Caught short in the park
Alexandra Park, Muswell Hill, 5/25/2014
Alexandra Park won by 49 runs
Alexandra Park: 189 [Y.Hawa 66, G.Patel 65]
Strongroom: 140
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On a breezy and changeable day, Strongroom arrived at the Alexandra Park ground in high spirits, riding high on the back of two straight wins. The traditional round of Ally Pall pitch and putt was forfeited in favour of fielding practice. The pitch looked in good condition, if a little damp, and the forecast was improving. The home side won the toss and chose to bat first.
Short of two players for the first hour or so (Zain and Rajeev involved in a high security incident of dubious veracity) Strongroom struggled to contain the scoring, this despite a wicket falling in the second over (a real fizzing leg-break from Ashraf) due to some powerful hitting and a one very short boundary. Hawa and Patel batted excellently and took the game away from Strongroom, both reaching 50 and scoring easily above six an over to reach drinks at more than 120-2. After tea however, Strongroom dragged the game back. Excellent spells from Zain and Rahman, where wickets taken at regular intervals and tight bowling lines maintained built the pressure on Alexandra Park. Meaning when Ellis came on in the last ten, turning the ball sharply, wickets started to tumble and he finished with 4-1-9-3. Strongroom were happy with Alexandra Park’s total of 189 from 40 overs.
Following tea where both teams watched England get skittled for less than 100 by Sri Lanka in the one-dayer, Strongroom resumed confidently.
An opening knock of 28 from Zain, equal in both power and watchfulness, proved to the highlight of the Strongroom innings. Gower providing a good foil at the other end on his way to 18. Sadly things only got worse from thereon in. A combination of diligent, probing bowling and unlucky dismissals proved too much for the Strongroom batting line-up. Davies looked in promising form before falling to a catch at square-leg of which Jonty Rhodes would have been proud (in all seriousness). Venkateshan was run out to a direct hit. Hall bowled through the gate. Wilson looked in control for a promising 12. The Strongroom tail, aided by the ever reliable extras (top scorer in the innings for 35) limped to 140. Fifty runs short of the target.
A disappointed Strongroom headed to the bar, congratulations to Alexandra Park on a good all round performance
Written By: J.Hall
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