Match reports

Brondesbury II v Old Albanian Cricket Club Sunday Cavaliers

Scorecard

Brondesbury II v Old Albanian Cricket Club Sunday Cavaliers on Sun 18 Jul 2010 at 1.30pm
Old Albanian Cricket Club Lost by 33 runs

Match report

The Cavaliers lost in disappointing fashion in Sunday in a game they will feel they should have won.

With the sun out and the track looking very flat, the toss was key. Unfortunately, Brondesbury won it and had no hesitation in deciding to bat. Jim Handford and in particular Fraser Tant struggled for direction with the new ball, but a good fielding display - despite the absence of late comer Paul Wise 6 overs in to the innings - meant that Brondesbury's good start wasn't a real flyer. After ten overs Handford made the breakthrough with the score on 55, Jim Burton under the first of three well taken catches to his name. Tant produced a peach of a delivery top clip the off bail with the number 3's first ball and picked up another with the last ball of his spell. With spin maestro Ben Rankin in the action, Brondesbury were struggling on 100 for 5 after 20 overs.

However, in the second half of the innings, Brondesbury accumulated steadily, and perhaps had skipper Tant kept pick of the bowlers Rankin in the action he might have added to his three wickets, one of which a well-taken stumping by keeper Todd Baines. As it was, the other bowlers were given their opportunities, and while David Best, Jim Burton and Rahul Thaker weren't slaughtered, only the latter could take a wicket. Brondesbury finished 213 for 9 off their 45 overs - 50 short of what looked a par score on that track at 55 without loss, but a decent recovery from 100 for 5.

The Cavaliers needed to bat sensibly to reach their target, and optimism abounded as the innings began. However, Brondesbury's Aussie opener bowled a miserly spell to Ellis Thorpe, who didn't look in trouble but couldn't capitalise on the few balls he received. After one nice boundary, fellow opener Paul Wise played a poorly-judged drive to a straight one and was castled (5), closely followed by Gyan Rhodes to a slip catch (1). This brought Jim Handford to the crease, who immediately looked comfortable and batted with meaning. Thorpe's vigil eventually ended after 13 overs for 9 runs, via an unfortunate inside edge, and when John Gregory (0) and Ben Rankin (3) both went for expansive drives and saw their stumps splayed when caution was very much the order of the day, the Cavaliers were in all sorts of trouble at 71 for 6.

Tant arrived to join his vice-captain in the middle, and was met by an angry tirade, as Handford vented his spleen at the lack of application that had gone before. Tant was left in no doubt that his trademark swing-and-a-miss would make for a very uncomfortable journey home, so played as watchfully as he could, contrary to his normal instincts. The partnership passed 50 and the cocky attitudes of the fielding team somewhat abated as he launched an enormous six over midwicket before creaming a sublime cover drive to the offside boundary - a shot no-one even knew he had in his locker.

However, when Tant was dismissed for 34 with 10 overs left, the game looked to be up. Jim Burton was undone by a fine delivery, and while David Best hung in long enough for Handford to reach a deserved 50, he was also soon cleaned up. Rahul Thaker saw out the last over, with Handford a fine 68 not out.

"To be honest, I'm really disappointed" said Man of the Match Handford. "A few lads need to knuckle down a bit. 45 overs is a long time - we don't need to be going at 8 an over throughout to put a decent score on the board. Hopefully we'll take that on board when against Rickmansworth next week."