BCCC v Bank of England Saturday XI 9th July (time game).
BCCC 210-7
BoE CC 140-8 Draw
BCCC vs BANK OF ENGLAND (BOE) away Saturday
A great away fixture for BCCC but only 9 players were available this week and sadly we had a last minute drop out so we were up against it with just 8 men.
BOE had 10 men with two Kensington ringers and two promising colts.
BOE captain elected to field.
Suraj (stand in captain) and Aditya opened the innings with a 75 run partnership. Adi got bowled by a fast in-swinging delivery that not many of us could have defended against. Abhi (suraj's young nephew) followed Adi's footsteps to pause another 80 run partnership with Suraj. Suraj too got bowled by a fast off cutter from BOE's Kensington ringer for 75. We were 150 for 2 and had to accelerate in the last hour. Abhi ended up with 56 and BCCC 210 for 7 (all out). Their Kensington ringers got most of our wickets.
We started our bowling innings with Nikhil and Suraj opening the attack. Nikhil bowled brilliantly in the opening spell and got three quick wickets. Ex BCCC Kameel Khan and the Kensington ringer Niraj came in and shut up shop defending well against our hostile bowling. Andrew Hurn and Abhi continued the seam attack but couldn't make any further headway for next 6 or so overs. We only had one chance: an outside edge off Hurn's fast bowling dropped at 1st slip (something to do with the fielder's wife being on the field as our 9th man).
Phil kept well as usual but was having a tough time behind wickets stopping some hostile fast bowling sometimes swinging way past the leg stump.
Adi was brought on to replace Abhi's attack. Adi with his potent leg spin mixed with occasional medium seam bowling beat the bat on a few occasions but could not break through.
It was a time game and at 6.30pm when the last 20 overs were to start, BOE were approx 65 for 3. We had 20 overs to get 6 more wickets and win.
When there were 16 overs to go Nikhil came on again to replace Adi and Suraj came on again to replace Hurn in attack. 6 more overs went by, Nikhil got Kameel out lbw and one handed injured Adi dropped Niraj in covers. Nikhil continued but Adi was brought on at the other end to replace Suraj. 4 more overs went by and Andrew Hurn was brought back to replace Adi in attack. We were in the last 6 overs and Andrew Hurn bowled fast and furiously in his second spell (captain wished he had brought Hurn back sooner). Hurn bowled their wicket keeper batsman in his first over back but couldn't get any more wickets in the next two overs. We now had two overs left and still needed 4 more wickets to win. I had given up hope and was going to throw the ball to someone who hadn't bowled yet so asked Andrew Hurn to take a blow. Nikhil had to continue as he was 1 short of a pfifer. In the penultimate over Nikhil clean bowled a valiantly defending BOE bat with a fast in-swinger and had another very close lbw shout turned down. It was last over and we needed 3 wickets to win. It was a difficult decision who to bowl. Suraj took the last over with hope of getting the remaining 3 wickets Malinga-esque. But it was a bad idea, he bowled his heart out and got none; BOE bat Niraj stood firm to see off the innings. BOE were 140 for 6 and we ran out of time.
If it were a league game it would be a winning draw for us.
Man of the match I'd say would be Nikhil for his great bowling spell and 5 wickets haul against a resilient opposition.
A great away fixture for BCCC but only 9 players were available this week and sadly we had a last minute drop out so we were up against it with just 8 men.
BOE had 10 men with two Kensington ringers and two promising colts.
BOE captain elected to field.
Suraj (stand in captain) and Aditya opened the innings with a 75 run partnership. Adi got bowled by a fast in-swinging delivery that not many of us could have defended against. Abhi (suraj's young nephew) followed Adi's footsteps to pause another 80 run partnership with Suraj. Suraj too got bowled by a fast off cutter from BOE's Kensington ringer for 75. We were 150 for 2 and had to accelerate in the last hour. Abhi ended up with 56 and BCCC 210 for 7 (all out). Their Kensington ringers got most of our wickets.
We started our bowling innings with Nikhil and Suraj opening the attack. Nikhil bowled brilliantly in the opening spell and got three quick wickets. Ex BCCC Kameel Khan and the Kensington ringer Niraj came in and shut up shop defending well against our hostile bowling. Andrew Hurn and Abhi continued the seam attack but couldn't make any further headway for next 6 or so overs. We only had one chance: an outside edge off Hurn's fast bowling dropped at 1st slip (something to do with the fielder's wife being on the field as our 9th man).
Phil kept well as usual but was having a tough time behind wickets stopping some hostile fast bowling sometimes swinging way past the leg stump.
Adi was brought on to replace Abhi's attack. Adi with his potent leg spin mixed with occasional medium seam bowling beat the bat on a few occasions but could not break through.
It was a time game and at 6.30pm when the last 20 overs were to start, BOE were approx 65 for 3. We had 20 overs to get 6 more wickets and win.
When there were 16 overs to go Nikhil came on again to replace Adi and Suraj came on again to replace Hurn in attack. 6 more overs went by, Nikhil got Kameel out lbw and one handed injured Adi dropped Niraj in covers. Nikhil continued but Adi was brought on at the other end to replace Suraj. 4 more overs went by and Andrew Hurn was brought back to replace Adi in attack. We were in the last 6 overs and Andrew Hurn bowled fast and furiously in his second spell (captain wished he had brought Hurn back sooner). Hurn bowled their wicket keeper batsman in his first over back but couldn't get any more wickets in the next two overs. We now had two overs left and still needed 4 more wickets to win. I had given up hope and was going to throw the ball to someone who hadn't bowled yet so asked Andrew Hurn to take a blow. Nikhil had to continue as he was 1 short of a pfifer. In the penultimate over Nikhil clean bowled a valiantly defending BOE bat with a fast in-swinger and had another very close lbw shout turned down. It was last over and we needed 3 wickets to win. It was a difficult decision who to bowl. Suraj took the last over with hope of getting the remaining 3 wickets Malinga-esque. But it was a bad idea, he bowled his heart out and got none; BOE bat Niraj stood firm to see off the innings. BOE were 140 for 6 and we ran out of time.
If it were a league game it would be a winning draw for us.
Man of the match I'd say would be Nikhil for his great bowling spell and 5 wickets haul against a resilient opposition.
