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Match Summary: vs. WICC, Sunday, 09 Sep 2007

Ground: King's House Sports Ground
Captain: Andrew Wingfield
Match type: 40 overs
Toss: Exiles elected to bat
Weather: Overcast
Opposition: WICC scored: 122 for 5 (26.4 overs)
Exiles Score: 119 for 4 (35 overs)
Result: Lost by 5 wickets
Man of the match: Mark Bradshaw 50 not out

charts of Exiles wicket partnerships for this match
Score board
 Batsmen RunsBalls4s6s
Keith Roberts b. 11  43 
Amil Patel b. 
Mark Bradshaw not out 50  94 
Philip Humphreys st.  18 
Wil Scott (W)b. 11  30 
David Stiffell not out  14 
Andrew Wingfield (C)dnb      
Jeff Hilson dnb      
Naren Patel dnb      
  Extra(s)  15w 9b 2lb   26      
    119  206   
Bowling
 BowlerOMRWAvg
Andrew Wingfield  6.4 21 21
Jeff Hilson  6.0 31 31
Naren Patel  2.0 16 0
Philip Humphreys  7.0 27 9
Keith Roberts  5.0 20 0
Wicket Keeping and Fielding
PlayerCatchRun OutStumpingPenalty
Mark Bradshaw    
Keith Roberts    
Jeff Hilson    
Amil Patel    

A depleted Energy Exiles side was easily beaten by WICC on Sunday. Set 120 to win in a reduced-to-35-overs-a-side game, WICC cruised home with more than 8 overs unused, by 5 wickets.

With 9 players - including an injured Naren - this was always going to be a tricky one. Being sentenced to another trek through the rainforest to pitch D at Chiswick also didn't boost morale, whilst the late arrival of the opposition - clearly having forgotten their compasses - ensured that the game needed to be reduced to 35 overs per side.

We won the toss. Hurrah. Unfortunately that shock panicked me into making probably the wrong decision - we batted. The pitch looked decent - but it was still pitch D - and matches on there are rarely high scoring. The sight of football pitch markings going straight through the wicket should also have been a warning. Anyway, I was tired after playing football the previous day - so batting seemed the easier option.

The opposition openers slipped into a decent groove and found plenty of movement in the air and off the pitch - not to mention some uneven bounce - more of that later. Amil opened with Keith and was quickly induced into an over eager drive and was bowled. In strode Mark - Surrey CC helmet and all - and for around 15 overs, the game was becalmed as the Exiles batters repelled accurate bowling and looked to steadily build a total.

Keith was eventually undone for a typically flamboyant 11 by a straight ball that he wafted at… Oh, how I'd have loved two things about that sentence to be true. Unfortunately his innings had lasted 43 balls and the ball that got him was unplayable - apart from perhaps for Jeff - as it landed halfway down the strip and shot along the ground to hit middle stump.

Enter new recruit Phil Humphries - I think playing his 3rd game for the Exiles. He initially showed un-Exiles-like tendencies by smashing a shot to the boundary - the ball travelling far enough to disrupt the big match of the day - British Library v Barnes Occasionals on pitch B (Barnes won by miles - and they wouldn't play us this year because we're 'too good'!) before quickly the stranglehold of gentle spin bowling struck him too. The WICC change bowler Joshi offered plenty of flight and temptation - yet only went for 19 runs off 7 overs - as the batters seemed uncertain of how best to dispatch it his bowling.

Phil eventually fell to the spin - coming down the wicket to try to nudge a single - but missing the ball and getting stumped.

Wil came in and had similar difficulties - hitting 11 off 30 balls before the returning opening bowler returned to knock back his stumps.

And so it was David Stiffell's turn at the crease. At last the run rate would climb! The Exiles desperately in need of someone to chance their arm at one end, whilst Mark accumulated steadily at the other end. First ball was very promising, as the ball rocketed to the square leg boundary - and with 3 more runs off the next 2 balls, David looked set to push the Exiles somewhere near the sought-after par score of 150.

Alas the canny bowlers proved virtually un-hittable - David only scored 1 run off his last 11 - and although Mark brought up a determined 50 off the final ball, the Exiles' innings ended rather tamely on 119 for 4 - 30 odd short of a decent target.

Tea was had and there were no samosas for Jeff. or anyone else. The cakes were good though, as the Exiles watched curiously as a team that could well have been CYPOS smashed 299 in 40 overs on pitch A.

Exiles needed early wickets in reply. I opened at one end and we had Jeff's depth-charge bowling at the other end. And it worked as one of the opening bats got overly confident and slashed one of Jeff's gentle deliveries straight to cover where Amil held a decent catch.

Unfortunately no further wickets followed for a while until Phil had the other opener caught by Jeff. The ball came to him gently at a comfortable height, but Jeff, being Jeff, decided to step forward so as to have to catch it above his head and make it look difficult. Still at least he was paying attention enough to actually see it, and not have to cower as someone shouted at him that the ball was coming vaguely towards him.

Naren's injury restricted him to only two overs, which allowed an opportunity for Keith to practise his 'spin' bowling. And it was relatively decent as the two opposition bats - both good players - were kept quiet. Phil was having a mixed day with the ball - but as we all know when playing for the Exiles - it is often this style of bowling that takes wickets - and so it proved as the WICC number 3 cut to Mark at point - where he held a fine catch. Nice to see Mark catching someone at point, rather than the other way around!

Phil also took a further wicket as the number 5 hit a drive straight to Keith, allowing the opposition to demonstrate their youth policy in sending out one of their sons to bat - he was approximately 10 years old. Queue some hurried warm up exercises from yours truly and it was time for this kid to face some real bowling. I actually had memories of his 20 or so runs in the equivalent game last year - when I and John Tither bowled perhaps a little too generously.

So, on confirmation from the umpire that I could bowl 'properly' - whatever that means, I ran in. If properly means gently, and a foot outside leg stump, I was spot on with my first delivery. Next ball, I was lucky enough to find a straight one that knocked back his off peg. I have visions of Nikul coming back in 6 or 7 years time - when he'll be 6 foot 7 no doubt and smashing my bowling to all parts as well as terrifying me with some 80mph bowling. Anyway, I believed it to be the key wicket. And it says 'bowled Wingfield' in the book (copyright Naren Patel, circa 1995…).

On the quiet, with 20 runs still needed and 5 wickets now down, there was suddenly a bit of a glimmer for the Exiles. Though at that point, I made the mistake of turning to Jeff at the other end. What dross he bowled as he was smashed to all parts. And what with the number 7 somehow smashing a couple of boundaries off my bowling, the game was up, Exiles defeated by 5 wickets.

It was a good effort by the Exiles 9 - and with 11 we could well have won. In fact we could have won with the 9 we did have - with a little more aggression in the batting. In fact, I mean a lot more aggression.

Report By: Andrew Wingfield

Last modified: 11 March 2018 14:31:46. Top of the page

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