Despite the threat of rain the mighty WSL
2nd XI managed to get a much needed warm-up at
a breezy Oak Meadow. After original opponents, Hurst,
dropped out late in the week some frantic ferreting
from fixture secretary Smith provided a new challenge
in the guise of Eversley 3rds.
Skipper Connor began the season in time honoured
tradition by promptly losing the toss and being asked
to bowl. The new look opening bowling attack of Taz
‘Wicketless’ Ghulam and Waz ‘No.9’ Javed started well,
bowling a tidy line and keeping the runs down. The pressure
soon told as Javed showed the form with which he finished
last season taking the middle stump of Trappani (0).
Two more wickets quickly followed as Javed reduced Eversley
to 25 for 3.
Mike ‘Buffet’ Thompson joined the attack in
place of Ghulam and began to systematically undo the
frugal hard-work of the opening bowlers serving up a
tantalising array of full-tosses, leg-side deliveries
and the occasional sausage roll. Fortunately for skipper
Matt ‘Kamikaze’ Connor, at the other end Matt ‘Mr England
Jr’ Nebbett was bowling even more stingily than Ghulam
and so the batsmen never managed to increase the scoring
rate over a sustained period.
Zaheer ‘Three Lions’ Gujjar promptly replaced
Thompson and some fast straight bowling was rewarded
with Slatcher’s (18) middle stump. This though brought
G. Edwards to the crease to join the obstinate and stylish
opener McLaverty. The pair began to slowly build a partnership
of 78 offering only a couple of half chances which couldn’t
be capitalised upon, including a sharp chance which
Ziggy ‘Three Balls’ Kiani narrowly failed to hold onto
with his groin.
The Waltham skipper rang the changes with
his bowlers but the spin of Andy ‘xxxxx’ Smith failed
to find the breakthrough, before Chris ‘Golden Arm’
Burge managed to dislodge McLaverty for a creditable
57 with his first ball as the batsman looped a simple
catch to Ghulam at mid-off.
With the innings anchor gone at 143 for 5,
the Eversley lower-middle order found it difficult to
add significantly to their total in the final overs.
Four more wickets fell as Javed completed an excellent
5-wicket haul removing G. Edwards (36) and Creswell
(10), then with the penultimate ball of the innings
Gujjar bowled Forsyth (14). The 9th wicket fell on the last ball as Goy attempted
to steal a single but seemingly forgot to tell his partner
and was run out for 1.
The Eversley innings finished on 165 for 9
after their 45 overs leaving Waltham a solid target
to chase and setting up an exciting second half to the
game.
Walltham openers Waz ‘Never Going to Let You
Forget Today’s Performance’ Javed and Colin ‘xxxxxx’
Parker found runs in the opening overs came quickly.
Opening bowler Guy struggled with his run-up as he conceded
a mountain of no-balls and Parker dispatched the ball
to the boundary with aplomb. The score had reached 43
inside 5 overs when Parker (20) edged a Forsyth delivery
and it was excellently taken at slip by McLaverty.
Kiani joined Javed in the middle
and the score ticked over though the rate dropped considerably
as wiley spinner Slatcher entered the attack. Much as
Javed found last season’s form with the ball, Kiani
(15) quickly found his traditional form with the bat,
wildly slashing a ball high in the air just as he looked
set. Then Chris ‘Boycott’ Burge’s innings lasted what
felt an age as he amassed an important 1 before becoming
Slatcher’s second victim (12-4-20-2).
‘Kamikaze’ Connor joined Javed
seemingly with the sole aim of making the bowling hero
run to within an inch of his life. Despite his best
attempts to run himself out including an ambitious second
once the bowler had taken the return throw, the skipper
lived to fight another day. Unfortunately though inevitable
fate reared its ugly head as a single that even Linford
Christie would have considered excessive led to the
sad demise of the skipper for 14.
Javed attempted to finish the
job with a shot only a mother could love only to lose
his middle stump to Martin. A solid innings of 67 confirmed
a clear Man of the Match for Waltham. With Mike ‘Mind
the Bat’ Thompson (7*) and Gujjar (6*) together in the
middle the latter saw the Saints home with a huge six
to cow for the team to finish on 170 for 5 after 39.2
overs.
A big thank you to Eversley for a good game
played in excellent spirits and a much needed run out
before the league season begins next week. |