Nomads entertained our oldest cricketing friends, the Barnes Occasionals, at a gloriously sunny Raynes Park Sports Ground on Sunday.
Inserted by Barnes skipper Ollie Hogg, Nomads' openers Mahesh and Darwin resumed their almost telepathic understanding at the crease. They seem to take it in turns to dominate and it was Mahesh's turn to force the pace this week as they faced up to the contrasting pace and styles of Hooker and Hogg. Vyas raced to 13 but Ollie Hogg always produces something, usually leaving the victim feeling bamboozled. On this occasion, a slow one caused Mahesh to move forward just a little too much and become unbalanced. The batsman could not regain his ground in time even though the keeper fumbled it, and off came the bails. 19 for 1.
Excellent batting from Darwin and Prasanth, containing a high proportion of boundaries, kept up the pace. Hooker bowled Darwin for a nice 25 in the 11th over with the 50 just on the board. Hassan continued his good work of last week until Prasanth fell for 23 to a one-handed catch described by John Crossland as "amazing." Not a word John is given to using - it must have been quite something. Looks like Prasanth is coming into form to face his favourite opponents, the Energy Exiles, next week.
I arrived with the score 100 for 3 and Nomads were in full flood. Zia and Hassan matching each other stride for stride until Zia struck 2 sixes off an over from Keith Seed, not the easiest bowler to get away. Inevitably, the Barnes Legend struck back in the following over to bowl Zia, just after Hassan had fallen for 45 (top-scorer for the second week in a row.)
Nomads were down to 158 for 5 and still needed quite a few to put ourselves in command. Patrick struck 3 nice boundaries while KK and Zeeshan were there and then Abbas smacked it around at the death to bring Nomads up to 197 at the close.
Occasionals were missing their star batsman Roger Price but there were one or two players we did not know too much about. You can never write off the Occasionals as we know from long experience.
Keith Seed opened the batting, which I cannot remember him doing for many years but, together with his left-handed partner, he played a nice hand; craftily dropping it into the gaps and showing a keen instinct for the quick single and strike rotation. Hassan was again tight, going of just above 2 an over. Zeeshan showed real pace and was denied what looked a certain caught behind when he followed through in front of the umpire who did not get a clear view of the incident.
Barnes were falling behind the rate but it took the arrival of Emil Todorow to break the partnership. A slow full toss managed to find its way past Seed's bat onto off stump. This may become a late inswinging yorker by September. Someone remarked that "Shit gets wickets," to which someone else added that Emil has taken more wickets than any other Nomad. Emil had a bit of an aura about him in this game though. He would receive the ball, shake his head, examine the seam (without, of course, any suggestion that he was going to pick it) shake his head again and lope up five strides and deliver the ball. Most batsmen know that they will receive either a full toss, a deadly delivery on the stumps, or a near wide. They don't know which it will be (how could they? Todorow doesn't know himself) but the suspense seems to destroy them. A hint.....if Emil's hair is floating horizontally the ball will be on middle and leg, but I have said too much already.
Abbas took over at the top end and kicked off with one of the fastest overs I have seen a Nomads produce for some time. Possibly since the days of Ajmal 7 years ago. An absolute flyer was followed by a shortish one which the left-handed batsman only had time to chip back to Abbas for wicket 2. Barnes had their moments but as Abbas continued his spell he began to swing it and the one that moved late to rattle middle stump was the ball of the day. Abbas has been bowling some great stuff in the last month and he puts his success down to drinking copious amounts of green tea. I am tempted to try this myself but I would probably take it with milk, 2 sugars and a couple of Danish pastries which might take away the benefit.
Several Barnes players got a start but few could consolidate. A couple of wickets for KK were followed by the introduction of the leg-spinner Patrick to the attack. He started with 2 full tosses which were hit for 8 by the last of the recognised hitters but, having tasted blood, the player came forward again to a better length ball, missed, and keeper John Crossland gleefully whipped the bails off - a rare stumping for the Nomads.
Ollie Hogg and Mike Webster were the last pair. Both capable players but the required rate was around 10 and an LBW soon confirmed our victory.
A fine victory for an improving Nomads side that is starting to look a well-balanced outfit. We will need to be against the Exiles next week.
As ever, I enjoyed reminiscing with Keith Seed about the halcyon days of Open University v Barnes Occasionals matches in the mid-90s. He reminded me of a match when OU dismissed Barnes for 90, possibly their lowest total against OU. In reply, we were 73 for 3 and Dave Hunter was smacking it around. Sensing that their was just a chance (approximately 99%) that the ball might pop up at Deep Mid Wicket at some stage, the wily Seed put his best fielder, Adam Hogg, and OU's Dublin-born star responded by pulling the ball straight into Adam's hands. It did not shock me to hear that OU then lost the game or that Dave Hunter (who I must mention is a brilliant bloke and I am proud to call a good friend) then set about berating OU's BOWLERS for losing us the game. Happy days, but that's enough rambling about the past. This Nomads side appears to have a bright future.
Man of the Match? I must raise a glass of herbal tea to Abbas. I forgot to mention he unfortunately put down a caught and bowled chance which would have given him a deserved five-fer. Fielder of the Day? KK and Zia made good stops. Sub fielder Nick Lefebve was busy and tidy but, for the third week in the row, John Crossland takes the prize for a stumping, a catch-that-might-have-been and only conceding one bye.
Clapham Nomads 197 for 7 from 35 overs
M. Vyas stumped, b Hogg 13
D. Gunawardena b Hooker 25
P.Pattiyil caught-------- b Gokul 23
H. Khan caught wicket b Binoy 45
Zia b Seed 38
Patrick not out 16
KK Khusro caught-------- b Gokul 4
Zeeshan b Gokul 2
Abbas Khan not out 16
Did not bat; E. Todorow, J. Crossland.
Substitute Fielder (whole of 2nd innings) - N. Lefebve
F. O. W. - 19, 50, 86, 158, 158, 169, 179
Barnes Occasionals 93 all out from 27.2 overs
Nomads' bowling
H. Khan 5-1-11-0
Zeeshan 5-0-16-0
Abbas Khan 7-1-24-4
E. Todorow 6-1-17-2
KK Khusro 2.2-0-7-2
Patrick 2-0-14-1
Clapham Nomads won by 104 runs
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