Scorecard

Radlett CC 4th XI v St Albans III on Sat 26 Jul 2014 at 1.00 p.m.
Radlett CC Won by 1 wicket

Match report Phew! Another nail-biting finish, but this time with Radlett overturning the odds to win by 1 wicket, with two balls to spare.

Radlett only had themselves to blame that the match was so close. Three fairly straightforward chances were shelled in the outfield, plus a slip catch, allowing St Albans to score more than they might otherwise have done.

The bowling and the ground-fielding, however, were excellent. Every bowler bowled tightly and threateningly, whilst Colin Warne was in fine form behind the stumps, bagging a career-best three catches and three stumpings.

St Albans won the toss and batted on another sweltering afternoon. 14-year-old James McCullum took the new ball with Luke Paice, the former getting movement and bounce from a good line and length, the latter giving Warne plenty to do down the leg-side, but also threatening with his pace. Neither had any luck, however, with McCullum having the nr 2 dropped in the covers in his second over.

Just 29 had come from the first ten tidy overs. Warne then made a double bowling change, bringing on Harry Copley and Jay Purohit. Both kept up the pressure until, at last, in the 16th over, first blood was drawn, Warne taking a fine catch low down to his right off Copley.

Copley bowled an exemplary line and was a constant threat, having a catch missed at slip, but had to be replaced once his age-related quota of overs was completed. At the other end, Purohit was bowling a great line and length and, although not getting much spin, was troubling the batsmen with his control and bounce. He too should have claimed a victim, a chance being downed at mid-off.

The score was now growing threateningly, albeit slowly, but on 69 in the 29th over, Darren Fabray at last achieved the breakthrough, getting the nr 1 caught behind driving. Next over, Fabray pinned the nr3 plumb lbw with one that kept low, then three overs later, bowled the dangerous-looking nr 4 with the ball of the day that came back at pace through the “gate”. Next over, Purohit at last had some joy, Warne taking a good catch from an attempted cut shot. Things were now looking rosier at 101-5 off 39 overs.

Purohit had had to wait 12 overs for his victim, but, bowling unchanged for a further 10 overs, he now worked his way through the tail. A slick leg-side stumping did for the nr 6, Warne then securing another stumping off the next over from McCullum. Purohit them bowled the nr 9 and repeated the trick two overs later. All that remained was for Purohit to complete his “five-for” courtesy of another stumping, to finish with the impressive figures of 22-4-53-5.

This had been a fine team bowling performance and 154 seemed eminently gettable. Nick Scott bashed a breezy 19 before being bowled, but Warne and Ingram settled in to play carefully and ease the total along. St Albans first change bowler was a difficult proposition, however, getting appreciable in-swing from his left-arm over, and bowled Ingram bowled round his legs for 23. Next ball, Rami Meeps was adjudged lbw, then, in his next over, the left-armer cleaned up Jamie Wells.

Saunders and Warne defended stoutly, but few runs were coming. Feeling the pressure, Warne then drove a catch to mid-on, departing with the score on 68-5 in the 29th over and feeling the game had been thrown away. That was soon 73-6, as the left-armer bowled McCullum for 0.

But Warne had not accounted for the fighting spirit of Eddie the Eagle and the young tail. Seizing on anything remotely hittable, Eagle and Harry Copley added 32 in six overs, before the latter holed out. Fabray and Eagle then smacked a further 22, before the latter was run-out trying to regain his ground. Fabray was then caught with no further runs added, leaving the score on 127-9 with just 5 overs left.

Luke Paice strode to the wicket, with instructions to try and ease the score to 140 for a couple of bonus points, then re-assess. However, the dangerous St Albans left-armer had now tired and been replaced and Purohit was batting like a Lord. Hitting five 4s, including a classy back-foot drive, Purohit stroked his way to 23, whilst Paice added a vital 8, including a glorious straight drive, to see the side home with two balls to spare. Fantastic!

St Albans III Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
3nb 4w 2b 5lb 
for 10 wickets
14
153 (52.3 overs)		     
D Watkins ct  Warne b Fabray 30
J Ashton ct  Warne b Copley 17
A Ratani lbw  Fabray 20
E Bottoms b  Fabray 15
A Garg ct  Warne b Purohit 6
J Winfield st  Warne b Purohit 10
M Eames st  Warne b McCullum 15
A Walker Not Out  17
C Hay b  Purohit 1
C Maynard b  Purohit 5
I Ashton st  Warne b Purohit 1

Radlett CC 4th XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
James McCallum7.0122122.003.14
Luke Paice5.031000.002.00
Jay Purohit22.0453510.602.41
Harry Copley10.0227127.002.70
Darren Fabray8.0232310.674.00

Radlett CC 4th XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 2w 7b 2lb 
for 9 wickets
12
156		     
Dominic Ingram Bowled  23
Nick Scott Bowled  18
Colin Warne Caught  19 3 3
Ramitha Meepegama Lbw  0
Jamie Wells Bowled  1
Eddie Saunders Run out  23
James McCallum Bowled  0
Harry Copley Caught  22
Darren Fabray Caught  9
Jay Purohit Not Out  23
Luke Paice Not Out  8

St Albans III Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
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