Energy Exiles Cricket Club

Match Summary: vs. Ploughmans, Sunday, 03 Jun 2018

Ground: Dulwich Park
Captain: Bernard Leuvennink
Match type: 40 overs
Toss: Ploughman elected to bat
Weather: Sunny
Opposition: Ploughmans scored: 70 all out (35 overs)
Exiles Score: 74 for 3 (12 overs)
Result: Won by 7 wickets
Man of the match: Faisal Musakhel 5 for 15

This match was eagerly anticipated as it marked the debut of Bernard Leuvennink’s as captain. We’d heard him explain poker strategy, and even comment on cricket in the past, so we were interested in how he’d approach captaincy.

First challenge was getting everyone to the ground, with the 1pm start approaching we only had 5 players there, when lo and behold it turned out the start time was 1.30! Why we were never told was not clear, but it enabled us to at least get 9 players, plus a fielder from the Musakhel supporters club, for the start of the match.

The pitch was looking spongey and a little damp, so ideally we’d bowl first, which we were asked to do, after Bernard lost the toss. It was pretty obvious after the first couple of balls that batting was going to be very difficult, a turgid pitch with balls keeping low and dying on batsmen. Andy and Ashik utilised the conditions very well and the scoring rate was less than a run an over. Ashik then bowled their opner Lonnen with a beauty, pitching on middle and leg and hitting off stump. Ashik’s spell saw only 2 runs from his 6 overs.

Around this time Huss, one of two late players, the other being Faisal, turned up and took to the field in his jeans as he’d forgotten to pack his cricket trousers…Ploughmans had other things to worry about, like scoring runs, as they were only 35-1 at the 20 over mark. Bernard rung the changes bringing on Masie and yours truly. Masie bowled his best spell for the Exiles this year and, despite their best attempts to get going, Ploughman’s couldn’t get out of first gear. They lost Lockhart, bowled standing deep in his crease to Ling and Bernard brought on Faisal and Huss (in his jeans remember!).

Huss bowled with pace and aggression (3-5), and wickets began to fall quickly, although one of his wickets was a rank long hop which then sat up to then drop down and bowl the batsman. I think that wicket was purely down to the pitch! Faisal at the other end bowl with aggression after a loose first over and showed the virtue of bowling at the stumps, as he proceeded to bowl, and clean up, the Ploughmans line up and finish with an excellent 5-15. Ploughmans were 70 all out, Exiles bowled and fielded well, and on a very low and difficult wicket John Crossland kept superbly, only conceding 2 byes.

Exiles still needed to bat well to win, but started with positive intent as Shahid and Huss opened and put on 12 for the first over. Alas Shahid was out lbw before he could get going, and in entered Bilal, the third of the Musakhel brothers. Like Shahid he likes to attack the ball, and easily walloped a 6, but was bowled for 12.

At 43-2 Exiles looked comfortable even allowing Athul, who hadn’t played for over 10 years a few balls out in the middle, and looking no worse than his brother Ashik at batting…It was at the other end that things got interesting though as the Ploughman’s best bowler, Lonnen, was taken apart by Huss. Bowling round the wicket to change things up just saw Huss take 3 6s off the last over to win the match with 28 overs to spare, and end on 49 not out. Probably the best display in jeans we’ll see for the Exiles (surprisingly it is not the highest score for the club in jeanswear!).

All in all a very satisfying day, everyone managed to get a game, the bowlers bowled well and Bernard didn’t really know what all the fuss about captaincy was. Man of the Match Faisal Musakhel for a rare, and match defining, 5-15

Report By: Phil Ling

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