Alex won the toss and elected to field first in a time game. Alex and Mike Knight took the new ball, and bowled good tight spells to keep the runs in check. Some tardy arrivals meant we were a couple of fielders short, but supersub Tony helped in the field until Junky finally turned up at his usual ETA of 2:30. Alex and Mike got considerable swing, and were unlucky not to get an early wicket, beating the bat regularly and having some very close LBW shouts denied. Eventually, Alex got a deserved wicket bowling an opener for 17 to make it 27-1 in the 12th over. Alex took himself off after a good spell of 1-18 from 8 overs, and brought on Suhail Shaikh to bowl his legspin. Suhail initially bowled too short, but once he got control of his length, really tested the batsmen. A perfectly pitched legbreak (makes me wistful to write those words, not that I bowled many J) induced an edge, but Steve just failed to cling on to the sharp chance at slip! At the other end, Mike came off after a tight 10 over spell, and was replaced by Richard Millett who has mixed memories of Essendon having made his top score of 98 not out here, but also having partially dislocated his shoulder dropping a catch here last year. Essendon now kept us at bay with a good 3rd wicket partnership, as their skipper and best batsman found good support from a number 3 bat who played some fine shots. Junky replaced Suhail, and together with Richard Millett bowled accurately to keep the scoring rate in check. However the partnership grew, and the score moved to 100 before Junky got the breakthrough, cleverly dropping his length (or so he said!) to bowl the advancing number 3 bat for 45. The new batsman looked very scratchy, and skied the ball on a couple of occasions off Richard Millett, but each time it fell into space as our fielders failed to call for it. We eventually got the breakthrough when I pulled off a diving stop at cover, and my powder-pop throw allowed rich hillman just enough time to whip off the bails to run out the number 4 bat and make it 121-3. An over later, Richard claimed an LBW victim and then Junky claimed the key wicket, bowling Essendon’s skipper for 44 to make it 126-5. Richard and Junky were really on top of the batsman at this point, with the scoring slowing as wickets fell, and there was even a rumour that Junky was actually turning the ball- must have been an optical illusion! Junky and Richard bowled another batsman apiece, and I took a catch at cover off Junky to make it 140-8. Richard Hillman effected a stumping off Richard Millett, who then bowled the last man to dismiss Essendon for 145 in 48.5 overs off the ball before tea. Junky and Richard ended up with figures of 4-12 and 4-63 respectively as reward for long accurate spells, rather suspicious that they both ended up jug-shy! It was a good performance to dismiss Essendon for 145 after they had been 100-1, and wheeling through 49 overs in 2 and a half hours was very impressive.
After a fine tea that passed even Junky’s exacting standards, Richard Hillman and I opened the batting. We got the scoreboard ticking with some good running, but Richard was then caught and bowled off a leading edge, and we were 9-1. Bruce joined me, and I got going with 3 boundaries in 1 over off some gratefully accepted full tosses. Sadly the errant bowler was replaced by a much more accurate bowler, and runs were now harder to come by as the Essendon bowlers made life difficult. Bruce got off his usual cautious start, and was relieved when a pull shot found midwicket who spilled a sharp chance. We accumulated runs gradually and the score advanced to 41 in the 11th over before I was caught behind for 31 playing an ill advised cut shot. Bruce was then dismissed LBW in the next over, and soon after Steve Ringer was bowled to reduce us to 43-4 after 15 overs. Mike Knight was joined by Suhail, and they had to consolidate against disciplined bowling. Suhail’s injured left hand made it difficult for him to play through the off side, but he did eventually get a pull shot away to the leg side boundary. We entered the last 20 overs at 47-4, and as pruns proved hard to come by, the run chase moved out of reach. The frustration eventually got to Mike and Suhail, and both were dismissed in the same over to leave us 58-8. Rich Millett was joined by Jo Spencer, and they got the scoreboard moving again, as Richard played a couple of fine lofted on drives. Jo also scored quickly with his usual deft deflections, and 20 runs came off 4 overs to leave us needing 70 off the last 9 overs. However, any faint hopes of a win were then extinguished when Richard was caught behind for 13 to leave us 78-7. Iffy Islam joined Jo, and they kept out the bowlers well, although Iffy gave us a few palpitations when he padded the ball straight back to the bowler and set off for a suicidal run (even by the standards of your reporter!), but he returned to his crease in time. Iffy was bowled with 4 overs to go, and skipper Alex joined Jo to try and play out the draw. Jo played a couple of lovely cover drives to take us past the 100 mark, and seemed to be heading for yet another not out to maintain his ludicrously high average for the club of 38, when he was trapped LBW off the penultimate ball of the game to depart for a well made 23. Despite the after effects of his tea-eating gluttony, Junky managed to play out the last ball, and we closed on 105-9. It was a poor batting display by us, albeit on a tricky wicket against 2 accurate bowlers who bowled almost the entire innings. Essendon did not really deserve a win though because of their slow over rate and very defensive field settings, they only really had an attacking field for the last ball!
Much as it pains me, have to give the man of the match to Junky, for despite turning up late, scoffing a large proportion of the tea and being his usual lazy self, he did bowl very well.
Essendon 145 all out, 48.5 overs (Shannon 4-19 (12 overs), Millett 4-63 (14.5 overs), Bennett 1-18 (8 overs))
OCCC 105-9, 38 overs (A Saldanha 31, J Spencer 23, Millett 13)
Result- Match Drawn
Man of the Match: Junky Shannon
Allan Saldanha