LBS emerge victorious from muddy nail-biter
Regents Park, 6/16/2007
LBS won by 4 wickets
Strongroom: 126-8
LBS: 128-6
View the Scorecard
Queen’s birthday, Red Arrows, O2 festival noisy in Hyde Park. Mucky day. Lots of heavy showers before and during first part of game. Players resisted common sense to call match off, instead hanging around for an hour for delayed start in 35 over battle. LBS won toss and fielded. Huge seam movement and exaggerated bounce, with some deliveries staying low. Rich played well, the returning Robin looked in good touch, James “The Horse” Horsman played sensibly, and Bully took advantage of being dropped a few times to push the total onto something defendable. Abhay didn’t get a bat at number 11 – thankful for not having to brave the average-threatening conditions. For LBS, Nirmit and Deepak bowled excellently. Rohit overcame a wobbly start to pick up two good wickets.
Sunshine broke out during the quick supermarket tea. The pitch dried out a little – it became much easier to put the short ball away, but it also became easier for the bowlers to run in.
The Horse took a couple of overs to find optimum length, but then bowled very well, completing his 7 overs in a single spell and picking up one of the openers and the dangerous Nirmit. Bully replaced a steady but unthreatening Jon Gower and bowled some good outswing to keep the itchy-footed Reddi quiet. Arvind was doing an excellent job as stand-in keeper. Abhay bowled his now trusty, probing mediums. Runs hard to come by and plenty of chances. A couple of wickets fell, but LBS were matching Strongroom’s run rate and required 40 off the last 10.
Four tight overs from Jon and Dave P backed up by good fielding tilted the balance back towards Strongroom, so that LBS suddenly needed 21 off the last 3 overs. Dave had been bowling well, but was concerned he would suddenly lose it so turned to the trusty Rich, who has a glittering back-catalogue of death bowling. This time it was not to be, with his first over back being punished for 15. Abhay bowled another tight over to increase the tension yet again, but LBS picked off the remaining runs with some crisp shots and three balls remaining.
Rich’s second spell didn’t live up to expectations, but what really lost Strongroom this match was their catching – with a remarkable nine chances being spilled, refused or falling just out of reach (some would have been great catches, but let’s name and shame: JG, HP, RW, CW, slips, DP & RP, CE, DG).
A great game. And farewell and best wishes to Reddi (off to Singapore) – who’s been a good adversary and friend to Strongroom over the past few years.
Written By: David Gower
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