Isambard return to form - but not to winning ways
Wimbledon United 134 all out (40 overs) (M.Lindsay 2-2, R.Robinson 2-25, R.Firth 2-29). Isambard 131 all out (27 overs) (Firth 41, M.Wembridge 36). Wimbledon United won by 3 runs (40-over game).
Isambard players of a certain vintage will remember the frequent occurrences when we would spend the week scratching around for players, turn up with a side heavy on bowling but light on batting, then slump to defeat. After a real struggle to get a team together - several regulars were unavailable - the XI which resulted was definitely short on batting. Would we pay the price?
Stand-in skipper Keith Williams won the toss for the first time in years, and chose to field on a damp but fairly true track. Ten players took the field: but where was Mat Lindsay? In his absence, Geoff Collins and Ric Firth opened the bowling: both bowled tightly, but failed to break through the home team's batting. Richie Robinson and debutant Simon 'Trigger' Treloar came on and made an immediate impression, with the latter inducing a snick behind from the opener in his first over in five years; United 53-1. Robinson, bowling brilliantly, then struck twice to leave the hosts 60-3.
Meth - a man who surely has the nickname 'Crystal' - and Hasan rebuilt things for United before a mix-up (and some smart work from Richie Robinson and Treloar) ran Hasan out. Alex Robinson and the accurate Steve Johnston then entered the fray, bagging a wicket apiece, with the hosts demonstrating "more fencing than B&Q", according to the visiting skipper. Then a very hacked-off Lindsay arrived. Due to broadband failure (his neighbour had, most unreasonably, activated his security settings), Mat had been unable to find the match directions, and so had trudged round Raynes Park trying to find the ground.
United had no objections to Lindsay bowling straight away, so Williams brought him on down the slope, and he bagged two wickets in two balls during his first over. Preparations for the hat-trick ball were delayed by Firth running to help a small girl who had fallen off her tricycle on the nearby path. Bless. (Attention parents: Ric is available for childcare duties at very reasonable rates). Lindsay and Johnston then applied the brakes so effectively that only seventeen runs came from the last eleven overs. United were "batting like Pac-Man - eating the dots", according to Johnston, who has surely been studying the Master that is Sunny Munn when it comes to cricketing banter.
The reintroduction of Firth, now in off-spin mode, brought him two deserved wickets at the death as the hosts were bowled out by the final ball of the innings. Without exception, Isambard had bowled and fielded splendidly, and hung onto their catches as tightly as Pete Doherty grips his last bag of charlie. The catching effort (cf. Oxted last week) included three 'caught and bowleds', surely some sort of record. One of these, rather impressively, was a dive by Lindsay, which might explain reports of a minor earthquake in south-west London that afternoon.
The only blemish on Isambard's performance in the field was the number of wides conceded - nineteen - some of which seemed a harsh judgement on the part of the home umpire. He later confided that, as an active member of the Piles Avoidance Society, he had felt compelled to avoid any risk of United's players suffering haemorrhoidal strain whilst facing. "That sets the marker" said, er, Mark; so were we as tight on loose deliveries when we umpired? Of course not.
Tea was, as usual here, cracking (including two types of scone), and then the Isambard reply began. There were those who thought that Isambard would win in twenty overs, but skipper Williams, not being Australian, was cautious. The batting line-up was thinner than Kate Moss on the Atkins diet, the wicket as damp as a weekend in Hastings, and the outfield slow as a special needs student on Mastermind. At least Isambard had time on their side. Treloar and Firth opened the batting - not least because the former had to leave early and the latter was hoping for a lift. Does Ricky Ponting have to deal with this stuff?
Trigger showed glimpses of his talent before being castled, bringing Richie Robinson to the crease. Robinson played some great shots, but alas not to the ball that clean-bowled him for 16; Isambard 42-2. Dr.Geoff (promoted because he had to leave early to see a patient - doesn't the Hippocratic oath exclude playing cricket?) came and went; 42-3. Mark Wembridge, in no sort of form previously this season, then proceeded to play a gritty innings which almost saw Isambard home. Meanwhile Firth, after a quiet start, began to hit out - one six, hitting Doc Collins' missus' car, being a possible contender for Roxy's award. The balance seemed to shift back towards Isambard before Firth missed a straight delivery from dangerous opener Tim Smith: Isambard 77-4.
Pete Brooks came in, with his fiancee's hopes that he "score lots of runs" ringing in his ears. Almost inevitably, he was out for a duck, giving Smith his fifth wicket. Lindsay, normally an attacking batsman, curbed his instincts, but was out to a stupendous catch from Sowton. Alex Robinson looked solid, but was undone by Mistry; Isambard were 92-7 and all looked lost. However, the visitors' hopes were raised by Wembridge and Adam Malin, who held out solidly. They had put on 25 for the eighth wicket before Malin fell to another good catch in the deep.
Johnston - held back as an insurance policy - then looked like he and Wembridge might see Isambard home, before Mark edged behind. Isambard 125-9; ten to make and the match to win. Perhaps fortunately, last man Williams was at the non-strikers' end. Johnston hit a four and a two in what was to be the last over, but was dismissed when its last ball clipped the top of off-stump. Isambard had fallen just short. Arse.
Despite the defeat, the team's spirits were still relatively high after the game. It had been a well-contested, enjoyable match, played in the right spirit against good opponents; Isambard could have done no more than they did to try and win. It was also good to see Firth and Wembridge back to something approaching their best with the bat. Hopefully the positive vibe will continue for Isambard's forthcoming visit to bucolic East Meon - and winning ways will soon return.
Match report by Keith Williams.
