Washington Cricket Club - 40th Anniversary Year

Mike Turner reports

Unlike the previous day which had brought the Wash a fine victory over Northfields, Sunday morning greeted the players with heavy clouds and the whiff of imminent precipitation whirling around.  Undaunted, the whites were packed into the bag with both teams determined that the North Middlesex faithful would see some action.

A quick glance down the team sheet evoked memories of the 1970s West Indians and the 1930s English, such was the depth and ferocity of the bowling attack on show.  That in mind, the coin tossers' coin tosser, Mr Mariner, strode to the middle and soon had invited the oppo to bat first.

Shiny cherry in hand and swinging conditions in the air, Clinton Dugmore and Naveed Mir opened up the attack.  Both bowled beautifully, pitching it up, in and around off stump, shaping away beautifully, better batsmen than those of that standard would struggle to nick them.  The breakthrough came off the bowling of Mir, a well judged catch from Stuart Marsh, and the runs remained in short supply. 

Both opening bowlers took a rest and Hill and Mitchell took up the mantle.  Again controlled aggression was the key.  Hill was unplayable, Mitchell looked likely to take wickets every other ball.  Hill rattled the stumps and enduced a catch in the deep by Mir, and Mitchell found an edge that was gratefully snaffled behind the stumps.  Hollybush were rocked, 4 down, their best bats back in the shed, and not many runs on the board.  3rd and 4th change were bowlers who would grace the new ball in any other game, Marsh finding an unreal amount of swing with an ageing ball, and Mariner hitting the gloves of keeper Turner hard with every delivery that shaped past the outside edge.  Clever thinking from Mariner stunted some middle order resistance, the slower ball being looped straight to Mir at long off for his second catch of the day. 

Mariner turned to openers Mir and Dugmore to polish off as the rain clouds once again threatened.  The trick worked, with Dugmore claiming one lbw and an athletic caught and bowled, and Mir taking the off stump out of the ground at the other end.  McDonagh and Gluckman were given the chance to show their stuff at the end as the light faded, with McDonagh claiming the last 2 wickets; a plumb lbw and then middle stump bowled to wrap up what had been a fine all round bowling and fielding display.  Hollybush all out for ???.

During the tea break the heavens began to open, and despite the continued rain, the Hollybush very sportingly mustered and took to the field in order to get as much cricket in as possible.  Ian Relf and Rory Guy opened up and, despite the odd play and miss, successfully saw off the opening overs.  Relf watchful, Guy punishing the bad ball when it came.  Disaster struck however, as an ill advised run was called, and a direct hit from the bowler following through to field himself had Relf on the way back to the changing rooms to dry off for ??.  An otherwise dark and dreary afternoon was about to be lit up, as Mir took to the crease at 3, to see if the game could be won in short time.  It so nearly worked as a succession of 4s and 6s and a complete absence of a defensive stroke saw him bludgeon the ball to all parts of the ground from what can only be described as only a few balls at most.  At the other end, Guy continued to play his own game and scored at a decent rate himself, as the Bush looked more and more disconsolate.

It looked set for a two in two for the Wash over the weekend, but it wasn't to be.  Ultimately we all knew how the game would end, as the weather continued to worsen, it was only right for the game to be called off.  Guy (??*) and Mir (??*) left unbeaten at the wicket with Wash ?? for 1 off just ??.? overs.  Very much a winning draw.
 
Many thanks to Hollybush for a really giving it a go to get a game completed and a thouroughly sporting and enjoyable contest was had throughout, despite the weather.

A great team performance throughout, and form appears to be picking up throughout the ranks as we head into the main summer fixtures.