Club Statistics
Match Summary: vs. Priory Arms, Sunday, 27 Apr 2008
Ground: Old Deer Park
Captain: Andrew Wingfield
Match type: 30 overs
Toss: Priory Arms elected to field
Weather: Damp, showers
Opposition: Priory Arms scored: 95 for 7 (28 overs)
Exiles Score: 94 for 7 (30 overs)
Result: Lost by 3 wickets
Man of the match: Simon Gundry 44 runs
| Batsmen | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Keith Roberts | lbw | 10 | 26 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Mark Bradshaw | b. | 13 | 43 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Wil Scott (W) | ct. | 9 | 29 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | Paul Loveridge | ct. | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Simon Gundry | b. | 44 | 49 | 5 | 0 |
| 6 | Phil Ling | ct. | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Andrew Wingfield (C) | ct. | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Toby McMahon | not out | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| 9 | Naren Patel | not out | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Extra(s) 11w 1b 4lb | 16 | |||||
| 94 | 180 | |||||
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Avg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andrew Wingfield | 6.0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 3 |
| 2 | Naren Patel | 6.0 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 12 |
| 3 | Phil Ling | 6.0 | 1 | 18 | 1 | 18 |
| 4 | Simon Gundry | 3.3 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| 5 | Toby McMahon | 1.3 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Keith Roberts | 5.0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | 20 |
| Player | Catch | Run Out | Stumping | Penalty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keith Roberts | 1 | |||
| Wil Scott (W) | 1 | |||
| Andrew Wingfield | 1 | |||
| Simon Gundry | 1 |
In classic "two-jumpers" weather, the exiles started the season at least in part as they mean to go on -; by entertaining the Richmond faithful to nail-biting, suspense filled finish against the erstwhile Priory Arms outfit. Unfortunately it was Stockwell side who managed to squeeze home for the victory by the narrowest of margins, one wicket, in this vintage 9 a side, "30Thirty" season curtain raiser.
Thrown in to bat first after 'Nasser' Wingfield lost the toss again, Energy were always up against it on a damp pitch where the bounce was variable (to say the least), and a shockingly damp and overgrown outfield. With a delayed start due to the inclement weather, the Bradshaw-Roberts opening partnership took no chances and donning the helmets built a solid base from 1s and 2s in the afternoon gloom.
Even when Roberts fell LBW, signalled by Umpire Patel's Bucknor-styled slow nod of the head - a contested decision that could run and run throughout the long hot season to come - Will's solidity meant that the scoreboard ticked over to 42-1, albeit with the solitary boundary. Then the fun started …
With the sun threatening the dry the outfield, Energy, feeling the need to push the scoreboard on, paid the price with a flurry of wickets, 5 for just 13. It was hard to blame the batsmen as they risked all in their attempt to pierce the closely encamped ring of fielders via the air - with Will, Loveridge, Ling and Wingfield all perishing to catches. Bradshaw too, the pick of the top-order, heard the death rattle due to one that shot along the floor. Needless to say, this wasn't a pitch for the purists, and at 55-6 after 19 overs, with 2 wickets in hand, the prospects looked as bright as Old Deer Park getting ODI status this side of the 3rd Millennium.
Step forward Simon Gundry. Making a mockery of what went on before, the star all-rounder decided to omit as much of the jungle like outfield as possible by launching himself into 5 of the Exiles' 6 boundaries, in a near run a ball 44. Supported by McMahon (playing the Bob Willis role of "sticking around") the pair took the total up to 94 with last man Patel (he of the nod of death) fending off the last 3 deliveries to ensure that Energy were saved the ignominy of being bowled out, albeit with a weakened team. With something to bowl at, the Chiswick based gents tucked into their half time pork pies and custard creams with gusto.
With a decent 3 an over target to bowl at, and with the outfield drying slightly but still resembling the London Scottish rugby pitch a mere few hundred yards away, Exiles piled on the pressure due to accurate bowling from Wingers and Patel who shared 3 wickets between them in a combined spell of 12 overs for just 18 runs. The pressure continued with debutant Ling offering tidy military medium with the hint of in-swing, and the devastating pace of Gundry, both of whom picked up a wicket to keep Exiles on the front foot.
Ling's dismissal in particular, leaping from keeper Will's boot into Gundry's hands at slip, probably took the "champagne moment" in an echo of that famous ashes dismissal from D I Gower nearly quarter of a century before. Yet if Big Simon, hero with bat and ball, could have traded this catch to continue with the ball he must surely have as pulling up midway the 4th over of a hostile spell, the door suddenly re-opened for "The Arms".
First McMahon, despite offering searing pace, found his replacement 1 and half overs costing 21 with Harmy style wayward deliveries - and even being edged for six and four in successive balls. It proved a costly period. Roberts' off-spin steadied the ship, with a key wicket in his 4-an-over 5 over spell. But the damage was done, and despite taking it to the last wicket and what was thought to be the last ball (subsequent studying of the books suggests that Priory had 2 overs in hand), the home side squeezed home in early evening gloom to taste the sweeter beer in the nearby "Triple Crown" public house.
Report By: Toby McMahon