Scorecard

St Albans Cricket Club 4XI v Bamville CC Saturday 1st XI on Sat 23 Aug 2025 at 13:00
St Albans Cricket Club Won by 32 runs

Match report The 4s entered the third last game of the season in mid-table, but with just 32 points gap - a win and a bit - advantage over the relegation spots. So there was plenty of motivation for the team heading into this fixture against Bamville, who had been comfortably beaten first time around, but since climbed into the promotion spots.

Saints were asked to bat first in this one, with the returning Nisar Sr opening up with the returning Rudlin. The visitor’s record was founded on bowling success and a handful was expected. Both batters were away quickly, in Rudlin’s case, uncharacteristically. Manny looked hungry for runs, unfurling his trademark cut stroke through gully and to the boundary on several occasions.

The Sandpit Lane wicket has been trending up and so it looked today, though always demanding vigilance. The bowling, though not ragged, was at times generous and the score ticked along nicely.

A significant moment, with later repercussions, came shortly before drinks were due. Rudlin, charging to make his ground for a sharp single, became unsighted by a misbehaving helmet and crashed into the visitor’s keeper. Rudlin was left with a bloodied nose, while the keeper, who’d felt the full force of the rampaging batsman, was forced off the field for a time. (Note to Andy: please replace that dysfunctional helmet.)

After a lengthy break in play, during an innings where things seemed to move at half speed, Nisar took on the bowling even more, powering one delivery just shy of the long on fence, and soon raised a half century. Shortly after, he departed for a very well made 52 - a 98 run opening partnership setting things up nicely.

Rudlin, now with a red warrior stripe down the length of his nose, was joined by Hingston (29), the latter not quite finding his timing, but nevertheless going at close to a run a ball to maintain the momentum. There must have been something in the replacement helmet, for Rudlin’s run rate lifted too. Having raised his bat for a half century he then surged from 59 to 84 in the space of 9 deliveries, uncommon progress. That proved to be his limit though, a fabulous knock.

Wright (24no), Davey and Nisar Jr kept the momentum running through to the close of the innings and Saints had 230 on the board.

Skipper Davey urged that the team “have fun” as they took to the field. With runs on the board, surely that could be achieved? He handed the new ball to Hadden, who was this week joined by the other Prath, PD, as opening partner.

Early signs were good, the ball swinging sharply, sometimes too much for the umpires, who found the blue line a distraction that yielded early wides. Hadden (1/20) made the initial breakthrough and PD followed up with another, the run rate well below asking.

As drinks approached, Saints victory push gained extra momentum as four wickets fell for nine runs, courtesy of Khatavkar, a brace from Walker and a Rudlin run out (he not being kept out of the game for long). At 63/6 after 20 overs, Saints had the game in hand, even as Davey’s drinks break address reminded Saints that “they have a long tail”.

To be fair Davey corrected himself to “they bat deep”, and so a partnership between Kashif and his skipper Ani turned things around as their stand grew beyond 50. It took the wiles of Nisar Jr to break the partnership as he claimed two victims bowled (2/27).

At 114/8, and with the 11th man surely knocked out of the game by Rudlin’s earlier tackle, things should have reached a swift conclusion. That they didn’t came down to some positive batting and some sloppiness in the field. Catches were dropped and misfields led to boundaries as Saints relaxed - and then started to panic as the visitors got closer. Finally the nonsense was stopped with another run out. The bails were lifted and Saints gathered to celebrate victory.

But instead, the 11th man, accompanied by a teammate, nominated as his runner, hobbled slowly towards the crease. What followed was a somewhat distasteful few minutes as Saints questioned the legitimacy of a runner; the skipper himself had been denied one a couple of weeks prior in the same competition. Threats of forfeiture lead to a common sense agreement that the runner be allowed and so the game carried on. (Later, research revealed that the Herts League rules offer nothing on the use of runners, meaning that the MCC’s Laws - allowing runners in certain circumstances - hold sway, a confusing difference from the playing conditions of international cricket.) From afar it seemed there was unnecessary spitefulness afoot.

The upshot was that Saints switched off even more and Bamville added another 20 odd runs, even as the IVs claimed a comfortable victory, albeit with a sour taste.

First-time skipper Davey was pleased with the all round effort, noting that “everyone contributed with the bat, ball or in the field” while conceding that there were a few things to build on. He summed things up by reminding us that it was “great to get that first win in a long time under our belt.” Indeed it was!

St Albans Cricket Club 4XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 9w 5b 8lb 
for 5 wickets
23
230		        
Nauman Nisar b S Ramzan 52 64 11 81.25
Andy Rudlin b O Shaikh 84 95 14 88.42 2 1
Ben Hingston ct Unsure b O Shaikh 29 30 5 96.67 1
Andy Wright Not Out  24 29 2 82.76
John Shaw lbw O Shaikh 0 7 0 1
Sam Davey b A Ramzan 13 13 1 100
Sulaiman Nisar Not Out  5 3 166.67
Andrew Walker  
Prathamesh Deshpande   1
Prath Khatavkar  
Tom Hadden   1

Bamville CC Saturday 1st XI Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Bamville CC Saturday 1st XI Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
11w 4b 5lb 
for 9 wickets
20
198 (40.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

St Albans Cricket Club 4XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Tom Hadden6.0120120.003.33
Prathamesh Deshpande7.0230130.004.29
Andrew Walker9.0343221.504.78
Prath Khatavkar7.0033133.004.71
Sulaiman Nisar6.0127213.504.50
Sam Davey5.003600.007.20