Newkirk ton sinks Bohemians
Highgate Wood, 5/16/2009
Strongroom won by 99 runs
Strongroom: 237-6 [M.Newkirk 103]
Bohemians: 138 [R.Meier 57]
View the Scorecard
For the second successive weekend, Strongroom and Bohemians locked horns – though this time we had the home advantage at Highgate Wood. Unfortunately the opposition were missing several of their regular players, and so were fielding a weaker team than usual. On winning the toss, I opted to bat first, and sent Martin Newkirk and Tom Higginson out to face the new ball.
Martin (103) and Tom (26) put on 88 for the 1st wicket off 16 overs, and both took advantage of the 2-3 loose balls that were on offer each over. It was not all plain sailing though, as overnight rain encouraged some irregular bounce, and the slow outfield meant firmly timed shots were often hard-run 2’s rather than 4’s. Bohemians failed to take a few chances that Martin offered throughout his excellent innings, and he made them pay with a quickfire ton which included some ruthless pulls for 6 as well as his usual array of neatly timed strokes all around the wicket. With Martin’s dismissal at 165-2off 25 overs, it was clear Strongroom were in a formidable position, especially as totals of around 180 are the norm for this time of year. Bohemians tightened up their bowling in the latter stages, as Philips cut back the pace and found that nagging length which suits our slow track. Our very own KP (Ken Park) again demonstrated that he does have the capability to make the no.3 slot his, but on this occasion lost his wicket to a run-out misunderstanding when looking well-set. Veteran Strongroomers D.Gower (24) and M.Mellor (25) worked the gaps well, and we finished up with a very strong total of 237-6.
Tea: 8/10. A fine joint effort from Mellor and Tom H. I seem to remember some tasty ciabatta and conventional cheese & pickle sandwiches, with lots of bananas.
We had a strong bowling attack at our disposal, and it seemed proper to open with Paddy and Orme. Paddy generated some serious pace and lift, as well as bowling a much tighter line than in ’08. Left-handed Kilpatrick defended stoutly against a barrage of short balls, but finally Paddy breached his defence with the perfect full delivery which scattered his stumps dramatically. At the other end, veteran seamer Andy Orme (2-26) was providing a master-class in swing bowling, utilising his many years of experience. In particular, the opener Spratt was forced to come forwards and play every ball, until Orme induced a snick which centurion Newkirk snapped up at wide first-slip. However, Bohemians did not go down softly, as ringer Marc Talbot (38) and regular R.Meier (57) both batted excellently as they set about rebuilding their run-chase; Meier in particular providing stubborn resistance. Ujjal (0-36) wasn’t quite his usual self, but Proctor (1-25) bowled that Bothamesque ‘crap ball’ that seduced Talbot into a mis-stroke and so unlocked our advance into the Bohemians tail. Mellor, D.Gower and myself all chipped in with further wickets, and victory finally arrived with 99 runs and 5.4 overs to spare. The fielding was excellent throughout, and KP did a solid job behind the timbers.
Another good performance from Strongroom, and it was a pleasure to see such a balanced team of veterans and newbies working so well together. However, there was no denying that this was a seriously weakened Bohemians XI. Next week we take on London Nigerians, which should give a clearer indication of what direction we are moving in.
Written By: J.Gower
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