19 July 2008 - OCCC @ Mayfield - Lost by 71 runs

With Alex missing yet again, we could only raise a 10 man team for our game at Mayfield, Richard Hillman skippering the team. We fielded first, and James and Suleiman took the new ball, and bowled good spells. James normally has to bowl his opening spells after a strenuous 15 mile bike ride, but with Mayfield being close to home, he was less out of puff than usual, and bowled a fine spell. Mayfield’s openers rode their luck, before James knocked back the off stump of an opener to claim our first wicket. Suleiman was a little less accurate than last week, but he still bowled well, and claimed our 2nd wicket courtesy of a sharp catch by Richard Saldanha at cover. James and Suleiman kept the pressure on, and Mayfield’s batsmen continued to flirt with danger before one of them lofted a catch to mid on off James that was very well judged by Yusuf Ramzan. We seemed to have Mayfield on the ropes at 3-30, but their middle order batting this year was rather better than in previous years. Their hard hitting number 5 went after the bowling, and enjoyed a fair bit of luck as lofted shots fell into space. Suleiman (1-23 off 5 overs) was replaced by Richard Saldanha, while James went chuntering down to fine leg after being replaced by Yusuf after a good 6 over spell in which he claimed 2 wickets. Richard and Yusuf were a little less accurate than the opening bowlers, but still kept the pressure up, and after a couple of good LBW shouts, Richard won an LBW decision against Mayfield’s skipper to make it 60-4. Yusuf then claimed the key wicket of Mayfield’s dangerous number 5 bat for 33 with a fine delivery that swung in between bat and pad to knock back off stump. Mayfield were reduced to 77-5, but their batsman showed good application to keep our bowlers at bay. Yusuf and Richard (1-17 and 1-19 off 5 overs each respectively) were replaced by Junky and Tony Sawell, who were both very economical, but the breakthrough eluded them for quite a while. There were some good LBW shouts, and also a clear-cut stumping by Richard Hillman that was disappointingly given not out. We persevered, and Junky eventually got the wicket, bowling the left handed number 6. He then bowled another batsman with a good ball that drifted away after pitching (nothing to do with the bowler!), and bowled the new batsman first ball to claim his 990th wicket for the club! James Gleadow returned for a 2nd spell, and claimed our 9th wicket to reduce Mayfield to 120-9 as Yusuf Ramzan safely pouched a skier at cover. The last wicket pair then batted capably in a frustrating partnership, adding 22 before Steve took a slip catch off James to wrap up the innings for 142 in the 45th over. James finished with 4-39 off 10.5 overs, deserved reward for someone whose bowling figures often don’t flatter him, and Junky got 3-17 off 12 overs (his bowling figures almost always flatter him J). It was a good performance in the field with 10 men, the bowlers all bowled well, and were backed up with good fielding.

After a fine Mayfield tea during which some errant football conversation polluted the air, the Saldanha brothers opened the batting. Unfortunately, the partnership was rather short as Richard was bowled by a fine delivery that swung in appreciably. Yusuf and I kept some good bowling at bay, and the scoreboard ticked along as I played some off side shots, and we were helped by some extras. But with the score on 16, Yusuf fell to a good diving catch at mid off. Steve Ringer joined me, and I managed to coax him into running a couple of twos, before I was deceived by a slower ball, and caught at midwicket for 10. Steve Ringer hit a couple of fine boundaries to keep the scoreboard moving, but Iffy was then bowled by another good inswinger to reduce us to 33-4. Richard Hillman joined Steve, and they did some much needed damage repair, putting on a good partnership. Much to our surprise, Richard initially outscored Steve with some ones and twos before Steve hit a couple of boundaries with his railway sleeper to restore the natural order of things. Mayfield’s bowlers were very accurate, and difficult to get away on an increasingly tricky pitch, and the run rate slowed a bit. We reached the last 20 overs at 61-4, needing a further 81 at just over 4 an over. However, Richard Hillman then departed to a good slip catch to make it 67-5, and there was then a swift collapse. Suleiman also fell to a good slip catch, and when Steve Ringer was bowled for a well compiled 33, our hopes were dashed completely. Richard Hillman’s index finger then got a bit too much exercise as he adjudged James Gleadow and Tony Sawell LBW, and we were dismissed for a paltry 71.

The batting conditions were tricky, but we should have made a better fist of our innings, and at least made Mayfield work harder to bowl us out. However, we’re playing Mayfield again this week (with 11 men this time), so we have a good opportunity for swift revenge!

Mayfield 142 all out, 44.5 overs (Gleadow 4-39 (10.5 overs), Shannon 3-17 (12 overs), Faruqi 1-23 (5 overs), R Saldanha 1-19 (5 overs), Sawell 0-17 (7 overs))

OCCC 71 all out, 28 overs (Ringer 33, Hillman 10, A Saldanha 10)

Result: Mayfield won by 71 runs

Man of the Match: James Gleadow

Allan Saldanha