Big win caps off stunning season in style
Wray Crescent, 10/3/2009
Strongroom won by 149 runs
Strongroom: 287-7 [K.Park 92, J.Kelly 61, C.Atkin 4-54]
Pacific: 138
View the Scorecard
Winning by such a convincing margin was both a fitting finale to a highly successful season, yet also a meaningful performance in that it came against quality opposition whom we have got used to battling competitively with over the past few seasons.
On winning the toss I decided to bat first, and the dynamic duo of Martin and Jules took little time in setting about their task, with Martin pulling the first ball of the innings for four. The tall Tempany extracted some steep bounce on occasion, and at the other end Vinod mixed up his deliveries, but generally there was enough loose stuff on offer to hit to the boundary railings with some regularity. Martin [36] was looking comfortably in control when the nagging line of Gleadow induced an edge which was brilliantly taken by Webley behind the stumps. However, this dismissal acted as the catalyst for Jules [61], who suddenly set about Gleadow, and moved from 31 to 61 in just 10 deliveries with an onslaught of boundaries. Jules’ confidence eventually got the better of him, when he missed a straight one from Faisal in an attempt to loft it back over his head, but it had already served as an invaluable pace-maker innings.
Meanwhile, Ken [92] was not looking entirely comfortable against the probing Gleadow or tight lines of Faisal, and one could sense he was going to try and hit his way out of trouble. The change bowlers often dropped too short or wide, and Ken took full advantage in his no-nonsense, brusque Queenslander style. In 14 overs Ken and myself [34] put on 107 for the 3rd wicket, and KP entertained all with an interesting combination of swats, short-arm pulls, jabs, deft glides, straight smacks, slogs and aerial hoists. After 30 overs Strongroom were well set at 220-3, and that we only managed a further 67 from the final 10 overs was partly due to both of us getting out in quick succession and new batsmen having to play themselves in. Guy unfortunately ‘wore one’ on the jaw, but Mellor, David Gower, Hem and Joe all joined in the run-fest, and a final total of 287-7 represented a great team effort.
Tea: I ate it so quickly in an effort to get out early and avoid a late finish in the gloom that I can’t remember what there was. Sandwiches, I think. The general consensus during our hasty tea break was that Pacific were going to come out and hit us hard, that they too would be peppering the boundary fence and that we’d have to bowl a tight line and length and stay calm. As it was, Hollman and Chasseaud played very well in building a platform for their run-chase and put on 60 for the first wicket. Ujjal and Paddy bowled a decent opening spell, though both batsmen were effective in working the ball around the ground for 1s and 2s. However, it was the persistent Ujjal [2-20] who made the crucial double-breakthrough, having Chasseaud snared by Jules in a specially-set deep gully, and key batsman Webley bowled first ball. Mellor [3-15] and Rahman [2-30] were then brought into the attack, and it was ‘that man Mellor’ who then removed the big hitters in the middle order – Roy caught by Hem at silly mid-off, and Tempany brilliantly caught-and-bowled one-handed off a firmly smacked, low straight-drive. Mark’s bowling was superb, and his figures were exceptional on a fast scoring track. Joe too bowled a good spell and took his season haul to a record 22 scalps, one of them courtesy of a smart diving catch by Martin at silly mid-on. Lucius counter-attacked well for his 22, but wickets fell at regular intervals, backed up by some excellent fielding. Dave Gower again cemented his premier strike rate when Pacific’s last man Gleadow was adjudged lbw, and finally our ’09 campaign was brought to an end.
We shared a few celebratory pints in the Larrick, and then made the pilgrimage to the Strongroom bar in Shoreditch to chew over the season. Ken barely mentioned his innings all evening. Funny that.
Written By: J.Gower
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