Energy Exiles Cricket Club

Match Summary: vs. Old Merchant Taylors, Sunday, 19 Sep 2010

Ground: Dundonald Rec Ground
Captain: Amil Patel
Match type: 40 overs
Toss: Exiles elected to bat
Weather: Cloudy
Opposition: Old Merchant Taylors scored: 62 all out (20.5 overs)
Exiles Score: 124 all out (32.1 overs)
Result: Won by 62 runs
Man of the match: Marcin Zieleniewski 6no & 2 for 6

The Exiles penultimate game was against the team where the season started way back in April, Old Merchant Taylors.   Due to former skipper Andy Wingfield, the club has had increasingly strong ties with some OMT players in recent seasons, with many of their players thankfully helping the Exiles out when short of players.  The Exiles also fielded a team at the OMT's 6 a side tournament the week before, where the club won its first ever piece of silverware (that anyone is aware of).  Earlier in the week Andy has called on the team to get to Dundonald Road for a 1230-1pm start, a reminder to some of the infamously poor time keepers in the team to try and leave their houses slightly earlier than 1229 on a Sunday afternoon.   So imagine Andy's horror when he had to told to hurry up to get to the ground by none other than Martin, who, perhaps with some slight assistance from his chauffeur, was the first to the ground.

On arriving at the ground, we were greeted by the friendly groundsman, who made it clear that he would be doing all within his power to make sure that if the game was still going at a certain time, he would be clearing off.   With this in mind, it was perhaps surprising both teams agreed to go ahead and play a 40 overs a side game, although maybe after all the groundsman knew he had prepared a bowler friendly pitch that would ensure the match was all done and dusted by 5pm.  If that was the case however, his pitch preparation talents are clearly wasted at this level!

After a season in which no number of Exiles players have had the fortune, or in some matches the misfortune, of captaining the team, Amil made his belated reappearance from having had his finger broken by one of Simon's slower deliveries.  Anyone who has seen the various states that his finger has been in, including at one stage having being reduced to resembling the metal hand like “The Terminator”, will perhaps understand why Amil was reluctant to say “I'll be back”and take his position behind the stumps as wicketkeeper.   Wil, who has reluctantly taken on  the role during the summer, duly stepped in, which was to turn out to be an inspired move.

It was a chilly day, overcast, with many players wrapped up in many layers, so there was a modicum of surprise when the Exiles decided to bat, bearing in mind the strong bowling attack assembled for the game, who might be able to take advantage of a new ball in the conditions.  The wicket seemed perfectly fair, and the outfield was hard, fast and had the dreaded unpredictable bounce which, it so turned out, produced a few embarrassing fielding mistakes from those foolish enough not to get their body behind the ball.

After losing man of the moment Keith to a yorker that uprooted 2 stumps, Jasper and John Tither increased the scoring rate, although tellingly they did play false shots that fell agonisingly short of fielders in the course of their innings.  It was to be a sign of things to come throughout the whole of the game.   Having both got themselves set, John and Jasper both gave their wickets away within the space of 3 balls, caught playing unnecessary shots which presented straightforward catches to the oppositions.  

The Exiles batting then started to wobble, and collapse, as various batsmen made a start, only to play a loose shot and give the wicket away.   Amil, who even by his own admission, is a notoriously slow starter, was playing some fine sweeps on a pitch which was clearly showing as being receptive to spin, before he fell in slightly dubious circumstances, as a seeming bump ball dollied up to a OMT fielder, who celebrated taking the catch, although many observers weren’t convinced the catch was clean. From various discussions with those involved after the game, no one seems to have any idea that it was a proper chance, and there is no ill feeling towards the OMT fielder, who did nothing untoward other than take a routine catch, which by all accounts has been a problem with their team all season!  This match against the Exiles they clearly set about correcting this, as 6 of the Exiles wickets that fell were catches.

The Exiles were left to defend a meagre total of 124, which, by general agreement was probably 50 short of a respectable total on that pitch and the fast outfield.  Having an insider helped however, as Andy had detailed knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the OMT batting line up.  Had their been a bookmaker from the sub continent within earshot, they might have made a small fortune from picking up tips as Andy briefed his Exile team mates at the fall of each wicket. 

The wickets, as the scorecard shows, were evenly distributed, and it was probably one of the best bowling performances by all the Exiles attack in recent memory.  Simon was unlucky that on the few occasion he offered any width, a batsmen flashing at his delivery was able to get a cheap boundary from not playing a controlled shot.  As mentioned, Wil took the keeper's gloves, and had a fantastic game, taking 2 catches, with one in particular after he had been wrong footed, and being in the right position to take the run out that finally ended any lingering hopes of an OMT fight back from their lower order. Keith bowled 5 overs of excellent spin, generating, from those whose position in the field (the author was side on) could see, enough spin to take wickets as well as exert control over the batsmen. 

Harry, who should he ever play in the same XI as JPJ, will ensure that the double barrelled names quota will be sufficient to warrant the Exiles investigating playing at Lords, continued to show how useful an addition he has been to the Exiles attack, and it is hoped next season he might be able to find time away from being at boat shows in Monaco and Antigua to visit the possibly newly refurbished Civil Service Sports Ground, where his potential for wicket taking is there for all to see. The final word must go to the man of the match Martin, who having set an example by turning up on time, bowled with his usual control and deserved his wickets, as well as taking a catch.  And yes, with a sensible approach to his innings, he made sure that a few more crucial runs were eeked out towards the end of the Exiles innings.

Report By: Jasper Searle

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