Scorecard

St Albans Cricket Club 2XI v Chorleywood 2nd XI on Sat 30 Jul 2022 at 12:00
St Albans Cricket Club Lost By 1 Wicket

Match report
After a run of 6 league wins on the bounce, the 2s arrived at Clarence Park on Saturday full of confidence for their top of the table showdown with 1st place Chorleywood 2nd XI. Defeating the league leaders would leave winning Division 4B in the team’s hands. The stage was set.
Due to the ongoing absence of official 2s captain Oliver Coulman in the 1s, and Matt Howeson unfortunately having to drop out due to health reasons (get well soon Howse!), the reins were handed to Jonny Hall - the team’s 5th captain of the season. Keen to stamp his authority on proceedings early doors, Hall kindly included a 10 minute “designated relaxation period’ in the team’s match preparations, before promptly winning the toss and electing bat first.
Suitably relaxed, openers Perrin and Adil got things off to a great start, some exemplary strokemaking piercing the infield on regular occasions. Sadly, due to the enormous size of the CP boundary, it became quickly apparent that boundaries would be hard to come by. Nevertheless, good running took the opening partnership to 61-0, before Dily departed caught and bowled for a well-made 36.
The middle overs saw Chorleywood demonstrate why they have been so effective this season. Tight bowling backed up by good fielding preventing the SACC scoring rate from climbing much above 3s. Still, Pez and Caswell applied themselves, and Pez reached a well-deserved 50 during which he rarely looked troubled.
Conscious of the run-rate, Caswell departed for 17 trying to force the off- spinner over his head, bringing new man Krish Danuka to the crease. Krish and Perrin then combined well in the latter part of the innings - with a particular highlight including some verbals between a Chorleywood bowler and Krish,
promptly followed by an attempted bumper which Krish duly despatched to the boundary. This was warmly appreciated by his colleagues.
Towards the end of the innings, Krish brought up an excellent debut 50, while Pez continued his good form with a massive 94*, agonisingly just running out overs to bring up three figures. The 2s finished on 212-2, a very competitive total which we had high hopes of defending on a slow and dry CP wicket.
After a mid-innings bowling and fielding warm up which demonstrated the team’s title-winning intent, Adil and Bayliss opened up the 2s bowling attack. The innings got off to a good start when Bayliss dismantled the stumps of a Chorleywood opener, competing the act with a full Alan Shearer celebration that continued well past the rearranged stumps.
However, following this Chorleywood again demonstrated their top-of-the- table credentials, knuckling down and advancing their score to 100-1, albeit slightly behind the run-rate throughout.
The partnership was broken by Adshead, who had the opposition batsman caught at mid-on by Adil, unusually electing to take a relatively regulation catch with one hand, but getting the job done nonetheless. Krish also then claimed his first wicket for SACC, an LBW shout which prompted a beautiful full team appeal which gave the umpire no choice but to raise the finger.
As the game entered its latter stages, it was becoming clear that this one would go to the wire. Chorleywood lost wickets but continued to keep up with the rate. A period of below-par fielding and the odd boundary ball aiding them in their chase.
The game ebbed and flowed, with wickets falling including a stunning boundary catch by Ralfe at Long On, a run out, and another rearranging of stumps by Bayliss. Chorleywood needed around 20 from the final three overs, and at 205-9 there was genuine hope the 2s could complete a nail-biting victory.
Alas, a combination of mishits, quick singles, and a clutch smash to long off from the Chorleywood tail-ender in the last over saw them home with 1 wicket and 2 balls to spare. A gutting defeat for the 2s - every member of the team can reflect on a little more they could have done to influence the game in a

more positive direction. However, it was ultimately a great game between two well-matched teams which could have gone either way.
The 2s move on to Stevenage next week with the prospect of a top 2 finish still very much alive, and even an outside chance of winning the league still to fight for.
Tavah Player of the Match: Steve Perrin - 94*
DOTD: Zach West - Sad TFC
St Columba’s Holy Moment of the Day - Elongated team appeal for 4th wicket Abbey Aquatics Shot of the Day - Steve Perrin Cover Drive

St Albans Cricket Club 2XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 11w  
for 2 wickets
13
212		        
Steven Perrin Not Out  94 143 7 65.73 1
Adil Sharif Caught  36 42 4 85.71 1
James Caswell Stumped  17 56 2 30.36 1
Krish Dhanuka Not Out  53 51 4 103.92 1
Andy Rudlin  
Zach West  
Nick Ralfe   1
Jonny Hall  
Ben Adshead  
Dan Baylis  
Joey Curran  

Chorleywood 2nd XI Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Work5.012500.005.00
Brown10.005100.005.10
Davies8.014300.005.37
R. Davies10.0125212.502.50
Stone8.004000.005.00
Ret10.002900.002.90

Chorleywood 2nd XI Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
213 (49.3 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

St Albans Cricket Club 2XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Adil Sharif10.0139139.003.90
Dan Baylis8.3042221.004.94
Ben Adshead10.0143221.504.30
Jonny Hall10.0145145.004.50
Nick Ralfe4.0117117.004.25
Krish Dhanuka7.0026126.003.71

  • Umpire :
    Kevin
  • Scorer :