Scorecard

St Albans Cricket Club 3XI v Northwood Town II on Sat 11 May 2019 at 13:00
St Albans Cricket Club Lost by 48 runs

Match report After the long off season break, and with a few pre-season friendlies out of the way, Herts League cricket returned for 2019, with Saints 3s taking on Northwood Town IIs at Verulam School. The League had voted to tweak the playing rules, with fixtures for Division 8A now reduced to 45 overs apiece.

Winning the toss, Saints elected to bowl first on a wicket that was somewhat underprepared after some pitch management issues, astutely observed by the visitor’s skipper. The forecast threatened rain, but fortunately that kept away.

Bowling up the hill, but with a strong breeze behind him, West generated good pace, with movement in the air and off the wicket. Occasionally, a delivery played up, unsettling the batsmen; this lead to a first dismissal, a tentative shot spooned to point. Winfield, on at the other end for the fatigued Hay, found his own rhythm and nabbed an early wicket (9/1/23/1). A careless run out then gave Saints the advantage: after 17 overs, 3/65.

However, Northwood Town had plenty more to offer, with Bhushan (53) sometimes finding the middle of the bat and not the fielder. It was only with the introduction of Price (3/36) to the bowling crease that Saints were able to grab the breakthrough - a lack of respect causing two batsmen to fall in her first over. With a double change, newcomer Naqvi (2/27) then took a wicket at the other end and suddenly the visitors were at 6/132 with ten overs to go, with two new batsmen at the wicket.

Noted afterwards as the crucial passage in the match, lower order bats Anjum and Harish played very handy cameos for their side that lifted the visitors to a decent total of 203, as things went a little awry for Saints in the closing overs. An excellent final ball catch to Pring gave Saints a 9th wicket, and West a well deserved second.

Tea - thankfully delivered and, according to those with long memories using the freshest bread in 27 years - came and went, and then it was time to chase 204, on a wicket that had settled down.

West and Ferguson made a decent start in compiling 45 at a good rate before West failed to carry long off. After a second wicket, Naqvi joined Ferguson in what Saints, perhaps a little undermanned in the batting lineup, considered the crucial partnership of the day. Off spinner Harish showed good control and found some grip in the wicket to slow progress, as the batsmen shared a 50 partnership before the calamity of a run out, Ferguson forced to depart for 51, an excellent return. Worse was to follow as Naqvi (18) was dismissed in the next over; with more than a hundred needed in 13 overs this now looked a tough ask.

In hoping to pick up the run rate, batting showed some endeavour, but that yielded wickets, too. Lawrence chimed in with a well played 21, however the game played itself out disappointingly as Saints finished on 155. Northwood Town, with a good all round team effort on the day, were deserved winners.

While finishing second best, and looking occasionally sloppy in the field, there were positive signs for Saints (one only has to compare with 2018's opening fixture to see that). Everyone will be better for the run, which should sharpen up our games for the next fixture, a visit to Luton.

Northwood Town II Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
3nb 5w 3b 2lb 
for 9 wickets
13
203 (45.0 overs)		     
Deepak run out  Naqvi/Lawrence 35
Ravi R ct  Naqvi v West 0
Ravi K b  Price 37
Pradeep ct  Price b Winfield 6
Bhushan b  Price 53
Mapara lbw  Price 0
Kotecha b  Naqvi 1
Anjum b  Naqvi 28
Harish Not Out  26
Sajid ct  Pring b West 1
Shamir  

St Albans Cricket Club 3XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Christian Hay3.002200.007.33
Zach West9.0224212.002.67
Tim Winfield9.0123123.002.56
Andy Saunders9.025000.005.56
Andrew Walker5.021900.003.80
Amy Price6.0036312.006.00
Mo Naqvi4.0027213.506.75

St Albans Cricket Club 3XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
4nb 14w 6b 2lb 
for 9 wickets
26
155		        
Zach West ct  - b Sajid 14 2
Steve Ferguson Run out  51 7
Tim Winfield ct  - b Sajid 0
Mo Naqvi b  Harish 18 2 1 1
Joshua Mulvaney Run out  10 1
Ryan Pring ct  - b Anjum 1 1
Andrew Walker b  Sajid 7 1
James Lawrence ct  - b Anjum 21 3 1
Christian Hay b  Kotecha 6 1
Amy Price Not Out  1 1
Andy Saunders  

Northwood Town II Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Sajid9.042739.003.00
Nishil9.022600.002.89
Pandey1.00700.007.00
Harish9.0423123.002.56
Syed9.002000.002.22
Anjum6.0030215.005.00
Brahmbatt1.00600.006.00
Kotecha1.00212.002.00

  • Umpire :
    From the XI
  • Scorer :
    From the XI
 
Photos and video of St Albans Cricket Club 3XI v Northwood Town II on Sat 11 May 2019 at 13:00

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11/05/2019 - St Albans III v Northwood Town II - Northwood Town II innings