Even if Clapham Nomads are unable to win a particular match, we always like to make it interesting for the opposition and we certainly succeeded in doing the latter at Raynes Park last Sunday. There was a great deal of interest for the visitors as they stacked up the runs; just which batting records would they break and by how much? They ended up setting three new marks; their all-team highest team total - 283 for 4; their highest individual score - Steve Parkinson's 141 off only 107 balls; and their highest-ever 2nd wicket stand - Parkinson sharing 191 off just over 150 balls with Bernard Leuvennink, who scored even faster than his partner with 81 runs off 52 balls. The innings was also the highest total Clapham Nomads have ever conceded.
I have to say this was just brilliant batting, though of course the track was excellent and there was one short boundary. The greatest assistance, though, was from some truly terrible fielding from the Nomads.
It all started so differently with tight swing bowling from Hassan and a very rapid spell from Zeeshan restricting Exiles to only 36 off the first 9 and 2 very catchable chances had gone down. From this point however, the throttle was well and truly choked. Abbas had Tom brilliantly caught by Hassan in the deep but the introduction of Leuvennink was the cue for massive acceleration. 90 runs were taken between overs 9 and the 18-over drinks break.
I have to say that Nomads bowling remained reasonable throughout but there were some spectacular missed chances, many caused by the sun being in fielders' eyes. Other possible causes were the hubbub coming from the pavilion (where a large extended family picnic was taking place with food and organised activities such as bike races and running on to the outfield to see if you could get injured), also the fierce heat and being just generally pissed off.
I'm sure there must have been a few Nomads fielders that didn't make any mistakes but our only real bright spot in the field was a fantastic, energy-packed performance by the oldest man in the side, Chris Kennedy. He made a full-length diving stop, didn't miss anything easy and injured his finger attempting a flying catch which would have been Nomads' finest of all time but unfortunately didn't quite stick. The ball just kept coming to him as he protected the short boundary and he was very solid. He did put another one down but it was very firmly struck and he had 2 injured fingers by this point.
The whole ground had a slightly odd feel to it as there was a large 12-foot high hoarding just behind the short boundary running about a third of the way around the pitch. Extensive building work was taking place behind this. We speculated as to what was being built and the general consensus was that it would be a main stand accommodating 6,000 ticket-holders, complete with a Media Centre, luxury changing facilities, an Indoor Cricket Academy and a licensed restaurant. One Exile pointed out that, since Nomads are one of the main users of Raynes Park, this new stand could contain facilities for an LBW decision review system. I'll get onto Merton Council about it - we do pay over £100 a game after all.
300 looked a possibility at one point but good bowling from KK, and a slight improvement in the fielding with Abbas taking a neat catch, meant that Energy only just passed their previous record score of 280. Well done to them though. Magnificent batting.
This was a hell of a task for Nomads but we had a few targets; a) about 60, which would prevent this being our heaviest runs defeat of all time and becoming known as "Slaughter in the Sun 2"; b) pass the 100; c) get within 100 runs of Exiles' total and d) hit the ball out of the ground and onto the building site- which Energy had done about 6 times - on at least one occasion.
We cracked on at about 6 an over but for the loss of Mahesh and KK fairly early. Hassan joined new man Javed and they produced probably the best stand of the innings. Hassan has been in great from and has been averaging over 55 since Ramadan. The boundary rope began to be peppered and Exiles skipper Chris Plume did acknowledge later that he had just a slight concern at this point. Javed eventually fell but Abbas, at No. 5, took 4 boundaries off an over in a bright 20. Zia joined Hassan and these two batting at their very best would certainly have had the potential to at least make it tense. Sadly Zia, hampered by injury, didn't last too long. Hassan made a nice 43 which looked like it would be our top score until Zeeshan began to really get after the bowling. With Nick Lefebve blocking the other end (after surviving a strong LBW shout early on from swing bowler Phil Ling), Zeeshan assumed command with a series of heavy blows and managed to get the ball into the building site twice, once via an Exile's fingertips. He completed an excellent half-century which we were told was his first 50 in any form of cricket. Well done!
After Zeeshan fell for 55, Lefebve kept the board rolling with some agricultural leg-side blows, supported by Kennedy, who very sportingly walked after an edge that no-one else had heard, and Emil Todorow. In trying to get the margin of defeat below 100, Lefebve holed out tamely to mid-wicket off Leuvennink with 4 balls to go and exposed John Crossland, who had a possible thumb fracture, to 4 balls which Nomads' tough guy coped with admirably to at least prevent Nomads being all out. In fact, our total of 176 for 9 is our second highest against Exiles in the last 10 games.
So a memorable game, played competitively with just a few hints of tetchiness but not even at the Handbags at 10 paces level, more Jellybabies on the Pitch but good-humoured in the main. We always enjoy playing the Exiles and may now consider paying boot money to any ringers that could make us enjoy it even more. If any readers know any First Class players that would be interested in playing against the Exiles next year for ....er, the honour of turning out for the Nomads....please let me know.
Energy Exiles 283 for 4 from 35 overs
Nomads' bowling;
H. Khan 7-0-53-0
Zeeshan 7-2-33-0
Abbas Khan 7-0-51-1
Zia 2-0-24-0
E. Todorow 4-0-39-0
Javed Iqbal 4-0-48-0
KK Khusro 4-0-31-3
Clapham Nomads 176 for 9 from 35 overs
M. Vyas 8
KK Khusro 14
Javed Iqbal 4
H. Khan 43
Abbas Khan 20
Zia 0
Zeeshan 55
N. Lefebve 23
C. Kennedy 0
E. Todorow(capt) not out 4
J. Crossland(wkt) not out 0
F.O.W. - 21, 22, 59, 81, 81, 115, 149, 157, 176
Clapham Nomads lost by 107 runs.
Full scores to follow. (Now included.)
Normally, I would give Man of The Match to Zeeshan for his 50 and he played really well. However, Chris Kennedy produced something really special today. He threw everything into his fielding, despite injury and he produced a great moment of sportsmanship in walking when no-one else realised he was out. He is a model Sportsman and a true Nomads legend. He is Man of the Match and Fielder of the Day.
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