Ardleigh youngsters not so Green, as new-look Isambard made to sweat
Ardleigh Green 155 all out (36.3 overs) (P.Bailey 4-37, S.Munn 2-28, S.O'Brien 2-38). Isambard 159-7 (28 overs) (X.Davis 44, Munn 33 not out, J.Hall 21). Isambard won by 3 wickets (40-over game).
The Conference came up trumps and provided an excellent late-season trip to Harold Hill, where Ardleigh Green's Sunday side provided first-time opposition and made us really welcome.
It can be concerning to encounter sides full of youngsters, but Isambard had a host of untried new faces in their number and Ardleigh's skipper was rightfully confident that his junior charges would put up a good performance. So much so that, on winning the toss, he had no hesitation in electing to bat. Would Isambard have sufficient bowling?
Scott O'Brien and Ray Collins took the new cherry, with the former hunting a record haul and Collo looking to break his seasonal duck. The opening batters had other ideas. Skipper Gibbs and the talented Simmons looked to have blunted the much-vaunted Aussie threat until Scotty had the former caught at gully by that shy and retiring wallflower, Sunny Munn. A record equalled!
Collo beat the bat, but the edges flew to the boundary in a fruitless six overs. Cue the Brearley impersonation by underrated tactical genius Malin Jnr. Was bringing on the slow left armer, Paul Bailey, in only the thirteenth over a tad premature? Two wickets in his first six balls suggested it wasn't, and Bailey ended up with career-best figures of 4-37.
The catches were sticking and Isambard's fielding again a joy to behold, the scoring rate reduced and wickets fell at regular intervals to all those who got a bowl. Scotty was given a crack at the outright record for wickets in a season and delivered, snaring his 24th of the year thanks to Arnie Glausiusz's bucket mitts. Cue much celebration before the Ardleigh innings was would up by Alex Robinson taking the only bowled dismissal, with the total being 155.
An excellent tea was enjoyed as early autumnal sunshine bathed this little corner of Essex. Skipper Malin came up with a batting order designed to give the non-bowlers a hit, safe in the knowledge that the middle and lower order boasted enough ability to extricate his team from any squeaky-bum moments. Which is pretty much how it happened.
A decent 39-2 quickly became 39-5 as Simmons proved he could also bowl. Disco Malin went lbw for 0, uncharacteristically looking to slog-sweep his way to that 1000-run milestone (career not season - he's not Roxy Bywater) to be followed in ignominious fashion by Collins - now Isambard's first Primary Club member-elect! Adam Malin really appreciated the reminder from a fourteen-year-old with attitude that he would be facing a hat-trick ball, but played the first of many forward defensives to begin the fightback.
Two balls before drinks, Xavier Davis fell to a blinding diving catch at cover for 44 -having added a club record 63 with Malin for the sixth wicket. Another dozen runs were added in partnership with Sunny Munn and Isambard looked to have ridden the storm, when Malin went for an unconvincing pull off leggie Duhig and the 'keeper held on to a good running catch.
This meant Scotty O'Brien would finally get to play a meaningful innings for once. And so it proved. He and Sunny knocked off the 40-odd needed for victory with few scares and increasingly-confident shot selection. O'Brien hit the winning runs from a glorious lofted drive over cover for four, with plenty of overs to spare. Which, of course, meant, the team could get stuck into what they really do best and help subsidise cricket club bar takings whilst endearing themselves to the locals!
Special mention on this occasion goes to the redoubtable umpires, who stood for the whole game of their own volition, and the hosts' scorer who did the honours with both book and impressive remote-controlled scoreboard during both innings, meaning we could absolve ourselves of responsibility. But thanks go to all at Ardleigh Green for an enjoyable game. We'd love to do it again next year.
Match report by Adam Malin.
