Clapham Nomads averages - 2019 season.
Batting (qualification - 4 innings)
Hasan - 572 runs @ 57.20
Zia - 454 runs @ 41.27
KK - 273 runs @ 39.00
Riaz - 219 runs @ 21.90
Abdul - 248 runs @ 20.67
Abbas - 186 runs @ 20.67
Rafi - 79 runs @ 19.75
Imran - 66 runs @ 16.50
John - 11 runs @ 11.00*
Darwin 129 runs @ 9.21
Mahesh - 135 runs @ 8.44
Sami - 14 runs @ 4.67
Emil - 3 runs @ 0.75
* (John was not out in any of his 8 innings.)
Bowling (qualification - 3 wickets)
Riaz - 20 wickets @ 14.65
Abdul - 7 wickets @ 17.57
Zia - 16 wickets @ 22.19
Emil - 15 wickets @ 22.67
Zaman - 6 wickets @ 23.83
Sami - 9 wickets @ 25.78
KK - 17 wickets @ 26.18
Hasan - 7 wickets @ 27.71
Abbas - 16 wickets @ 33.81
Fielding;
Catches -
John - 9 (all as wicketkeeper)
Abbas - 9
Abdul - 9
Darwin - 6
Hasan - 6
Zia - 6
Imran - 4
KK - 4
Mahesh - 3
Hayan - 2
Kalam - 2
Sami - 1
Stumpings -
John - 1
Based on these figures, Hasan is clearly Batsman of the Year with the most runs and easily the best average. Similarly, Riaz is Bowler of the Year with the most wickets and the best average. Fielder of the Year seems wide open.
For Player of the Year, John Crossland has already received one nomination for excellent wicketkeeping and managing to go through a whole season of batting without being dismissed. I will also nominate Hasan for brilliant batting and captaining the side well while Emil was away, Riaz for being clearly the best bowler on the figures and being up near the top of the batting; KK for very sound batting, being the first bowler to bowl 100 overs in a season for several years, and taking 3 great catches in the final game. Also Zia for excellent figures with bat and ball. If anyone wants to nominate another player before we vote on it at the meeting - ? in February - please let me know. Nick
Sunday 3 November 2019
Tuesday 24 September 2019
Agricola v Clapham Nomads - 22/9/19
For last weekend, our great friends the Energy Exiles set us up with a match at Nursery Road against one of their toughest and longest-standing opposition teams - Agricola. We were looking forward to this even though it would have been a bit like going on a date with your wife's best friend, or possibly your best friend's wife. Anyway, at 10 a.m on Sunday, I was basking in the sun at an outdoor cafe, looking out over a parched Clapham Common, when I took a call from Agricola's organiser to say that their captain had called the game off as there was torrential rain where he was. I am not sure of the skipper's precise location; Seathwaite Tarn? Bergen? Possibly Manchester? Probably not in South West London judging by the sky. So it was off, but at least that meant we finished a rather mixed 2019 season on a win (against India Legends.) I think our final record was played 16; won 6; drawn 1 and lost 9. I'll confirm that and put the averages on here soon.
Monday 16 September 2019
India Legends v Clapham Nomads - 15/9/19
It looked tough for the Nomads yesterday as we got up at the crack of dawn and made the long journey for an 11:30 start against India Legends - a team who have only lost once this season - without our two best players, Hasan and Zia, It got even better when skipper Emil Todorow won the toss and promptly inserted the home side; in 79 degree heat.
There were a couple of silver linings; we were playing at Bromley Common cc, an excellent ground, and the only team to beat the Legends so far this season was ....Clapham Nomads (way back in Mid-Summer.)
Against a strong India line-up all the bowlers did well - with, strangely, the two quickest bowlers, Zaman and Abbas, going uphill. Sami also put a lot of effort into his long new ball spell. The highlight though was one of the finest collective catching performances ever produced by a Nomads team. The first 6 wickets were all caught, with keeper John Crossland snapping up a brace to celebrate his xxth birthday, and the first 4 outfield catches just got better and better. First, a lifter from Zaman was cut uppishly to Deep Point where Abdul made no mistake. Then a very thick outside edge off Sami swirled and spun its way to Backward Point where Darwin held it smartly. The highlights were the third and fourth, both taken low by KK at Shortish Third Man; the second of these was an absolute screamer of a diving effort, probably in the top half-dozen of all-time Nomads catches. Drinks were gratefully accepted with the Legends on 73 for 6. There was a feeling that they would bat all the way down and a recovery did follow to around 115 before KK produced a double strike with the only bowled of the innings followed in the same over by another sharp low catch by Abbas at Deep Gully. I could have watched this quality cricket all day from my vantage point in the shade but I suddenly realised it was 130 for 8 and I had to put our tea out. Unfortunately I missed 2 wickets from the evergreen Emil Todorow; both catches of course with KK pouching a skied effort for his third catch of the innings. A slight wag of the tail could not prevent Nomads from dismissing a strong Legends line-up for 163 with 4 overs unused. A superb, crucial effort in the field. On an average to good day, we would probably only have taken 6 or 7 of these 9 catches and could have been facing 200.
There was still a lot of work for Nomads, missing Hasan and Zia, and on a track which, surprisingly for a ground which won the Kent Premier League Groundsmanship award a couple of years back, was giving considerable help to the bowlers with both high and low bounce.
Mahesh and Abdul started grittily against an awkward new ball attack and saw off some of the shine. Mahesh fell unluckily played on in the 6th over and Abdul was run out shortly afterwards and hopes were low at 19 for 2. We were fortunate in having at No. 4 Rafi, possibly Nomads' most talented player of all time. He doesn't play much cricket these days and failed to connect with some giant heaves early on but, once he had survived three overs, he began to hit it with brutal force and dominated a partnership of 64 with Darwin, who was playing a responsible hand. In an effort to break this threatening stand, Legends' skipper brought back the young opener but Rafi took him for 18 in an over with such powerful straight hits that, as the umpire at the bowler's end, I started looking around for a helmet.
Drinks came at the wrong time and Rafi fell shortly afterwards, caught by a well-placed fielder on the fence at Deep Long-On. Riaz soon followed him back to the pavilion and we were back in trouble at 84 for 4.
We were blessed to have 2 players in Darwin and KK who have hit top form at just the right time. The pair played out a fantastic, match-winning stand of 83. KK in particular looked unshiftable and played a series of fine shots, milking the empty spaces on the leg side almost at will, while Darwin, who had been out there a long time in the heat, deployed his trademark forcing shots through the covers to great effect and did well to keep calm despite continual field changes and a decidedly slow over rate. The partnership had John raving; "This was proper batting, I mean, it was like watching proper players."
With the scores level, KK sealed the victory with a cracking leg-side drive past Mid-Wicket to bring up his second successive half-century.
A great all-round performance by Nomads to beat a tough side at their own fortress. Had we lost that would probably have been it for the season but it now seems we will have another match or even two.
India Legends 163 all out from 36.1 overs
Nomads bowling;
Sami 8-0-31-1
Zaman 8-1-44-4
KK 8-0-34-2
Abbas 8-2-39-1
Emil 4.1-0-18-2
Catches; KK - 3
John - 2
Abdul - 2
Abbas - 1
Darwin - 1
Clapham Nomads 167 for 4 from 32.5 overs
Mahesh 1
Abdul 13
Darwin 42 not out
Rafi 44
Riaz 1
KK 51 not out
Did not bat; Abbas, Sami, Zaman, Emil (capt), John (wkt)
F.O.W. - 8, 19, 83, 84
Clapham Nomads won by 6 wickets
Man of the Match - KK
Fielder of the Day - KK
There were a couple of silver linings; we were playing at Bromley Common cc, an excellent ground, and the only team to beat the Legends so far this season was ....Clapham Nomads (way back in Mid-Summer.)
Against a strong India line-up all the bowlers did well - with, strangely, the two quickest bowlers, Zaman and Abbas, going uphill. Sami also put a lot of effort into his long new ball spell. The highlight though was one of the finest collective catching performances ever produced by a Nomads team. The first 6 wickets were all caught, with keeper John Crossland snapping up a brace to celebrate his xxth birthday, and the first 4 outfield catches just got better and better. First, a lifter from Zaman was cut uppishly to Deep Point where Abdul made no mistake. Then a very thick outside edge off Sami swirled and spun its way to Backward Point where Darwin held it smartly. The highlights were the third and fourth, both taken low by KK at Shortish Third Man; the second of these was an absolute screamer of a diving effort, probably in the top half-dozen of all-time Nomads catches. Drinks were gratefully accepted with the Legends on 73 for 6. There was a feeling that they would bat all the way down and a recovery did follow to around 115 before KK produced a double strike with the only bowled of the innings followed in the same over by another sharp low catch by Abbas at Deep Gully. I could have watched this quality cricket all day from my vantage point in the shade but I suddenly realised it was 130 for 8 and I had to put our tea out. Unfortunately I missed 2 wickets from the evergreen Emil Todorow; both catches of course with KK pouching a skied effort for his third catch of the innings. A slight wag of the tail could not prevent Nomads from dismissing a strong Legends line-up for 163 with 4 overs unused. A superb, crucial effort in the field. On an average to good day, we would probably only have taken 6 or 7 of these 9 catches and could have been facing 200.
There was still a lot of work for Nomads, missing Hasan and Zia, and on a track which, surprisingly for a ground which won the Kent Premier League Groundsmanship award a couple of years back, was giving considerable help to the bowlers with both high and low bounce.
Mahesh and Abdul started grittily against an awkward new ball attack and saw off some of the shine. Mahesh fell unluckily played on in the 6th over and Abdul was run out shortly afterwards and hopes were low at 19 for 2. We were fortunate in having at No. 4 Rafi, possibly Nomads' most talented player of all time. He doesn't play much cricket these days and failed to connect with some giant heaves early on but, once he had survived three overs, he began to hit it with brutal force and dominated a partnership of 64 with Darwin, who was playing a responsible hand. In an effort to break this threatening stand, Legends' skipper brought back the young opener but Rafi took him for 18 in an over with such powerful straight hits that, as the umpire at the bowler's end, I started looking around for a helmet.
Drinks came at the wrong time and Rafi fell shortly afterwards, caught by a well-placed fielder on the fence at Deep Long-On. Riaz soon followed him back to the pavilion and we were back in trouble at 84 for 4.
We were blessed to have 2 players in Darwin and KK who have hit top form at just the right time. The pair played out a fantastic, match-winning stand of 83. KK in particular looked unshiftable and played a series of fine shots, milking the empty spaces on the leg side almost at will, while Darwin, who had been out there a long time in the heat, deployed his trademark forcing shots through the covers to great effect and did well to keep calm despite continual field changes and a decidedly slow over rate. The partnership had John raving; "This was proper batting, I mean, it was like watching proper players."
With the scores level, KK sealed the victory with a cracking leg-side drive past Mid-Wicket to bring up his second successive half-century.
A great all-round performance by Nomads to beat a tough side at their own fortress. Had we lost that would probably have been it for the season but it now seems we will have another match or even two.
India Legends 163 all out from 36.1 overs
Nomads bowling;
Sami 8-0-31-1
Zaman 8-1-44-4
KK 8-0-34-2
Abbas 8-2-39-1
Emil 4.1-0-18-2
Catches; KK - 3
John - 2
Abdul - 2
Abbas - 1
Darwin - 1
Clapham Nomads 167 for 4 from 32.5 overs
Mahesh 1
Abdul 13
Darwin 42 not out
Rafi 44
Riaz 1
KK 51 not out
Did not bat; Abbas, Sami, Zaman, Emil (capt), John (wkt)
F.O.W. - 8, 19, 83, 84
Clapham Nomads won by 6 wickets
Man of the Match - KK
Fielder of the Day - KK
Tuesday 10 September 2019
Clapham Nomads v Chelsea and Westminster - 8/9/19
Unfortunately Nomads' fixture against our oldest friend Barnes Occasionals fell through last Sunday as several of them were unable to play due to family commitments (in other words they were told the dreaded words; "Darling, you have to choose. It's me or Clapham Nomads!")
Well, surprisingly, few of them chose Clapham Nomads and it was back to the internet to find a replacement fixture which soon came in the shape of Chelsea and Westminster. I had a gut feeling that they might be rather a decent side and so it proved; they were a nice bunch of guys as well.
The legendary Emil Todorow made his re-appearance after a 3-game absence - hopefully this was the first of another 285-game unbroken run.
I arrived with the tea just before the interval and Chelsea were in the 220s - they closed on an imposing 232 for 9 from 35 overs. Most of our bowling figures were decent and 5 catches were taken and Sami and KK combined for a run out however, as that astute judge John Crossland pointed out in the scorebook; "Seven dropped catches didn't help."
Against Chelsea's impressive new ball pairing, Zahi and Naya, who both did a fair bit with the ball, Mahesh looked particularly determined and dug in with grit and used his feet to good effect. Unfortunately wickets fell at the other end. Last week's hero Darwin was bowled early on, Kalam played a few nice shots before falling and then Hasan, who has been in great from, holed out over the bowler's head. The West London side were now clear favourites and worse was to follow as Mahesh fell to a bizarre run out and Zia and Riaz were back in the pavilion for 4 between them. This must be the first time for ages, possibly ever, that star men Hasan and Zia failed to score a run between them. However, they have done incredible things for the Nomads and even Steve Smith fails occasionally (or does he?)
Nomads were 39 for 6 at this stage but KK and Sami combined very nicely to take us up to 72 before Sami was bowled. I left for work at this stage and, as always seems to happen, I missed the best as KK kicked on for a fine innings of 79, his best for the Nomads and he completely dominated stands of 20 and 43 with Zaman and Emil, taking us up to 135 for 9 and he added a further 9 after last man John had arrived at the crease. A great innings and a bit unlucky as, with a capable blocker at the other end and 22 balls to go, he must have been in with a chance of a ton.
Anyway, one of our few heavy defeats this season but not the worst day in the world.
Chelsea and Westminster - 232 for 9 from 35 overs
Nomads' bowling;
Sami 7-0-32-1
Zaman 7-0-42-1
Zia 2-0-23-0
Emil (not Jamil as the opposition called him in their scorebook) 5-0-32-1
KK 7-0-38-2
Riaz 3-0-21-1
Kalam 2-0-15-1
Hasan 2-0-16-1
Clapham Nomads 144 all out from 31.2 overs
Mahesh 19
Darwin 0
Kalam 11
Hasan 0
Riaz 4
Zia 0
KK 79
Sami 14
Zaman 4
Emil (capt) 2-
John 0 not out
F.O.W. - 2, 25, 25, 39, 39, 39, 72, 92, 135, 144
Clapham Nomads lost by 88 runs
Man of the Match - KK
Fielder of the Day - Kalam
Well, surprisingly, few of them chose Clapham Nomads and it was back to the internet to find a replacement fixture which soon came in the shape of Chelsea and Westminster. I had a gut feeling that they might be rather a decent side and so it proved; they were a nice bunch of guys as well.
The legendary Emil Todorow made his re-appearance after a 3-game absence - hopefully this was the first of another 285-game unbroken run.
I arrived with the tea just before the interval and Chelsea were in the 220s - they closed on an imposing 232 for 9 from 35 overs. Most of our bowling figures were decent and 5 catches were taken and Sami and KK combined for a run out however, as that astute judge John Crossland pointed out in the scorebook; "Seven dropped catches didn't help."
Against Chelsea's impressive new ball pairing, Zahi and Naya, who both did a fair bit with the ball, Mahesh looked particularly determined and dug in with grit and used his feet to good effect. Unfortunately wickets fell at the other end. Last week's hero Darwin was bowled early on, Kalam played a few nice shots before falling and then Hasan, who has been in great from, holed out over the bowler's head. The West London side were now clear favourites and worse was to follow as Mahesh fell to a bizarre run out and Zia and Riaz were back in the pavilion for 4 between them. This must be the first time for ages, possibly ever, that star men Hasan and Zia failed to score a run between them. However, they have done incredible things for the Nomads and even Steve Smith fails occasionally (or does he?)
Nomads were 39 for 6 at this stage but KK and Sami combined very nicely to take us up to 72 before Sami was bowled. I left for work at this stage and, as always seems to happen, I missed the best as KK kicked on for a fine innings of 79, his best for the Nomads and he completely dominated stands of 20 and 43 with Zaman and Emil, taking us up to 135 for 9 and he added a further 9 after last man John had arrived at the crease. A great innings and a bit unlucky as, with a capable blocker at the other end and 22 balls to go, he must have been in with a chance of a ton.
Anyway, one of our few heavy defeats this season but not the worst day in the world.
Chelsea and Westminster - 232 for 9 from 35 overs
Nomads' bowling;
Sami 7-0-32-1
Zaman 7-0-42-1
Zia 2-0-23-0
Emil (not Jamil as the opposition called him in their scorebook) 5-0-32-1
KK 7-0-38-2
Riaz 3-0-21-1
Kalam 2-0-15-1
Hasan 2-0-16-1
Clapham Nomads 144 all out from 31.2 overs
Mahesh 19
Darwin 0
Kalam 11
Hasan 0
Riaz 4
Zia 0
KK 79
Sami 14
Zaman 4
Emil (capt) 2-
John 0 not out
F.O.W. - 2, 25, 25, 39, 39, 39, 72, 92, 135, 144
Clapham Nomads lost by 88 runs
Man of the Match - KK
Fielder of the Day - Kalam
Wednesday 4 September 2019
Energy Exiles v Clapham Nomads - 1/9/19
Nomads played Exiles last Sunday for an unprecedented 4th time this season. I think there is some stalking going on here. Here is John Crossland's report which he actually wrote for the Energy Exiles' website but it is so good that I am going to risk infringing copyright laws by putting it on here as well.
"On winning the toss, Clapham Nomads decided to bat first
which they don’t do very often, normally preferring to bowl. Mahesh Vyas and Abdul got the innings off to
a good start, putting on 62. Abdul made a quickfire 39 with 6 fours and 2
sixes, a lot of his runs coming off the bowling of Jamshed who did however get
him out LBW. Darwin, who has really been
struggling for runs this season, came in and he finally found some form hitting
exactly 50 in a partnership of 101 with Hasan, who was still captaining the
side while Emil Todorow is in Bulgaria. Hasan retired on 56. I think this might
be the first time a Nomads player has retired, at least in a proper game. The rest of the batsmen lost their wickets
going for quick runs towards the end of the innings but a total of 222 was
probably going to be enough on a slightly dodgy wicket.
Energy Exiles were handicapped in their bowling as Andrew
Wingfield had an injury and could only bowl at a reduced pace. Bernard Leuvennink
bowled reasonably well taking 3 for 42. Phil Ling, who opened the bowling, did
not bowl badly either although he did not take a wicket.
In reply the Exiles lost both openers cheaply and were soon
4 wickets down for not many. The impressive Bilal and Leuvennink repaired some
of the damage with a decent partnership for the 5th wicket. Zia came
into the attack and bowled really well dismissing the dangerous Bilal for 56
and also Leuvennink for 32. He finished with 4 for 7 from 5 overs. Abbas had earlier taken 3 for 43. Until Bilal
was out the Exiles were still in with a chance. They were eventually all out
for 111.
This season the Nomads and Exiles have played each other 4
times. The score is 2 each. If possible it would be good to have a 5th
and deciding game before the season ends."
John Crossland.
So the amazing possibility has been suggested. A 5th test decider. Just to let you know that The Oval costs about 25,000 to book for a match - so only just over a grand a player. But would it be big enough?
Clapham Nomads 222 from 35 overs
Mahesh 14
Abdul 39
Darwin 50
Hasan (capt) retired 56
Zia 13
KK 13
Hayan 2
Abbas 0
Zaman 5
John (wkt) not out 1
F.O.W. - 62, 69, 170, 183, 212, 212, 215, 222
Energy Exiles 111 from 23.1 overs
Nomads' bowling;
Abbas 7-0-34-3
Zaman 5-0-35-1
KK 5-0-29-0
Zia 5-2-7-4
Abdul 1.1-0-3-2
Nomads won by 111 runs
Man of the Match - Zia
Fielder of the Day - To be decided.
I just noticed. 222 beat 111. A triple Nelson. Someone is trying to tell us something.
Clapham Nomads v Energy Exiles - 25/8/19
Nomads entertained our old friends Energy Exiles on a scorching day at Joseph Hood over the Bank Holiday. Although it is always good to see the Exiles, and they brought some familiar faces along, for the second time this season one of the greatest days in English cricket was being played out while we were being given the run around on one of Merton's bleakest grounds.
With Emil still away, Hasan skippered but unfortunately lost the toss. In 93 degree heat, Exiles unsurprisingly batted and we faced a tough afternoon of fielding, punctuated only by extra drinks breaks. In Keith Roberts and Bilal Musakhel, Exiles had a fine left-hand / right-hand partnership. Nomads' bowling was decent and we kept the rate below 4 an over until the 15th over when the pair began to kick on. Bilal made a fine 50 with Keith looking unshiftable as ever. Having said that, quite a few chances went down and Nomads fielding was not the best it has been - understandable given the extreme conditions.
Bilal fell to a smart stumping bt keeper Crossland off the bowling of Hasan in the 21st over but then a string of right-handers gave the left-handed Roberts good support as he upper the tempo. Roberts seemes to have got even better recently. In the heyday of Nomads-Exiles games 10 years ago, he could always be relied on for a steady 30 but he seems to score a 50 every time he plays against us now.
Keith was eventually out for 70 in the final over. It was good to see Amil Patel; I haven't seen him for a few years and he chipped in with some runs at the end as Exiles finished on 183 for 5. Captain Hasan was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 24 but everyone returned reasonable figures.
184 is a total Nomads have scored on quite a few occasions at Joseph Hood but we would need to be at our best against what was likely to be crafty bowling.
It was a vintage Exiles opening attack with Naren Patel opening his box of tricks from the Pavilion End and Phil Ling somehow getting a very dusty ball to swing sharply from the Back Gardens End. Our early batting has been patchy this year and we were soon 14 for 3 with Mahesh run out, Hayan falling to Naren and Phil swinging one in skilfully to bowl Sami. Abdul and Zia put on 29 for the 4th wicket before Abdul fell to a memorable Roberts family wicket. Keith's son, the useful medium pacer Alex, inducing a lofted shot from Abdul which was scooped by a diving Keith at Mid-Off.
It was clear a lot was going to depend on Zia and Hasan - where have I heard that before. I had to leave for work at this point and it took me about 15 minutes to limp round the ground and, as I left the car park, Zia and Hasan were still there so there was some hope.
Exiles legend Andy Wingfield turned up at half-time. He had been injured while playing the previous day and had made the surprising decision to watch the end of the Test Match rather than savouring the raw excitement of Joseph Hood cricket. He arrived once Ben Stokes had completed his heroics and he offered to umpire in Nomads' innings. I know Andy has long been an admirer of Nomads' very high standard of unbiased umpiring and it seemed he was learning fast when he turned down a vociferous appeal for caught behind early on. However he did give Zia LBW for 30 off the bowling of Naren but, to be fair, most of those present thought it was out.
Hasan was still there and batting excellently. Partners came and went until, with 39 needed, last man John Crossland joined him in the middle. Hasan was in full flight, and John is a capable defensive player on his day, so we still had a reasonable chance in the time remaining. They made 15 before Hasan (Stokes) was rather unluckily bowled by a ball deflecting off his body leaving John (Leach) stranded on 0 not out.
Still it was a reasonable game and it was good to see some old Exiles faces. If it had been 20 degress cooler it might have been an enjoyable day.
Energy Exiles 183 for 5 from 35 overs (K.Roberts 70, B. Musakhel 60)
Nomads' bowling;
Abbas 7-2-33-1
Zaman 5-0-22-0
Sami 5-1-29-0
Zia 6-0-36-0
Hasan 6-1-24-3
Abdul 6-1-35-1
Clapham Nomads 160 for 8 (all out) from 28.4 overs
Mahesh run out 7
Hayan b N.Patel 6
Sami b P.Ling 0
Abdul c K.Roberts b A.Roberts 19
Zia lbw N. Patel 30
Hasan (capt) b Iqbal 73
Abbas c ---------- b Iqbal 4
Zaman b P. Ling 0
John (wkt) not out 0
Did not bat; Nick (had to leave for work)
F.O.W. - 14, 14, 14, 43, 126, 140, 145, 160
Nomads lost by 23 runs.
Man of the Match - Hasan
Fielder of the Day - John
With Emil still away, Hasan skippered but unfortunately lost the toss. In 93 degree heat, Exiles unsurprisingly batted and we faced a tough afternoon of fielding, punctuated only by extra drinks breaks. In Keith Roberts and Bilal Musakhel, Exiles had a fine left-hand / right-hand partnership. Nomads' bowling was decent and we kept the rate below 4 an over until the 15th over when the pair began to kick on. Bilal made a fine 50 with Keith looking unshiftable as ever. Having said that, quite a few chances went down and Nomads fielding was not the best it has been - understandable given the extreme conditions.
Bilal fell to a smart stumping bt keeper Crossland off the bowling of Hasan in the 21st over but then a string of right-handers gave the left-handed Roberts good support as he upper the tempo. Roberts seemes to have got even better recently. In the heyday of Nomads-Exiles games 10 years ago, he could always be relied on for a steady 30 but he seems to score a 50 every time he plays against us now.
Keith was eventually out for 70 in the final over. It was good to see Amil Patel; I haven't seen him for a few years and he chipped in with some runs at the end as Exiles finished on 183 for 5. Captain Hasan was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 24 but everyone returned reasonable figures.
184 is a total Nomads have scored on quite a few occasions at Joseph Hood but we would need to be at our best against what was likely to be crafty bowling.
It was a vintage Exiles opening attack with Naren Patel opening his box of tricks from the Pavilion End and Phil Ling somehow getting a very dusty ball to swing sharply from the Back Gardens End. Our early batting has been patchy this year and we were soon 14 for 3 with Mahesh run out, Hayan falling to Naren and Phil swinging one in skilfully to bowl Sami. Abdul and Zia put on 29 for the 4th wicket before Abdul fell to a memorable Roberts family wicket. Keith's son, the useful medium pacer Alex, inducing a lofted shot from Abdul which was scooped by a diving Keith at Mid-Off.
It was clear a lot was going to depend on Zia and Hasan - where have I heard that before. I had to leave for work at this point and it took me about 15 minutes to limp round the ground and, as I left the car park, Zia and Hasan were still there so there was some hope.
Exiles legend Andy Wingfield turned up at half-time. He had been injured while playing the previous day and had made the surprising decision to watch the end of the Test Match rather than savouring the raw excitement of Joseph Hood cricket. He arrived once Ben Stokes had completed his heroics and he offered to umpire in Nomads' innings. I know Andy has long been an admirer of Nomads' very high standard of unbiased umpiring and it seemed he was learning fast when he turned down a vociferous appeal for caught behind early on. However he did give Zia LBW for 30 off the bowling of Naren but, to be fair, most of those present thought it was out.
Hasan was still there and batting excellently. Partners came and went until, with 39 needed, last man John Crossland joined him in the middle. Hasan was in full flight, and John is a capable defensive player on his day, so we still had a reasonable chance in the time remaining. They made 15 before Hasan (Stokes) was rather unluckily bowled by a ball deflecting off his body leaving John (Leach) stranded on 0 not out.
Still it was a reasonable game and it was good to see some old Exiles faces. If it had been 20 degress cooler it might have been an enjoyable day.
Energy Exiles 183 for 5 from 35 overs (K.Roberts 70, B. Musakhel 60)
Nomads' bowling;
Abbas 7-2-33-1
Zaman 5-0-22-0
Sami 5-1-29-0
Zia 6-0-36-0
Hasan 6-1-24-3
Abdul 6-1-35-1
Clapham Nomads 160 for 8 (all out) from 28.4 overs
Mahesh run out 7
Hayan b N.Patel 6
Sami b P.Ling 0
Abdul c K.Roberts b A.Roberts 19
Zia lbw N. Patel 30
Hasan (capt) b Iqbal 73
Abbas c ---------- b Iqbal 4
Zaman b P. Ling 0
John (wkt) not out 0
Did not bat; Nick (had to leave for work)
F.O.W. - 14, 14, 14, 43, 126, 140, 145, 160
Nomads lost by 23 runs.
Man of the Match - Hasan
Fielder of the Day - John
Wednesday 21 August 2019
Norwood v Clapham Nomads
Nomads made the short trip to South Norwood to play new opponents Norwood cc last Sunday.
A major shock is that Emil Todorow missed a Nomads match for the first time since September 2002 - that's about 285 successive appearances. I want to re-assure fans of the great man that he's absolutely fine and will be back in a Nomads shirt very soon.
In the meantime, Hasan did a great job as skipper in his first full match as captain of the side.
Hasan won the toss and elected to bat - a departure from Emil's usual policy. After Mahesh was run out on 9, Abdul and Darwin put on 31 for the second wicket, which was basically resolute batting peppered with some boundaries from Abdul including a six. The bowling from Norwood was more than useful.
After the loss of Darwin, KK was LBW to the dangerous Khyber in the same over, but with Zia joining Abdul, we made good progress and at 88 for 3 had made one of our best starts of the season. Abdul fell to a caught and bowled - Khyber again - for a fine half-century but there was then a slump to 108 for 6. Skipper Hasan turned things round with a responsible innings and shepherded the lower order up to a respectable 177 for 9 at the close. New man Qari making a useful 13 and Nomads' very own Steve Smith ** John Crossland was still there keeping Hasan company at the end.
** - Well he does look a bit like Smith (just draw a light brown moustache on a picture of the Australian star and you will see.) Also, the way Smith was out LBW at Lord's on Saturday was a bit reminscent of one of John's famous dismissals by Energy Exiles. Having said all that, John is pretty tough and I don't think he would be bothered by something like a blow on the neck.
For Nomads' reply, we were pleased to welcome back Sami, who shared the new ball with Abbas, and Sami chipped in with 3 wickets. KK bowled a very tight 6-over spell for only 17 and there were 2 late wickets for Abdul but the pick of the bowlers, as last week, was probably Riaz who got through some good work against a strong batting side and finished with 5.3-2-14-2.
Norwood passed our total for the loss of 8 wickets with 15 balls remaining but John told me that it was not quite as close as it looked as 2 of their best players had retired (not hurt.)
Still, another decent game. Energy Exiles are next up.
Clapham Nomads - 177 for 9 from 35 overs
Mahesh 2
Abdul 51
Darwin 0
KK 0
Zia 31
Hasan (capt) 43 not out
Riaz 3
Abbas 18
Sami 0
Qari 13
John (wkt) 2 not out
F.O.W. - 9, 40, 40, 88, 100, 108, 136, 137, 170
Norwood cc - 180 for 2 from 32.3 overs
Nomads' bowling;
Abbas 4-0-40-0
Sami 6-1-48-3
KK 6-0-17-0
Zia 4-0-24-0
Qari 4-1-20-1
Riaz 5.3-2-14-2
Abdul 3-1-4-2
Clapham Nomads lost by 2 wickets.
Man of the Match - Abdul
Fielder of the Day - 4 players took a catch each, including John, and John told me that there was an absolutely cast-iron, nailed-on edge which he pouched but it was not given out. He is always honest with that sort of thing so I will say that, morally, he took 2 catches and award him Fielder of the Day.
A major shock is that Emil Todorow missed a Nomads match for the first time since September 2002 - that's about 285 successive appearances. I want to re-assure fans of the great man that he's absolutely fine and will be back in a Nomads shirt very soon.
In the meantime, Hasan did a great job as skipper in his first full match as captain of the side.
Hasan won the toss and elected to bat - a departure from Emil's usual policy. After Mahesh was run out on 9, Abdul and Darwin put on 31 for the second wicket, which was basically resolute batting peppered with some boundaries from Abdul including a six. The bowling from Norwood was more than useful.
After the loss of Darwin, KK was LBW to the dangerous Khyber in the same over, but with Zia joining Abdul, we made good progress and at 88 for 3 had made one of our best starts of the season. Abdul fell to a caught and bowled - Khyber again - for a fine half-century but there was then a slump to 108 for 6. Skipper Hasan turned things round with a responsible innings and shepherded the lower order up to a respectable 177 for 9 at the close. New man Qari making a useful 13 and Nomads' very own Steve Smith ** John Crossland was still there keeping Hasan company at the end.
** - Well he does look a bit like Smith (just draw a light brown moustache on a picture of the Australian star and you will see.) Also, the way Smith was out LBW at Lord's on Saturday was a bit reminscent of one of John's famous dismissals by Energy Exiles. Having said all that, John is pretty tough and I don't think he would be bothered by something like a blow on the neck.
For Nomads' reply, we were pleased to welcome back Sami, who shared the new ball with Abbas, and Sami chipped in with 3 wickets. KK bowled a very tight 6-over spell for only 17 and there were 2 late wickets for Abdul but the pick of the bowlers, as last week, was probably Riaz who got through some good work against a strong batting side and finished with 5.3-2-14-2.
Norwood passed our total for the loss of 8 wickets with 15 balls remaining but John told me that it was not quite as close as it looked as 2 of their best players had retired (not hurt.)
Still, another decent game. Energy Exiles are next up.
Clapham Nomads - 177 for 9 from 35 overs
Mahesh 2
Abdul 51
Darwin 0
KK 0
Zia 31
Hasan (capt) 43 not out
Riaz 3
Abbas 18
Sami 0
Qari 13
John (wkt) 2 not out
F.O.W. - 9, 40, 40, 88, 100, 108, 136, 137, 170
Norwood cc - 180 for 2 from 32.3 overs
Nomads' bowling;
Abbas 4-0-40-0
Sami 6-1-48-3
KK 6-0-17-0
Zia 4-0-24-0
Qari 4-1-20-1
Riaz 5.3-2-14-2
Abdul 3-1-4-2
Clapham Nomads lost by 2 wickets.
Man of the Match - Abdul
Fielder of the Day - 4 players took a catch each, including John, and John told me that there was an absolutely cast-iron, nailed-on edge which he pouched but it was not given out. He is always honest with that sort of thing so I will say that, morally, he took 2 catches and award him Fielder of the Day.
Tuesday 13 August 2019
Clapham Nomads v Wimbledon United
Nomads played an absolutely classic match against local rivals Wimbledon United on Sunday.
For a change, the venue was Wandsworth Common; a ground with a resonant history for the Nomads as it was the scene of Emil Todorow's first competitive game and also featured one of Andrew West's most memorable moments. I think there was also a 50 partnership between Emil and John Crossland about 15 years ago - must have been a thing of beauty.
It is also the sort of ground that makes many cricketers who have played there involuntarily rub the sites of long-forgotten bruises on their heads and upper body and, in fact, when we arrived, a crowd of players was examining a very green strip with extreme scepticism. Thankfully, when I returned with the tea, the groundsman had put us on a strip on the Prison Side which is basically for kids but has lines for Adult matches as well. This played pretty well as you will see from the scores.
Nomads batted by arrangement (some of our batsmen were late) and we were soon in difficulty at 30 for 3 . The third man to fall was Mahesh to an LBW decision off the bowling of Greg Dean which looked a little unlucky (? a touch high - I wouldn't have given it, anyway) but this brought together the Old Firm of Hasan and Zia and they quickly showed this pitch was more than playable with an excellent stand of 61 for the 4th wicket before Zia fell to another LBW from Dean - a ball that kept a little low. There was always hope for the bowlers on this pitch with some irregular bounce both high and low but quick scoring was eminently possible, helped by a short boundary on the Tennis Side.
Zia's departure brought Imran who hit a nice boundary before making way for Riaz who was at his entertaining best; the highlight being a Flat Six that never got above head height. Hasan was making very good progress at the other end (racing from 30 to 50 aided by a couple of sixes) and, when Riaz was run out for 39, Hasan assumed command. He had fine support from Abbas in taking himself to an excellent 77 not out and Nomads to a more than satisfactory 206 for 6 from the full 35. As our batsmen left, Wimbledon United remained out in the middle in a sort of huddle and for a brief period I didn't think they were going to come off at all. I was unsure whether they were displeased by a rather adjacent run out appeal going against them late on (I doubt it, they had been given 2 LBWs, which is quite a result against the Nomads) or whether it was a form of motivational exercise. If it was the latter it certainly worked.
United began their reply fairly steadily with Curtis Phillip looking particularly obdurate; dare I say it, almost Boycottesque at times with a very stout defence. Opening bowlers Abbas and KK kept the rate somewhat below what was required and the screw was really turned when Riaz and Emil came on around the 10th or 12th over. There was a bowled for Riaz and a catch (smartly taken by Abdul) and another bowled for Emil. 46 for 0 had become 54 for 3. United's skipper Gary Saxby came in and quickly looked dangerous, playing it straight but with aggressive intent. There was a massive moment when Saxby toe-ended a full-pitch from Emil and skied it to Short Mid-Wicket where it was put down. For a while after drinks, the required rate was oscillating around the 8 mark but the batsmen were achieving this in most overs with the occasional tighter over bringing the rate up to almost 9. Saxby was dropped again off Todorow - a much harder chance. Nomads still seemed in charge but I recalled a game 4 years ago where United scored over 100 from the last 12 overs to beat us and something similar was always on the cards. Phillip finally got the measure off Todorow in the veteran's final over from which he milked 12 or 14.
The stand reached exactly 100 before Riaz produced a potentially match-winning burst with 3 wickets in an over (the first of them a fantastic catch from Abdul right on the fence to dismiss Saxby) but Curtis Phillip was playing with increasing assurance and took the 8 or 9 needed from most overs with ease. Another wicket fell at 184 and at the end of this over the target was 31 off 3 - more than 10 an over for the first time. The new man was Rohan who to be honest looked the cleanest hitter of the lot. Amid scenes of unbearable tension, and talk of a One-Day Final-style Extra Over - ideally to be bowled by Emil - United faced the final 6 balls needing 16. Nomads slight favourites but 6, 4, Dot, 4 from Rohan blew us away and the 1 to win was achieved with yet another boundary off the penultimate ball.
A classic match and a brilliant 93 not out for Curtis Phillip, just 3 short of his best score for the Wimbledon side. There was just a nagging feeling though that they had it under control throughout and engineered a final over victory just to annoy us.
Nomads' bowling and fielding were pretty good - it was just a rampant batting display from the Dons.
Zia had to leave and was unable to bowl but let's take nothing away from the visitors - it was a brilliant win for them.
Clapham Nomads - 206 for 6 from 35 overs;
Mahesh 5
Abdul 12
Darwin 0
Hasan 77 not out
Zia 23
Imran 5
Riaz 39
Abbas 16 not out
Did not bat: KK, Emil (Capt), John (Wkt) - Sub-fielder - Rayan.
F.O.W. - 21, 21, 30, 91, 112, 159
Wimbledon United - 210 for 7 from 34.5 overs (C.Phillip 93 not out)
Nomads' bowling;
Abbas 7-1-40-0
KK 7-0-35-0
Riaz 7-0-18-4
Emil 6-0-37-2
Imran 3-0-17-0
Hasan 3-0-26-0
Abdul 1.5-0-28-1
Clapham Nomads lost by 3 wickets.
Man of the Match - Hasan is very unlucky not to get this after an excellent 77 not out, but Riaz produced some very entertaining batting, was unluckily run out and had by far our best bowling figures with 4-for 18.
Fielder of the Day - Abdul
For a change, the venue was Wandsworth Common; a ground with a resonant history for the Nomads as it was the scene of Emil Todorow's first competitive game and also featured one of Andrew West's most memorable moments. I think there was also a 50 partnership between Emil and John Crossland about 15 years ago - must have been a thing of beauty.
It is also the sort of ground that makes many cricketers who have played there involuntarily rub the sites of long-forgotten bruises on their heads and upper body and, in fact, when we arrived, a crowd of players was examining a very green strip with extreme scepticism. Thankfully, when I returned with the tea, the groundsman had put us on a strip on the Prison Side which is basically for kids but has lines for Adult matches as well. This played pretty well as you will see from the scores.
Nomads batted by arrangement (some of our batsmen were late) and we were soon in difficulty at 30 for 3 . The third man to fall was Mahesh to an LBW decision off the bowling of Greg Dean which looked a little unlucky (? a touch high - I wouldn't have given it, anyway) but this brought together the Old Firm of Hasan and Zia and they quickly showed this pitch was more than playable with an excellent stand of 61 for the 4th wicket before Zia fell to another LBW from Dean - a ball that kept a little low. There was always hope for the bowlers on this pitch with some irregular bounce both high and low but quick scoring was eminently possible, helped by a short boundary on the Tennis Side.
Zia's departure brought Imran who hit a nice boundary before making way for Riaz who was at his entertaining best; the highlight being a Flat Six that never got above head height. Hasan was making very good progress at the other end (racing from 30 to 50 aided by a couple of sixes) and, when Riaz was run out for 39, Hasan assumed command. He had fine support from Abbas in taking himself to an excellent 77 not out and Nomads to a more than satisfactory 206 for 6 from the full 35. As our batsmen left, Wimbledon United remained out in the middle in a sort of huddle and for a brief period I didn't think they were going to come off at all. I was unsure whether they were displeased by a rather adjacent run out appeal going against them late on (I doubt it, they had been given 2 LBWs, which is quite a result against the Nomads) or whether it was a form of motivational exercise. If it was the latter it certainly worked.
United began their reply fairly steadily with Curtis Phillip looking particularly obdurate; dare I say it, almost Boycottesque at times with a very stout defence. Opening bowlers Abbas and KK kept the rate somewhat below what was required and the screw was really turned when Riaz and Emil came on around the 10th or 12th over. There was a bowled for Riaz and a catch (smartly taken by Abdul) and another bowled for Emil. 46 for 0 had become 54 for 3. United's skipper Gary Saxby came in and quickly looked dangerous, playing it straight but with aggressive intent. There was a massive moment when Saxby toe-ended a full-pitch from Emil and skied it to Short Mid-Wicket where it was put down. For a while after drinks, the required rate was oscillating around the 8 mark but the batsmen were achieving this in most overs with the occasional tighter over bringing the rate up to almost 9. Saxby was dropped again off Todorow - a much harder chance. Nomads still seemed in charge but I recalled a game 4 years ago where United scored over 100 from the last 12 overs to beat us and something similar was always on the cards. Phillip finally got the measure off Todorow in the veteran's final over from which he milked 12 or 14.
The stand reached exactly 100 before Riaz produced a potentially match-winning burst with 3 wickets in an over (the first of them a fantastic catch from Abdul right on the fence to dismiss Saxby) but Curtis Phillip was playing with increasing assurance and took the 8 or 9 needed from most overs with ease. Another wicket fell at 184 and at the end of this over the target was 31 off 3 - more than 10 an over for the first time. The new man was Rohan who to be honest looked the cleanest hitter of the lot. Amid scenes of unbearable tension, and talk of a One-Day Final-style Extra Over - ideally to be bowled by Emil - United faced the final 6 balls needing 16. Nomads slight favourites but 6, 4, Dot, 4 from Rohan blew us away and the 1 to win was achieved with yet another boundary off the penultimate ball.
A classic match and a brilliant 93 not out for Curtis Phillip, just 3 short of his best score for the Wimbledon side. There was just a nagging feeling though that they had it under control throughout and engineered a final over victory just to annoy us.
Nomads' bowling and fielding were pretty good - it was just a rampant batting display from the Dons.
Zia had to leave and was unable to bowl but let's take nothing away from the visitors - it was a brilliant win for them.
Clapham Nomads - 206 for 6 from 35 overs;
Mahesh 5
Abdul 12
Darwin 0
Hasan 77 not out
Zia 23
Imran 5
Riaz 39
Abbas 16 not out
Did not bat: KK, Emil (Capt), John (Wkt) - Sub-fielder - Rayan.
F.O.W. - 21, 21, 30, 91, 112, 159
Wimbledon United - 210 for 7 from 34.5 overs (C.Phillip 93 not out)
Nomads' bowling;
Abbas 7-1-40-0
KK 7-0-35-0
Riaz 7-0-18-4
Emil 6-0-37-2
Imran 3-0-17-0
Hasan 3-0-26-0
Abdul 1.5-0-28-1
Clapham Nomads lost by 3 wickets.
Man of the Match - Hasan is very unlucky not to get this after an excellent 77 not out, but Riaz produced some very entertaining batting, was unluckily run out and had by far our best bowling figures with 4-for 18.
Fielder of the Day - Abdul
Monday 5 August 2019
SW United v Clapham Nomads - 4/8/19
Nomads beat SW United in a low-scoring game at London Gymkhana's ground in Tolworth yesterday.
It was a great perfomance in the field with all 7 bowlers taking wickets; 2 each for Abbas, KK and Zia with Emil being the most economical with 1 for 9 from 5 overs. 5 catches were taken as we dismissed the home side for 112 in 30.1 overs.
Emil and John were very impressed with SW United's bowling and, looking at the figures, I see that their main 4 bowlers had only 28 scoring shots taken off them in 27 overs, so they were seriously hard to get off the square. The early order were gritty but we were in trouble on 23 for 4. It took a brilliant 58 not out from Zia, the only man to reach to double figures, to turn it around for Nomads and we eventually reached the target for the loss of 6 wickets with 10 balls to spare.
MORE TO FOLLOW SOON...
SW United - 112 all out from 30.1 overs.
Nomads' bowling;
Abbas 5-1-12-2
KK 6-1-13-2
Zia 7-0-22-2
Emil 5-1-9-1
Imran 2-0-20-1
Riaz 3.1-0-20-1
Abdul 2-0-14-1
Clapham Nomads - 115 for 6 from 33.2 overs
Mahesh 6
Abdul 7
Darwin 4
Imran 0
Hasan 9
Zia 58 not out
Riaz 4
KK 8 not out
Did not bat; Abbas, Emil (capt), John (wkt)
F.O.W. - 8, 19, 21, 23, 55, 69
Nomads won by 4 wickets.
Man of the Match - Zia
Fieler of the Day - to be decided.
It was a great perfomance in the field with all 7 bowlers taking wickets; 2 each for Abbas, KK and Zia with Emil being the most economical with 1 for 9 from 5 overs. 5 catches were taken as we dismissed the home side for 112 in 30.1 overs.
Emil and John were very impressed with SW United's bowling and, looking at the figures, I see that their main 4 bowlers had only 28 scoring shots taken off them in 27 overs, so they were seriously hard to get off the square. The early order were gritty but we were in trouble on 23 for 4. It took a brilliant 58 not out from Zia, the only man to reach to double figures, to turn it around for Nomads and we eventually reached the target for the loss of 6 wickets with 10 balls to spare.
MORE TO FOLLOW SOON...
SW United - 112 all out from 30.1 overs.
Nomads' bowling;
Abbas 5-1-12-2
KK 6-1-13-2
Zia 7-0-22-2
Emil 5-1-9-1
Imran 2-0-20-1
Riaz 3.1-0-20-1
Abdul 2-0-14-1
Clapham Nomads - 115 for 6 from 33.2 overs
Mahesh 6
Abdul 7
Darwin 4
Imran 0
Hasan 9
Zia 58 not out
Riaz 4
KK 8 not out
Did not bat; Abbas, Emil (capt), John (wkt)
F.O.W. - 8, 19, 21, 23, 55, 69
Nomads won by 4 wickets.
Man of the Match - Zia
Fieler of the Day - to be decided.
Friday 2 August 2019
Clapham Nomads v Gentlemen of Hampstead - 28/7/19
Brief summary - more to follow soon.
Nomads started well on a very slow pitch with 40 for the 1st wicket from Mahesh and Abdul. Wickets then fell steadily with the middle order missing out (by their usual high standards) for a change. People were whispering that 150 would be a good score and it took excellent late hitting from Abbas (45) and KK (20) to take us well past this and we closed on 165 for 9
The Gents replied steadily at first in the face of some decent Nomads bowling and catching. With 15 overs to go they needed about 100 and were 3 down but had some well-set batsmen in, especially the excellent left-handed Cleeve. Despite the awkward pitch, Hampstead gradually took charge near the end and it looked like being a last over finish but a flurry of boundaries took them over the line with 11 balls to spare in the end. Much more detail to follow soon.....
Clapham Nomads - 165 for 9 from 35 overs
Mahesh 22
Abdul 31
Riaz 0
Hasan 11
Darwin 7
Zia 6
Imran 4
Abbas 45
KK 20
Emil (capt) not out 1
John not out 4
F.O.W. - 40, 50, 63, 77, 79, 85, 87, 125, 160
Gentlemen of Hampstead - 166 for 4 from 32.5 overs (T.Cleeve 74 not out)
Nomads' bowling figures;
Abbas 7-1-18-1
KK 7-0-26-1
Zia 6.5-0-33-1
Riaz 7-0-27-1
Emil 3-0-22-0
Imran 1-0-15-0
Hasan 1-0-14-0
Nomads lost by 6 wickets
Man of the Match - Abbas (a great all-round performance)
Fielder of the Day - Abdul
Nomads started well on a very slow pitch with 40 for the 1st wicket from Mahesh and Abdul. Wickets then fell steadily with the middle order missing out (by their usual high standards) for a change. People were whispering that 150 would be a good score and it took excellent late hitting from Abbas (45) and KK (20) to take us well past this and we closed on 165 for 9
The Gents replied steadily at first in the face of some decent Nomads bowling and catching. With 15 overs to go they needed about 100 and were 3 down but had some well-set batsmen in, especially the excellent left-handed Cleeve. Despite the awkward pitch, Hampstead gradually took charge near the end and it looked like being a last over finish but a flurry of boundaries took them over the line with 11 balls to spare in the end. Much more detail to follow soon.....
Clapham Nomads - 165 for 9 from 35 overs
Mahesh 22
Abdul 31
Riaz 0
Hasan 11
Darwin 7
Zia 6
Imran 4
Abbas 45
KK 20
Emil (capt) not out 1
John not out 4
F.O.W. - 40, 50, 63, 77, 79, 85, 87, 125, 160
Gentlemen of Hampstead - 166 for 4 from 32.5 overs (T.Cleeve 74 not out)
Nomads' bowling figures;
Abbas 7-1-18-1
KK 7-0-26-1
Zia 6.5-0-33-1
Riaz 7-0-27-1
Emil 3-0-22-0
Imran 1-0-15-0
Hasan 1-0-14-0
Nomads lost by 6 wickets
Man of the Match - Abbas (a great all-round performance)
Fielder of the Day - Abdul
Tuesday 23 July 2019
Northfields v Clapham Nomads cc - 21/7/19
Nomads crossed the river to the pleasant ground of our friends Northfields cc last Sunday with hopes of at least making it as close as the classic fixtures in the last 2 seasons - a 1 run win and a 1 wicket defeat. The home side batted and I'm told by John and Emil that their top scorer made around 80 but was dropped 4 times. Northfields closed on around 188 but at least we managed to dismiss them; a reasonable bowling performance. In reply Nomads somehow found ourselves on 8 for 4 - John started to give me a very grim post-mortem on this in the pub but thankfully we soon all started arguing about a more cheerful subject (Brexit) instead. Nomads did well to recover somewhat from this, with Riaz hitting a fine 36 or so, before he had to go off with a foot injury. KK and John stuck around for a while at the end but we finished up on about 138 - better than it could have been anyway.
More details when I get the scorebook next week.
Northfields - 188 all out from 37.5 overs
Nomads' bowling figures;
Abbas 5-0-27-0
KK 7.5-0-18-4
Zia 7-0-44-1
Hasan 8-2-31-1
Riaz 4-0-19-2
Emil 4-0-29-0
Imran 2-0-10-1
Abdul 1-0-10-0
Clapham Nomads - 138 for 9 (innings closed) from 31.4 overs
Mahesh 4
Abdul 1
Imran 1
Hasan 39
Darwin 0
Zia 12
Riaz retired hurt 37
KK 7
Abbas 19
Emil 0
John 1 not out
F.O.W. - 6, 7, 7, 8, 49, 89, 113, 113, 138
Nomads lost by 50 runs
Man of the Match - KK
Fielder of the Day - Imran
More details when I get the scorebook next week.
Northfields - 188 all out from 37.5 overs
Nomads' bowling figures;
Abbas 5-0-27-0
KK 7.5-0-18-4
Zia 7-0-44-1
Hasan 8-2-31-1
Riaz 4-0-19-2
Emil 4-0-29-0
Imran 2-0-10-1
Abdul 1-0-10-0
Clapham Nomads - 138 for 9 (innings closed) from 31.4 overs
Mahesh 4
Abdul 1
Imran 1
Hasan 39
Darwin 0
Zia 12
Riaz retired hurt 37
KK 7
Abbas 19
Emil 0
John 1 not out
F.O.W. - 6, 7, 7, 8, 49, 89, 113, 113, 138
Nomads lost by 50 runs
Man of the Match - KK
Fielder of the Day - Imran
Saturday 20 July 2019
Clapham Nomads v Ruislip Orientals - 14/7/19
Nomads did not have a scheduled fixture on this date but, despite the likelihood of the World Cup Final being shown on Proper television, we agreed to get a fixture via Internet or Conference. I arranged a match on the Wednesday against a team who sounded very keen, only for them to drop out on Friday as they wanted to watch the Final. Congratulations to **cc, you became the first team in 26 seasons (about 70 short notice fixtures) to cancel a game arranged at short notice via Conference or Internet against the Nomads. I hope you were cheering on New Zealand...(by the way, how was the Final? I heard it was a half-decent game.)
Anyway, I managed to get yet another replacement fixture against Ruislip Orientals and, knowing the strength of Middlesex clubs, prepared to face the music.
The opposition had some interesting ideas such as bowling 10 overs in a row from one end and then reverting to the other end for the next 10 overs to save time (which actually does sound like a good idea) and also adopting the "free hit" rule for No Balls but, Nomads being about as traditionalist a Sunday team as you can get, we eventually settled on normal rules.
After an early wicket, Ruislip made progress which alternated between the steady and the remorseless and the second wicket did not fall until Emil came on just before drinks in the 18th or 19th over. The score was well over 100. I had been sub-fielding and I came off to prepare the tea and, for a while, this coincided with an improvement in our fortunes, with Emil taking 2 further wickets and Riaz claiming a couple. However, Orientals must have re-asserted themselves dramatically while I was opening food packets and warding off dogs as, when Hasan took the last 2 wickets in the final over, they had recorded 269, which I think is the 3rd-highest score made against the Nomads and possibly the highest in a 35-over a side game.
This was an extremely tall order and Nomads could not have started much worse with Darwin falling early on, followed by Mahesh to a confusing run out and then, surprisingly, Hasan. Nomads were 4 for 3. The visitors were thoroughly enjoying themselves and were in giggling, chucklesome form. Mind you, nothing deflates the cricket comedy quite like a star batsman being given Not Out to an extremely adjacent LBW appeal and that is what happened. I had to leave shortly after this - not just because of the decision; I had to go to work - but Zia was already beginning to make rapid progress, supported by the very impressive and correct-looking left-hander Imran, brother of KK.
When a copy of the scores dropped through my door the next day I was pleased to find that, although we had almost inevitably lost, we had at least made it fairly respectable, with Zia, Imran and also KK making very useful contributions with the bat.
Not quite as dramatic as events at Lord's but still a useful recovery from a terrible position. A great perfomance in the field from Abbas as well with 3 catches and a run out.
Ruislip Orientals - 269 all out from 34.3 overs
Nomads' bowling
Zia 7-0-31-1
KK 6-0-49-1
Abbas 6-0-62-0
Imran 3-0-24-0
Emil 6-0-34-3
Riaz 4-0-23-2
Rayan 2-0-10-0
Hasan 0.3-0-4-2
Clapham Nomads 209 for 6 from 35 overs
Darwin 0
Mahesh 0
Riaz 9
Hasan 0
Zia 76
Imran 56 not out
Abbas 6
KK 28 (retired)
Rayan 0 not out
Did not bat; Emil (capt), John (wkt) - Sub Fielder (19 overs) - Nick
F.O.W. - 0, 4, 4, 39, 134, 162
Nomads lost by 60 runs.
Man of the Match - Zia
Fielder of the Day - Abbas.
I will update the previous 2 matches with scores and more details once I have got the scorebook back, hopefully next week.
Anyway, I managed to get yet another replacement fixture against Ruislip Orientals and, knowing the strength of Middlesex clubs, prepared to face the music.
The opposition had some interesting ideas such as bowling 10 overs in a row from one end and then reverting to the other end for the next 10 overs to save time (which actually does sound like a good idea) and also adopting the "free hit" rule for No Balls but, Nomads being about as traditionalist a Sunday team as you can get, we eventually settled on normal rules.
After an early wicket, Ruislip made progress which alternated between the steady and the remorseless and the second wicket did not fall until Emil came on just before drinks in the 18th or 19th over. The score was well over 100. I had been sub-fielding and I came off to prepare the tea and, for a while, this coincided with an improvement in our fortunes, with Emil taking 2 further wickets and Riaz claiming a couple. However, Orientals must have re-asserted themselves dramatically while I was opening food packets and warding off dogs as, when Hasan took the last 2 wickets in the final over, they had recorded 269, which I think is the 3rd-highest score made against the Nomads and possibly the highest in a 35-over a side game.
This was an extremely tall order and Nomads could not have started much worse with Darwin falling early on, followed by Mahesh to a confusing run out and then, surprisingly, Hasan. Nomads were 4 for 3. The visitors were thoroughly enjoying themselves and were in giggling, chucklesome form. Mind you, nothing deflates the cricket comedy quite like a star batsman being given Not Out to an extremely adjacent LBW appeal and that is what happened. I had to leave shortly after this - not just because of the decision; I had to go to work - but Zia was already beginning to make rapid progress, supported by the very impressive and correct-looking left-hander Imran, brother of KK.
When a copy of the scores dropped through my door the next day I was pleased to find that, although we had almost inevitably lost, we had at least made it fairly respectable, with Zia, Imran and also KK making very useful contributions with the bat.
Not quite as dramatic as events at Lord's but still a useful recovery from a terrible position. A great perfomance in the field from Abbas as well with 3 catches and a run out.
Ruislip Orientals - 269 all out from 34.3 overs
Nomads' bowling
Zia 7-0-31-1
KK 6-0-49-1
Abbas 6-0-62-0
Imran 3-0-24-0
Emil 6-0-34-3
Riaz 4-0-23-2
Rayan 2-0-10-0
Hasan 0.3-0-4-2
Clapham Nomads 209 for 6 from 35 overs
Darwin 0
Mahesh 0
Riaz 9
Hasan 0
Zia 76
Imran 56 not out
Abbas 6
KK 28 (retired)
Rayan 0 not out
Did not bat; Emil (capt), John (wkt) - Sub Fielder (19 overs) - Nick
F.O.W. - 0, 4, 4, 39, 134, 162
Nomads lost by 60 runs.
Man of the Match - Zia
Fielder of the Day - Abbas.
I will update the previous 2 matches with scores and more details once I have got the scorebook back, hopefully next week.
Tuesday 9 July 2019
India Legends v Clapham Nomads - 7/7/19
Nomads made the long journey down to the excellent Bromley Common Cricket Club to play India Legends, who have beaten us in each of the last 2 seasons.
Nomads fielded and there was a return for Sami who roared in at good pace downhill and found the edge of the bat in taking the first 2 wickets to fall. A routine pouch by keeper John Crossland and one of his trademark reflex, diving efforts by Mahesh "The Cat" Vyas at slip.
Despite this, the Legends looked strong and they imposed a vice-like grip on early proceedings, moving up to 115 for 2 off 15 overs.
The introduction of slower bowlers seemed to change things round and Riaz and Emil bowled excellent spells. Emil, in particular, really got under the skins of the Home side with his mixture of deception and wizardry as he reverted to his old winning formula of alternating rank wides with deceptive, almost unplayable floaters on the stumps. The latter type of delivery accounted for 4 victims; 3 caught and a a plumb LBW. He had a further excellent shout for leg before turned down and, in his final over, with ardent Todorow fans and fans of free drinks roaring the veteran on, the batsman chipped the ball just short of the legendary figure, As Nomads' Poet Laureate John Crossland might have put it; "If he could dive, he would have had five."
Emil's 4 for about 20 was the highlight of the second half of Legends' innings, a period of 18.3 overs where they only managed 59 for 8 against some high quality Nomads bowling and fielding - particularly the catching. I think they just about all stuck. Great work in the field from Darwin, Zia, Abdul and Hasan in addition to the people already mentioned.
Nomads faced a target of 170 for the win.
In reply, Mahesh and Abdul maintained their habit of getting us off to a decent start though there was an interesting incident. Mahesh was backing up too far and the bowler swiped the bails off. Umpire Todorow insisted that this should just count as a warning to the batsman. The bowler promptly did the same thing again in the following over and our opener was out. Sportingly, the Legends' captain Puneet recalled Mahesh to the crease and had his reward a few balls later in dismissing Mahesh with a full toss. Trouble soon followed as we slipped from 31 for 0 to 34 for 3. Thankfully we had Hasan and Zia to fall back on and last season's player of the year showed a return to his very best form with 10 off the first over he faced and he raced to 50 with the partnership standing at just 61. Hasan played a very sensible supporting role. This was all achieved against probably the best 2 opposition bowlers and the result did not look in much doubt once Nomads passed 120 and these bowlers had completed their spells. Hasan fell caught behind but Abbas strode out to complete the job. At 163 for 4 and with Zia on 89 not out, I pointed out to Zia that if he got all the 6 runs to equal India's score, or even 5 of them, and then won the match with a 6, he could notch up another ton. However, Nomads are just a ruthless winning machine on their day and Abbas just clouted 2 fours to wrap things up with over 8 overs to spare.
The Legends' skipper was quick at the end of their match to hint that they might not have been at their absolute full strength (probably true) and he invited us for another day out in Bromley on 15th September. Their thirst for vengeance will be strong.
India Legends - 169 all out from 33.3 overs
Nomads' bowling figures;
Sami 5-0-27-2
KK 5-0-27-0
Abbas 4.3-0-33-1
Zia 5-0-22-1
Emil 7-0-26-4
Riaz 7-0-25-2
Clapham Nomads - 171 for 4 from approx 24.3 overs.
Mahesh 8
Abdul 15
Darwin 1
Hasan 22
Zia not out 89
Abbas not out 18
Did not bat; Riaz, KK, Sami, Emil (capt), John (wkt)
F.O.W. - 31, 38, 38, 140
Nomads won by 6 wickets.
Man of the Match - Zia
Fielder of the Day - Mahesh
Nomads fielded and there was a return for Sami who roared in at good pace downhill and found the edge of the bat in taking the first 2 wickets to fall. A routine pouch by keeper John Crossland and one of his trademark reflex, diving efforts by Mahesh "The Cat" Vyas at slip.
Despite this, the Legends looked strong and they imposed a vice-like grip on early proceedings, moving up to 115 for 2 off 15 overs.
The introduction of slower bowlers seemed to change things round and Riaz and Emil bowled excellent spells. Emil, in particular, really got under the skins of the Home side with his mixture of deception and wizardry as he reverted to his old winning formula of alternating rank wides with deceptive, almost unplayable floaters on the stumps. The latter type of delivery accounted for 4 victims; 3 caught and a a plumb LBW. He had a further excellent shout for leg before turned down and, in his final over, with ardent Todorow fans and fans of free drinks roaring the veteran on, the batsman chipped the ball just short of the legendary figure, As Nomads' Poet Laureate John Crossland might have put it; "If he could dive, he would have had five."
Emil's 4 for about 20 was the highlight of the second half of Legends' innings, a period of 18.3 overs where they only managed 59 for 8 against some high quality Nomads bowling and fielding - particularly the catching. I think they just about all stuck. Great work in the field from Darwin, Zia, Abdul and Hasan in addition to the people already mentioned.
Nomads faced a target of 170 for the win.
In reply, Mahesh and Abdul maintained their habit of getting us off to a decent start though there was an interesting incident. Mahesh was backing up too far and the bowler swiped the bails off. Umpire Todorow insisted that this should just count as a warning to the batsman. The bowler promptly did the same thing again in the following over and our opener was out. Sportingly, the Legends' captain Puneet recalled Mahesh to the crease and had his reward a few balls later in dismissing Mahesh with a full toss. Trouble soon followed as we slipped from 31 for 0 to 34 for 3. Thankfully we had Hasan and Zia to fall back on and last season's player of the year showed a return to his very best form with 10 off the first over he faced and he raced to 50 with the partnership standing at just 61. Hasan played a very sensible supporting role. This was all achieved against probably the best 2 opposition bowlers and the result did not look in much doubt once Nomads passed 120 and these bowlers had completed their spells. Hasan fell caught behind but Abbas strode out to complete the job. At 163 for 4 and with Zia on 89 not out, I pointed out to Zia that if he got all the 6 runs to equal India's score, or even 5 of them, and then won the match with a 6, he could notch up another ton. However, Nomads are just a ruthless winning machine on their day and Abbas just clouted 2 fours to wrap things up with over 8 overs to spare.
The Legends' skipper was quick at the end of their match to hint that they might not have been at their absolute full strength (probably true) and he invited us for another day out in Bromley on 15th September. Their thirst for vengeance will be strong.
India Legends - 169 all out from 33.3 overs
Nomads' bowling figures;
Sami 5-0-27-2
KK 5-0-27-0
Abbas 4.3-0-33-1
Zia 5-0-22-1
Emil 7-0-26-4
Riaz 7-0-25-2
Clapham Nomads - 171 for 4 from approx 24.3 overs.
Mahesh 8
Abdul 15
Darwin 1
Hasan 22
Zia not out 89
Abbas not out 18
Did not bat; Riaz, KK, Sami, Emil (capt), John (wkt)
F.O.W. - 31, 38, 38, 140
Nomads won by 6 wickets.
Man of the Match - Zia
Fielder of the Day - Mahesh
Monday 1 July 2019
Clapham Nomads v Charing Cross Hospital Staff - 30/6/19
Following the collapse of Nomads' fixture against Surbiton Imperials (it was rumoured they found watching England v India in the world cup more appealing than playing the Nomads - hard to believe, I know) we found well-matched replacements in Charing Cross Hospital Staff cc for our fixture on Sunday.
Our visitors won the toss and batted - Nomads insisting on 35 overs a side rather than 40 that "The Medics" wanted. It was just as well we decided on 35 - more of that later.
Anyway, just a brief summary until I get the scorebook back. Nomads' bowling and fielding was a little lacklustre at times, with a notable exception being an excellent juggling reflex catch from Zia. There was a wicket on around 25 and we were not too badly placed at drinks with the visitors about 85 for 3 from 17. The batsmen, cut loose rather in the second half, with several overs going for 15 plus. The pitch was excellent, some of the boundaries short and the outfield rapid but Charing finished on 225 for 7 at tea which looked a very tall order.
In reply, Mahesh and Abdul once again started fairly well with about 30 for the 1st wicket but 2 quick wickets - Mahesh and Darwin - then fell. At drinks we were in a roughly similar position to where Charing Cross had been, but we had Hasan and Zia just beginning to get going. Zia surprisingly fell shortly afterwards for a good knock of 25 of so but excellent attacking stroke play from Hasan and Riaz began to rattle the opposition, without it seeming as if Nomads were in a winning position. The announcement that Nomads were on 160 with 66 needed at just over a run a ball seemed to shake the fielding side but was also followed by the departure of Hasan for an excellent 74. Fortunately Riaz kept his head in difficult circumstances and, with fine support from KK, kept Nomads in with a shout. With 18 needed off the last 2 overs, there was a lengthy delay as the wicketkeeper removed his pads and gloves and prepared to bowl. If this was timewasting it backfired spectacularly as 12 were taken from the over and then, following another lengthy delay as the keeper put his gear back on again, Riaz hit 2 boundaries in 3 or 4 balls to finish on a match-winning 72 not out and secure a famous victory for the Nomads.
There was a fair bit of controversy, more of which when I do the update.
Charing Cross Hospital Staff - 225 for 8 from 35 overs
Nomads' bowling;
Zia 7-1-28-2
KK 7-1-43-2
Abbas 5-0-48-1
Riaz 6-1-18-1
Hasan 3-0-24-0
Emil 3-0-28-0
Abdul 2-0-6-0
Rayan 2-0-9-1
Clapham Nomads - 228 for 5 from 34.2 overs
Mahesh 11
Abdul 17
Darwin 1
Hasan 74
Zia 19
Riaz 72 not out
KK 17 not out
Did not bat; Abbas, Emil (capt), John (wkt), Rayan
F.O.W. - 27, 30, 39, 111, 164
Nomads won by 5 wickets.
Man of the match - Riaz
Fielder of the day - Zia
Our visitors won the toss and batted - Nomads insisting on 35 overs a side rather than 40 that "The Medics" wanted. It was just as well we decided on 35 - more of that later.
Anyway, just a brief summary until I get the scorebook back. Nomads' bowling and fielding was a little lacklustre at times, with a notable exception being an excellent juggling reflex catch from Zia. There was a wicket on around 25 and we were not too badly placed at drinks with the visitors about 85 for 3 from 17. The batsmen, cut loose rather in the second half, with several overs going for 15 plus. The pitch was excellent, some of the boundaries short and the outfield rapid but Charing finished on 225 for 7 at tea which looked a very tall order.
In reply, Mahesh and Abdul once again started fairly well with about 30 for the 1st wicket but 2 quick wickets - Mahesh and Darwin - then fell. At drinks we were in a roughly similar position to where Charing Cross had been, but we had Hasan and Zia just beginning to get going. Zia surprisingly fell shortly afterwards for a good knock of 25 of so but excellent attacking stroke play from Hasan and Riaz began to rattle the opposition, without it seeming as if Nomads were in a winning position. The announcement that Nomads were on 160 with 66 needed at just over a run a ball seemed to shake the fielding side but was also followed by the departure of Hasan for an excellent 74. Fortunately Riaz kept his head in difficult circumstances and, with fine support from KK, kept Nomads in with a shout. With 18 needed off the last 2 overs, there was a lengthy delay as the wicketkeeper removed his pads and gloves and prepared to bowl. If this was timewasting it backfired spectacularly as 12 were taken from the over and then, following another lengthy delay as the keeper put his gear back on again, Riaz hit 2 boundaries in 3 or 4 balls to finish on a match-winning 72 not out and secure a famous victory for the Nomads.
There was a fair bit of controversy, more of which when I do the update.
Charing Cross Hospital Staff - 225 for 8 from 35 overs
Nomads' bowling;
Zia 7-1-28-2
KK 7-1-43-2
Abbas 5-0-48-1
Riaz 6-1-18-1
Hasan 3-0-24-0
Emil 3-0-28-0
Abdul 2-0-6-0
Rayan 2-0-9-1
Clapham Nomads - 228 for 5 from 34.2 overs
Mahesh 11
Abdul 17
Darwin 1
Hasan 74
Zia 19
Riaz 72 not out
KK 17 not out
Did not bat; Abbas, Emil (capt), John (wkt), Rayan
F.O.W. - 27, 30, 39, 111, 164
Nomads won by 5 wickets.
Man of the match - Riaz
Fielder of the day - Zia
Saturday 29 June 2019
Wimbledon United v Clapham Nomads - 23/6/19
Nomads were inserted by the hosts in another local derby against Wimbledon United at Cottenham Park. A fine opening partnership of 55 (our best 1st wicket stand of the season so far) between Mahesh and Abdul got us off to a very solid start, though economical spells from Peter Brown and Ian kept a brake on the scoring rate. First-changer Patel made the breakthrough in what must have been about the 18th over. Despite missing star all-rounder Hasan, Nomads had a hard-hitting middle order and local householders must have been quaking in their boots - and glaziers and garages rubbing their hands in anticipation - as Riaz and Zia prepared to clear the short boundary and the trees and rattle nearby windows and cars. They achieved a six each but United's bowlers just have that knack of popping up with wickets at the most inconvenient time and a match-changing mini-collapse took us from 94 for 2 to 98 for 5. Nomads' late-middle order, including new man Shairy, kept chipping away but a further burst for the home side took Nomads from 144 for 6 down to 148 for 9. Thankfully an excellent 10th wicket partnership between KK and John dragged us up to semi-respectability on 170 before KK was caught behind off the returning Ian on the penultimate ball of the innings.
This is the sort of total we have reached in a number of games against Wimbledon, and we have won some of them, but United's historically strong batting seems to have moved up a gear in the last year or so, judging by their scores, despite the loss of star man Dave Hitchman. All Nomads' main bowlers returned respectable figures, particularly Zia, but John and Emil told me that the home side progressed to the target with comparatively little difficulty and won by 6 wickets with almost 5 overs to spare. Still a reasonable perfomance against a team whose batting is becoming formidable and a nice tea as usual.
Clapham Nomads 170 all out from 39.5 overs
Mahesh 19
Abdul 38
Rafi 8
Riaz 25
Darwin 0
Zia 31
Shairy 7
KK 25
Abbas 0
Emil (capt) 0
John 3 not out
F.O.W - 55, 61, 94, 94, 98, 123, 144, 144, 148, 170
Wimbledon United 171 for 4 from 35.2 overs
Nomads' bowling;
Zia 8-1-20-1
KK 8-0-35-0
Abbas 7-1-28-2
Riaz 6-1-35-1
Abdul 2-0-23-0
Emil 3-0-19-0
Shairy 1.2-0-8-0
Nomads lost by 6 wickets
Man of the Match - Abdul
Fielder of the Day - to be decided
This is the sort of total we have reached in a number of games against Wimbledon, and we have won some of them, but United's historically strong batting seems to have moved up a gear in the last year or so, judging by their scores, despite the loss of star man Dave Hitchman. All Nomads' main bowlers returned respectable figures, particularly Zia, but John and Emil told me that the home side progressed to the target with comparatively little difficulty and won by 6 wickets with almost 5 overs to spare. Still a reasonable perfomance against a team whose batting is becoming formidable and a nice tea as usual.
Clapham Nomads 170 all out from 39.5 overs
Mahesh 19
Abdul 38
Rafi 8
Riaz 25
Darwin 0
Zia 31
Shairy 7
KK 25
Abbas 0
Emil (capt) 0
John 3 not out
F.O.W - 55, 61, 94, 94, 98, 123, 144, 144, 148, 170
Wimbledon United 171 for 4 from 35.2 overs
Nomads' bowling;
Zia 8-1-20-1
KK 8-0-35-0
Abbas 7-1-28-2
Riaz 6-1-35-1
Abdul 2-0-23-0
Emil 3-0-19-0
Shairy 1.2-0-8-0
Nomads lost by 6 wickets
Man of the Match - Abdul
Fielder of the Day - to be decided
Tuesday 11 June 2019
Energy Exiles v Clapham Nomads - 9/6/19
Clapham Nomads made a great return from our break for Ramadan and Eid with one of our most convincing wins over local rivals Energy Exiles at Nursery Road on Sunday.
Exiles were missing a few regulars; notably Simon Gundry, Keith Roberts, Chris Plume and Bernard Leuvennink, and it was pretty much a full-strength Clapham selection but it was still a fantastic win.
Exiles won the toss and, after a good start, collapsed somewhat but then made a recovery with a fine 10th wicket stand of about 40 between experienced campaigners Andy Wingfield and Phil Ling. Emil claims credit for eventually breaking this stand by getting fielders to come up and crowd Ling. The final total was 180 which Exiles felt was 30 or so below par, but Nomads' keeper John Crossland said later he felt the game might have slipped away. I haven't seen the bowling figures but it was our best bowling of the season so far. Emil, despite being at his own admission not at his awesome best physically, bowled a good spell of 5 overs and took a wicket.
Exiles new "Tea Lady" provided quality refreshment before Nomads began their reply.
It was good to have Abdul back at the top of our order but, despite obdurate resistance from Mahesh and some quick runs from Darwin, Exiles had us in considerable trouble at 48 for 3. Fortunately we had the reliable firm of Hasan and Zia - "destroying opposing attacks a speciality" - in reserve and they did not disappoint. A fantastic unbeaten partnership of 135 took Nomads past the home side's total with around 8 overs to spare. Both Hasan (top scorer) and Zia made half-centuries.
John picked out Zia as the pick of the bowlers. I'll have to check the stats to see if this was our most convincing win over the Exiles - it must have been close; a great win.
MORE DETAIL TO FOLLOW WHEN I HAVE SEEN THE SCOREBOOK....
Energy Exiles - 180 all out in 38.1 overs
Nomads' bowling;
Sami 8-1-35-2
KK 6.1-0-25-1
Abbas 8-1-45-3
Zia 8-1-34-3
Riaz 3-2-5-0
Emil 5-0-29-1
Clapham Nomads - 183 for 3 from 32.1 overs
Mahesh 4
Abdul 5
Darwin 18
Hasan 76 not out
Zia 64 not out
F.O.W. - 8, 30, 48
Did not bat: Riaz, Abbas, KK, Emil (capt), Sami, John (wkt)
Clapham Nomads won by 7 wickets.
Man of the Match - Zia
Fielder of the Day (2 catches) - Abbas
Exiles were missing a few regulars; notably Simon Gundry, Keith Roberts, Chris Plume and Bernard Leuvennink, and it was pretty much a full-strength Clapham selection but it was still a fantastic win.
Exiles won the toss and, after a good start, collapsed somewhat but then made a recovery with a fine 10th wicket stand of about 40 between experienced campaigners Andy Wingfield and Phil Ling. Emil claims credit for eventually breaking this stand by getting fielders to come up and crowd Ling. The final total was 180 which Exiles felt was 30 or so below par, but Nomads' keeper John Crossland said later he felt the game might have slipped away. I haven't seen the bowling figures but it was our best bowling of the season so far. Emil, despite being at his own admission not at his awesome best physically, bowled a good spell of 5 overs and took a wicket.
Exiles new "Tea Lady" provided quality refreshment before Nomads began their reply.
It was good to have Abdul back at the top of our order but, despite obdurate resistance from Mahesh and some quick runs from Darwin, Exiles had us in considerable trouble at 48 for 3. Fortunately we had the reliable firm of Hasan and Zia - "destroying opposing attacks a speciality" - in reserve and they did not disappoint. A fantastic unbeaten partnership of 135 took Nomads past the home side's total with around 8 overs to spare. Both Hasan (top scorer) and Zia made half-centuries.
John picked out Zia as the pick of the bowlers. I'll have to check the stats to see if this was our most convincing win over the Exiles - it must have been close; a great win.
MORE DETAIL TO FOLLOW WHEN I HAVE SEEN THE SCOREBOOK....
Energy Exiles - 180 all out in 38.1 overs
Nomads' bowling;
Sami 8-1-35-2
KK 6.1-0-25-1
Abbas 8-1-45-3
Zia 8-1-34-3
Riaz 3-2-5-0
Emil 5-0-29-1
Clapham Nomads - 183 for 3 from 32.1 overs
Mahesh 4
Abdul 5
Darwin 18
Hasan 76 not out
Zia 64 not out
F.O.W. - 8, 30, 48
Did not bat: Riaz, Abbas, KK, Emil (capt), Sami, John (wkt)
Clapham Nomads won by 7 wickets.
Man of the Match - Zia
Fielder of the Day (2 catches) - Abbas
Tuesday 7 May 2019
Energy Exiles v Clapham Nomads - 5/5/19
Clapham Nomads had arranged a last-minute fixture against Spencer cc but arrived at Spencer's fine ground off Burntwood Lane to find we were playing none other than old friends the Energy Exiles. It seems that Spencer were due to play the Exiles but had not been able to raise a team so they lined us up instead, for which we were more than grateful. This was rather like going to see a band play in a pub and finding it is the Rolling Stones. Or going to your Auntie's and finding it is Joan Collins. Or going for breakfast in a greasy spoon caff and finding that Gordon Ramsay is frying the sausages. Actually, a more apt analogy would be picking a fight against a fat bloke and finding that it is Tyson Fury. We were battered as usual
Well it wasn't quite as bad as John and Emil made out. Exiles were well-led by their new skipper Bernard Leuvennink and had several familiar faces; Keith Roberts, Andy Wingfield, Jibran Ahmed, Chris Plume and the great Naren Patel. Exiles piled on the runs (this is what they do) but the highlight was 65 off 50-odd balls (including 5 sixes) by former Nomads player Bilal Musakhel who helped Nomads win the Epsom 20-20 Championship a few years back. Exiles finished on 202 for 5 which is roughly the sort of total we were conceding in many games last season.
Nomads were soon put under pressure and fell behind the rate thanks to a great spell of 1 for 7 from 5 overs by the returning legend N.Patel who has not bowled against us for several years. This must have been bowling of the utmost craftiness. I wish I had seen it. As last week, Nomads did not really take off with the bat, but once again we showed resilience. What really took the game away from us was a 4 wicket haul from Andy Wingfield which included 2 leg-side wicketkeeping catches in one over - one of them the vital wicket of Hasan - and a jaffa to prise out Emil Todorow. KK and John Crossland batted it out at the death to ensure we were not bowled out but the final total of 135 for 8 must be one of our lowest hauls for some time in a full 35-over innings.
Top scorer was Abbas with 35 - keeping up his good form.
There was a fine performance from the youthful debutant Salman. 24 runs and some clever leg spin.
Now I would never ever make cheap excuses for a defeat against the Exiles but we did have only 10 men and were missing Sami and last season's player of the year Zia.
Many thanks to Ian from Spencer cc for setting up the fixture (and playing) and saving the day for Nomads and Exiles.
Energy Exiles - 202 for 5 from 35 overs
Nomads' bowling;
Hasan 6-0-34-0
KK 7-1-21-1
Salman 7-1-40-0
Abbas 7-0-54-2
Riaz 6-1-26-1
Emil 2-0-23-0
Clapham Nomads - 135 for 8 from 35 overs.
Mahesh 13
Darwin 5
Salman 24
Hasan 9
Rafi 12
Riaz 6
KK 25 not out
Abbas 35
Emil (capt) 0
John (wkt) 0 not out
F.O.W - 8, 23, 53, 54, 66, 77, 134, 134
Nomads lost by 67 runs.
Man of the Match was KK - The most economical bowler, the second-highest scorer and he was still there at the end.
Fielder of the Day - I wasn't there but based on the stats I will give it to Darwin for engineering a run out.
No games now until 9th June when we are playing.................Energy Exiles.
Best wishes for Ramadan to all.
Well it wasn't quite as bad as John and Emil made out. Exiles were well-led by their new skipper Bernard Leuvennink and had several familiar faces; Keith Roberts, Andy Wingfield, Jibran Ahmed, Chris Plume and the great Naren Patel. Exiles piled on the runs (this is what they do) but the highlight was 65 off 50-odd balls (including 5 sixes) by former Nomads player Bilal Musakhel who helped Nomads win the Epsom 20-20 Championship a few years back. Exiles finished on 202 for 5 which is roughly the sort of total we were conceding in many games last season.
Nomads were soon put under pressure and fell behind the rate thanks to a great spell of 1 for 7 from 5 overs by the returning legend N.Patel who has not bowled against us for several years. This must have been bowling of the utmost craftiness. I wish I had seen it. As last week, Nomads did not really take off with the bat, but once again we showed resilience. What really took the game away from us was a 4 wicket haul from Andy Wingfield which included 2 leg-side wicketkeeping catches in one over - one of them the vital wicket of Hasan - and a jaffa to prise out Emil Todorow. KK and John Crossland batted it out at the death to ensure we were not bowled out but the final total of 135 for 8 must be one of our lowest hauls for some time in a full 35-over innings.
Top scorer was Abbas with 35 - keeping up his good form.
There was a fine performance from the youthful debutant Salman. 24 runs and some clever leg spin.
Now I would never ever make cheap excuses for a defeat against the Exiles but we did have only 10 men and were missing Sami and last season's player of the year Zia.
Many thanks to Ian from Spencer cc for setting up the fixture (and playing) and saving the day for Nomads and Exiles.
Energy Exiles - 202 for 5 from 35 overs
Nomads' bowling;
Hasan 6-0-34-0
KK 7-1-21-1
Salman 7-1-40-0
Abbas 7-0-54-2
Riaz 6-1-26-1
Emil 2-0-23-0
Clapham Nomads - 135 for 8 from 35 overs.
Mahesh 13
Darwin 5
Salman 24
Hasan 9
Rafi 12
Riaz 6
KK 25 not out
Abbas 35
Emil (capt) 0
John (wkt) 0 not out
F.O.W - 8, 23, 53, 54, 66, 77, 134, 134
Nomads lost by 67 runs.
Man of the Match was KK - The most economical bowler, the second-highest scorer and he was still there at the end.
Fielder of the Day - I wasn't there but based on the stats I will give it to Darwin for engineering a run out.
No games now until 9th June when we are playing.................Energy Exiles.
Best wishes for Ramadan to all.
Wednesday 1 May 2019
Ham and Petersham v Clapham Nomads - 28/4/19
PROVISIONAL REPORT -
Clapham Nomads began their season with a hard-fought draw against old friends Ham and Petersham last Sunday.
I was sleeping while this match was being played so here is a brief account based on the unbiased words of Mr Emil Todorow.
Nomads' skipper Todorow inserted the strong-looking home side and Clapham did quite well to keep them to 225 for 4. Hasan took a fine catch on the boundary to give Emil a wicket just after the Bulgarian-born legend had been hit for 2 successive sixes. Riaz took one of the other wickets, suddenly producing a good straight one just after bowling 2 wide leg breaks. Emil praised Riaz's variation but was apparently berated by outspoken keeper John Crossland for talking ***t!
Nomads lost Darwin early on and then Mahesh stuck it out well against a very strong new ball attack before departing. There was a return for Rafi who played some cracking shots in a cameo of 15. Emil told me that the top scorers were Hasan and Abbas but regular wickets fell, although we were still only around 7 down when KK saw it off at the end to secure a fairly comfortable draw. Apparently our cause was greatly helped when one of the Home side's star bowlers walked off after an exchange of views with his captain.
Not a bad start for the Clapham side. Sounds like the Man of the Match might have been Hasan but I'll wait until I see the scorebook.
UPDATED REPORT - I now have the scorebook and notice that this match was much closer than I had been told. Nomads only faced 33 overs in this time game and so the target of 226 was always going to be very tough. However, a brilliant innings of 83 from Hasan had us looking very respectable at 154 for 5 before he was run out. Had he gone on to get his ton, we could have been in a position to claim a winning draw but 2 late wickets left Nomads on 166 for 7 which was still a very decent performance. Abbas was probably the pick of the bowlers with a tight 7-over spell which only went for 28. Riaz took 2 of the 4 wickets to fall.
Ham and Petersham 225 for 4 from 37 overs
Nomads' bowling -
Sami 6-0-30-0
Zia 5-0-31-0
KK 7-0-35-1
Abbas 7-0-28-0
Hasan 2-0-21-0
Riaz 6-0-42-2
Emil 4-0-34-1
Clapham Nomads 166 for 7 from 33 overs
Mahesh 0
Darwin 1
Rafi 15
Hasan 83
Zia 2
Riaz 19
Abbas 25
KK 0 not out
Sami 0 not out
Did not bat: Emil (capt), John (Wkt)
F.O.W. - 6, 21, 37, 61, 94, 154, 166
Man of the Match - Hasan
Fielder of the Day - Hasan
Clapham Nomads began their season with a hard-fought draw against old friends Ham and Petersham last Sunday.
I was sleeping while this match was being played so here is a brief account based on the unbiased words of Mr Emil Todorow.
Nomads' skipper Todorow inserted the strong-looking home side and Clapham did quite well to keep them to 225 for 4. Hasan took a fine catch on the boundary to give Emil a wicket just after the Bulgarian-born legend had been hit for 2 successive sixes. Riaz took one of the other wickets, suddenly producing a good straight one just after bowling 2 wide leg breaks. Emil praised Riaz's variation but was apparently berated by outspoken keeper John Crossland for talking ***t!
Nomads lost Darwin early on and then Mahesh stuck it out well against a very strong new ball attack before departing. There was a return for Rafi who played some cracking shots in a cameo of 15. Emil told me that the top scorers were Hasan and Abbas but regular wickets fell, although we were still only around 7 down when KK saw it off at the end to secure a fairly comfortable draw. Apparently our cause was greatly helped when one of the Home side's star bowlers walked off after an exchange of views with his captain.
Not a bad start for the Clapham side. Sounds like the Man of the Match might have been Hasan but I'll wait until I see the scorebook.
UPDATED REPORT - I now have the scorebook and notice that this match was much closer than I had been told. Nomads only faced 33 overs in this time game and so the target of 226 was always going to be very tough. However, a brilliant innings of 83 from Hasan had us looking very respectable at 154 for 5 before he was run out. Had he gone on to get his ton, we could have been in a position to claim a winning draw but 2 late wickets left Nomads on 166 for 7 which was still a very decent performance. Abbas was probably the pick of the bowlers with a tight 7-over spell which only went for 28. Riaz took 2 of the 4 wickets to fall.
Ham and Petersham 225 for 4 from 37 overs
Nomads' bowling -
Sami 6-0-30-0
Zia 5-0-31-0
KK 7-0-35-1
Abbas 7-0-28-0
Hasan 2-0-21-0
Riaz 6-0-42-2
Emil 4-0-34-1
Clapham Nomads 166 for 7 from 33 overs
Mahesh 0
Darwin 1
Rafi 15
Hasan 83
Zia 2
Riaz 19
Abbas 25
KK 0 not out
Sami 0 not out
Did not bat: Emil (capt), John (Wkt)
F.O.W. - 6, 21, 37, 61, 94, 154, 166
Man of the Match - Hasan
Fielder of the Day - Hasan
Thursday 28 March 2019
Seasons in the Sun - cricket in the 1970s
As I've hinted in this blog and on facebook, I've been very busy and my mind has been elsewhere. What happened is that my father become very ill in September last year and died peacefully in January. He was 83 and lived a full life.
One effect of losing a parent, however much it was expected, is that you tend to think back to a period when they were in their prime and that is why I am having to spill out this piece which is mainly about cricket in 1973 and 1974. It is not sentimental and I apologise if it is self-indulgent crap but, after all, there is no shortage of that on-line.
It is a time which is too recent to be history but just far enough round the corner to seem incredibly exotic now, with its half-covered pitches, test match stars in every county side and shaggy-haired, helmetless journeymen whose idea of exercise was repeatedly lifting a beer glass to the mouth with their right hands.
My father was born into a sporting family but he never really inherited the sporting gene. He liked athletics but he hated, or pretended to hate, football. He took the piss out of racing but he tolerated my interest in cricket as a 12-year-old; I think he believed playing and watching cricket would keep me in respectable company ... this was many years before the Nomads.
I started playing in 1973 when I was walking across Wandsworth Common and was collared by someone who was in the year above at school and was on the fringes of the Under 14 XI. He shared the name of a famous Film Star. He pretty much ordered me to bowl at him - the wicket was a tree. I took a long run up, Mike Procter-style, sprinted to the crease (a coat on the floor), stopped completely and delivered the ball. It sailed over Film Star's head and hit a branch about 20 feet off the ground. Never mind; we didn't play the No Ball rule. Out! I was accepted by the local lads as an occasional bowler; a budding Left Arm Quick who did nothing with the ball but could hit the bark from time to time and could be invited to play if they were desperate.
For the summer holidays that year, my sister was packed off to Canada to spend the summer with my Aunt. I wasn't invited and the "compensation" for missing out on summer on a prairie with cousins was some extra money from my Dad. I had got the best of the bargain and I spent this money on going to the Oval for all Surrey's County Championship matches in August. I think my father was delighted with this arrangement as I was out of the house for 10 hours a day.
Surrey v Lancashire was one of those 3-day games where an almost impossible total was set, probably as a result of a manufactured declaration, but we (Film Star and Simon - the fastest runner at school - had turned up) and watched agog as my boyhood hero Younis Ahmed smashed the ball to all parts of the crowd and I can still hear the roars from the crowd of pensioners and schoolkids as he walked off for 96 - job almost done. "Crikey, how did they score so flipping quick?" we chirped as we sauntered back to the tube in the sweltering sun and saw Evening News Headlines - "What a scorcher. It's Costa del London. Capital basks in 79 degree heat." 79 degrees? We were easily pleased in the early 70s. I checked recently and Surrey scored at 4.5 an over. Not exactly 20-20 stuff. Those were different days.
The next match, the London Derby against Middlesex, was something else. I became aware of the types of people that hung around at The Oval, some of them quite scary. One of the scariest got talking to me and he offered me a Coca-Cola; this ended with him dropping his trousers under the Mound Stand and jiggling in his hand something that looked like a bail but probably wasn't. I had to run faster than I ever did as a bowler to get away from that one. Almost as scary were the kids of about my age who used to come to the ground every day to keep score. "I think you'll observe, " said one who had caught me glancing at his scorebook. "that I record all of John Edrich's dot balls with red biro." The page was a sea of red. Time to go quickly...again. Word had got round about the Lancashire game and a whole crowd of the Wandsworth Common boys found me on Day 2 and I had to play in their ongoing match which took place in every interval. This was a feature of County Cricket at the time. As soon as the players trooped off for their pork pie or Battenberg cake, a swarm of kids from 8 to ...about 35 clambered over the hoardings and started to play cricket matches on the outfield of an intensity often not matched on the pitch. The stumps were the advertising hoardings. Middle stump might be the G of Benson and Hedges or the P of Woodpecker Cider. My fielding shortcomings were exposed in front of a crowd of 5,000 and I actually received a smack in the mouth from the disgruntled bowler (behind that bloody Mound Stand again), but at least I can say that I once dropped 3 catches in 10 minutes at The Oval. Anyway, we were all friends by the end of Day 3 and, with Surrey needing 1 wicket from 2 overs, we gathered on the field by the boundary rope. It was so close to the action that it was like sitting at Mid-Off. Surrey got the vital wicket and we swarmed on.
That was a fine and entertaining Surrey side. They were almost all internationals; Edrich, Younis, Graham Roope, Geoff Howarth, Leg spinner and massive slogger Intikhab Alam, "Percy" Pocock, Geoff Arnold - intense and close to world-class, Robin Jackman - seemed a bit of a geezer and was always up for some banter with the kids crowding the boundary boards. There was the forgotten Dudley Owen-Thomas who was a sort of proto-Gower; incredibly posh, came in at 4 or 5, blocked doggedly for a bit and then suddenly smacked the ball back over the bowler's head, then played an array of classic shots and was always caught for 27 to a lofted shot.
The spectators were often as entertaining as the cricket. There was usually a contingent of older Caribbean guys at the Archbishop Tenison's side and they gave support to any Away side which contained a West Indies Test player past or present (most of the other counties). Their comments were priceless but the best I can remember is when a hapless Surrey fielder tried to stop a shot from, say, Laurence Rowe or Roy Fredericks. "Leave the ball alone", they ordered him. Another time they started appealing for bad light at 2.30 pm on a vividly sunny June afternoon in a game where Surrey were getting on top. These guys commanded respect which was shown when they addressed a very young Viv Richards as "boy." The future Sir Vivien just smiled sheepishly.
Behind this stand there was an ongoing match involving some of the ground staff who hurtled it down at 75 mph using the boarded up Tea Bar as the stumps. They were 16 or 17. The haircuts were terrible. The banter was ....70s. "Who's that wanker bowler?" demanded a new arrival, "Who can't bowl to save his life." In one game against Gloucestershire these gents ignored all the stars on view; Mike Procter, Zaheer Abbas, the Surrey stars, but all came up to the stand to watch an entire innings by Jim Foat (the ultimate average 70s county player - sorry, Jim, if you are reading this). "Go on Foa'y, show us your class!" they yelled. Was this irony? I doubt it, it was the 70s.
So Surrey came 2nd in the table and, a few months later, 1973 became 1974. Received wisdom now has it that the country almost collapsed this year. Even the film footage looks grainy and slightly alien. Three-Day Week, Football violence, strikes, IRA bombings, alleged widespread Police corruption and brutality. There was very unstable government and an atmosphere of social and political crisis (bit different to now, then.)
To a 13 year old perhaps the biggest crisis was the shocking state of the pop charts. Absolutely dreadful - the nadir of pop music. "Tiger Feet", "Billy, don't be a hero", The Rubettes, and a Canadian hippie called Terry Jacks who sang a saccharine ditty about a dying man featuring some of the worst key changes in musical history. The song was called "Seasons in the Sun" and it was and is almost unlistenable unless you are in the rawest stages of bereavement, when it is strangely affecting and you realise it has a bit of side to it, written as it was by Jacques Brel in a Moroccan brothel. It also provides the crap link to the title of this piece.
Anyway, cricket survived and my Dad, despite being perennially short of money, bought me my first bat. It was Stuart Surridge SS; one of those white ones that were covered, so lazy kids like me could use it straight away without having to bother about Linseed oil or "knocking it in". I was soon out on the Common and had graduated from being "shit player" to "shit player with his own bat". Before long I was head-hunted by Film Star and asked to take part in "The Ashes". The boys from Balham were locked in combat, seven-a-side, against a team from Tooting Bec. Balham were 2 down with 3 to play and Film Star assured me that I was needed as they were desperate (illness? holidays? probably the 1974 World Cup.)
We had a couple of warm-ups as this match was vital. There is a small triangle of Wandsworth Common between Wandsworth Common Station and Balham which borders the London to Brighton line and can be reached without crossing a busy road from many parts of Balham. There is an open space in the middle of this which is about the size of a First Class Cricket field. we didn't use the whole space as in one corner there was a natural unprepared pitch which always had smooth grass and played really well - lucky that, as we had no helmets, boxes or gloves and only one pad between us. One of my team-mates was a slightly older and more sophisticated boy called Jamie who had a reputation for dry wit as a result of impersonating Richie Benaud and spouting a stream of cricket cliches . I came on at the Railway End and nervously bowled one at waist height, no bounce. "Ah" noted Jamie, "A full toss bowler. Particularly useful - to the batting side." Anyway I got in the team and the day dawned. 2 innings a side. I can't remember the exact details but we ended up needing about 55 in the final innings (as this was the mid 70s I like to think the target was manufactured between the captains over drinks (Cresta, it's frothy man!) in order to produce a positive result before our Mums called us in for Supper. This is what happened in most 3-Day County Matches at the time....well, apart from the Mums, and the Cresta. Anyway, Tooting Bec were a fine side and their seamers Simon C and Keith-O both did a bit with the ball. When I came in at 7 (of 7) we still needed 20 and I was soon alone but allowed to bat on. There was plenty of time left. There were no LBWs, you just got a bruise or a hairline fracture if you were hit on the leg. People who have seen me "play" will not be surprised to hear that I just stood right in front of the stumps and slogged cross-batted to leg. "You won't find that in any text book," a team-mate muttered. Eventually I connected. "Well there's no need to chase that, " Jamie cried, "That's fairly racing away to the mid-wicket boundary." "Over this lightning outfield," another wisecracker remarked as the ball bissected a dog turd and a can of Coke and thudded against the fence. A few nervy singles and a couple of slogs and the game was ours. I was Film Star's hero and an automatic pick for the Fourth Test.
There was another great sporting event running in parallel - the 1974 World Cup, starring the Dutch; one of the finest teams in football history. This did not go unnoticed on the Common as groups of kids tried to play Total Football, passing it out from the back and invariably shouting "Cruyff" as they attempted the famous drag back and ended up on their back-sides. There were rumours that these kids were having intense arguments at half-time and consuming suspect substances, in honour of their heroes, but I'm not sure about that. They argued constantly anyway and the drug of choice was Burton's Wagon Wheel biscuits. The World Cup Final was West Germany v Holland. One of the classic games in football history. And where was I? Surrey v Kent John Player League at The Oval part of a jam-packed capacity crowd of 15,000; while the World Cup Final was being played. Now that would not happen these days.
Another match against Kent which turned into what The Sweet would term a "Teenage Rampage" was a tight 3-day game during half-term in May 1974. Kent were the glamour side of the time with Alan Knott, Derek Underwood, Asif Iqbal & co. Even Colin Cowdrey and Brian Luckhurst who were hardly glamorous but were test players. Kent's image as a sort of Manchester United of the mid-70s was reinforced by thousands of London lads invading the ground and adopting Kent as their team, even though most of them seemed as if they had never seen a garden, let alone the Garden of England. Some of the Tooting Bec boys were amongst the Kent fans, clearly in need of a geography lesson as well as a musical lesson as they belted out such ditties as "Supper (not super) Kent, Supper Kent, Supper Kent Kent Kent" and "Goodbye Johnson we will miss you." The end of the day brought a mass autograph-hunting in the car park, led by an experienced, mullet-haired youth who offered up such gems as "Don't bother about Edrich, he's a miserable sod" and "I had to chase D'Oliveira right through the Pavilion to get his." Poor Dolly; all the troubles he went through only to be pursued by a Bay City Roller-lookalike. I was left with an unenviable choice; Alan Knott or Derek Underwood. I chose Knott, and probably sold the signature at school the next week.
Underwood become my hero after a very famous Test match against Pakistan at Lord's in August 1974. Pakistan started well but torrential rain got at the pitch before it could be covered and. when play resumed, Deadly Derek skittled the visitors for 130. England made 270. Pakistan again started brilliantly and Day 3 closed with honours even. At some point during the rest day or night, more torrential rain somehow penetrated the covers and Underwood - lethal on a wet pitch - took 8 wickets for next to nothing, leaving England needing about 80 for victory of which they managed 27 before the close of play. The final day brought the inevitable downpour and the TV coverage was of old games, cut with Peter West smiling wryly at a sozzled Denis Compton in the studio and telling the nation that some sort of justice was being done. There were all kinds of conspiracy theories about the rain getting under the covers and, in this year of the rumoured planning of a military coup against the Harold Wilson Government, this seems highly probable. I was fascinated by Underwood. Why was he so deadly on a wet pitch? He seemed just a routine quick-ish spinner who didn't turn the ball much but he just seemed to magic people out.
Delayed by rain, it was finally time for the Fourth Test on Wandsworth Common. A must-win game for Balham but once again. probably thanks to my dodgy fielding, Tooting Bec were soon on top. There was only faint hope when I strode out at 5 in the second innings and Jamie announced; "Ah, here comes Nicky, the last of the recognised batsmen!" "'E ain't that ****ing good", muttered another; and so it proved. Rain had got at our pitch as well and my third ball barely rose and it sneaked through my defensive wall. Stumps were scattered and bails, had we had any, would have been on the ground. "Pea..ea..ea..roller," chanted Tooting Bec in an absurd pseudo-calypso worthy of Typically Tropical, "If you can't stop it.....You're out!" And that was about it. The Ashes went south and I'm not sure the Fifth Test was even played as a month-long wall of water descended on South London suburbia.
There was just time for a trip to Cheltenham where my Canadian cousins were staying. Chris, roughly my age, became briefly obsessed with cricket and we played every day on Prestbury Rec. I have to say I probably peaked as a player here, at the age of 13. I made the only century of my life - it seems much easier with no fielders or LBW rule. When it was my turn to bowl, my Grandfather, a hard-bitten former jockey and general tough guy, arrived to watch. I shaved Chris's ear with a nasty bouncer. "Get oatta here, man!" the Canadian protested, but my Grandpa nodded his approval; "Demon bowler, the boy" and he took me up to Winchcombe cricket club where he was an umpire (he didn't give many LBWs either - it's a family trait - but no-one argued with him) and he introduced me to former England star Tom Graveney. "Ah, The Oval," Graveney nodded sagely, "I've had some good times there." It was hardly a reminiscence of the Neville Cardus standard but Tom became a family hero. Even my sister, whose interest in cricket had appeared limited to fancying Phil Edmonds, declared; "Phew, I'm Graveney the Second" as she hit a sparkling 20 on the Rec.
And that's about it. 1975 arrived and the "Little Common" became an edgier place. I was even mugged at gunpoint there but I am assuming, as the bandits were quite satisfied when I gave them 5p, that it was a toy gun. The cricketers had disappeared. Had they turned to Football? Rock n Roll? Girls? No, that would have been too sensible. When they finally appeared they had walking sticks, little white balls, bits of stick with their mums' tea towels tied on and they inserted these in the football goal post holes. They claimed to have wedges, putters, birdies, eagles, pars.......Muppets! They had embraced golf. It was not exactly the Royal and Ancient. I couldn't even hit the ball off the ground. I played some cricket with my friend Richard, a dashing lad who was a favourite of my father and was in the school team. He was a gentlemanly type. Once he had flayed my best deliveries to all parts of the park and onto the railway tracks he would nod appreciatively and say; "you bowled well today." Some new boys moved in a few doors down and showed an interest in cricket. They were tall and of a Caribbean background so everyone just kind of assumed they would be lightning quicks and the stereotype was not at all wide of the mark. Facing these guys on uncut grass with no safety equipment whatsoever cannot be any less frightening than facing a top class speed merchant when covered with body armour. One of the chaps roared in and unleashed a bullet which ricocheted off Richard's knee up onto the handle of his bat and onto the side of his head. We ran two. The school of Hard Knocks. Richard became a lawyer so I can't even say he was unharmed by the incident.
I was drifting out of cricket and into watching football at Wimbledon (probably the best non-league side in history) and even doing some homework for my O Levels but there is just one more match I must bore you about if you are still awake. England v West Indies at The Oval in August 1976. This was the mid-1970s distilled and it tingles the spine when it is shown occasionally on TV. A baked, cracked, desert-like outfield, scorching sun, outrageous fashions and hair, intense rivalry with a bit of edge, rapier banter and a constant clanging rhythm section as Brew cans were banged together all day. It was one of England's better days in the series; they were merely crushed as opposed to pulverised. Tony Greig went sprawling in the dust when fielding. "Grovel, " came the delighted cry from half the crowd - Greig's unwise words coming back to haunt him. Then "Whispering Death" glided in like a ballet dancer on steroids. Stumps shattered. "No ball" shouted the umpire. The roar of outrage almost cracked the gasometer.
And that really is about it. It was time to put away the things of childhood but I never really did. I met John, the Chance brothers, Andrew, and I was even responsible for teaching Emil Todorow cricket. we played a bit on Clapham Common and ultra-argumentative sessions in the nets at Brixton Recreation Centre. The odd competitive game, and I was Man of the Match with 39 not out and 3 for 20 in Emil's first proper match. It seems now that I wasn't that bad after all in the 1980s. It's just a shame that I started playing for a team in the 1990s. I fell down a hole in the Mountains of Mourne and did my knee, lost my action and got the Yips. I didn't play much cricket then but I had a steady job and even a girlfriend. I looked to be on course for a normal, unremarkable, contented life but then, one balmy morning in the middle of Italia 90, the phone rang and there was a harsh but fair Dublin accent at the other end. "Aaargh, Nick, I'm David Hunter, captain of the Open University. John tells me you play cricket. We'll give you a lift to Milton Keynes today, you can bat at 9".......................
So I was out for 0 but it was not enough. I engineered a run out and we won. I was in. Too late.... the rest is history.
In memory of Gerald Lefebve - 1935 to 2019. Formerly the greatest living son of Gloucestershire; a title now held jointly by William Lefebve, Paul Nicholls and the patron saint of Nomads - Jack Russell of Stroud, Gloucestershire and England.
One effect of losing a parent, however much it was expected, is that you tend to think back to a period when they were in their prime and that is why I am having to spill out this piece which is mainly about cricket in 1973 and 1974. It is not sentimental and I apologise if it is self-indulgent crap but, after all, there is no shortage of that on-line.
It is a time which is too recent to be history but just far enough round the corner to seem incredibly exotic now, with its half-covered pitches, test match stars in every county side and shaggy-haired, helmetless journeymen whose idea of exercise was repeatedly lifting a beer glass to the mouth with their right hands.
My father was born into a sporting family but he never really inherited the sporting gene. He liked athletics but he hated, or pretended to hate, football. He took the piss out of racing but he tolerated my interest in cricket as a 12-year-old; I think he believed playing and watching cricket would keep me in respectable company ... this was many years before the Nomads.
I started playing in 1973 when I was walking across Wandsworth Common and was collared by someone who was in the year above at school and was on the fringes of the Under 14 XI. He shared the name of a famous Film Star. He pretty much ordered me to bowl at him - the wicket was a tree. I took a long run up, Mike Procter-style, sprinted to the crease (a coat on the floor), stopped completely and delivered the ball. It sailed over Film Star's head and hit a branch about 20 feet off the ground. Never mind; we didn't play the No Ball rule. Out! I was accepted by the local lads as an occasional bowler; a budding Left Arm Quick who did nothing with the ball but could hit the bark from time to time and could be invited to play if they were desperate.
For the summer holidays that year, my sister was packed off to Canada to spend the summer with my Aunt. I wasn't invited and the "compensation" for missing out on summer on a prairie with cousins was some extra money from my Dad. I had got the best of the bargain and I spent this money on going to the Oval for all Surrey's County Championship matches in August. I think my father was delighted with this arrangement as I was out of the house for 10 hours a day.
Surrey v Lancashire was one of those 3-day games where an almost impossible total was set, probably as a result of a manufactured declaration, but we (Film Star and Simon - the fastest runner at school - had turned up) and watched agog as my boyhood hero Younis Ahmed smashed the ball to all parts of the crowd and I can still hear the roars from the crowd of pensioners and schoolkids as he walked off for 96 - job almost done. "Crikey, how did they score so flipping quick?" we chirped as we sauntered back to the tube in the sweltering sun and saw Evening News Headlines - "What a scorcher. It's Costa del London. Capital basks in 79 degree heat." 79 degrees? We were easily pleased in the early 70s. I checked recently and Surrey scored at 4.5 an over. Not exactly 20-20 stuff. Those were different days.
The next match, the London Derby against Middlesex, was something else. I became aware of the types of people that hung around at The Oval, some of them quite scary. One of the scariest got talking to me and he offered me a Coca-Cola; this ended with him dropping his trousers under the Mound Stand and jiggling in his hand something that looked like a bail but probably wasn't. I had to run faster than I ever did as a bowler to get away from that one. Almost as scary were the kids of about my age who used to come to the ground every day to keep score. "I think you'll observe, " said one who had caught me glancing at his scorebook. "that I record all of John Edrich's dot balls with red biro." The page was a sea of red. Time to go quickly...again. Word had got round about the Lancashire game and a whole crowd of the Wandsworth Common boys found me on Day 2 and I had to play in their ongoing match which took place in every interval. This was a feature of County Cricket at the time. As soon as the players trooped off for their pork pie or Battenberg cake, a swarm of kids from 8 to ...about 35 clambered over the hoardings and started to play cricket matches on the outfield of an intensity often not matched on the pitch. The stumps were the advertising hoardings. Middle stump might be the G of Benson and Hedges or the P of Woodpecker Cider. My fielding shortcomings were exposed in front of a crowd of 5,000 and I actually received a smack in the mouth from the disgruntled bowler (behind that bloody Mound Stand again), but at least I can say that I once dropped 3 catches in 10 minutes at The Oval. Anyway, we were all friends by the end of Day 3 and, with Surrey needing 1 wicket from 2 overs, we gathered on the field by the boundary rope. It was so close to the action that it was like sitting at Mid-Off. Surrey got the vital wicket and we swarmed on.
That was a fine and entertaining Surrey side. They were almost all internationals; Edrich, Younis, Graham Roope, Geoff Howarth, Leg spinner and massive slogger Intikhab Alam, "Percy" Pocock, Geoff Arnold - intense and close to world-class, Robin Jackman - seemed a bit of a geezer and was always up for some banter with the kids crowding the boundary boards. There was the forgotten Dudley Owen-Thomas who was a sort of proto-Gower; incredibly posh, came in at 4 or 5, blocked doggedly for a bit and then suddenly smacked the ball back over the bowler's head, then played an array of classic shots and was always caught for 27 to a lofted shot.
The spectators were often as entertaining as the cricket. There was usually a contingent of older Caribbean guys at the Archbishop Tenison's side and they gave support to any Away side which contained a West Indies Test player past or present (most of the other counties). Their comments were priceless but the best I can remember is when a hapless Surrey fielder tried to stop a shot from, say, Laurence Rowe or Roy Fredericks. "Leave the ball alone", they ordered him. Another time they started appealing for bad light at 2.30 pm on a vividly sunny June afternoon in a game where Surrey were getting on top. These guys commanded respect which was shown when they addressed a very young Viv Richards as "boy." The future Sir Vivien just smiled sheepishly.
Behind this stand there was an ongoing match involving some of the ground staff who hurtled it down at 75 mph using the boarded up Tea Bar as the stumps. They were 16 or 17. The haircuts were terrible. The banter was ....70s. "Who's that wanker bowler?" demanded a new arrival, "Who can't bowl to save his life." In one game against Gloucestershire these gents ignored all the stars on view; Mike Procter, Zaheer Abbas, the Surrey stars, but all came up to the stand to watch an entire innings by Jim Foat (the ultimate average 70s county player - sorry, Jim, if you are reading this). "Go on Foa'y, show us your class!" they yelled. Was this irony? I doubt it, it was the 70s.
So Surrey came 2nd in the table and, a few months later, 1973 became 1974. Received wisdom now has it that the country almost collapsed this year. Even the film footage looks grainy and slightly alien. Three-Day Week, Football violence, strikes, IRA bombings, alleged widespread Police corruption and brutality. There was very unstable government and an atmosphere of social and political crisis (bit different to now, then.)
To a 13 year old perhaps the biggest crisis was the shocking state of the pop charts. Absolutely dreadful - the nadir of pop music. "Tiger Feet", "Billy, don't be a hero", The Rubettes, and a Canadian hippie called Terry Jacks who sang a saccharine ditty about a dying man featuring some of the worst key changes in musical history. The song was called "Seasons in the Sun" and it was and is almost unlistenable unless you are in the rawest stages of bereavement, when it is strangely affecting and you realise it has a bit of side to it, written as it was by Jacques Brel in a Moroccan brothel. It also provides the crap link to the title of this piece.
Anyway, cricket survived and my Dad, despite being perennially short of money, bought me my first bat. It was Stuart Surridge SS; one of those white ones that were covered, so lazy kids like me could use it straight away without having to bother about Linseed oil or "knocking it in". I was soon out on the Common and had graduated from being "shit player" to "shit player with his own bat". Before long I was head-hunted by Film Star and asked to take part in "The Ashes". The boys from Balham were locked in combat, seven-a-side, against a team from Tooting Bec. Balham were 2 down with 3 to play and Film Star assured me that I was needed as they were desperate (illness? holidays? probably the 1974 World Cup.)
We had a couple of warm-ups as this match was vital. There is a small triangle of Wandsworth Common between Wandsworth Common Station and Balham which borders the London to Brighton line and can be reached without crossing a busy road from many parts of Balham. There is an open space in the middle of this which is about the size of a First Class Cricket field. we didn't use the whole space as in one corner there was a natural unprepared pitch which always had smooth grass and played really well - lucky that, as we had no helmets, boxes or gloves and only one pad between us. One of my team-mates was a slightly older and more sophisticated boy called Jamie who had a reputation for dry wit as a result of impersonating Richie Benaud and spouting a stream of cricket cliches . I came on at the Railway End and nervously bowled one at waist height, no bounce. "Ah" noted Jamie, "A full toss bowler. Particularly useful - to the batting side." Anyway I got in the team and the day dawned. 2 innings a side. I can't remember the exact details but we ended up needing about 55 in the final innings (as this was the mid 70s I like to think the target was manufactured between the captains over drinks (Cresta, it's frothy man!) in order to produce a positive result before our Mums called us in for Supper. This is what happened in most 3-Day County Matches at the time....well, apart from the Mums, and the Cresta. Anyway, Tooting Bec were a fine side and their seamers Simon C and Keith-O both did a bit with the ball. When I came in at 7 (of 7) we still needed 20 and I was soon alone but allowed to bat on. There was plenty of time left. There were no LBWs, you just got a bruise or a hairline fracture if you were hit on the leg. People who have seen me "play" will not be surprised to hear that I just stood right in front of the stumps and slogged cross-batted to leg. "You won't find that in any text book," a team-mate muttered. Eventually I connected. "Well there's no need to chase that, " Jamie cried, "That's fairly racing away to the mid-wicket boundary." "Over this lightning outfield," another wisecracker remarked as the ball bissected a dog turd and a can of Coke and thudded against the fence. A few nervy singles and a couple of slogs and the game was ours. I was Film Star's hero and an automatic pick for the Fourth Test.
There was another great sporting event running in parallel - the 1974 World Cup, starring the Dutch; one of the finest teams in football history. This did not go unnoticed on the Common as groups of kids tried to play Total Football, passing it out from the back and invariably shouting "Cruyff" as they attempted the famous drag back and ended up on their back-sides. There were rumours that these kids were having intense arguments at half-time and consuming suspect substances, in honour of their heroes, but I'm not sure about that. They argued constantly anyway and the drug of choice was Burton's Wagon Wheel biscuits. The World Cup Final was West Germany v Holland. One of the classic games in football history. And where was I? Surrey v Kent John Player League at The Oval part of a jam-packed capacity crowd of 15,000; while the World Cup Final was being played. Now that would not happen these days.
Another match against Kent which turned into what The Sweet would term a "Teenage Rampage" was a tight 3-day game during half-term in May 1974. Kent were the glamour side of the time with Alan Knott, Derek Underwood, Asif Iqbal & co. Even Colin Cowdrey and Brian Luckhurst who were hardly glamorous but were test players. Kent's image as a sort of Manchester United of the mid-70s was reinforced by thousands of London lads invading the ground and adopting Kent as their team, even though most of them seemed as if they had never seen a garden, let alone the Garden of England. Some of the Tooting Bec boys were amongst the Kent fans, clearly in need of a geography lesson as well as a musical lesson as they belted out such ditties as "Supper (not super) Kent, Supper Kent, Supper Kent Kent Kent" and "Goodbye Johnson we will miss you." The end of the day brought a mass autograph-hunting in the car park, led by an experienced, mullet-haired youth who offered up such gems as "Don't bother about Edrich, he's a miserable sod" and "I had to chase D'Oliveira right through the Pavilion to get his." Poor Dolly; all the troubles he went through only to be pursued by a Bay City Roller-lookalike. I was left with an unenviable choice; Alan Knott or Derek Underwood. I chose Knott, and probably sold the signature at school the next week.
Underwood become my hero after a very famous Test match against Pakistan at Lord's in August 1974. Pakistan started well but torrential rain got at the pitch before it could be covered and. when play resumed, Deadly Derek skittled the visitors for 130. England made 270. Pakistan again started brilliantly and Day 3 closed with honours even. At some point during the rest day or night, more torrential rain somehow penetrated the covers and Underwood - lethal on a wet pitch - took 8 wickets for next to nothing, leaving England needing about 80 for victory of which they managed 27 before the close of play. The final day brought the inevitable downpour and the TV coverage was of old games, cut with Peter West smiling wryly at a sozzled Denis Compton in the studio and telling the nation that some sort of justice was being done. There were all kinds of conspiracy theories about the rain getting under the covers and, in this year of the rumoured planning of a military coup against the Harold Wilson Government, this seems highly probable. I was fascinated by Underwood. Why was he so deadly on a wet pitch? He seemed just a routine quick-ish spinner who didn't turn the ball much but he just seemed to magic people out.
Delayed by rain, it was finally time for the Fourth Test on Wandsworth Common. A must-win game for Balham but once again. probably thanks to my dodgy fielding, Tooting Bec were soon on top. There was only faint hope when I strode out at 5 in the second innings and Jamie announced; "Ah, here comes Nicky, the last of the recognised batsmen!" "'E ain't that ****ing good", muttered another; and so it proved. Rain had got at our pitch as well and my third ball barely rose and it sneaked through my defensive wall. Stumps were scattered and bails, had we had any, would have been on the ground. "Pea..ea..ea..roller," chanted Tooting Bec in an absurd pseudo-calypso worthy of Typically Tropical, "If you can't stop it.....You're out!" And that was about it. The Ashes went south and I'm not sure the Fifth Test was even played as a month-long wall of water descended on South London suburbia.
There was just time for a trip to Cheltenham where my Canadian cousins were staying. Chris, roughly my age, became briefly obsessed with cricket and we played every day on Prestbury Rec. I have to say I probably peaked as a player here, at the age of 13. I made the only century of my life - it seems much easier with no fielders or LBW rule. When it was my turn to bowl, my Grandfather, a hard-bitten former jockey and general tough guy, arrived to watch. I shaved Chris's ear with a nasty bouncer. "Get oatta here, man!" the Canadian protested, but my Grandpa nodded his approval; "Demon bowler, the boy" and he took me up to Winchcombe cricket club where he was an umpire (he didn't give many LBWs either - it's a family trait - but no-one argued with him) and he introduced me to former England star Tom Graveney. "Ah, The Oval," Graveney nodded sagely, "I've had some good times there." It was hardly a reminiscence of the Neville Cardus standard but Tom became a family hero. Even my sister, whose interest in cricket had appeared limited to fancying Phil Edmonds, declared; "Phew, I'm Graveney the Second" as she hit a sparkling 20 on the Rec.
And that's about it. 1975 arrived and the "Little Common" became an edgier place. I was even mugged at gunpoint there but I am assuming, as the bandits were quite satisfied when I gave them 5p, that it was a toy gun. The cricketers had disappeared. Had they turned to Football? Rock n Roll? Girls? No, that would have been too sensible. When they finally appeared they had walking sticks, little white balls, bits of stick with their mums' tea towels tied on and they inserted these in the football goal post holes. They claimed to have wedges, putters, birdies, eagles, pars.......Muppets! They had embraced golf. It was not exactly the Royal and Ancient. I couldn't even hit the ball off the ground. I played some cricket with my friend Richard, a dashing lad who was a favourite of my father and was in the school team. He was a gentlemanly type. Once he had flayed my best deliveries to all parts of the park and onto the railway tracks he would nod appreciatively and say; "you bowled well today." Some new boys moved in a few doors down and showed an interest in cricket. They were tall and of a Caribbean background so everyone just kind of assumed they would be lightning quicks and the stereotype was not at all wide of the mark. Facing these guys on uncut grass with no safety equipment whatsoever cannot be any less frightening than facing a top class speed merchant when covered with body armour. One of the chaps roared in and unleashed a bullet which ricocheted off Richard's knee up onto the handle of his bat and onto the side of his head. We ran two. The school of Hard Knocks. Richard became a lawyer so I can't even say he was unharmed by the incident.
I was drifting out of cricket and into watching football at Wimbledon (probably the best non-league side in history) and even doing some homework for my O Levels but there is just one more match I must bore you about if you are still awake. England v West Indies at The Oval in August 1976. This was the mid-1970s distilled and it tingles the spine when it is shown occasionally on TV. A baked, cracked, desert-like outfield, scorching sun, outrageous fashions and hair, intense rivalry with a bit of edge, rapier banter and a constant clanging rhythm section as Brew cans were banged together all day. It was one of England's better days in the series; they were merely crushed as opposed to pulverised. Tony Greig went sprawling in the dust when fielding. "Grovel, " came the delighted cry from half the crowd - Greig's unwise words coming back to haunt him. Then "Whispering Death" glided in like a ballet dancer on steroids. Stumps shattered. "No ball" shouted the umpire. The roar of outrage almost cracked the gasometer.
And that really is about it. It was time to put away the things of childhood but I never really did. I met John, the Chance brothers, Andrew, and I was even responsible for teaching Emil Todorow cricket. we played a bit on Clapham Common and ultra-argumentative sessions in the nets at Brixton Recreation Centre. The odd competitive game, and I was Man of the Match with 39 not out and 3 for 20 in Emil's first proper match. It seems now that I wasn't that bad after all in the 1980s. It's just a shame that I started playing for a team in the 1990s. I fell down a hole in the Mountains of Mourne and did my knee, lost my action and got the Yips. I didn't play much cricket then but I had a steady job and even a girlfriend. I looked to be on course for a normal, unremarkable, contented life but then, one balmy morning in the middle of Italia 90, the phone rang and there was a harsh but fair Dublin accent at the other end. "Aaargh, Nick, I'm David Hunter, captain of the Open University. John tells me you play cricket. We'll give you a lift to Milton Keynes today, you can bat at 9".......................
So I was out for 0 but it was not enough. I engineered a run out and we won. I was in. Too late.... the rest is history.
In memory of Gerald Lefebve - 1935 to 2019. Formerly the greatest living son of Gloucestershire; a title now held jointly by William Lefebve, Paul Nicholls and the patron saint of Nomads - Jack Russell of Stroud, Gloucestershire and England.
Clapham Nomads Legends
30th April 2019 will mark the 25th anniversary of Clapham Nomads cricket. Can it really be that long? Not many wars, plagues or famines have lasted that length of time and you would have to commit, or be found guilty of, a very serious crime to serve a 25-year prison sentence.
To mark this occasion, I have decided to name the 25 men who must be considered as "Clapham Nomads Legends." This is based not just on their playing record but also on length of service and reliability, entertainment value and other factors. I will just use their first names in the manner of the Brazil football team unless I have to use the surname to avoid confusion. I will gradually fill in each of these players' career records for the Nomads and a brief description and appreciation over the next few weeks. The man judged to be the greatest Clapham Nomads player of all time will be awarded the Emil Todorow Trophy.
And the winner of the Emil Todorow Trophy is.......
Hasan (2000 to ----)
What more can you say about Hasan? He has been a fantastic player for the club. I meant to do an appreciation when he passed 5,000 runs and that was almost 2 years ago so he must be closer to 6,000 by now. Hasan first played for Nomads in 2000 when we were in the All London League and he was an immediate success but he went off to play proper League cricket a while after that. He returned to Nomads in 2006 and has been the mainstay of the side since then. Topping the batting averages in most of the seasons since 2006 and being the best bowler in the side for long periods. He is a great guy who is a natural leader and is liked and respected by all the Nomads and by our regular opponents. I have watched most of his innings from an umpire's vantage point but have also batted with him frequently and my proudest possession in cricket - which I have just lost - was the Nomads record 5th wicket partnership of 138 with Hasan of which I contributed about 20. He must have taken about 250 wickets for the club; mostly with his reliable medium-fast swingers but I suspect he would swap many of these wickets for a scalp with one of his outrageous leg-break slower balls.
I will put career figures and more details on here soon, as I will for all the other Nomads Legends.
Other Nomads Legends (in alphabetical order) ; -
Abbas (2013 to -----)
Abdul (2002 to -----)
Andrew West (1994 to 2015)
Ben Fewson (2007 to 2010)
Chris Kennedy (2002 to 2016)
Darwin (2008 to -----)
Emil (1994 to ----)
Gaurang (1996 to 2005)
Gopi (2009 to 2010)
Jean-Claude (2003 to 2006)
Joe (1994 to 2004)
John Chance (1994 to 2007)
John Crossland (1994 to ----)
KK (2016 to ----)
Mahesh (1996 to ----)
Mark (2008 to 2015)
Prasanth (2008 to 2017)
Rafi (2000 to 2011)
Riaz (1999 to -----)
Sami (2013 to -----)
Shailesh (2003 to 2006)
Sumith (2003 to 2010)
Upeka (1999 to 2006)
Zia (2011 to ----)
Actually, seeing as this is our 26th season, I might as well add another one - Nick (1994 to ----). If nothing else, I think I am still 3rd in the all-time appearances list and have made a lot of trips to the supermarket in Sunday mornings.
MORE DETAIL AND STATS TO FOLLOW SOON.......
To mark this occasion, I have decided to name the 25 men who must be considered as "Clapham Nomads Legends." This is based not just on their playing record but also on length of service and reliability, entertainment value and other factors. I will just use their first names in the manner of the Brazil football team unless I have to use the surname to avoid confusion. I will gradually fill in each of these players' career records for the Nomads and a brief description and appreciation over the next few weeks. The man judged to be the greatest Clapham Nomads player of all time will be awarded the Emil Todorow Trophy.
And the winner of the Emil Todorow Trophy is.......
Hasan (2000 to ----)
What more can you say about Hasan? He has been a fantastic player for the club. I meant to do an appreciation when he passed 5,000 runs and that was almost 2 years ago so he must be closer to 6,000 by now. Hasan first played for Nomads in 2000 when we were in the All London League and he was an immediate success but he went off to play proper League cricket a while after that. He returned to Nomads in 2006 and has been the mainstay of the side since then. Topping the batting averages in most of the seasons since 2006 and being the best bowler in the side for long periods. He is a great guy who is a natural leader and is liked and respected by all the Nomads and by our regular opponents. I have watched most of his innings from an umpire's vantage point but have also batted with him frequently and my proudest possession in cricket - which I have just lost - was the Nomads record 5th wicket partnership of 138 with Hasan of which I contributed about 20. He must have taken about 250 wickets for the club; mostly with his reliable medium-fast swingers but I suspect he would swap many of these wickets for a scalp with one of his outrageous leg-break slower balls.
I will put career figures and more details on here soon, as I will for all the other Nomads Legends.
Other Nomads Legends (in alphabetical order) ; -
Abbas (2013 to -----)
Abdul (2002 to -----)
Andrew West (1994 to 2015)
Ben Fewson (2007 to 2010)
Chris Kennedy (2002 to 2016)
Darwin (2008 to -----)
Emil (1994 to ----)
Gaurang (1996 to 2005)
Gopi (2009 to 2010)
Jean-Claude (2003 to 2006)
Joe (1994 to 2004)
John Chance (1994 to 2007)
John Crossland (1994 to ----)
KK (2016 to ----)
Mahesh (1996 to ----)
Mark (2008 to 2015)
Prasanth (2008 to 2017)
Rafi (2000 to 2011)
Riaz (1999 to -----)
Sami (2013 to -----)
Shailesh (2003 to 2006)
Sumith (2003 to 2010)
Upeka (1999 to 2006)
Zia (2011 to ----)
Actually, seeing as this is our 26th season, I might as well add another one - Nick (1994 to ----). If nothing else, I think I am still 3rd in the all-time appearances list and have made a lot of trips to the supermarket in Sunday mornings.
MORE DETAIL AND STATS TO FOLLOW SOON.......
CLAPHAM NOMADS AVERAGES 2018
Sorry, only 28 weeks late, here are the averages for the 2018 season.
BATTING - (Qualification - 3 innings)
Zia - 693 runs @ 86.63
Hasan - 341 runs @ 48.71
Abbas - 152 runs @ 25.33
Riaz - 219 runs @ 19.91
KK - 154 runs @ 19.25
Darwin - 216 runs @ 16.62
Abdul - 58 runs @ 14.50
Sami - 66 runs @ 9.43
Javed - 61 runs @ 8.71
Mahesh - 66 runs @ 6.00
Emil - 26 runs @ 5.20
John - 2 runs @ 2.00
BOWLING - (Qualification - 10 overs and 3 wickets)
Zia - 20 wickets @ 14:50
KK - 16 wickets @ 15.31
Hasan - 9 wickets @ 19:00
Abbas - 16 wickets @ 26.13
Riaz - 3 wickets @ 30.57
Emil - 8 wickets @ 33.13
Sami - 6 wickets @ 51.17
CATCHES -
5 - Hasan
4 - John, Sami, Zia
3 - Abbas
2 - Mahesh, Javed, Darwin,
1 - Emil, Riaz, KK, Abdul, Safi
PARTICIPATION IN RUN OUT -
5 - Zia
2 - Abbas, Hasan
1 - Bilal. John, Safi
HIGHEST PARTNERSHIP -
157 undefeated for the 5th wicket - Hasan and Zia v Harrow on 2/9/18
If anyone thinks I have made a mistake, let me know and I will check the books.
What an incredible season for Zia. One of the best batting averages, possibly the best, for anyone playing a full season. 693 runs - the most for any Nomads player in a season and an incredible 6 successive 50s including 2 centuries. Hasan had a great average as well. In most seasons 48.71 would be enough to be top of the list.
Zia top wicket-taker as well and with the best average, though KK was quite close behind. Emil and Sami bowled much better than their averages suggest. Sami bowled a lot of good spells where he did not give away many runs. At least he has the compensation of having the season's best bowling figures in a match with 5 for 47 - the only man to take 5 wickets in a match.
PLAYER OF THE SEASON.
Clearly this is Zia - a brilliant season. (Player of the Year and Batsman of the Year)
We will have the meeting on Sunday 7th April and we can still vote on Bowler of the Year - My nominations would be Zia and KK. Also Fielder of the Year - My nominations are Hasan - the most catches; Zia - the most run outs; John - throwing himself around like a young man; Emil - Despite a few injuries he is fielding better now than 20 years ago. He took the catch of the season (a breath-taking one-handed catch.)
Hope to see you all on 7th April.
Nick
BATTING - (Qualification - 3 innings)
Zia - 693 runs @ 86.63
Hasan - 341 runs @ 48.71
Abbas - 152 runs @ 25.33
Riaz - 219 runs @ 19.91
KK - 154 runs @ 19.25
Darwin - 216 runs @ 16.62
Abdul - 58 runs @ 14.50
Sami - 66 runs @ 9.43
Javed - 61 runs @ 8.71
Mahesh - 66 runs @ 6.00
Emil - 26 runs @ 5.20
John - 2 runs @ 2.00
BOWLING - (Qualification - 10 overs and 3 wickets)
Zia - 20 wickets @ 14:50
KK - 16 wickets @ 15.31
Hasan - 9 wickets @ 19:00
Abbas - 16 wickets @ 26.13
Riaz - 3 wickets @ 30.57
Emil - 8 wickets @ 33.13
Sami - 6 wickets @ 51.17
CATCHES -
5 - Hasan
4 - John, Sami, Zia
3 - Abbas
2 - Mahesh, Javed, Darwin,
1 - Emil, Riaz, KK, Abdul, Safi
PARTICIPATION IN RUN OUT -
5 - Zia
2 - Abbas, Hasan
1 - Bilal. John, Safi
HIGHEST PARTNERSHIP -
157 undefeated for the 5th wicket - Hasan and Zia v Harrow on 2/9/18
If anyone thinks I have made a mistake, let me know and I will check the books.
What an incredible season for Zia. One of the best batting averages, possibly the best, for anyone playing a full season. 693 runs - the most for any Nomads player in a season and an incredible 6 successive 50s including 2 centuries. Hasan had a great average as well. In most seasons 48.71 would be enough to be top of the list.
Zia top wicket-taker as well and with the best average, though KK was quite close behind. Emil and Sami bowled much better than their averages suggest. Sami bowled a lot of good spells where he did not give away many runs. At least he has the compensation of having the season's best bowling figures in a match with 5 for 47 - the only man to take 5 wickets in a match.
PLAYER OF THE SEASON.
Clearly this is Zia - a brilliant season. (Player of the Year and Batsman of the Year)
We will have the meeting on Sunday 7th April and we can still vote on Bowler of the Year - My nominations would be Zia and KK. Also Fielder of the Year - My nominations are Hasan - the most catches; Zia - the most run outs; John - throwing himself around like a young man; Emil - Despite a few injuries he is fielding better now than 20 years ago. He took the catch of the season (a breath-taking one-handed catch.)
Hope to see you all on 7th April.
Nick
Friday 8 March 2019
Nomads 2019 season and meeting
Just to let you all know that Nomads are still around. We have about 11 fixtures already booked for this summer - starting on 21st or 28th April and we will have our Annual Meeting in Tooting at the usual place on Sunday 7th April at about 7.30 pm.
I 'll definitely put the averages for 2018 on here soon; sorry it has taken so long. Basically there has been illness and then bereavement in the family so I have been very busy and my mind has been elsewhere. I might post something on here about that - just a warning as there is enough self-indulgent rubbish on here already - but it would have a broadly cricketing theme. Nick
I 'll definitely put the averages for 2018 on here soon; sorry it has taken so long. Basically there has been illness and then bereavement in the family so I have been very busy and my mind has been elsewhere. I might post something on here about that - just a warning as there is enough self-indulgent rubbish on here already - but it would have a broadly cricketing theme. Nick
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