Scorecard

Northwood Town v Radlett CC 2nd XI on Sat 25 Aug 2007 at 1.00 p.m.
Radlett CC Won by 3 wickets

Match report The truth of the old adage “catches win matches” was clearly illustrated in this match, as relegation-threatened Northwood Town downed a hatful of chances to help Radlett 2s secure an exciting last over victory.

With the umpires insisting on delaying the start by 30 minutes, to allow further drying of the bowlers’ run-ups (thereby reducing the match to 49/43 overs), skipper Dave Robinson eagerly inserted the opposition, intent on exploiting the soft wicket. Rob Watson started well, inducing the opposition skipper to snick one to Graeme Dill at slip in his third over, with the score on 13, but the pitch was less difficult than anticipated and Town’s 2nd wicket pair built a strong base as they took the score to 82, which included 19 off Watson’s last over to ruin otherwise impressive figures (6-1-31-1). Opener Kumar in particular played well, scoring 63 before falling lbw in Jim Chaudry’s first over.

The scoring rate had been at a healthy four-an-over, but the sharp turn gained by Chaudry showed that this was wicket where the slow bowlers might be most dangerous. Indeed, first change pace bowler Dill had illustrated this by dropping his pace to concede just 23 runs off 8 overs, including one delivery that hit keeper Warne on the head, necessitating the call for a helmet. Medium-pacer Heath Paynter also bowled tidily, his 10 overs costing just 30 runs.

82-2 rapidly became 117-5, as off-spinner Ahmed Nawab induced two catches in the deep and Warne took a good catch behind off a thick edge from Chaudry. Town’s 6th wicket pair then added 38, before Simon Gray took a running catch on the boundary off Chaudry (14-1-54-3). When, next over, spinner Gray engineered another juggling boundary catch for Heath Paynter, leaving Town on 161-7 with just 6 overs left, Radlett had high hopes of polishing Town off reasonably cheaply.

Enter keeper Newman. Surviving a dropped catch by Nawab early on, he proceeded to smash 5 sixes in an innings of 47* off just 24 deliveries, to take Town to an improbable 212-7.

Radlett started well, with Dill surviving a difficult early chance to take the score to 40 off the first 6 overs. Ashley Tillet’s slog to leg, producing a skier to the keeper, was therefore unnecessary and when Gray was bowled next over for 0, the familiar top order collapse looked in prospect.

However, Chaudry and Dill took the score to 69 off 14 overs, before Dill thick-edged a drive to point for an excellent 52. Nawab (60) now joined Chaudry (51) in a vital partnership of 106, that took the team to 177 in the 37th over, before Nawab skied a catch seeking quick runs. With a run-a-ball needed off the last six overs, with six wickets still in hand, the money was still on Radlett, but just one run was taken from the next over and a further run later Chaudry chipped one to short mid-wicket to heighten the tension.

Big-hitting Heath Paynter (12) then swiped 10 off the first four deliveries of the next over, before skying a catch, leaving Radlett needing 25 off 25 balls. Keeper Warne joined Robinson, who had already been dropped twice in the frantic search for runs, and the two decided they would run everything. The required 6 runs came from the 40th over, but with Warne initially struggling to lay bat on ball, only two came from the next over, meaning 16 were now needed off the last two overs.

A lofted drive off the first ball of the penultimate over saw Robbo dropped again and 2 runs taken, followed by 4,1,1, before Robbo (13) was run out by a fine throw from the boundary as the pair tried for a second run. Simon Randall took a single from the final delivery of the over, to leave 6 needed from the final over.

A suicidal single to short cover from the first ball yielded 2 runs, courtesy of a overthrow, then Warne sprinted a bye to the keeper. With his eye now in, Warne then advanced down the pitch to take 2 runs from the third delivery and, with the scores level, advanced again to strike the winning boundary with two balls to go.

This had turned out to be a fine run chase on a difficult wicket, but Radlett had made the task more difficult by dropping a key catch and knew they had been given a vital helping hand by the butter-fingered opposition.


Radlett CC 2nd XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 7 wickets
0
216
(0.0 overs)		    
Ashley Tillett Caught  7
Graham Dill Caught  52 2
Simon Gray Bowled  0 2
Jim Chaudry Caught  51
Ahmed Nawab Caught  60
Heath Paynter Caught  12 1
David Robinson Run out  13
Colin Warne Not Out  9 1
Simon Randall Not Out  3
Rob Watson  
Shabbir Foyez  

Northwood Town Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Northwood Town Batting
Player name Runs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 5 wickets
0
207 (0.0 overs)
N Kumar Lbw  63
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
C Newman Not Out  47
   
   

Radlett CC 2nd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Rob Watson6.0131131.005.17
Heath Paynter10.033000.003.00
Graham Dill8.022300.002.88
Jim Chaudry14.0154318.003.86
Ahmed Nawab6.0130215.005.00
Simon Gray 5.0040140.008.00

  • Umpire :
  • Scorer :
    Bill Marshall