full 40.
Tea was taken in the Pavilion which was oddly situated across 2 main roads and captain Todorow formulated his plans; he would give his six bowlers six overs each and the best 2 would ball the remaining overs if needed. The Putney openers were left hand / right hand and the lefthander attempted to take on Hassan Khan and particularly Todorow. He played 3 or 4 fine straight drives but the wily skipper produced a piece of Ballard-esque trickery and bowled the youngster round his legs. I have never seen a batsman so upset by a dismissal; he shunned the comfort of his team mates and sat in a patch of long grass behind a tree with his head in his hands, gazing at the ground and possibly convulsing a little. He should have realised that it is an honour to be out-thought by Amateur Cricket's craftiest bowler. Hassan picked up a wicket caught behind and then No. 4 Hill smacked a Hassan half-volley straight to Ajmal at square leg. Ajmal caught it cleanly but threw it to the floor instantly in celebration. The batsman was adamant that this counted as a drop and stood his ground. Ajmal was indignant but Nomads allowed the batsman to remain, sensing perhaps that it was unlikely to make too much difference. Ajmal greeted Hill with a bouncer when he entered the attack but this was pulled for 4. Hill was probably Putney's most effective batsman and when he was 4th out with the score in the 40s the game seemed up for the home team.
Wickets were shared out evenly with both openers and both 1st changers (Ajmal and Ismat) taking at least one. I left at 6.30 with the score on 62 for 6 from 22 overs in increasing drizzle and it was evident that not even Duckworth and Lewis could save the home team. In the event, another fine cricketing combination - Gopi and Amin - accounted for the remaining wickets and secured victory for the Nomads by 158 runs.
Man of the Match was clearly Ben Fewson. I'll pass on Fielder of the Day for this one because I've largely forgotten the game by now (7th August). NL
CLAPHAM NOMADS - 244 FOR 9 FROM 40 OVERS
Fewson, 103 Not out
M. Vyas, 40
Joyce, 6
Prasanth, 5
Amin, 0
H. Khan, 8
Ajmal, 16
Gopi, 0
Ismat, 25
Todorow, 1
Crossland, 1 Not out
F.O.W - 79, 98, 122, 124, 142, 179, 181
PUTNEY - 86 All out
H. Khan, 6-1-8-1
Todorow, 4-0-17-1
Ismat, 6-1-16-2
Ajmal, 6-1-29-3
Amin, 3-0-7-2
Gopi, 1.4-0-4-1
Nomads won by 158 runs
Wednesday 22 July 2009
Clapham Nomads v Nepotists - 19/7/09
It was back to Raynes Park for the third week in a row as Nomads encountered new opposition in the Nepotists, a primarily Australian team and as affable a bunch of guys as you could wish to meet.
We were cast out onto Pitch 3 this time and it was a choice of three strips; a kids' one, a used one or one with the remnants of a baseball diamond cut into it. Nomads opted for the used one and it played excellently.
Nepotists batted first and the opening pair settled in quickly. The left hand / right hand combination caused Nomads some problems, the confusion was exacerbated by the roar of traffic from the A3 and the stiff breeze which made verbal communication almost impossible. The lefthander Walker, who hit a boundary in most overs, was a good foil for his righthanded partner, a powerful off-driver. Ajmal struggled uphill into the wind and bowled too short, being replaced after 3 overs. Hassan Khan was steadier but also made way early for Emil Todorow, while Amin replaced Ajmal. This pair put something of a brake on the scoring rate. Amin's line and length were impressive; while Emil, perhaps aware of the constant comparisons that have been made between him and Morden CC's Del Ballard, bowled rather in the manner of Ballard himself, keeping it generally on the spot and seeking out what few snakes there were in the pitch.
Progress remained steady, and the over rate poor, as Nepotists manipulated the gaps in the field. There were 'no worries' to speak of until, in the 18th over, 2 balls before drinks, Amin finally made the breakthrough with a hint of movement off the pitch. 84 for 1.
There was a nasty injury to Jim Joyce who twisted his back and had to leave the field for a while. Two other fielders started the game with bad backs but, oddly, the three sore men probably fielded more consistently than some of the eight fit men.
After drinks, Nomads began to exert some control. Amin, Todorow and the returning Hassan all bowled tightly, as did Riaz Khan and (after being wisely switched to bowl downhill) Ajmal. After 27 overs the score was only about 120 and 4 further wickets had fallen including the opener Walker who hit a nice half-century. There was an uncomfortable feeling, though, that Nepotists had something in hand and so it proved. When the tall, blond No.7 Rhys Adams arrived at the crease, our main concern was that he was yet another lefthander to continue our field-positioning nightmare, but as he slapped a straight drive almost through Riaz's hand and then peppered the extra cover boundary with AK47 drives, it was clear we had other problems. This was just the beginning. The former Melbourne First Grade player (who we were told had also been considered for State selection by New South Wales) stepped up a gear and lifted a series of quite gorgeous straight drives over the head of the hapless Riaz Khan. It was actually a treat to witness such beautiful clean hitting, if not quite such a treat to continually climb the barbed wire fence into the next door playing fields in search of the ball. Riaz finally took some degree of revenge, having Adams caught on the extra cover boundary for 46, but it felt that the game might have been taken beyond us, particularly when a series of fielding errors meant there was only marginal deceleration in the final 2 overs.
As we trudged off, estimates of the score ranged from 230 to 250, so it was a big relief to find out that Nepotists had, somehow, only recorded 202; and a further relief when we heard that the seasonal average of the batsman due in next was 109.
Nomads' dependable opening pair Mark Bradshaw and Prasanth strolled out in search of their customary 50 stand. the opening bowler Boshan was tall and had a slightly halting action which didn't prevent him from being accurate and quite pacy. His colleague Dan was wayward at times but capable of the odd tricky one. He was also a dead ringer for former Open University paceman Mick Hunter, a similarity which caused umpire Lefebve to turn down his LBW request extremely politely. Bradshaw was in good touch, especially through point, while Prasanth mixed defence and a good awareness of where his stumps were, with some fine aerial shots, 2 of which dropped unluckily inches short of the leg-side boundary.
Nepotists' captain Dale Atkinson replaced Dan for the 9th over and produced some sharp off-breaks at a lively medium pace. The openers were fairly unfazed, with no alarms greater than one half-decent leg before shout, and the inevitable 50 partnership came up with a boundary off Atkinson. Ordinarily things would have been looking quite rosy, especially with a powerful-looking Nomads batting line-up. 'Nepos' showed no sign of panic, however, and in the 13th over they played their ace in the form of 6 foot 4 inch-plus form of Rhys Adams who produced a speedy yorker first ball up, rapping Prasanth on the toe plumb in front. Bowling off a 6-pace run-up, Adams was as quick as anything we have faced this season and, in his following 2 overs, had Mark Bradshaw caught at point and then brushed Hassan Khan's glove to rip the heart out of Nomads' top order.
Mindful of the need to take what scoring opportunities existed, No.3 Ben Fewson knocked 14 off an Atkinson over to remove the skipper from the attack. No.5 Riaz Khan then continued his fascinating duel with Adams by smacking the paceman back over his head into the trees - a 6 every bit as emphatic as those he had suffered himself. Adams had increased his pace since a close caught behind decision had gone against him and, when he had Riaz caught 2 balls after the 6, he was threatening to put the Nomads to the sword single-handedly.
Jim Joyce came out with a runner and cracked a 4 first ball but was in obvious pain and perished after 3 overs (one of them, valuably, a wicketless over from Adams.) Ben Fewson fell to new bowler Phillips and, at 117 for 6, Amin and Ajmal probably represnted Nomads' last real chance of getting close. Fans of this pair were not disappointed as they not only saw off Adams but produced a flamboyant stand of 36, dominated by Ajmal whose 29 included 2 sixes but was terminated by the useful-looking Slow Left Arm spinner Walker.
Nick Lefebve joined Amin who now took over the lead role, taking two 4s from a Walker over and then 3 from a Phillips over, and dominating a 27-run stand to which Lefebve contributed 1. With 27 needed to win, and regular scorer John Crossland padded and gloved up, there was total confusion as to whether 4 or 5 overs remained. It mattered little to Amin; he proceeded at his usual pace and, for the only time in the match, Nepos became a little anxious, perhaps regretting a lapse of concentration when Amin was dropped by a fielder in a pink wig.
Sadly, Walker had Amin trapped for his 2nd LBW and Emil Todorow joined Lefebve. The confusion about overs was finally cleared up and the target was established as 19 from 2 overs. Both batsmen were having trouble finding shots, particularly against Walker who had excellent variation, though Lefebve did pull a high no-ball from Boshan for 4 to keep the door slightly open. Todorow went for some big shots but, in fading light, couldn't really connect until he skied one and departed for 1. If it's any consolation to Emil, Del Ballard - a notoriously slow starter - probably wouldn't have done any better.
11 were needed off the final over. Lefebve faced Walker but the Aussie was too crafty to be swept and a wide and a scampered single were all that could be managed from the first half of the over. 9 off 3 balls and John Crossland was on strike. A leg-stump full toss could have made things interesting but the impressive Walker wasn't going to make it easy and, seeing Crossland advancing down the pitch, slipped in an off-side wide. The keeper was waiting and, in one movement, removed the bails and Nomads' last hope.
A 7-run defeat but a very decent performance. It was a pleasure to share the pitch with as fine a player as Adams. I could say that Adams was the difference between the teams but I have a feeling that both he and the Nepotists had another gear. Certainly with a different batting order they could have notched 250. Having said that, their skipper did admit they were a bit concerned when Amin was in full spate. Speaking of Amin, it's another Man of the Match award for the increasingly impressive lefthander. He top-scored again and was economical. Fielder of the Day in not so easy. Nick Lefebve took a good catch, but made a couple of ground-fielding errors. No-one really shone but, despite a bad back, John Crossland was close to his best behind the stumps and gets the nod.
Nepotists - 202 for 6 from 35 overs
H. Khan, 7-0-22-1
Ajmal, 7-0-47-0
Amin, 7-0-27-1
Todorow, 7-0-30-0
R. Khan, 7-0-57-4
Clapham Nomads - 195 All out from 34.4 overs
Bradshaw, 22
Prasanth, 26
Fewson, 27
H. Khan, 3
R. Khan, 12
Joyce, 6
Amin, 33
Ajmal, 29
Lefebve, 8 Not out
Todorow, 1
Crossland, 0
We were cast out onto Pitch 3 this time and it was a choice of three strips; a kids' one, a used one or one with the remnants of a baseball diamond cut into it. Nomads opted for the used one and it played excellently.
Nepotists batted first and the opening pair settled in quickly. The left hand / right hand combination caused Nomads some problems, the confusion was exacerbated by the roar of traffic from the A3 and the stiff breeze which made verbal communication almost impossible. The lefthander Walker, who hit a boundary in most overs, was a good foil for his righthanded partner, a powerful off-driver. Ajmal struggled uphill into the wind and bowled too short, being replaced after 3 overs. Hassan Khan was steadier but also made way early for Emil Todorow, while Amin replaced Ajmal. This pair put something of a brake on the scoring rate. Amin's line and length were impressive; while Emil, perhaps aware of the constant comparisons that have been made between him and Morden CC's Del Ballard, bowled rather in the manner of Ballard himself, keeping it generally on the spot and seeking out what few snakes there were in the pitch.
Progress remained steady, and the over rate poor, as Nepotists manipulated the gaps in the field. There were 'no worries' to speak of until, in the 18th over, 2 balls before drinks, Amin finally made the breakthrough with a hint of movement off the pitch. 84 for 1.
There was a nasty injury to Jim Joyce who twisted his back and had to leave the field for a while. Two other fielders started the game with bad backs but, oddly, the three sore men probably fielded more consistently than some of the eight fit men.
After drinks, Nomads began to exert some control. Amin, Todorow and the returning Hassan all bowled tightly, as did Riaz Khan and (after being wisely switched to bowl downhill) Ajmal. After 27 overs the score was only about 120 and 4 further wickets had fallen including the opener Walker who hit a nice half-century. There was an uncomfortable feeling, though, that Nepotists had something in hand and so it proved. When the tall, blond No.7 Rhys Adams arrived at the crease, our main concern was that he was yet another lefthander to continue our field-positioning nightmare, but as he slapped a straight drive almost through Riaz's hand and then peppered the extra cover boundary with AK47 drives, it was clear we had other problems. This was just the beginning. The former Melbourne First Grade player (who we were told had also been considered for State selection by New South Wales) stepped up a gear and lifted a series of quite gorgeous straight drives over the head of the hapless Riaz Khan. It was actually a treat to witness such beautiful clean hitting, if not quite such a treat to continually climb the barbed wire fence into the next door playing fields in search of the ball. Riaz finally took some degree of revenge, having Adams caught on the extra cover boundary for 46, but it felt that the game might have been taken beyond us, particularly when a series of fielding errors meant there was only marginal deceleration in the final 2 overs.
As we trudged off, estimates of the score ranged from 230 to 250, so it was a big relief to find out that Nepotists had, somehow, only recorded 202; and a further relief when we heard that the seasonal average of the batsman due in next was 109.
Nomads' dependable opening pair Mark Bradshaw and Prasanth strolled out in search of their customary 50 stand. the opening bowler Boshan was tall and had a slightly halting action which didn't prevent him from being accurate and quite pacy. His colleague Dan was wayward at times but capable of the odd tricky one. He was also a dead ringer for former Open University paceman Mick Hunter, a similarity which caused umpire Lefebve to turn down his LBW request extremely politely. Bradshaw was in good touch, especially through point, while Prasanth mixed defence and a good awareness of where his stumps were, with some fine aerial shots, 2 of which dropped unluckily inches short of the leg-side boundary.
Nepotists' captain Dale Atkinson replaced Dan for the 9th over and produced some sharp off-breaks at a lively medium pace. The openers were fairly unfazed, with no alarms greater than one half-decent leg before shout, and the inevitable 50 partnership came up with a boundary off Atkinson. Ordinarily things would have been looking quite rosy, especially with a powerful-looking Nomads batting line-up. 'Nepos' showed no sign of panic, however, and in the 13th over they played their ace in the form of 6 foot 4 inch-plus form of Rhys Adams who produced a speedy yorker first ball up, rapping Prasanth on the toe plumb in front. Bowling off a 6-pace run-up, Adams was as quick as anything we have faced this season and, in his following 2 overs, had Mark Bradshaw caught at point and then brushed Hassan Khan's glove to rip the heart out of Nomads' top order.
Mindful of the need to take what scoring opportunities existed, No.3 Ben Fewson knocked 14 off an Atkinson over to remove the skipper from the attack. No.5 Riaz Khan then continued his fascinating duel with Adams by smacking the paceman back over his head into the trees - a 6 every bit as emphatic as those he had suffered himself. Adams had increased his pace since a close caught behind decision had gone against him and, when he had Riaz caught 2 balls after the 6, he was threatening to put the Nomads to the sword single-handedly.
Jim Joyce came out with a runner and cracked a 4 first ball but was in obvious pain and perished after 3 overs (one of them, valuably, a wicketless over from Adams.) Ben Fewson fell to new bowler Phillips and, at 117 for 6, Amin and Ajmal probably represnted Nomads' last real chance of getting close. Fans of this pair were not disappointed as they not only saw off Adams but produced a flamboyant stand of 36, dominated by Ajmal whose 29 included 2 sixes but was terminated by the useful-looking Slow Left Arm spinner Walker.
Nick Lefebve joined Amin who now took over the lead role, taking two 4s from a Walker over and then 3 from a Phillips over, and dominating a 27-run stand to which Lefebve contributed 1. With 27 needed to win, and regular scorer John Crossland padded and gloved up, there was total confusion as to whether 4 or 5 overs remained. It mattered little to Amin; he proceeded at his usual pace and, for the only time in the match, Nepos became a little anxious, perhaps regretting a lapse of concentration when Amin was dropped by a fielder in a pink wig.
Sadly, Walker had Amin trapped for his 2nd LBW and Emil Todorow joined Lefebve. The confusion about overs was finally cleared up and the target was established as 19 from 2 overs. Both batsmen were having trouble finding shots, particularly against Walker who had excellent variation, though Lefebve did pull a high no-ball from Boshan for 4 to keep the door slightly open. Todorow went for some big shots but, in fading light, couldn't really connect until he skied one and departed for 1. If it's any consolation to Emil, Del Ballard - a notoriously slow starter - probably wouldn't have done any better.
11 were needed off the final over. Lefebve faced Walker but the Aussie was too crafty to be swept and a wide and a scampered single were all that could be managed from the first half of the over. 9 off 3 balls and John Crossland was on strike. A leg-stump full toss could have made things interesting but the impressive Walker wasn't going to make it easy and, seeing Crossland advancing down the pitch, slipped in an off-side wide. The keeper was waiting and, in one movement, removed the bails and Nomads' last hope.
A 7-run defeat but a very decent performance. It was a pleasure to share the pitch with as fine a player as Adams. I could say that Adams was the difference between the teams but I have a feeling that both he and the Nepotists had another gear. Certainly with a different batting order they could have notched 250. Having said that, their skipper did admit they were a bit concerned when Amin was in full spate. Speaking of Amin, it's another Man of the Match award for the increasingly impressive lefthander. He top-scored again and was economical. Fielder of the Day in not so easy. Nick Lefebve took a good catch, but made a couple of ground-fielding errors. No-one really shone but, despite a bad back, John Crossland was close to his best behind the stumps and gets the nod.
Nepotists - 202 for 6 from 35 overs
H. Khan, 7-0-22-1
Ajmal, 7-0-47-0
Amin, 7-0-27-1
Todorow, 7-0-30-0
R. Khan, 7-0-57-4
Clapham Nomads - 195 All out from 34.4 overs
Bradshaw, 22
Prasanth, 26
Fewson, 27
H. Khan, 3
R. Khan, 12
Joyce, 6
Amin, 33
Ajmal, 29
Lefebve, 8 Not out
Todorow, 1
Crossland, 0
Thursday 16 July 2009
Nomads v Morden - 12/7/09 - Nomads' innings
Ben Fewson and Prasanth led the Nomads' reply and Fewson adopted the role of pinch-hitter against the young Alexsis, who had some trouble with his radar. Ben raced to 24 off 19 balls before Alexsis was replaced. Prasanth faced the very experienced medium pacer Del Ballard and showed the maker's name to the veteran, surviving without any problems. Goss came on in Over 7 and tested Fewson with a dangerous maiden, floating the ball down backed by a strong breeze, making the length a matter of guesswork. In response, Prasanth took the attack to Ballard, striking three 4s in an over but, in attempting a fourth, thumping a high full toss (which really should have been called No Ball) straight to mid wicket. 46 for 1. Fewson followed 2 overs later, giving Ballard the charge but spooning it up on the off side for an easy catch.
Amin joined Jim Joyce and there was a sense that a lot hung on this partnership. Joyce began carefully while Amin began with a 6. There followed a memeorable series of events which dictated the course of the game and also gave Nomads plenty to laugh about later. Firstly, Joyce chipped the ball up to mid off but the chance was dropped. Then Amin took an extravagant heave at Ballard, missed, and while the square leg umpire was gazing at the sky, the A3, anything but the game, the wicketkeeper threw the stumps down from 5 yards back. A massive appeal followed (which had to be put into context by Morden's over-enthusiastic appealing and Amin's lack of footwork.) The unpire apologised twice for not seeing the incident but the keeper was inconsolable and was all malevolent glaring and Benny-ish grumbling for the rest of the game. To rub salt in, Ballard then rapped Amin's pads plumb in front; another enormous appeal with the bowler's hair bouncing imploringly in support of the appeal. Fortunately, most of those with decent hearing, and several without, had heard an inside edge. Morden's older players joined together in a massive chorus of chuntering, to the bemusement of the younger players. "Don't worry," one of the youngsters remarked, "they always get like this."
They got even more like this in the next over. One of Morden's ageing bowlers slipped one down Jim Joyce's leg side and there was a definite noise as it passed through to the keeper. A tumultuous appeal. The umpire was unmoved; "too close to call" was his verdict. (Joyce later claimed the ball hit his forearm and showed a bruise to back this up, while the square leg umpire thought the noise was Joyce's bat hitting the ground. So 'too close to call' and therefore Not Out was probably the correct decision.) "No wonder you always beat us, you're all ****ing cheats," was the bowler's assessment. Well I can't remember all the older fixtures but our victory over Morden this May might have had something to do with the 15 catches they dropped, rather than any cheating.
Amusingly, Jim Joyce then began to play quite beautifully, spanking controlled boundaries at will. Amin took a massive heave at almost every ball and connected with several. When told to take it easy by captain/umpire Todorow, Amin grinned, pointed at the sky and said "six."
The total raced past 100 and the realisation of impending defeat seemed to calm Morden's veterans down. They even kept quiet when Amin was bowled off a no ball. Thankfully it was a very early call.
Joyce was LBW for a commanding 37 and at 114 for 3 there was still a bit of work to do. Ajmal joined Amin and, unsurprisingly, their stand of 23 consisted mostly of boundaries. By this time Gumpert, Morden's 3rd change bowler (and easily their best) had joined the attack. Young, quick and with a good short ball he bowled Ajmal for 8.
Only 20 were now required but the batting order from 6 down was a mixture of defensive players, sloggers and unknown quantities. No.6 Nick Lefebve joined Amin with the intention of being there at the end. Gumpert tried a little too hard against the new batsman who was able to watch the rest of the over sail past his off stump. The diminutive 13-year-old Jamie came on and quickly impressed with good line and length and dangerous low trajectory. This didn't faze Amin at all and he plundered 9 from the second half of the over. He fell to Gumpert in the next over though; caught and bowled for a massively entertaining and eventful 42.
10 more were needed as No.7 Riaz Khan strolled out with, as ever, carnage on his mind. Two wild swishes were followed by a scoop up to deep square leg off Jamie but the chance was dropped....by Jamie's father. Riaz celebrated his escape with a 4 and a single but Gumpert shattered his stumps halfway though the next over.
Out walked Emil Todorow to join Lefebve and, given that this pair have done more stonewalling than the average Cumbrian hill-farmer, the number of overs became of interest for the first time. 3 required in 6.3 overs; surely even this pair could manage 0.48 per over. Todorow negotiated the rest of the over and took one for the team on his torso. "I had to show him I wasn't hurt," the skipper said later. Lefebve then played out a Jamie maiden (missing out on one juicy leg-side treat.) Todorow was equally obdurate against Gumpert's next over which yielded only a no ball.
2 to win from 4 overs and the watching Nomads were beginning to fidget just a little. Lefebve (still on 0 after 14 balls) faced Jamie and decided it was time for Plan B; playing some shots (which in Lefebve's case means the sweep.) The first ball rapped the batsman's fists and dropped safely to the ground, only to be hailed by an extraordinary appeal from Morden. The second ball was steered away down to the vacant Long Leg area and 2 were comfortably taken to complete a victory that was never in serious doubt.
I'm not sure if we'll play Morden again. Their record against the Nomads of Won 1 Lost 9 seems to have got to their older players. Their younger players are a credit to the game though. The most unpleasant incident was when one of their players threw his cup to the ground petulantly during the drinks break, leaving John Crossland to pick it up. It was premium orange squash, costing almost £1 a bottle.
If they contact us, we'll probably play them.
Emil caused some mirth later when he told of a further incident in which one of their bowlers, after a minor dispute over a leg bye, fixed umpire Todorow with a glare and told him; "I'm faster than you, a better bowler than you and a better cricketer than you."
An objective comparison of Emil's and Mr X's cricketing and personal qualities may follow on this blog in due course.
Man of the Match is probably Amin. He was the tightest bowler and also top-scored, though Jim Joyce's innings was the more impressive. No-one really stood out in the field but John Crossland hurled himself quite spectacularly to the floor to save a certain 4 byes. No-one hates conceding byes more than this evergreen keeper. He is Fielder of the Day.
Amin joined Jim Joyce and there was a sense that a lot hung on this partnership. Joyce began carefully while Amin began with a 6. There followed a memeorable series of events which dictated the course of the game and also gave Nomads plenty to laugh about later. Firstly, Joyce chipped the ball up to mid off but the chance was dropped. Then Amin took an extravagant heave at Ballard, missed, and while the square leg umpire was gazing at the sky, the A3, anything but the game, the wicketkeeper threw the stumps down from 5 yards back. A massive appeal followed (which had to be put into context by Morden's over-enthusiastic appealing and Amin's lack of footwork.) The unpire apologised twice for not seeing the incident but the keeper was inconsolable and was all malevolent glaring and Benny-ish grumbling for the rest of the game. To rub salt in, Ballard then rapped Amin's pads plumb in front; another enormous appeal with the bowler's hair bouncing imploringly in support of the appeal. Fortunately, most of those with decent hearing, and several without, had heard an inside edge. Morden's older players joined together in a massive chorus of chuntering, to the bemusement of the younger players. "Don't worry," one of the youngsters remarked, "they always get like this."
They got even more like this in the next over. One of Morden's ageing bowlers slipped one down Jim Joyce's leg side and there was a definite noise as it passed through to the keeper. A tumultuous appeal. The umpire was unmoved; "too close to call" was his verdict. (Joyce later claimed the ball hit his forearm and showed a bruise to back this up, while the square leg umpire thought the noise was Joyce's bat hitting the ground. So 'too close to call' and therefore Not Out was probably the correct decision.) "No wonder you always beat us, you're all ****ing cheats," was the bowler's assessment. Well I can't remember all the older fixtures but our victory over Morden this May might have had something to do with the 15 catches they dropped, rather than any cheating.
Amusingly, Jim Joyce then began to play quite beautifully, spanking controlled boundaries at will. Amin took a massive heave at almost every ball and connected with several. When told to take it easy by captain/umpire Todorow, Amin grinned, pointed at the sky and said "six."
The total raced past 100 and the realisation of impending defeat seemed to calm Morden's veterans down. They even kept quiet when Amin was bowled off a no ball. Thankfully it was a very early call.
Joyce was LBW for a commanding 37 and at 114 for 3 there was still a bit of work to do. Ajmal joined Amin and, unsurprisingly, their stand of 23 consisted mostly of boundaries. By this time Gumpert, Morden's 3rd change bowler (and easily their best) had joined the attack. Young, quick and with a good short ball he bowled Ajmal for 8.
Only 20 were now required but the batting order from 6 down was a mixture of defensive players, sloggers and unknown quantities. No.6 Nick Lefebve joined Amin with the intention of being there at the end. Gumpert tried a little too hard against the new batsman who was able to watch the rest of the over sail past his off stump. The diminutive 13-year-old Jamie came on and quickly impressed with good line and length and dangerous low trajectory. This didn't faze Amin at all and he plundered 9 from the second half of the over. He fell to Gumpert in the next over though; caught and bowled for a massively entertaining and eventful 42.
10 more were needed as No.7 Riaz Khan strolled out with, as ever, carnage on his mind. Two wild swishes were followed by a scoop up to deep square leg off Jamie but the chance was dropped....by Jamie's father. Riaz celebrated his escape with a 4 and a single but Gumpert shattered his stumps halfway though the next over.
Out walked Emil Todorow to join Lefebve and, given that this pair have done more stonewalling than the average Cumbrian hill-farmer, the number of overs became of interest for the first time. 3 required in 6.3 overs; surely even this pair could manage 0.48 per over. Todorow negotiated the rest of the over and took one for the team on his torso. "I had to show him I wasn't hurt," the skipper said later. Lefebve then played out a Jamie maiden (missing out on one juicy leg-side treat.) Todorow was equally obdurate against Gumpert's next over which yielded only a no ball.
2 to win from 4 overs and the watching Nomads were beginning to fidget just a little. Lefebve (still on 0 after 14 balls) faced Jamie and decided it was time for Plan B; playing some shots (which in Lefebve's case means the sweep.) The first ball rapped the batsman's fists and dropped safely to the ground, only to be hailed by an extraordinary appeal from Morden. The second ball was steered away down to the vacant Long Leg area and 2 were comfortably taken to complete a victory that was never in serious doubt.
I'm not sure if we'll play Morden again. Their record against the Nomads of Won 1 Lost 9 seems to have got to their older players. Their younger players are a credit to the game though. The most unpleasant incident was when one of their players threw his cup to the ground petulantly during the drinks break, leaving John Crossland to pick it up. It was premium orange squash, costing almost £1 a bottle.
If they contact us, we'll probably play them.
Emil caused some mirth later when he told of a further incident in which one of their bowlers, after a minor dispute over a leg bye, fixed umpire Todorow with a glare and told him; "I'm faster than you, a better bowler than you and a better cricketer than you."
An objective comparison of Emil's and Mr X's cricketing and personal qualities may follow on this blog in due course.
Man of the Match is probably Amin. He was the tightest bowler and also top-scored, though Jim Joyce's innings was the more impressive. No-one really stood out in the field but John Crossland hurled himself quite spectacularly to the floor to save a certain 4 byes. No-one hates conceding byes more than this evergreen keeper. He is Fielder of the Day.
Nomads v Morden - 12/7/09 - Morden's innings
It was back to Raynes Park again as Nomads looked to continue their excellent record against Morden CC. It was clear straight away that something was amiss on Planet Morden, particularly amongst their most senior players. Little snippets of news about the game; the fact we were playing out on Pitch 2 and our lack of a scoreboard were met with histrionic sighs, eye-rolling and muttered oaths. It was fortunate we didn't see their reaction to the pitch. Like many of Merton Council's it looked eccentric - a pitch of two halves; one half verdant, the other parched. Having said that though, it played very well.
The potential for showers dictated a 35-over contest. Emil Todorow inserted Morden and shared the new ball with Amin for the first 12 overs. Morden's young top order negotiated some accurate bowling, particularly from Amin who slipped one between bat and pad to make his breakthrough. Todorow was marginally more expensive but induced a false shot to have one of the openers caught by Ben Fewson off a skier.
After 12 overs the score was around 50 for 2. Morden continued to accelerate with good hitting through point and straight, especially off Ajmal, though the young paceman got a few to lift, one of which was snapped up by keeper John Crossland. Assad also bowled with good pace and, like Ajmal, went for 5 an over and took one wicket, a coolly-taken catch in the deep by Ben Fewson.
With 4 down and about 85 on the board, elder statesman Del Ballard came in and, after starting very shakily, began to use his feet well, particularly against Riaz Khan. As Ballard nudged and nurdled his way through the teens and 20s, skipper Todorow brought on the debutant Gopi who, being shortish in stature and quite animated, was quickly nicknamed Murali by a couple of Nomads (despite being a Medium Pacer and having a conventional action.) Gopi made an immediate impact. The man from Hyderabad rattled the stumps in his first over and bowled 2 further players in his subsequent 4 overs. There was no mystery to his success; he simply proved the virtue of bowling straight on a slowish pitch against batsmen who were looking to force the pace.
Gopi's efforts meant that, with 2 overs to go, Morden were in a spot of bother at 141 for 7 and Nomads were able to afford the luxury of Nick Lefebve bowling the penultimate over. After a dodgy start including a couple of wides, the veteran round-arm lefty produced the expected comedy with his third legitimate ball; a decent length but very slow floater which almost stopped when it pitched but retained just enough momentum to loop over the bat and nestle against the base of the stumps, just about dislodging a bail. The bewildered batsman stood his ground, shaking his head for a few seconds to the indignation of the bowler who retorted; "It spun, mate." Two further wides were followed by a rank long-hop which new bat Dave Goss hit straight to mid-on where it was dropped by Ben Fewson. To rub it in, Goss hit the last ball, another short one, for 4. The final over, from Gopi, was rather more accurate but less eventful and Morden closed on 156 for 8. A total which we rather take for granted achieving against Morden, though without Mark Bradshaw and Hassan Khan nail-biting was anticipated.
The potential for showers dictated a 35-over contest. Emil Todorow inserted Morden and shared the new ball with Amin for the first 12 overs. Morden's young top order negotiated some accurate bowling, particularly from Amin who slipped one between bat and pad to make his breakthrough. Todorow was marginally more expensive but induced a false shot to have one of the openers caught by Ben Fewson off a skier.
After 12 overs the score was around 50 for 2. Morden continued to accelerate with good hitting through point and straight, especially off Ajmal, though the young paceman got a few to lift, one of which was snapped up by keeper John Crossland. Assad also bowled with good pace and, like Ajmal, went for 5 an over and took one wicket, a coolly-taken catch in the deep by Ben Fewson.
With 4 down and about 85 on the board, elder statesman Del Ballard came in and, after starting very shakily, began to use his feet well, particularly against Riaz Khan. As Ballard nudged and nurdled his way through the teens and 20s, skipper Todorow brought on the debutant Gopi who, being shortish in stature and quite animated, was quickly nicknamed Murali by a couple of Nomads (despite being a Medium Pacer and having a conventional action.) Gopi made an immediate impact. The man from Hyderabad rattled the stumps in his first over and bowled 2 further players in his subsequent 4 overs. There was no mystery to his success; he simply proved the virtue of bowling straight on a slowish pitch against batsmen who were looking to force the pace.
Gopi's efforts meant that, with 2 overs to go, Morden were in a spot of bother at 141 for 7 and Nomads were able to afford the luxury of Nick Lefebve bowling the penultimate over. After a dodgy start including a couple of wides, the veteran round-arm lefty produced the expected comedy with his third legitimate ball; a decent length but very slow floater which almost stopped when it pitched but retained just enough momentum to loop over the bat and nestle against the base of the stumps, just about dislodging a bail. The bewildered batsman stood his ground, shaking his head for a few seconds to the indignation of the bowler who retorted; "It spun, mate." Two further wides were followed by a rank long-hop which new bat Dave Goss hit straight to mid-on where it was dropped by Ben Fewson. To rub it in, Goss hit the last ball, another short one, for 4. The final over, from Gopi, was rather more accurate but less eventful and Morden closed on 156 for 8. A total which we rather take for granted achieving against Morden, though without Mark Bradshaw and Hassan Khan nail-biting was anticipated.
Tuesday 14 July 2009
Clapham Nomads v Morden 12/7/09 (Match stats)
Morden - 156 for 8 from 35 overs
Amin - 6-2-18-1
Todorow - 6-0-27-1
Ajmal - 7-1-36-1
Assad - 6-0-31-1
Riaz Khan - 4-0-20-0
Gopi - 5-0-22-3
Lefebve - 1-0-10-1
Clapham Nomads 157 for 6 from 31.2 overs
Fewson - 26
Prasanth - 20
Joyce - 37
Amin - 42
Ajmal - 8
Lefebve - 2 Not out
R. Khan - 5
Todorow - 0 Not out
Did not bat; Crossland, Gopi, Assad
F.O.W. - 46, 51, 114, 137, 147, 154
Clapham Nomads won by 4 wickets. Match report should hopefully follow tomorrow (subject to being able to squeeze all the incident in.)
Amin - 6-2-18-1
Todorow - 6-0-27-1
Ajmal - 7-1-36-1
Assad - 6-0-31-1
Riaz Khan - 4-0-20-0
Gopi - 5-0-22-3
Lefebve - 1-0-10-1
Clapham Nomads 157 for 6 from 31.2 overs
Fewson - 26
Prasanth - 20
Joyce - 37
Amin - 42
Ajmal - 8
Lefebve - 2 Not out
R. Khan - 5
Todorow - 0 Not out
Did not bat; Crossland, Gopi, Assad
F.O.W. - 46, 51, 114, 137, 147, 154
Clapham Nomads won by 4 wickets. Match report should hopefully follow tomorrow (subject to being able to squeeze all the incident in.)
Caribbean Mix v Clapham Nomads - match stats
Caribbean Mix - 169 all out from 28.2 overs (M. Vyas 38, Shahzad 36.)
H. Khan - 6.2-1-20-4
Todorow - 6-0-36-0
Ajmal - 8-1-44-3
Amin - 6-0-50-2
Reeve - 2-0-17-0
Clapham Nomads - 175 for 3 from 37.3 overs
Bradshaw - 74
Prasanth - 46
Joyce - 10
Fewson - 16 Not out
H. Khan - 8 Not out
Did not bat; Amin, Ajmal, Lefebve, Reeve, Todorow, Crossland
F.O.W. - 99, 122, 161
Clapham Nomads won by 7 wickets
H. Khan - 6.2-1-20-4
Todorow - 6-0-36-0
Ajmal - 8-1-44-3
Amin - 6-0-50-2
Reeve - 2-0-17-0
Clapham Nomads - 175 for 3 from 37.3 overs
Bradshaw - 74
Prasanth - 46
Joyce - 10
Fewson - 16 Not out
H. Khan - 8 Not out
Did not bat; Amin, Ajmal, Lefebve, Reeve, Todorow, Crossland
F.O.W. - 99, 122, 161
Clapham Nomads won by 7 wickets
Caribbean Mix v Clapham Nomads - 5/7/09
Nomads lined up at Raynes Park Sports Ground against Caribbean Mix for a 40-over per side match, looking to avoid a 4th successive hammering by these opponents, The close links between the teams were underlined by the presence in the Mix team of 4 men who have turned out for the Nomads.
Caribbean supremo Jim Ferguson had indicated that this year might be our best chance of victory as they are in a period of transition. Looking at their line-up, there seemed some truth in this though there were also several faces who inspired painful memories.
Ferguson and former Nomad Mahesh Vyas opened the batting at a fairly sedate pace. Vyas scores exclusively on the leg side early on and, in trying too hard to avoid it, Emil Todorow bowled a number of leg-side deliveries which helped the opener to settle. Ferguson began to play a few shots but the breakthrough came when he smacked it straight back to Hassan Khan who accepted the chance smartly.
Hassan quickly accounted for No.3 and then there was a rousing reception for No.4 Riaz Khan, one of the most popular Nomads players of all time. We all knew what he is capable of but preventing it was another matter. Two leg-side 4s off Todorow were followed by a steepling 6 over long off. The cameo didn't last too long as Riaz was dismissed for about 20 but Mahesh Vyas was still there and beginning to hit straight and through mid off - an ominous sign. Thankfully, Hassan Khan swooped for an excellent diving catch to send Vyas on his way for 38.
4 down with the score in the 80s but the dangerous lefthander Jono was playing some firm shots. It took a fellow lefty to account for Jono; Amin swerving one round the batsman's legs onto his leg stump.
Debutant Shahzad at No.7 soon made it clear he was high class and played the shot of the day over the covers onto the pavilion roof or, as Richie Benaud would have it; "in and out of the confectionery stand."
Nomads were staying in the contest with good fielding - a diving catch by Jim Joyce was a standout - and some competitive bowling - Ajmal earned himself a caught and bowled with a distinctly sharp delivery. Shahzad was eventually removed for a rapid 36 which left some of Caribbean's more experienced players at the crease. Some entertaining and highly vocal running mix-ups were combined with some quality stroke play and it was a distinct relief when the final wicket fell for 169 with 11.4 overs unused. We were later told by one of the late-order batsman, T.Brown, that he had been planning to take the total up to 250 but ran out of partners.
The target seemed achievable with one of Nomads strongest batting line-ups but, given the presence in the Mix team of a couple of players we hadn't seen before, and the history of these fixtures, you wouldn't have taken odds of shorter than 6-4.
Nomads' bowling was generally good though Todorow in particular was hampered by a ridge resembling a mini version of the South Downs escarpment on the edge of the wicket. This didn't affect batting but made bowlers run-ups at one end a matter of careful navigation. Fielding, especially catching, was very good (despite John Crossland's protestations) apart from a mad 5 minutes early on where overthrows became almost compulsory. Again, Todorow was the main victim.
Mark Bradshaw and Prasanth were re-united as opening partners. The left armer Jono caused problems straight away from the A3 end, angling the ball in at deceptive pace off a short run-up. The odd one straightened sharply, notably the 5th ball of the first over which Bradshaw played uppishly. Short Cover dived in but put the chance down. The other opening bowler, Maurice, had excellent variation of pace but bowled the occasional loose delivery. 15 came from the first 6 overs and it was a considerable relief not to have lost a wicket. Bradshaw cracked two successive 4s in Jono's fourth over and this heralded a slight change in the balance of power as Caribbean's heads dropped perceptibly despite being exhorted by Jim Ferguson to show "Sex Appeal." (We were assured later by Jim that this was a coded instruction to bowl 6 inches outside off stump - any other meaning is just too disturbing to contemplate.)
Batting progress was rather more serene than it had been in the first few white knuckle overs. The openers combined well with good running and regular rotation of the strike. There was still the odd alarm with Bradshaw dropped again by wicketkeeper Mahesh Vyas who was promptly replaced behind the sticks by the indignant bowler/skipper Jono.
A double bowling change produced a change of pace with several boundaries taken off the spinner T.Brown while Shahzad produced a hostile spell of pace bowling with plenty of short stuff. Prasanth hooked Shahzad for 4 but was forced to dab the follow-up bouncer gently skywards and was caught for a high class 46 with the Nomads total just one short of the century this partnership deserved.
Mark Bradshaw was continuing to prove a thorn in Caribbean's side and combined excellent shot selection with some let-offs. A regulation catch was dropped by replacement keeper Jono (to the chagrin of the original glovesman, Mahesh Vyas, who said he would have caught it.) Bradshaw completed a valuable half-century but when he snicked another 4 over the slips one fielder intoned oratorically; "Yes, today is your day. Today you can do anything you want; anything."
No.3 Jim Joyce kept up the momentum with a cameo 10 before being bowled by Riaz Khan. 122 for 2 and 48 was required with plenty of batting to come. Ben Fewson came out at No.4 and looked solid from the word go. Mark Bradshaw upped the ante and dominated a partnership of 39 from 31 balls with Fewson to take Nomads to within touching distance. The run rate had never been a major worry but with 30 needed off 8 overs, Jim Ferguson did speculate, to the world in general, that the batsman might be feeling a bit of pressure. If they did, it soon dissipated when 5 came off Usman's first ball, a fast leg-side wide that buried itself deep in the boundary undergrowth. Bradshaw was finally caught for a crucial 74 with the score on 161. Hassan Khan entered with the clear intention of scoring the winning runs with a 6. Part-time spinner Ferguson came on and Hassan's ambition was quickly realised.
An excellent win - our first over Caribbean Mix for 5 years - and a good-spirited game after which we enjoyed some post-match pints and banter with the opposition in the Raynes Park Bowling Club. Rather fittingly, the bar television was showing highlights of England's last Ashes victory. Like Freddie and the boys back in September 2005, Nomads were able to enjoy the booze and 12 months of glory with just the tiniest nagging fear about the type of revenge that might be served up to us next year.
Man of the Mtch. Mark Bradshaw did have a few escapes but don't let that detract from how well he played. Hassan Khan bowled faster than he has for a while; his 4 wickets, 3 catches and climactic 6 are enough to earn him a 50% share with Mark. Fielder of the Day was clearly Hassan. In addition to his catches, he had 2 direct hits (neither of which unfortunately resulted in a run out) and he managed one excellent stop in the deep where he appeared to grow an extra arm.
Caribbean supremo Jim Ferguson had indicated that this year might be our best chance of victory as they are in a period of transition. Looking at their line-up, there seemed some truth in this though there were also several faces who inspired painful memories.
Ferguson and former Nomad Mahesh Vyas opened the batting at a fairly sedate pace. Vyas scores exclusively on the leg side early on and, in trying too hard to avoid it, Emil Todorow bowled a number of leg-side deliveries which helped the opener to settle. Ferguson began to play a few shots but the breakthrough came when he smacked it straight back to Hassan Khan who accepted the chance smartly.
Hassan quickly accounted for No.3 and then there was a rousing reception for No.4 Riaz Khan, one of the most popular Nomads players of all time. We all knew what he is capable of but preventing it was another matter. Two leg-side 4s off Todorow were followed by a steepling 6 over long off. The cameo didn't last too long as Riaz was dismissed for about 20 but Mahesh Vyas was still there and beginning to hit straight and through mid off - an ominous sign. Thankfully, Hassan Khan swooped for an excellent diving catch to send Vyas on his way for 38.
4 down with the score in the 80s but the dangerous lefthander Jono was playing some firm shots. It took a fellow lefty to account for Jono; Amin swerving one round the batsman's legs onto his leg stump.
Debutant Shahzad at No.7 soon made it clear he was high class and played the shot of the day over the covers onto the pavilion roof or, as Richie Benaud would have it; "in and out of the confectionery stand."
Nomads were staying in the contest with good fielding - a diving catch by Jim Joyce was a standout - and some competitive bowling - Ajmal earned himself a caught and bowled with a distinctly sharp delivery. Shahzad was eventually removed for a rapid 36 which left some of Caribbean's more experienced players at the crease. Some entertaining and highly vocal running mix-ups were combined with some quality stroke play and it was a distinct relief when the final wicket fell for 169 with 11.4 overs unused. We were later told by one of the late-order batsman, T.Brown, that he had been planning to take the total up to 250 but ran out of partners.
The target seemed achievable with one of Nomads strongest batting line-ups but, given the presence in the Mix team of a couple of players we hadn't seen before, and the history of these fixtures, you wouldn't have taken odds of shorter than 6-4.
Nomads' bowling was generally good though Todorow in particular was hampered by a ridge resembling a mini version of the South Downs escarpment on the edge of the wicket. This didn't affect batting but made bowlers run-ups at one end a matter of careful navigation. Fielding, especially catching, was very good (despite John Crossland's protestations) apart from a mad 5 minutes early on where overthrows became almost compulsory. Again, Todorow was the main victim.
Mark Bradshaw and Prasanth were re-united as opening partners. The left armer Jono caused problems straight away from the A3 end, angling the ball in at deceptive pace off a short run-up. The odd one straightened sharply, notably the 5th ball of the first over which Bradshaw played uppishly. Short Cover dived in but put the chance down. The other opening bowler, Maurice, had excellent variation of pace but bowled the occasional loose delivery. 15 came from the first 6 overs and it was a considerable relief not to have lost a wicket. Bradshaw cracked two successive 4s in Jono's fourth over and this heralded a slight change in the balance of power as Caribbean's heads dropped perceptibly despite being exhorted by Jim Ferguson to show "Sex Appeal." (We were assured later by Jim that this was a coded instruction to bowl 6 inches outside off stump - any other meaning is just too disturbing to contemplate.)
Batting progress was rather more serene than it had been in the first few white knuckle overs. The openers combined well with good running and regular rotation of the strike. There was still the odd alarm with Bradshaw dropped again by wicketkeeper Mahesh Vyas who was promptly replaced behind the sticks by the indignant bowler/skipper Jono.
A double bowling change produced a change of pace with several boundaries taken off the spinner T.Brown while Shahzad produced a hostile spell of pace bowling with plenty of short stuff. Prasanth hooked Shahzad for 4 but was forced to dab the follow-up bouncer gently skywards and was caught for a high class 46 with the Nomads total just one short of the century this partnership deserved.
Mark Bradshaw was continuing to prove a thorn in Caribbean's side and combined excellent shot selection with some let-offs. A regulation catch was dropped by replacement keeper Jono (to the chagrin of the original glovesman, Mahesh Vyas, who said he would have caught it.) Bradshaw completed a valuable half-century but when he snicked another 4 over the slips one fielder intoned oratorically; "Yes, today is your day. Today you can do anything you want; anything."
No.3 Jim Joyce kept up the momentum with a cameo 10 before being bowled by Riaz Khan. 122 for 2 and 48 was required with plenty of batting to come. Ben Fewson came out at No.4 and looked solid from the word go. Mark Bradshaw upped the ante and dominated a partnership of 39 from 31 balls with Fewson to take Nomads to within touching distance. The run rate had never been a major worry but with 30 needed off 8 overs, Jim Ferguson did speculate, to the world in general, that the batsman might be feeling a bit of pressure. If they did, it soon dissipated when 5 came off Usman's first ball, a fast leg-side wide that buried itself deep in the boundary undergrowth. Bradshaw was finally caught for a crucial 74 with the score on 161. Hassan Khan entered with the clear intention of scoring the winning runs with a 6. Part-time spinner Ferguson came on and Hassan's ambition was quickly realised.
An excellent win - our first over Caribbean Mix for 5 years - and a good-spirited game after which we enjoyed some post-match pints and banter with the opposition in the Raynes Park Bowling Club. Rather fittingly, the bar television was showing highlights of England's last Ashes victory. Like Freddie and the boys back in September 2005, Nomads were able to enjoy the booze and 12 months of glory with just the tiniest nagging fear about the type of revenge that might be served up to us next year.
Man of the Mtch. Mark Bradshaw did have a few escapes but don't let that detract from how well he played. Hassan Khan bowled faster than he has for a while; his 4 wickets, 3 catches and climactic 6 are enough to earn him a 50% share with Mark. Fielder of the Day was clearly Hassan. In addition to his catches, he had 2 direct hits (neither of which unfortunately resulted in a run out) and he managed one excellent stop in the deep where he appeared to grow an extra arm.
Monday 13 July 2009
latest results
Clapham Nomads have won their last 2 matches. A good victory over Caribbean Mix on 5/7/09 and an eventful, bad-tempered 4-wicket success over Morden on 12/7/09. Full reports and stats for both will follow in next day or 2.
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