Scorecard

St Albans Cricket Club Sunday 1st XI v Chingford CC on Sun 14 Aug 2022 at 13:00
St Albans Cricket Club Won by 68 runs

Match report Yet another scorcher beckoned for the Sunday 1XI, as the now ever-barren outfield at Clarence Park played host to Chingford CC in the last home game of the Chess Valley season. With a win required to all but secure promotion, and at the same time keep the outside title hopes alive, this was a pivotal point in our season. Despite the lingering knowledge that all league wins thus far had come chasing targets and not setting them, coupled with the bold Saturday night declarations from Pingu and Lawrence that they would back the decision to have a bowl should the coin fall in favour of their skipper, West still had no hesitation in batting first after finally winning a toss for the first time in 4 games.

Sunday stalwart Stu, who in truth has struggled for form in recent weeks, had arrived for the game with a steely impetus that lead him to declare his wish to not only open the batting but take the 1 spot – given his first baller the previous day, West was inspired by this display of lion like courage. In turn the duo got off to an assured and fast start. Within 10 overs the 50 was up; Zach rotating strike in the early stages allowing Stu to attack the bowling on offer. The skipper departed just after he had started to motor himself after he left his bat dangling outside off and snicked through to slip - Superman Mude would point out to West the following Tuesday that he had missed out on very easy Sunday runs when catching sight of his dismissal during his usual Sunday 20km stroll - something Zach has made an unfortunate habit of this year. Moksy then joined Stu and the good work carried on with the lightning outfield and the forever batsman-friendly chess valley ball sailing to the boundary at every opportunity – with the score at 157 after 25 overs, all signs pointed towards a mammoth score with cries for 300 from the onlooking Sunday Funday contingent. However, with a few bowling changes both the pace of the bowling, and the scoring, slowed slightly for a brief period. Nevertheless the scoreboard kept ticking, and Stu passed his 50 much to the delight of his team and skipper, with Moksy following suit soon after. Stu’s pace slowed towards the end of his innings (unsurprising given the energy sapping conditions) and he fell for a well-made 64 bringing Nick to the crease, with 10 overs remaining and the 200 mark already reached. Ralfe was clearly disgusted with the mucky state of the wicket upon his arrival, and proceeded to get his broom out and sweep their spinner from back to back deliveries to return the playing surface to his above average standards of cleanliness. That would however be the majority of his contribution, with Rory taking his place. After a steady start to his visit, leading to him being dubbed “Rory Door”, he got his eye in and started to motor alongside brief partnerships with Sims, Joshy and Lawrence following the agonising fall of Moksy for an excellent 98 after he chipped an unsuspecting delivery back to the bowler. Joshy appeared to like the manner of Nick's arrival at the crease, as he went through his own wicket cleaning routine in starting his visit with back-to-back sweeps - the second an outrageous reverse off of middle stump for no runs, though successfully rage inducing to the bowler.

The hitting from all involved in this late game surge to a monumental total of 302 must be applauded, as 100 runs were struck in the last 10 overs. One could be forgiven for thinking Cales was back on the roller! The Saints middle order had placed a firm grip on the game, but by far the best and most entertaining 6 of those late game runs came off the bat of the Eton educated big hitter Rory, as he tranced down the wicket and launched an astonishing lofted check drive maximum that sailed over the sight screens and into the bowls club – video evidence is available via the club WhatsApp, although it’s safe to say it doesn’t quite do the hit justice. As you can imagine, the man’s face was quite the picture of smug delight as he walked off the field with a 42* (28) to his name.

A jovial tea was enjoyed and all seemed rosy as can be a few overs into the defence of our perceived insurmountable total. DB and Joe Button’s first few sets had offered the expected looseners, but that didn’t stop the majority of us offering our thoughts as to how the required rate was ever climbing to the Chingford batters. Clearly, the father-son duo didn’t appreciate such chat as they begun to flay their opposing openers to the boundary with alarming regularity - the highlight being a crunching pull shot off of Joe's half tracker into the far side of the tennis courts, causing no less than a 5 minute delay. Before long, DB and Button were hooked off and the unease amongst the team and skipper was brewing as the oppo raced to 78 off their first 10 – well and truly up with the rate…

On came Joshy and Winners, with only the latter able to find some sort of rhythm to stop the rot. The progress of the opening pair was becoming a real issue, but with Joshy finding the breakthrough via Lawrence’s work with the gloves, West and Winners imparted a firm message to the side: “Give the decent bloke 1, and we’ll bowl the other (insert term of endearment here)s out” – oh what cricketing nowse the pair have compiled in their many games for the Saints. With Winners taking matters into his own hands with the ball, he took 2 in 2 soon after to tilt the balance in our favour, but of course, the cardinal sin of chucking the hattrick ball down the leg side for 4 byes was still fulfilled. Ralfe’s spell at the other end, although wicketless, played an important part in reducing the boundaries that Chingford required and in truth he was denied a certain LBW to remove their gun opener. He was also victim of some rogue wide giving that were categorically not in the agreed terms pre game - nothing that a borderline patronising reminder of said agreed lines couldn't solve. As Winfield’s frankly match securing spell ended, Joshy was reintroduced with more rhythm displayed than the first time of asking and 2 wickets duly followed. By the end of his allotted 10, the required rate was now in the low teens, but their danger man remained, who had by this point reached an excellent 100. Button was summoned to go again, and early on in his second spell he induced a swipe from said bat sending the ball high to the cover boundary. Winners was under it and CP went silent. West following the ball all the way with his eyes could just make out Jacob’s efforts to make the necessary ground, but for a brief moment it appeared destined to fall out of reach. A frankly disgusting one handed grab followed and with it, jubilant disbelief from all on the field with a Saints badge on their chest - the game now all but won. Rightly, the Saints applauded the fallen batter off the field. His 117 had made an exciting contest of what at the halfway point appeared to be a mere formality of a game. With Sims brought into the fold at the other end, he took a burglar’s 3-fer and the 4 points were secured yet again in the Saints’ quest for chess valley promotion.

A lot has to be said for the way in which the young Sunday 1XI dug themselves out of a hole, albeit one of their own making, and yet again it was an accomplished performance with all in the side contributing with either bat, ball, or in the field. We go again next Sunday in our final game, with promotion now all but secured and an outside shot of a league title in the offing with a win against Edgware. Up the #Real1stXI !

St Albans Cricket Club Sunday 1st XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
9w 1b 8lb 
for 6 wickets
18
302		        
Stuart Murray Caught  64 84 7 76.19
Zach West Caught  21 18 3 116.67
Moksudul Islam Caught  98 75 15 130.67
Nick Ralfe Caught  13 15 2 86.67
Rory Law Not Out  42 28 5 2 150.0
George Sims Bowled  10 5 2 200 1
Joshua Mulvaney Bowled  27 17 3 158.82 1
James Lawrence Not Out  8 3 1 266.67 1
Joe Button  
Dan Baylis   1
Jacob Winfield   1

Chingford CC Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Chingford CC Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 10w 15b 3lb 
for 10 wickets
30
234 (41.1 overs)		     
A. Shah ct J. Winfield b J. Button 117
E. Shah st J. Lawrence b J. Mulvaney 30
A. Butt lbw J. Winfield 19
R. Simmons b J. Winfield 0 1 0
M. Page ct G. Sims b J. Winfield 7
T. Biswas ct D. Baylis b J. Mulvaney 15
M. Blake b J. Mulvaney 7
R. Tariq ct J. Mulvaney b G. Sims 5
G. Duke Not Out  2
  b G. Sims 0
  b G. Sims 0

St Albans Cricket Club Sunday 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Dan Baylis4.002400.006.00
Joe Button5.0036136.007.20
Joshua Mulvaney10.0066322.006.60
Jacob Winfield10.0138312.673.80
Nick Ralfe9.004200.004.67
George Sims3.101133.673.47

  • Umpire :
    ROT (at some point)
  • Scorer :
    All of us