Late May Bank Holiday Sunday saw Nomads make the long trip to King George's Field, Ham, the riverside home of our old friends the Barnes Occasionals; a side some of us have been playing against now for 23 years.
Both teams have been struggling slightly for players this season so it was testament to the enduring popularity of this fixture that each side had 12 available, Either that or some of us are too old and sad to have anything else to do on a Bank Holiday weekend.
John Crossland was due for his annual turn as captain. He always used to skipper against Touring Theatres (our weakest opponents) before they folded in 2014, but he can't really be accused of cherry-picking by choosing this fixture as Occasionals are a talented and rather unpredictable side against whom we have a less than fantastic record.
Crossland won the toss and, seeking to maximise our chances of a second win before the end of May, inserted the Home side.
Roger Price and Peter Carey opened for Barnes and Abbas was handed the new ball. Price was out of the blocks immediately, hooking the young Nomads paceman out of the ground. Abbas himself had to retrieve the ball by climbing a high barbed wire fence and negotiating a field full of ponies. Abbas and Riaz tightened it up after this. Price (a talented wicket-keeper/batsman who, it was later revealed, once bowled to England test player Wilf Slack) was looking in ominous form. Usually, once he gets a start, he goes on to make a major and often match-winning score, so we were extremely grateful to bag both openers with the score in the early thirties.
I went for a stroll at this point and watched Richmond Baseball Club playing nearby (Random question.....Do Baseball players ever bat left-handed?). When I returned, a further 30 runs had been added in 10 overs for the loss of one more wicket - an attritional passage of play. There were also some murmurings of discontent that one bowler had been kept on for 10 overs - although admittedly it was an excellent spell from Riaz and you could understand John keeping him on as he is very accurate - a wicketkeeper's dream bowler.
After drinks the tempo increased somewhat. Barnes' two Aussies/Kiwis played nicely and a grey-haired chap, whose name I forget (?? Williams) but who has played against us several times down the years, all played some forceful shots and a total of 180 looked a possibility at one point. Fortunately, Emil Todorow intervened in characteristic style, a slow-ish full toss hitting the pad outside the crease and rolling agonisingly back onto the stumps before exhaustedly dislodging a bail. Someone muttered that "Shit gets wickets" but I must assume that this dismissal was cooked up in Emil's extremely conspiratorial brain.
Further wickets followed and a few of John's field position changes came off. Gul took a very smart catch at Deep Backward Square off Todorow's bowling to remove Barnes' classy left-hander. Nomads then didn't exactly cover themselves in glory by bowling a bouncer at Stan (aged 13 or 14). Riaz bowled the youngster via the edge of the bat in the following over.
Good fielding from Nomads, especially the catching from Gul, KK and Crossland, despite a comedy collision between sub-fielder Nick and Zia, both trying to catch the same skier (my fault, I didn't call, but at least the collision prevented me from dropping it....NL)
Nomads' over rate had not been brilliant and 35 overs had been bowled as the 2 and a half hours ran out with the score on 148 for 9.
Tea was enlivened by the appearance of Andrew West and reminiscences with Keith Seed about the halcyon days of the mid-1990s and feisty matches between the Occasionals and Open University (captained by Dave Hunter.)
The match situation looked well-balanced. Trackside bookies would probably have offered 4-5 both teams for the win and the draw a rank outsider at about 8 to 1, given Nomads' reliance on strokemakers. Hassan had left injured and Nick Lefebve took his place in the batting order. The pitch was producing some very low bounce but we had the men to see us home if things went well.
Paceman Daniel Hogg took an over to find his range and Nomads took advantage with 11 (7 in extras and a pull for 4 from the excellent pinch-hitter KK Khusro.) Warwick Proctor was steadier at the other end and had KK trapped plumb in front in the 4th over but we already had 29 on the board. In the following over, D. Hogg produced the ball of the day to clean bowl Gul. 30 for 2 and this was too close to call. Despite creaking knees, Barnes captain Ollie Hogg came on to bowl a 2-over spell and, though not at his best, inevitably produced at least 3 very awkward deliveries resulting in a close LBW shout and the wicket of Zeeshan who skied the ball to mid-on for Hogg's 705th wicket for the Occasionals. 44 for 3. Prasanth has been in excellent form and with one 4 already in the book, looked the man to steady Nomads' ship. Unfortunately, he didn't quite middle a half volley from Aaron Blair and chipped a catch up to the covers. 53 for 4 and Barnes moving slightly ahead on points.
Zia and Abdul kept up a fair pace with 2 resounding fours from Abdul off the bowling of Stan the highlight, before Blair jagged one back into Abdul's pads for an LBW that was possibly a little generous, especially by Nomads' standards. 83 for 5. 66 to win, ample time but the last of the 2 recognised specialist batsmen at the square. Happily, both players, Zia and Riaz, are in fine form and they continued this with a high-quality stand full of shots, the highlight was the 6 - the only maximum in Nomads' innings - struck by Riaz of the curmudgeonly bowling of Keith Seed, a notoriously difficult bowler to get after on a tricky pitch. At 128 for 5, Nomads were clear favourites for the first time but Zia was well-caught and, 6 runs later, an even better catch removed Riaz to tilt the balance back to the home side once more.
Fortunately, D. Hogg and Blair bowled some short leg-side stuff at No. 9 Nick Lefebve and the veteran was able to keep the scoreboard ticking over. Abbas then departed to make the score 143 for 8. Lefebve at the crease, Todorow and Crossland to come. 6 to win. 4.1 overs to go. You would have to say that there was a fair chance of any of the 4 results (including a tie) with a draw possibly the slight favourite. There is always potential for controversy and tragicomedy in any stand between Lefebve/Todorow/Crossland - you would think they would all have a telepathic understanding after over 30 years of acquaintance; but no. On this day though, Nick and Emil played it out calmly with a few singles before the ball flicked off Nick's pad for a likely 2 which would level the scores. "Come the **** on!!" the younger man bellowed at his partner, desperate for a tie, before both realised that the ball had crossed the boundary line and a hard-fought victory had been secured.
I have to say that there was a bit of bad feeling around, especially regarding some of the captaincy decisions, but I hope this won't put anyone off playing. We really enjoy having our current players in the side. Normally, we are very careful to make sure everyone gets a fair slice of the action and we appreciate people giving up their precious days off and paying to play. Please stick with it and let the good times continue.
John came out with a good quote while he was justifying his bowling changes (or lack of changes.) "I just couldn't afford to give away too many runs," he said. "It is not as it we have got Nick Cook batting for us." Hmmm, Nick Cook, the Leicestershire and England spinner from the 1980s. Actually, I'm sure Nick Cook could do a good job for us with the bat; he is probably still only about 60 years old. In fact, if you are reading this, Mr Cook, please get in touch. I think John might have meant Alastair Cook but you are never totally sure with John; he might well have meant Sam Cooke.
Man of the Match was Riaz for another fine knock and a tight, lengthy spell of bowling. Close second was top-scorer Zia. Fielder of the Day was Gul for his fine and crucial catch.
Barnes Occasionals - 148 for 9 from 35 overs
Nomads' bowling
Abbas Khan 4-0-19-0
R. Khan 12-2-29-3
Zia 8-1-41-2
E. Todorow 6-1-27-3
KK Khusro 3-1-11-1
Abdul Khan 2-0-14-0
Clapham Nomads - 150 for 8 from 26.5 overs
Gul b D.Hogg 4
KK Khusro lbw Proctor 14
P. Pattiyil c --------- b Blair 5
Zeeshan c -------- b O. Hogg 6
Zia c ---------- b Blair 39
Abdul Khan lbw Blair 15
R. Khan c -------- b D.Hogg 24
Abbas Khan b D.Hogg 4
N. Lefebve not out 13
E. Todorow not out 1
Did not bat; J. Crossland (cpt/wkt)
Fielded in 1st innings; H. Khan
Clapham Nomads won by 2 wickets
Monday 30 May 2016
Monday 23 May 2016
Energy Exiles v Clapham Nomads - 22/5/16
For the second successive week it was off to Cottenham Park, this time for the 27th meeting with our friends and hard-but-fair rivals the Energy Exiles.
Unfortunately, Hassan was injured after last week's exertions and Nick Lefebve came in as replacement. Abdul and Gul withdrew and organiser Todorow was in despair with a fast-shrinking line-up of 9. Happily, Riaz produced yet another discovery from his never-ending production line of talent - the excellent Khusro (known as KK) - and a 10-strong Nomads side prepared to face the music as we recalled last year's games against Energy.
There were a fair few of our long-standing Exiles favourites on view; Andy Wingfield, Phil Ling, Keith Roberts and, inevitably, Simon Gundry who rarely misses an Exiles/Nomads contest. Simon was sporting a retro West German football away strip from the early 70s with which John Crossland was much impressed. The back of this garment honoured "Der Bomber" a sobriquet given to legendary goal-poacher Gerd Muller but which could equally apply to the big Exiles' paceman.
Emil won the toss and put the Home side in. There was a fairly quick reward with a splendid diving catch by keeper John Crossland off the bowling of Zia. Keith Roberts was the other opener and he began to play his trademark forcing off-drives and flicks behind square to leg. He is a very interesting player to watch and clever at finding gaps and taking the single to rotate the strike. His partnerships with our own Mark Bradshaw for Exiles in the mid-2000s were an essential feature of Exiles play at that time. If anything, he seems to be hitting it slightly harder these days. If he has any weakness, he can on occasions become a little bogged down and I think perhaps we should have opened with our most accurate bowler, Riaz. As it was, Abbas and Zia bowled fine and hostile spells but Roberts was able to use the pace of the ball to good advantage. No. 3 batsman quickly impressed and Exiles looked comfortable moving it on at about 5 an over. It took a freak wicket to finally remove Roberts as he top-edged a high but dipping full toss gently into the gloves of Crossland.
Tea was taken at 20 overs with score around 95 for 2.
The second phase saw Energy plough serenely on. There was something of a reprieve for Clapham when Exiles' hardest hitter Gundry was caught by Darwin fairly early, but the batting order is deep. As our fielders moved back, singles were taken pretty much at will and there were a few big overs thrown in to demoralise us. Having said that, we stuck to the task pretty well in the field. Only one catchable chance went down and KK and Prasanth, in particular, got through loads of work in the deep.
200 was passed in the 34th over and suddenly there was all action. A suicidal single was attempted and the bowler Riaz threw the stumps down. 201 for 5 and we trooped off. I had assumed it was a 40-over game (I was knackered, half-deaf and also we had taken tea at 20 overs) so this sudden cessation was a delightful surprise. I told John Crossland I had expected 40 overs and he said; "Christ, if you want to be tortured there are places in the West End you can go if you have got the money." It is the sheer range of life experiences the Nomads players possess that makes playing for this club so worthwhile.
I had also not realised that Exiles' No. 3 was on 95 which accounted for the attempted single. Unfortunately he missed out on his ton but it was an excellent innings.
I wouldn't say we were over confident as we began our reply, especially when Andy Wingfield produced a beauty with his 4th ball to uproot Mahesh Vyas's leg stump. The debutant KK then "played himself in" against Akhtar by attempting to smack his first ball over long on for 6. He did not get that close and the second ball hit him on the knee roll for a decent LBW shout. KK continued to try to hit almost every ball out of the ground but without success. This did not look particularly promising. Suddenly, he connected off Akhtar and it sailed for 4. He repeated this with 2 resounding boundaries off Wingfield. Nomads had discovered a pinch-hitter. No. 3 Prasanth began to play nicely after a careful start and skipper Chris Plume turned to Gundry. Andy Wingfield had been bowling rapidly, with keeper Plume taking it above his head on occasions, but Gundry just increased the tempo with a rapid spell of bowling downhill. Prasanth did well to see his 4-over spell off and both batsmen continued to force the pace against Akhtar.
An absorbing knock from KK ended when a clever slower one from Akhtar pegged back his off stump with the score on 49.
Darwin joined Prasanth to continue the good work. Our high-point was 81 for 2 with a fair bit of batting to come. Prasanth had survived a hostile spell of fast bowling (and also a run out appeal - a 20-yard direct hit by Gundry - that was extremely, some might say controversially, close). When 3rd change Terence Moynihan bowled him a gentle long hop, he unfortunately mistimed the pull shot straight back into the bowler's hands to end a decent knock of 30.
2nd change Phil Ling was plying his trade up the hill and producing some really alarming in-swing (described by Umpire Todorow as "banana balls.") Riaz and Darwin were coping well until Ling produced some very late in-swing from outside off to hit the top of middle and leg and remove Darwin. Possibly the ball of the day.
Riaz and Zia probably represented our last real hope and they made an excellent fist of it. Both brilliant natural hitters, they suddenly took a liking to Ling's bowling and took 34 from 8 of his balls, including 26 off an over (not quite a Nomads record) and 4 sixes in an over (which I think is a record.) It took the return of Simon Gundry to finally break this exhilarating stand with Riaz caught above head height right on the Square Leg boundary.
Abbas and Nick didn't last long but they managed at least to ensure that Der Bomber's overs were used up before Emil and John came out to support Zia.
Skipper Plume had a slight dilemma. He obviously brought back Wingfield downhill but at the other end, instead of turning to a part-time bowler, he bravely threw the ball back to Phil Ling, who was 1 for 46 from 4, to bowl his final three. This gamble worked out well as Ling bowled shorter and quicker than before and neither Zia nor Emil Todorow could really get him away. The gathering gloom did not help Ling only conceded 2 scoring shots in his final 3 overs and Wingfield only conceded a single in his last 2. Nomads' innings rather petered out but our final total of 164 for 7 was our best innings of the season so far, and scored off arguably the strongest bowling line-up we have faced this year.
So respectability was achieved with some entertaining cricket in an enjoyable match. We did consider that, had Hassan been fit, we would probably have conceded 10 or 15 fewer and scored a few more, but that is clutching at straws. Energy often find another gear anyway when they need it.
Man of the Match was Zia for his 57 not out and his best bowling of the season so far. Fielder of the Day was John Crossland.
Energy Exiles - 201 for 5 from 35 overs (No. 3 bat - ??Craig? 95 not out.)
Nomads' bowling
Abbas Khan 7-0-44-0
Zia 7-1-34-1
E. Todorow 7-0-36-0
R. Khan 7-0-26-0
KK Khusro 6-0-43-2
D. Gunawardena 1-0-11-1
Clapham Nomads - 164 for 7 from 35 overs
M. Vyas b Wingfield 0
KK Khusro b Akhtar 22
P. Pattiyil c and b Moynihan 30
D. Gunawardena b Ling 18
R.Khan c No. 3 bat b Gundry 19
Zia not out 57
Abbas Khan b Gundry 0
N. Lefebve lbw Gundry 0
E. Todorow(capt) not out 3
Did not bat - J. Crossland(wkt)
F. O.W. - 1, 49, 81, 83, 135, 147, 147
Energy Exiles won by 37 runs
Unfortunately, Hassan was injured after last week's exertions and Nick Lefebve came in as replacement. Abdul and Gul withdrew and organiser Todorow was in despair with a fast-shrinking line-up of 9. Happily, Riaz produced yet another discovery from his never-ending production line of talent - the excellent Khusro (known as KK) - and a 10-strong Nomads side prepared to face the music as we recalled last year's games against Energy.
There were a fair few of our long-standing Exiles favourites on view; Andy Wingfield, Phil Ling, Keith Roberts and, inevitably, Simon Gundry who rarely misses an Exiles/Nomads contest. Simon was sporting a retro West German football away strip from the early 70s with which John Crossland was much impressed. The back of this garment honoured "Der Bomber" a sobriquet given to legendary goal-poacher Gerd Muller but which could equally apply to the big Exiles' paceman.
Emil won the toss and put the Home side in. There was a fairly quick reward with a splendid diving catch by keeper John Crossland off the bowling of Zia. Keith Roberts was the other opener and he began to play his trademark forcing off-drives and flicks behind square to leg. He is a very interesting player to watch and clever at finding gaps and taking the single to rotate the strike. His partnerships with our own Mark Bradshaw for Exiles in the mid-2000s were an essential feature of Exiles play at that time. If anything, he seems to be hitting it slightly harder these days. If he has any weakness, he can on occasions become a little bogged down and I think perhaps we should have opened with our most accurate bowler, Riaz. As it was, Abbas and Zia bowled fine and hostile spells but Roberts was able to use the pace of the ball to good advantage. No. 3 batsman quickly impressed and Exiles looked comfortable moving it on at about 5 an over. It took a freak wicket to finally remove Roberts as he top-edged a high but dipping full toss gently into the gloves of Crossland.
Tea was taken at 20 overs with score around 95 for 2.
The second phase saw Energy plough serenely on. There was something of a reprieve for Clapham when Exiles' hardest hitter Gundry was caught by Darwin fairly early, but the batting order is deep. As our fielders moved back, singles were taken pretty much at will and there were a few big overs thrown in to demoralise us. Having said that, we stuck to the task pretty well in the field. Only one catchable chance went down and KK and Prasanth, in particular, got through loads of work in the deep.
200 was passed in the 34th over and suddenly there was all action. A suicidal single was attempted and the bowler Riaz threw the stumps down. 201 for 5 and we trooped off. I had assumed it was a 40-over game (I was knackered, half-deaf and also we had taken tea at 20 overs) so this sudden cessation was a delightful surprise. I told John Crossland I had expected 40 overs and he said; "Christ, if you want to be tortured there are places in the West End you can go if you have got the money." It is the sheer range of life experiences the Nomads players possess that makes playing for this club so worthwhile.
I had also not realised that Exiles' No. 3 was on 95 which accounted for the attempted single. Unfortunately he missed out on his ton but it was an excellent innings.
I wouldn't say we were over confident as we began our reply, especially when Andy Wingfield produced a beauty with his 4th ball to uproot Mahesh Vyas's leg stump. The debutant KK then "played himself in" against Akhtar by attempting to smack his first ball over long on for 6. He did not get that close and the second ball hit him on the knee roll for a decent LBW shout. KK continued to try to hit almost every ball out of the ground but without success. This did not look particularly promising. Suddenly, he connected off Akhtar and it sailed for 4. He repeated this with 2 resounding boundaries off Wingfield. Nomads had discovered a pinch-hitter. No. 3 Prasanth began to play nicely after a careful start and skipper Chris Plume turned to Gundry. Andy Wingfield had been bowling rapidly, with keeper Plume taking it above his head on occasions, but Gundry just increased the tempo with a rapid spell of bowling downhill. Prasanth did well to see his 4-over spell off and both batsmen continued to force the pace against Akhtar.
An absorbing knock from KK ended when a clever slower one from Akhtar pegged back his off stump with the score on 49.
Darwin joined Prasanth to continue the good work. Our high-point was 81 for 2 with a fair bit of batting to come. Prasanth had survived a hostile spell of fast bowling (and also a run out appeal - a 20-yard direct hit by Gundry - that was extremely, some might say controversially, close). When 3rd change Terence Moynihan bowled him a gentle long hop, he unfortunately mistimed the pull shot straight back into the bowler's hands to end a decent knock of 30.
2nd change Phil Ling was plying his trade up the hill and producing some really alarming in-swing (described by Umpire Todorow as "banana balls.") Riaz and Darwin were coping well until Ling produced some very late in-swing from outside off to hit the top of middle and leg and remove Darwin. Possibly the ball of the day.
Riaz and Zia probably represented our last real hope and they made an excellent fist of it. Both brilliant natural hitters, they suddenly took a liking to Ling's bowling and took 34 from 8 of his balls, including 26 off an over (not quite a Nomads record) and 4 sixes in an over (which I think is a record.) It took the return of Simon Gundry to finally break this exhilarating stand with Riaz caught above head height right on the Square Leg boundary.
Abbas and Nick didn't last long but they managed at least to ensure that Der Bomber's overs were used up before Emil and John came out to support Zia.
Skipper Plume had a slight dilemma. He obviously brought back Wingfield downhill but at the other end, instead of turning to a part-time bowler, he bravely threw the ball back to Phil Ling, who was 1 for 46 from 4, to bowl his final three. This gamble worked out well as Ling bowled shorter and quicker than before and neither Zia nor Emil Todorow could really get him away. The gathering gloom did not help Ling only conceded 2 scoring shots in his final 3 overs and Wingfield only conceded a single in his last 2. Nomads' innings rather petered out but our final total of 164 for 7 was our best innings of the season so far, and scored off arguably the strongest bowling line-up we have faced this year.
So respectability was achieved with some entertaining cricket in an enjoyable match. We did consider that, had Hassan been fit, we would probably have conceded 10 or 15 fewer and scored a few more, but that is clutching at straws. Energy often find another gear anyway when they need it.
Man of the Match was Zia for his 57 not out and his best bowling of the season so far. Fielder of the Day was John Crossland.
Energy Exiles - 201 for 5 from 35 overs (No. 3 bat - ??Craig? 95 not out.)
Nomads' bowling
Abbas Khan 7-0-44-0
Zia 7-1-34-1
E. Todorow 7-0-36-0
R. Khan 7-0-26-0
KK Khusro 6-0-43-2
D. Gunawardena 1-0-11-1
Clapham Nomads - 164 for 7 from 35 overs
M. Vyas b Wingfield 0
KK Khusro b Akhtar 22
P. Pattiyil c and b Moynihan 30
D. Gunawardena b Ling 18
R.Khan c No. 3 bat b Gundry 19
Zia not out 57
Abbas Khan b Gundry 0
N. Lefebve lbw Gundry 0
E. Todorow(capt) not out 3
Did not bat - J. Crossland(wkt)
F. O.W. - 1, 49, 81, 83, 135, 147, 147
Energy Exiles won by 37 runs
Wimbledon United v Clapham Nomads - 15/5/16
Wimbledon United captain Dave Hitchman has become possibly Nomads' most-feared opponent. Last season, he played an extraordinary innings of 85, coming in at No. 9, to deny Nomads a victory we were probably 20 to 1 on to achieve.
The blond destroyer was, if anything, on even more formidable form this time; hitting a magnificent century to set the home side up for an apparently match-winning total of 219 for 8. Nomads have not quite hit top form yet this season with the bat and, despite United's home base of Cottenham Park tending to favour batting, 220 looked a very tough ask.
I didn't play in this one myself and I'm told fielding was not the best with about 6 chances going down. 2 catches from Darwin and 1 from Abdul spared some blushes. We never totally gave up with the ball. Hassan was the pick of the bowlers and Emil bowled his heart out in his 5 overs, with his back muscles audibly creaking as he completed his spell.
It was a rather lacklustre reply with the bat from Nomads. As usual, Peter Brown "The Southfields Express" raced down the hill and made an early breakthough, bowling Mahesh for 5. The 3 wickets that Rowan and Hasan took with the score on 34 ripped the heart out of our knock and it was hard work from then on. A fine innings of 40 from Darwin was the bright spot, with Hassan and Abbas providing the best support.
There was a rare sighting of the legendary Andrew West, who came late on to watch, and I intended to come along at 5 myself but Night Shift-itis proved too much. When I heard that Emil batted with a runner in partnership with John, I wished I had come, as this sounds like it had the potential for huge entertainment. Sadly, it didn't last too long with a run out being the not altogether surprising result. At least Nomads passed the 100 mark for some kind of respectability.
Darwin takes both Man of the Match and Fielder of the Day with a great individual display
Wimbledon United - 219 for 8 in 35 overs
Nomads' bowling
H. Khan 7-1-25-2
Abbas Khan 7-0-41-2
Zia 7-0-58-2
E. Todorow 5-0-32-0
R. Khan 5-0-34-1
Abdul Khan 4-0-25-1
Clapham Nomads - 106 all out in 25.3 overs
M. Vyas 5
Gul 9
P. Pattiyil 6
R. Khan 0
H. Khan 11
D. Gunawardena 40
Abdul Khan 0
Zia 0
Abbas Khan 11
E. Todorow(capt) 2
J. Crossland(wkt) not out 0
F. O. W. - 20, 34, 34, 34, 62, 64, 74, 100, 106, 106
Nomads lost by 113 runs
The blond destroyer was, if anything, on even more formidable form this time; hitting a magnificent century to set the home side up for an apparently match-winning total of 219 for 8. Nomads have not quite hit top form yet this season with the bat and, despite United's home base of Cottenham Park tending to favour batting, 220 looked a very tough ask.
I didn't play in this one myself and I'm told fielding was not the best with about 6 chances going down. 2 catches from Darwin and 1 from Abdul spared some blushes. We never totally gave up with the ball. Hassan was the pick of the bowlers and Emil bowled his heart out in his 5 overs, with his back muscles audibly creaking as he completed his spell.
It was a rather lacklustre reply with the bat from Nomads. As usual, Peter Brown "The Southfields Express" raced down the hill and made an early breakthough, bowling Mahesh for 5. The 3 wickets that Rowan and Hasan took with the score on 34 ripped the heart out of our knock and it was hard work from then on. A fine innings of 40 from Darwin was the bright spot, with Hassan and Abbas providing the best support.
There was a rare sighting of the legendary Andrew West, who came late on to watch, and I intended to come along at 5 myself but Night Shift-itis proved too much. When I heard that Emil batted with a runner in partnership with John, I wished I had come, as this sounds like it had the potential for huge entertainment. Sadly, it didn't last too long with a run out being the not altogether surprising result. At least Nomads passed the 100 mark for some kind of respectability.
Darwin takes both Man of the Match and Fielder of the Day with a great individual display
Wimbledon United - 219 for 8 in 35 overs
Nomads' bowling
H. Khan 7-1-25-2
Abbas Khan 7-0-41-2
Zia 7-0-58-2
E. Todorow 5-0-32-0
R. Khan 5-0-34-1
Abdul Khan 4-0-25-1
Clapham Nomads - 106 all out in 25.3 overs
M. Vyas 5
Gul 9
P. Pattiyil 6
R. Khan 0
H. Khan 11
D. Gunawardena 40
Abdul Khan 0
Zia 0
Abbas Khan 11
E. Todorow(capt) 2
J. Crossland(wkt) not out 0
F. O. W. - 20, 34, 34, 34, 62, 64, 74, 100, 106, 106
Nomads lost by 113 runs
Clapham Nomads v Palm Tree - 8/5/16
Nomads were pleased to renew rivalry with talented North London side Palm Tree who had travelled almost the whole length of the Northern Line to take us on at Nursery Road, a venue which is several notches less idyllic than Palm Tree's Highgate Woods ground, but is nonetheless a functional venue which often produces a close contest.
Clapham were inserted and this soon looked a good decision by the Away skipper, Matt Robins, as we found ourselves on 0 for 1 after 4 overs, Mahesh bowled by Waterton in the third over.
Prasanth Pattiyil now joined Gul - both making their seasonal debuts and a pair that often bat well together. Prasanth warmed himself up with 3 hard-runs threes and Gul looked solid in support. Prasanth had made a Nomads career-best 87 in his previous appearnace in September (also at the same ground) and he looked in similar form here with a string of boundaries before his partner fell for 14 out of a 2nd wicket stand of 53.
Prasanth received support from Hassan and Riaz (8 each) before he himself fell to Smith for a commanding 63 full of excellent leg side and straight shots.
Last week's top-scorer Abdul didn't last too long but there was then another flourish from Darwin and Zia with a breezy stand of 25. Wickets were falling with alarming regularity though and once the Darwin/Zia stand was broken, Nomads quickly subsided to 144 all out and committed what Richie Benaud dubbed the "Cardinal sin of One-Day cricket", failing to use up 6.3 of our allotted 35 overs. Star bowler for Palm Tree was Smith with 3 for 28.
John's verdict; "Good innings from Prasanth but too many wickets thrown away."
Anyway, a contest was on the card on a track that was producing some low bounce.
Abbas produced a hostile spell of pace bowling and Hassan was commendably tight as Nomads made a bold bid to stem the flow of runs from the usually free-scoring North Londoners. If the bowling was good, the fielding was even better. Skipper Emil Todorow set an example with a neat catch. Abdul was on top form. It was the usual drill; let's take a quick single to that grey-haired chap; pick-up, bullet-like throw; stumps scattered; Nomads celebrating. Abdul scored about 4 direct hits, 2 of which produced run outs.
After taking 3 big wickets, Riaz had to leave for work and I had to sub-field and soon forgot about my foot injury in the excitement. Palm Tree seemed to bat all the way down in our previous meeting and, even when they needed around 35 off 4 with a couple of wickets to go, we were not home and hosed. About 19 was needed off the last over but the batsmen couldn't get Abdul away and a third run out on the penultimate ball of the innings capped a fine victory.
I must point out the Palm Tree were somewhat hampered by the low sun right behind the bowlers arm late on at the Merton Park End. It was almost literally blinding and we agreed to bowl all the last 4 or 5 overs from the Prince of Wales End. I have never known this happen before, though opponents will not be surprised to hear that we have been involved in many late night finishes. Freakish weather conditions perhaps.
Well done anyway, Nomads. This was not a game we had expected to win.
Man of the Match was Nursery Road run machine Prasanth and Fielder of the Day was the deadly Abdul by some distance.
Clapham Nomads - 144 all out in 29.3 overs
M. Vyas 0
Gul 14
P. Pattiyil 63
H. Khan 8
R. Khan 8
D. Gunawardena 22
Abdul Khan 0
Zia 14
Abbas Khan 0
E. Todorow(capt) 0
J. Crossland not out 0
Substitute Fielder; N. Lefebve
F.O.W. - 0, 53, 73, 91, 110, 113, 138, 140, 140, 144
Palm Tree - 127 all out in 34.5 overs
Nomads' bowling
Abbas Khan 7-0-23-1
H. Khan 7-2-14-1
Zia 5-0-15-0
R. Khan 7-2-29-3
E. Todorow 2-0-9-0
Abdul Khan 6.5-0-26-2
Clapham Nomads won by 17 runs.
Clapham were inserted and this soon looked a good decision by the Away skipper, Matt Robins, as we found ourselves on 0 for 1 after 4 overs, Mahesh bowled by Waterton in the third over.
Prasanth Pattiyil now joined Gul - both making their seasonal debuts and a pair that often bat well together. Prasanth warmed himself up with 3 hard-runs threes and Gul looked solid in support. Prasanth had made a Nomads career-best 87 in his previous appearnace in September (also at the same ground) and he looked in similar form here with a string of boundaries before his partner fell for 14 out of a 2nd wicket stand of 53.
Prasanth received support from Hassan and Riaz (8 each) before he himself fell to Smith for a commanding 63 full of excellent leg side and straight shots.
Last week's top-scorer Abdul didn't last too long but there was then another flourish from Darwin and Zia with a breezy stand of 25. Wickets were falling with alarming regularity though and once the Darwin/Zia stand was broken, Nomads quickly subsided to 144 all out and committed what Richie Benaud dubbed the "Cardinal sin of One-Day cricket", failing to use up 6.3 of our allotted 35 overs. Star bowler for Palm Tree was Smith with 3 for 28.
John's verdict; "Good innings from Prasanth but too many wickets thrown away."
Anyway, a contest was on the card on a track that was producing some low bounce.
Abbas produced a hostile spell of pace bowling and Hassan was commendably tight as Nomads made a bold bid to stem the flow of runs from the usually free-scoring North Londoners. If the bowling was good, the fielding was even better. Skipper Emil Todorow set an example with a neat catch. Abdul was on top form. It was the usual drill; let's take a quick single to that grey-haired chap; pick-up, bullet-like throw; stumps scattered; Nomads celebrating. Abdul scored about 4 direct hits, 2 of which produced run outs.
After taking 3 big wickets, Riaz had to leave for work and I had to sub-field and soon forgot about my foot injury in the excitement. Palm Tree seemed to bat all the way down in our previous meeting and, even when they needed around 35 off 4 with a couple of wickets to go, we were not home and hosed. About 19 was needed off the last over but the batsmen couldn't get Abdul away and a third run out on the penultimate ball of the innings capped a fine victory.
I must point out the Palm Tree were somewhat hampered by the low sun right behind the bowlers arm late on at the Merton Park End. It was almost literally blinding and we agreed to bowl all the last 4 or 5 overs from the Prince of Wales End. I have never known this happen before, though opponents will not be surprised to hear that we have been involved in many late night finishes. Freakish weather conditions perhaps.
Well done anyway, Nomads. This was not a game we had expected to win.
Man of the Match was Nursery Road run machine Prasanth and Fielder of the Day was the deadly Abdul by some distance.
Clapham Nomads - 144 all out in 29.3 overs
M. Vyas 0
Gul 14
P. Pattiyil 63
H. Khan 8
R. Khan 8
D. Gunawardena 22
Abdul Khan 0
Zia 14
Abbas Khan 0
E. Todorow(capt) 0
J. Crossland not out 0
Substitute Fielder; N. Lefebve
F.O.W. - 0, 53, 73, 91, 110, 113, 138, 140, 140, 144
Palm Tree - 127 all out in 34.5 overs
Nomads' bowling
Abbas Khan 7-0-23-1
H. Khan 7-2-14-1
Zia 5-0-15-0
R. Khan 7-2-29-3
E. Todorow 2-0-9-0
Abdul Khan 6.5-0-26-2
Clapham Nomads won by 17 runs.
Burgh Heath v Clapham Nomads - 1/5/16
A late withdrawal meant Nomads were one short for the long and demanding trip to Burgh Heath.
Skipper Todorow inserted the home side and Nomads produced a pretty decent bowling and fielding performance to restrict Burgh to 139 all out - the lowest total they have made against us. Hassan and Abbas opened and kept it steady at just below 4 an over. There were 2 wickets apiece for our new ball pairing. It was good to have Zia back and he provided additional cutting edge and took a wicket. The pick of the bowlers were the previous week's star, Zeeshan, with a tight 1 for 19 off his 7, and the evergreen captain with an excellent 3 for 19. One of the home batsmen did get after Emil a bit but, inevitably, he tried it once too often and was beautifully caught by Abbas on the mid-wicket boundary. Todorow modestly denied that he had set the trap. There was a stumping for John Crossland who also combined well with Hassan to engineer a run out. Nomads munched their tea with at least a chance.
A fine opening stand of 43 between Mahesh Vyas and Abdul Khan appeared to put the visitors in the driving seat before 2 quick wickets pegged us back. Abdul and Riaz continued the good work before Abdul was bowled by the deadly Sharo for a top-scoring 38. Riaz, as is his custom, hit a big six and Hassan chipped in with a steady knock. At one stage we were 99 for 3 with Riaz and Hassan in the middle, just about up with the rate and with some batting to come. We were clear favourites at this point.
Unfortunately the Surrey side came back at us and reduced us to 119 for 8 but Zeeshan was looking useful, supported by stout defending from last man John Crossland. The pair took it up to 134 at the end of the penultimate over. 6 were needed to win with Zeeshan to face. Unfortunately, he tried to do it in one blow on the second ball and was bowled leaving Nomads just 5 short.
Still, a good performance. The scorebook comment by John Crossland speaks volumes - he is not normally generous to his own side in defeat. "Great game. We nearly won it. Might have done with 11 men."
Man of the Match was top-scorer Abdul. Fielder of the Day was Abbas.
Burgh Heath - 139 all out in 32.5 overs.
Nomads' bowling
H. Khan 7-0-24-2
Abbas Khan 7-0-28-2
Zeeshan 7-0-19-1
Zia 5-0-39-1
E. Todorow 4.5-0-19-3
R. Khan 2-0-5-0
Clapham Nomads - 134 all out in 34.2 overs
M. Vyas 14
Abdul Khan 38
D. Gunawardena 0
R. Khan 26
H. Khan 13
Zia 4
Zeeshan 17
Abbas Khan 3
E. Todorow (capt) 3
J. Crossland (wkt) not out 0
F.O.W. - 43, 43, 67, 99, 106, 114, 117, 119, 134
Clapham Nomads lost by 5 runs.
Skipper Todorow inserted the home side and Nomads produced a pretty decent bowling and fielding performance to restrict Burgh to 139 all out - the lowest total they have made against us. Hassan and Abbas opened and kept it steady at just below 4 an over. There were 2 wickets apiece for our new ball pairing. It was good to have Zia back and he provided additional cutting edge and took a wicket. The pick of the bowlers were the previous week's star, Zeeshan, with a tight 1 for 19 off his 7, and the evergreen captain with an excellent 3 for 19. One of the home batsmen did get after Emil a bit but, inevitably, he tried it once too often and was beautifully caught by Abbas on the mid-wicket boundary. Todorow modestly denied that he had set the trap. There was a stumping for John Crossland who also combined well with Hassan to engineer a run out. Nomads munched their tea with at least a chance.
A fine opening stand of 43 between Mahesh Vyas and Abdul Khan appeared to put the visitors in the driving seat before 2 quick wickets pegged us back. Abdul and Riaz continued the good work before Abdul was bowled by the deadly Sharo for a top-scoring 38. Riaz, as is his custom, hit a big six and Hassan chipped in with a steady knock. At one stage we were 99 for 3 with Riaz and Hassan in the middle, just about up with the rate and with some batting to come. We were clear favourites at this point.
Unfortunately the Surrey side came back at us and reduced us to 119 for 8 but Zeeshan was looking useful, supported by stout defending from last man John Crossland. The pair took it up to 134 at the end of the penultimate over. 6 were needed to win with Zeeshan to face. Unfortunately, he tried to do it in one blow on the second ball and was bowled leaving Nomads just 5 short.
Still, a good performance. The scorebook comment by John Crossland speaks volumes - he is not normally generous to his own side in defeat. "Great game. We nearly won it. Might have done with 11 men."
Man of the Match was top-scorer Abdul. Fielder of the Day was Abbas.
Burgh Heath - 139 all out in 32.5 overs.
Nomads' bowling
H. Khan 7-0-24-2
Abbas Khan 7-0-28-2
Zeeshan 7-0-19-1
Zia 5-0-39-1
E. Todorow 4.5-0-19-3
R. Khan 2-0-5-0
Clapham Nomads - 134 all out in 34.2 overs
M. Vyas 14
Abdul Khan 38
D. Gunawardena 0
R. Khan 26
H. Khan 13
Zia 4
Zeeshan 17
Abbas Khan 3
E. Todorow (capt) 3
J. Crossland (wkt) not out 0
F.O.W. - 43, 43, 67, 99, 106, 114, 117, 119, 134
Clapham Nomads lost by 5 runs.
Monday 9 May 2016
Recent games (May 2016)
In the last 2 games, Nomads lost narrowly to Burgh Heath (by 5 or 6 runs) on 1st May. Abdul top-scored with 38. Emil took 3 wickets.
Yesterday (8/5), Nomads carved out a brilliant victory over Palm Tree. 144 (Prasanth 63) beat 127 (2 direct hits from Abdul were the highlight. I will do reports soon. Palm Tree did a running commentary of the game on Twitter which can be found on their website (search for Palm Tree cc on google.)
Yesterday (8/5), Nomads carved out a brilliant victory over Palm Tree. 144 (Prasanth 63) beat 127 (2 direct hits from Abdul were the highlight. I will do reports soon. Palm Tree did a running commentary of the game on Twitter which can be found on their website (search for Palm Tree cc on google.)
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