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.