Scorecard

Harpenden 6XI v St Albans Cricket Club 5XI on Sat 07 Sep 2024 at 13:00
St Albans Cricket Club Won By 55 runs

Match report After the poor British weather robbed them of the chance last year, the 5s went into the final game of the season knowing a win would give them a hard fought promotion. With Harpenden still in with a shot of promotion the 5s knew this would be no easy task.
After winning the toss and electing to bat on a good but green surface, Matt Shadwick and Hugo Thomas strode out to the middle with one set of instructions ‘for goodness sake don’t run each other out again’. Some tight opening bowling meant kept scoring down early on with both having to bide their time for any lose deliveries. With the score at 25-0 and after an early reprive (or two) Thomas made the Harpenden in his characteristic style, powerfully driving down the ground anything lose Shadwick soon also began to find his range with his trademark front foot pull coming into good effect. After a cautious start the next 50 runs came in just 6 overs. With 75 on the board a good caught saw the end of Thomas for 47. On such a big day there was no mention of jug avoidance, especially having scored 183 runs in his last 4 innings.
With Tom Cocks researching every Harpenden bowler’s average live from his fence inspecting holiday in Italy the batsman were well informed on the bowling threat. Jude Berry joined him at the crease and supported Shadwick as carried on his merry way, picking a perfect day to find form again. With the score at 94-1 at drinks a solid platform had been laid. Shadwick fell just after drinks and when Benjamin falling shortly after St Albans had slipped from 75-0 to 100-3 Nadeem Arif joined Berry and they steadied the innings with Berry playing a good supporting role whilst Arif began to find all corners of Rothamstead. The pair put on 40 for the 4th wicket before berry was bowled for 10. Skipper Andy Melling came in at 6 with 10 overs left with a target of getting to 200. A flurry of boundaries from Arif took them to within touching distance of this when he departed for a brilliant 62. Some good running from Speller and Killner and some lusty blows from Melling meant St Albans finished on 226, the best batting display of the season.
Despite a strong performance with the bat and jugs of Brewpoint galore within touching distance, the 5s knew the job was only half done. With a swift tea break due to the poor light, Finlay Killner opening the innings with his usual instruction ‘bring the fire’. After some uncharacteristic lose bowling by their high standards this season it was not long before Killner and Hadden soon settled into their rhythm and tied down the Harpenden openers. With this pressure brought two quick wickets, Killner with the first, once again providing too quick for the defences of another division 11 batsman. His 13th wicket of the season and in pole position to finish at the 5s highest wicket taker of the season Hadden drew the edge soon after and a brilliant catch from Hugo Thomas diving to his right brought about the second.
With the run rate gradually creeping up, St Albans put the squeeze on further with Nadeem Arif and Sud ‘Shoulders’ Suryavanshi coming on to replace the openers. Sud, a feared site in division 11 once again took no time in troubling the Harpenden batters and like many others this season struggled to lay a bat on him. At the other end Arif proved equally as tricky with his inswingers. This pressure proved too much and another searing delivery from Sud knocked back the stumps of the Harpenden number 4. The spins twins of Jamie Speller and Fin McNab then came to the party both picking up two wickets to leave the 5s within touching distance of victory, backed up by some good catches and a turning wicket. Arif then returned to finish his spell and deservedly picked up wicket 9 and 10. Leaving 60 runs needed off the last 3 overs. Hadden and Killner tried to find the final wicket with Harpenden finishing on 170-9.
Smiles all round at the end, a hard-fought promotion with players stepping up at the crucial moments. A promotion not just a season in the making but 3 and securing the undisputed title of 'Team of the Year 2024', Sunday 1s, never heard of them.

St Albans Cricket Club 5XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
10nb 9w 7b 5lb 
for 6 wickets
31
225		        
Matt Shadwick ct Sathwara 30 4
Hugo Thomas ct Sathwara 47 8 1 2
Jude Berry b Field 10 1
Jack Benjamin b Field 0
Nadeem Arif ct Ebbutt 62 11
Andrew Melling Not Out  42 5
Jamie Speller ct Sani 5 1 1
Finlay Killner Not Out  2
Sudhanshu Suryavanshi   1
Tom Hadden  
Fin McNab  

Harpenden 6XI Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Sani8.0130130.003.75
Ebbutt8.0045145.005.63
Harvey4.002600.006.50
Sathwara8.0043221.505.37
Field8.0049224.506.12
Dunham4.002200.005.50

Harpenden 6XI Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 18w 3b 4lb 
for 9 wickets
27
170 (40.0 overs)		     
Guy Dunham lbw Speller 39
Tom Buckley b Killner 10
Andy Lewis ct Thomas b Hadden 3
Ben Barcock b Suryavanshi 14
Siddharth Sathwara ct Thomas b McNab 7
Paul Streeton b Speller 22
Tom Harvey ct Speller b McNab 6
Arjan Saini Not Out  32
Andy Elledge b Arif 4
Samuel Ebbutt ct Suryavanshi b Arif 2
Harry Field Not Out  2

St Albans Cricket Club 5XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Finlay Killner7.0030130.004.29
Tom Hadden7.0126126.003.71
Sudhanshu Suryavanshi8.0114114.001.75
Nadeem Arif8.021929.502.37
Jamie Speller5.0037218.507.40
Fin McNab5.0034217.006.80