Scorecard

St Albans Cricket Club 4XI v Bayford & Hertford 2XI on Sat 30 Jul 2022 at 13:00
St Albans Cricket Club Won by 62 runs

Match report
The 4XI made it seven wins in a row with a 62-run win over Bayfield & Hertford and with only one loss in their twelve last games continue to push hard for promotion as the league enters the business end of the season.

The last time Saints played B&H back at the end of May they were struggling badly with membership and availability, and a comfortable victory ensued against a makeshift team.

An open letter from them to other league clubs and the subsequent publicity it garnered has seem them strengthen somewhat in the ensuing months and so it was that an obviously much-changed side arrived at SLCG.

If previously this fixture might have been deemed a straightforward workout, it was now looking like it might be a tougher proposition.

Skipper Saunders won the toss and opted to bat, on a pitch one end of which was mistakenly flooded in the week and still somewhat wet. Runs on the board was the strategy behind that decision.

Openers Ashish Dean and James Grant started cautiously against some nagging bowling; the run rate crawled along at 2 an over, the running between wickets unenthusiastic in the early stages – Saunders, pacing the boundary suggesting some urgency from batsmen.

With only 27 on the scoreboard after 10 overs James was bowled by Higgs for 10 and was replaced by Najib Khan. His stay at the crease was brief and after 13 balls he too departed for 10.

Enter the 4’s ever-reliable all-rounder Nadeem Arif to partner the now set Ash and they set about accelerating the run rate. At drinks the score was 76 and with Ash reaching his half century the Saints innings started to motor, doubling that total by the 30 over mark.

Ash and Nadeem shared an 84 partnership before Nadeem was caught on 35 and Ash finally fell on 79 , a brilliant effort from 96 balls .

As the 40 over mark approached Uttam Vijender and Marcus Cunnington - who’d turned up wearing a German football short and an Australian cricket cap in a bid to become the most unpopular man in St Albans - with 29 and 26 respectively, kept the pressure on the bowlers, punishing the bad balls and running intelligently. The final not out pair of Lucas Berry and Prath ‘PK’ Khatavkar saw Saints through to a decent total of 221-6 at tea.

The post-tea huddle saw Saunders stressing the need for intensity in the field and for full and straight bowling on a pitch ‘doing a bit’. Opting for the pace of Tom Broxton and PK, Saints started erractically, neither bowler finding their line or length consistently and after just two overs each both were hooked by the skipper who was in a ruthless mood, despite Tom taking a wicket with his third ball – harsh, but pleasingly both took it in their stride, an indication of the great team spirit in the 4s.

Enter Tim Winfield, and a wicket first ball for the veteran medium pacer – his demon outswinger too much for Stuart who played all round it and was adjudged LBW. The skipper vindicated, and with Lucas Berry coming down the hill in partnership and bowling the required line and length demanded by him, Saints soon had a second as Winfield claimed another victim. And then, his dander well and truly up, Winfield proceeded to bowl a rank full toss at the dangerous looking and helmetless Khan, who promptly top-edged it into his nose. Nasty, Claret everywhere. Retired hurt. Winfield – the enforcer.

Still going strong though was the opposition skipper Wilson who was steadily accumulating, joined by Azeem who after a watchful start began to find the boundary regularly.

Following an excellent eight overs from Winfield (3-21) and a tidy six over spell from Berry (0-23), Saunders turned to wily old campaigners Nadeem and Uttam – both bowled well but both had their figures spoiled by expensive final overs – not a reflection of the excellent job they did slowing the run rate in their combined 11 overs.

With 30 overs gone and B&H not yet completely out of the game Saunders brought back Tom Broxton and introduced Ash Dean into the bowling attack – “let’s get this done” was the instruction .

And get it done they did.

Tom in his second spell bowled beautifully – fast, accurately and intelligently. He immediately dismissed the unwisely returning Khan (the bleeding having stopped) and his latter five overs went for just six runs giving him impressive final figures of 2-12 from seven .

Ash wasted no time in dismantling the remaining resistance, smashing through the middle and lower order to claim four victims for just 14 runs in an outstanding five over spell, which also saw him home take his 100th wicket for the club.

A mention in dispatches too for Marcus Cunnington behind the stumps – an exemplary display with no byes conceded. Also, PK, who didn’t get back on to bowl after being replaced early in proceedings but was an active and supportive presence in the field. A great team player.

Another 30 points, another green inker on the website, two huge games in the next couple of weeks, these are exciting times for the 4s.

Oh, and no need to thank us for helping avoid the dirty sweep ; )

St Albans Cricket Club 4XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
3nb 14w 4b 5lb 
for 6 wickets
26
221		        
Ashish Dean ct Satti 79
James Grant b Higgs 10
Najib Khan ct Azeem 10
Nadeem Arif ct Azeem 35
Uttam Vijender ct Wilson 29
Marcus Cunnington ct Wilson 26
Lucas Berry Not Out  6
Prath Khatavkar Not Out  0
Thomas Broxton  
Tim Winfield  
Andy Saunders  

Bayford & Hertford 2XI Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
S. Hall8.012700.003.38
A. Satti8.0135135.004.38
J. Higgs8.0046146.005.75
H. Azeem 8.0038219.004.75
M. Azeem1.002000.0020.00
H. Maine3.002000.006.67
B. Wilson4.0028214.007.00

Bayford & Hertford 2XI Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 10w 2lb 
for 9 wickets
13
154 (40.0 overs)		     
S.Raja ct T. Winfield 11
R. Satti b T. Broxton 0
A. Stuart lbw T. Winfield 9
B. Wilson b A. Dean 76
R. Khan ct T. Broxton 9
A. khan b T. winfield 7
U. Azeem ct A. Dean 24
M.Mamzo b A. Dean 1
J. Higgs b A. Dean 4
S.Hall Not Out  0
C. Poulton Not Out  0

St Albans Cricket Club 4XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Thomas Broxton8.021226.001.50
Prath Khatavkar2.001500.007.50
Tim Winfield8.002137.002.63
Lucas Berry6.012300.003.83
Nadeem Arif6.013600.006.00
Uttam Vijender5.003100.006.20
Ashish Dean5.011443.502.80