Strongroom tough it out for opening victory
Highgate Woods, 4/24/2004
Strongroom won by 3 wickets
Churchill: 77 (J.Armit 4-12)
Strongroom: 78-7 (Amjit 4-11)
View the Scorecard
The players were greeted by a glorious sunny day and a familiarly squidgy early season Highgate track. Strongroom included Aussie debutant Matty Lynch in one of their strongest teams in living memory, and they needed most of the deep batting to see them home in a very close, gritty encounter. Churchill Arms were inserted by new club skipper Simon, who won his inaugural toss. The Strongroom bowling attack had plenty to offer. Simon and Rich asked some early questions, but it took the introduction of Dave P’s muscley medium pacers for the breakthough to come (could he be the new Orme?). At the other end Jerome completed a superb intial spell (3 for 4 from 4 overs) that blew a hole in the Churchill middle order. Matt L, Bully and Mark M all bowled tidy spells taking wickets that kept up the pressure, and Jerome returned to finish off a stubborn final wicket partnership by clean bowling his fourth victim. Strongroom dropped three catches ranging from the difficult (stratospheric skier to hungover Bully) to unreasonably easy (Rich doing a Herschelle at short extra cover), and conceded 22 extras in a total of 77 all out, suggesting a little winter rustiness.
Tucking into an excellent tea (Simon setting a high early season standard in ham and mustard sandwiches), Strongroom felt understandably confident in knocking off the 78 required well within 35 overs. However, Churchill gave Strongrom a real scare. They bowled better (Churchill’s wicket keeper really liked a lot of it) and the drying top of the pitch started to become detached. Jon G was beaten by one of a long series of late outswinging yorkers. Andy T and Rich W both looked like they would take the game by the scruff of the neck before succumbing to injudicious strokes. Strongroom were crawling along at 2 runs an over and losing wickets. Dave G played a highly valuable knock, getting the top score in the match (26 off 73 balls). He initially played with characteristic solid defence and nudged and nurdled singles, but opened out later on to hit Strongroom's only two boundaries before a bowling change did for him. Strongroom wickets continued to tumble. Matt was bowled, Jerome slapped one to point, and Mark M controversially given out leg before. Suddenly, Strongroom had lost 4 wickets for 10 runs in 7 overs. Simon Ray and Bully played themselves in nervously, but gradually eeked out the 20 runs required with just one over to spare.
Churchill just missed out, but they bowled with great discipline (just 10 extras) and their opening bowlers finished with 1 for 7 and 4 for 11 from their allotted 7 overs each. So, Strongroom record a victory even without Andy Orme. Simon combined his captain and finishing roles to near-perfection, and having Dave P and Stu still in the hutch suggested there was still a little power to come.
Written By: D Gower
|