Sloppy Strongroom come close…but it’s 3-0 to The Mix!
Highgate Woods, 7/21/2007
Caribbean Mix won by 11 runs
Caribbean Mix: 183
Strongroom: 172-6
View the Scorecard
Violent rain showers and burst of glorious sunshine made for a sloppy and curiously tropical backdrop to another eventful encounter with ‘The Mix’. As the ravages of Climate Change looked set to sodden yet another cricket match, returning skipper David Proctor won the toss and inserted The Mix, in the hope that drier conditions later in the day would aid the Strongroom run-chase.
However, a potent ‘on paper’ Strongroom attack failed to discipline themselves, and this coupled with the opposition umpires upholding a strict ‘one-day international’ wides regimen, generated 27 wides and 41 extras in all. Ivan Boote, fresh from bowling to the Indian Test Team at Lords, impressed onlookers with his smooth approach and action, but pulled up after 3 overs with a recurring painful stress fracture. Simon Ray dismissed the wily Toney, after a fascinating duel, but the soggy conditions were generally not conducive for his out and out pace approach. Proctor rotated seven bowlers in all, but it was The Horse (3-23) and Jolyon (2-28) who were the pick. The tenacious opener Brown (38) and skipper Mark Green (37*) proved to be the main run-getters for The Mix, but whilst their batsmen never seemed to dominate affairs, the constant haemorrhaging of extras served as icing on the cake for a final total of 183 in 35 overs. Strongroom’s tendency to consistently spear total tripe down the leg side had damaged their cause tremendously.
Tea Report: 9/10 Okay, so Kritee and I made this tea, but I think this score is fully justified! Rice and Peas, fiery jerked chicken and sausages, fried plantain, salad and range of squirty condiments and drinks were greedily wolfed down in yet another rain shower. A visiting Andy Orme unselfishly held the umbrella high above the tiny table, providing a dry canopy for the scoffers circling around.
Visiting Devon veteran Bill Scott (10) and a fired-up Rich Woolhouse (35) made a steady start to the Strongroom run-chase, on a track which by now resembled a huge chocolate gateau slapped around with a spade, and some sawdust from the local pet shop sprinked around for good measure. J.Gower (11) and Claro (17) came and went, and the score was around 100-4 when Jolyon (35*) and Ray (19) set about some middle-order renovation. With 80 required off the final 8 overs, both batsmen were just starting to move through up and through the gears, when Ray delivered a sweetly-timed pull shot straight to ‘that man’ Toney at square-leg. Enter The Horse! Horsey yet again provided the goods (27), and his uncomplicated, lusty-hitting style included one monstrously high six in the final stages. Jolyon too joined in the fun, elegantly straight-driving a six into the shed-end sightscreen. With 20 needed off the final over, these two had taken Strongroom to the brink of an historic victory, but Mix skipper Mark Green stripped off his keeper’s pads and bowled a smart final over to leave Strongroom 11 runs shy.
Such wet conditions always seem to make such games eventful and exhausting, rendering treacherous such simple actions as running between the wickets, outfielding and running up to bowl. However, both teams retired to the smoke-free Highgate Inn where the 3-0 scoreline to The Mix was keenly discussed over a few beers. We will return to Tooting for a re-match in August, still hunting for our first win over this team, but this has become one of the must-play games of the season - ’the vibes is good’ - as their scorer, Marjorie, simply put it.
Written By: Jon Gower
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