Another Case of What Might Have Been…
Fives 216 all out (35.1 overs) (R.Firth 2-7, S.O'Brien 2-24). Isambard 151 all out (32 overs) (D.Thomson 50, D.Bywater 38, D.Malin 33). Fives won by 65 runs (40 over game).
Isambard have a habit of playing good cricket against long-standing rivals Fives - and losing! It happened again on a greentop at Old Minchendenians on Sunday.
Stand-in skipper Adam Malin lost the toss and was asked to bowl. Not a bad toss to lose given the conditions; overnight rain had resulted in a lively-looking track with plenty of grass cover. Moisture was visibly being squeezed out of the verdant sod as the heavy roller made slow progress along the 22-yard strip.
So to 40 overs a side to establish the clubhouse bragging rights. Opening bowlers Scott O'Brien and Grant Cutmore produced the anticipated quality barrage of top nuts. Scotty cleaned up the erratic Topiwalla for 4, whilst his partner Suri was fortunate to make it to 21 thanks to the generosity of the slip cordon and a healthy slice of luck. He was run out by the deadeye and bionic arm of Dave Bywater with the score on 35. But, amazingly, Cutty went wicketless - that in spite of serving up a ball with 'more curves than Lindsey Lohan' - obviously a favourite in the ginger camp.
A healthy run-rate was maintained by Tate and Hemal, exploiting the short pavilion boundary with able assistance from league-tight calling of wides by the enforcers in white coats. Simon Watt induced a mis-timed hit from Tate, with Scotty taking an important catch at extra cover; Fives 97-3. At the other end, Bywater accounted for two of north London's big-hitting Depala clan. Watt, pressed into a spell of eight straight overs by Adam, became expensive but picked up a further scalp, before being replaced by Ric Firth.
Firth is a rarity; a modest Aussie. To say his bowling was a revelation is like saying Maggie Thatcher had a minor impact on 80's Britain. Hemal finally went lbw having been dropped three times en route to a top score of 44 and the man known only as Gary tried one smear too many and edged to Gardiner. Fives subsided to 216 all out with one ball shy of five overs left.
It is probably best to gloss over the Isambard reply. Spirits were high at tea. And even higher at 125-3, with overs in hand and debutant Dave Thomson having reached his 50. Dave Malin, celebrating a Fathers' Day promotion up the order, was also progressing nicely after getting off the mark with a sweep for six. Then it all went a tad Pete Tong!
The innings subsided once Thomsie succumbed to the extra quality of opening seamer, Suri, brought back to wrestle some control for genial skipper Tate. Disco tried to take charge and holed out on that short boundary for 33, the final act of aggression in a collapse spectacular in its brevity and disappointment. The last seven wickets fell for 26 runs. There were still eight overs available.
Fives remain a benchmark for Isambard. They used to slaughter us. Now they are assured of competitive cricket when playing our 'part-timers' - but their exposure to regular cricket at a good level enables them to rescue situations and turn games around. We should look forward to reversing their fortunes and sharing their company next year.
Match report by Adam Malin.
