Scorecard

St Albans Cricket Club 3XI v Harpenden IV on Sat 24 Jun 2017 at 13:00
St Albans Cricket Club Won by 1 wicket

Match report Round 8 of the league fixtures brought Harpenden to Sandpit Lane. Hosts Saints looked to bring their away form - two close but disappointing results - back to St Albans, for a change in fortunes.

The visitors won the toss and chose to bat. After a warm, even hot, week the square was dry, and Harpenden’s openers settled in well. Keeper Kibria, standing up, was largely responsible for the opening wicket, a sharp stumping off a full toss. Thereafter runs flowed smoothly through Gilson and Newton, 100 passed before a second wicket fell.

Brought on at the Sandpit Lane end, Murphy, bowling a good length, kept things tight. Kibria managed another excellent stumping to yield the key wicket of the aggressive Newton. Although the middle order made starts, Telkman and then Islam (2-23), bowling with good wheels, were able to maintain the pressure. Consequently, wickets kept falling, and in a rush at the end Murphy completed a five wicket haul with the classic off-spinner's wicket, turning through the gate to hit the top of off. Although a few catches went down, this was a good comeback in the field, wickets the key to keeping the score below 200, when 250 had looked on the cards. Murphy's 14 over spell of 5-37 was the crucial factor.

Saints now had a target of 191 to win, having gained 4 overs by dismissing the visitors in 48 overs. Karunanayake and Gemmill got things moving, aided by a surfeit of extras, courtesy of some wayward early bowling. Three wickets then fell quickly, and when Gemmill fell for a well made 26, the score was 91-5 in the 24th over. Gilson and Card were bowling tightly for their team, brakes applied through the middle overs, yet Harpenden were showing some frustration in the field by this time, displeased when umpire Atkinson gave a not out decision in favour of Kevin Ralfe, out shortly after for 22.

The score had been nudged along to 116 by this time, which meant 75 was needed off 18.4 overs, with just 3 wickets in hand - the visitors held the upper hand. Button and Walker crafted a sensible partnership to bring the target 31 closer, Button coolly hitting over the top to strike 18. Another 24 were added at the right rate by Murphy and Walker, who was finding his feet. Murphy's dismissal brought skipper Telkman to the crease, the last man in, with 20 runs required, and less than 6 overs left.

Harpenden kept the runs quiet for a few overs, but curiously left the field deep, and favouring the legside. Taking advantage of that, in the 50th over, Walker was able to send two deliveries to the point boundary, leaving just five runs to get in 2 overs. Although only 1 was added in the penultimate over, Telkman and Walker remained calm. The watching spectators - always very welcome at Sandpit Lane - were perhaps a little nervous when the equation meant that another three runs were still required with two deliveries to go. That fifth delivery of the final over was in Walker's zone, and struck over cover to the boundary, bringing a tight match to a fantastic, thrilling conclusion. Walker's 47 not out held the lower order together, ably supported by those around him.

For the 3s, this victory was just the tonic after being on the wrong side of two close results. In celebration, it may have been something stronger than tonic that was drunk back at the bar. A well deserved victory.

Harpenden IV Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
12w 1b  
for 10 wickets
13
190 (48.0 overs)		     
Gilson b  Walker 51
Bailey st  Kibria b Button 10
Newton st  Kibria b Murphy 50
Frost ct  Milnes b Murphy 15
Killen ct  Kibria b Telkman 11
Loffman ct  Islam b Murphy 3
Sambrook ct  Telkman b Murphy 23
Wiles b  Islam 0
Voigt Not Out  11
Card ct  Milnes b Murphy 0
Gill b  Murphy 2

St Albans Cricket Club 3XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Andy Milnes8.021700.002.13
Joe Button5.0023123.004.60
Jamie Telkman10.0050150.005.00
Andrew Walker7.0135135.005.00
Adam Murphy14.003757.402.64
Moksudul Islam4.0023211.505.75

St Albans Cricket Club 3XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 19w 7b 2lb 
for 9 wickets
30
192		        
Harsha Karunanayake b  Voigt 18 3
George Gemmill ct  - b Card 26 4
Syed Kibria b  Card 4 1 1 2
Moksudul Islam ct  - b Card 4 1
Nick Ralfe st  - b Gilson 5 1
Kevin Ralfe ct  - b Card 22 3
Andy Milnes ct  - b Gilson 2 2
Joe Button ct  - b Newton 18 4
Andrew Walker Not Out  47 7
Adam Murphy ct  - b Voigt 9 1
Jamie Telkman Not Out  3 1

Harpenden IV Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Wiles11.014700.004.27
Voigt8.0035217.504.38
Card15.0145411.253.00
Gilson15.0331215.502.07
Newton3.0024124.008.00
 
Photos and video of St Albans Cricket Club 3XI v Harpenden IV on Sat 24 Jun 2017 at 13:00

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24/06/2017 - St Albans III v Harpenden IV - Harpenden scorecard