Scorecard

Ampthill Town v Radlett CC 3rd XI on Sat 05 Sep 2009 at 12,30 p.m.
Radlett CC Won by 7 wickets

Match report Needing 3 points to assure avoiding relegation, Radlett Thirds went one better, thoroughly outplaying Ampthill and winning by comfortably by 7 wickets.

Yet when Ampthill were 81 for no wicket, even our three points looked elusive. Again it was the combination of Zahur Gitay’s medium pace and Shamit Nathwani’s slow full tosses that brought Ampthill to 159 all out. Gitay bowled his first 5 overs for 8 runs, while at the other end, Shamit bowled with wit and guile to finish with the team’s best return of the season of 14 overs and 6 for 37. Gitay bowled 20 overs to take 3 for 40.

Significantly, five hard catches were taken, and not one put down, a superb fielding performance underpinned by another outstanding wicket-keeping display from the spritely Ben Charles.

The runs were accumulated comfortably and efficiently, and Radlett never looked like failing. Neel Maldi and Matt Bell batted fluently and powerfully, in that order, and Colin Warne finished the job with Robin Willis, both continuing their good form.

Thus Radlett 3rd XI finished four places above the relegation positions, four of their six wins coming in the last seven matches, an amazing turn round. Yet with the amount of new talent in the side, it is surely amazing that we did not finish much higher. The last few games showed we were comfortably better than sides far above us in the league.

The arrival of Robin Willis, who has settled to become a match-winner with both bat and ball, as well as being an excellent fielder, the emergence of Neel Malde who has the silky touch of a David Gower, and has turned matches on their head, and to see Vishal Patel score the most wonderful 120, when the next highest score was under 30, have all contributed to the development of what next season will be a formidable unit. We have had fielding nightmares, but led by Shamit Nathwani’s committed and skilful fieding, we have caught some great catches.

We have also been blessed by having had three excellent wicket keepers, Josh and Ben Charles, and the irrepressible Colin Warne. What’s more they are all good batters, with Colin having an excellent season with the bat, the highlight being a brilliant 90 not out, out of 203 for 8.

Matt Bell has opened the innings with forthright power, and has had a really successful season, to go with some marvellous catches, and his overall common sense and good humour have become a cornerstone to the team.

Dan Cohen and Neil Lederman have developed into a coherent opening bowling threat, and given further experience will bowl sides out by themselves. And Shamit Nathwani has latterly filled our spin bowling vacuum with aplomb and great success. But for my money, the man with the badger haircut, Zahur Gitay has been the bowler who has brought the control you must achieve to take wickets, and thus our most important bowler, whatever the statistics might say.

But the role of the most important man on the field, the captain, has been played quite superbly by Iain Edwards. If you put aside the hard earned and vital runs he has contributed, and some fantastic reflex catches at his signature short extra cover, he has carried this side like Hercules. There have been some very bad periods this season where we all doubted our ability individually and collectively at this level, but it was Eddo’s good sense and grounded confidence that was the reason for this side’s success. I would go so far as to say that without it, the Third Eleven would now be in Division Five.

There is therefore a lot of hope and expectation to go forward into the next season, and I look forward to following their progress in good heart.

Ampthill Town Batting
Player name Runs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
159 (0.0 overs)
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Radlett CC 3rd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Daniel Cohen6.0122122.003.67
Robin Willis6.011800.003.00
Zahur Gitay20.0843314.332.15
Hemang Majeethia5.003300.006.60
Shamit Nathwani14.143766.172.61

Radlett CC 3rd XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 3 wickets
0
160
(0.0 overs)		    
Dominic Ingram Bowled  1
Matthew Bell Bowled  36 2
Neel Malde Stumped  27 2
Colin Warne Not Out  43 1
Robin Willis Not Out  25 2
Ben Charles  
Shamit Nathwani  
Zahur Gitay  
Hemang Majeethia   1
Iain Edwards  
Daniel Cohen  

Ampthill Town Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

  • Umpire :
    Geoff Bird
  • Scorer :
    Tony Cohen