Match Report
Crusaders gained their second win of the season with a comfortable victory at Hendon & Edgware at Mill Hill Park on Sunday. A solid bowling performance restricted our hosts to 145, with an over and one ball unused, when Mr Taylor removed the pre-pubescent number eleven with one of his quicker balls. Victory was achieved with few scares, Wajih making an impressive and untroubled 54 not out and Jagdesh finding some form with a typically robust unbeaten 42.
Our opposition had requested a 1.00pm start and given the journey distance, amazingly we were all assembled in good time for the projected start. Unfortunately our hosts were in far less of a rush to get started. After a lot of faffing about erecting tents and mobile scoreboards, the game eventually got underway.
Hendon & Edgware won the toss and elected to bat on a green wicket. Crusaders attack was spear-headed by the aging pair of Moyse and Taylor, so the opposition must have been licking their collective lips in expectation of a run feast. Moysey worked up to a brisk pace, regularly beating the outside edge, aided by a lively bouncy track. Meanwhile Mike laboured into the wind, with his complete lack of pace allied to that ridiculously long run up, causing the opposition a different set of problems. Each got a wicket as reward for putting the ball in the right areas, with none of the opposition likely to 'die wondering'.
Chand and Pommie filled the middle of the innings with some non-descript bowling, that allowed our hosts to help themselves to some easy runs. Chand decided that he would finally bowl with flight, unfortunately there was no guile to go with it, as a succession of juicy half-volley's were gleefully dispatched. Crusaders were reduced to ten men when Moysey pulled a fetlock trying to stem the flow of runs from Chand's bowling. He then spent the rest of the afternoon pestering Cei for sexual favours.
Eventually the Skip turned to Spud, who perfectly demonstrated the art of bowling straight. With an up-slope just short of a length, Spud found some excessive bounce and just enough turn to put the opposition middle order in a quandary. A devestating eight over spell reaped 5-21, with four victims clean-bowled and the last caught by Damon after he flicked the initial edge up in the air with the aid of his right nipple. This was the second of three catches for 'gloveman White', who seems to be perfecting the art of juggling the first chance and catching the second.
Mike, with one eye on the game and a second on how far reaching Moysey's hamstring strain had gone, completed proceedings removing Hendon & Edgware's embryonic tail, to finish with flattering figures of 3-18. It was interesting to note Mike bowling off his shorter run up in an attempt to look like a 'caring uncle', then delivering the ball significantly quicker than his normal offerings.
The less said about tea the better.
Wajih loaded the top-order with all the quality bats, opting to partner Jabs in the opening berth - Superstar Jabir picked as a specialist batsman for the day. Johnny G worked out that if everyone got 15 we would win - this week he kept that information to himself. Wajih and Jabs got us off to a good start, against a reasonable attack led by the pacy Ali. He claimed the breakthrough with a delivery that swung and bowled Jabs off his pads, with the score on 23.
Nita joined The Skip at the crease and took the score to 81, before Nita was caught for 15 (for the second successive week he had achieved the Johnny G target). This bought master tactician and expert in the bleeding obvious Johnny G to the wicket - for the second successive week he failed to achieve his own target.
What Hendon & Edgware lacked in ability they more than made up for in over- exuberant and frankly quite ridiculous appealing. I think a session reading through the Laws of the Game, with particular reference to Law 36 lbw would be of great benefit. For simplicity a ball that hits the batsman on the leg is not automatically out and even if your whole team screams like banshees it does not make it 'out'.
Jagdesh, having been dropped down the order to find his form, duly delivered in some style. A cursory look at the first ball, was followed by the second delivery disappearing over the long-on boundary for a maximum. In India I believe this is known as playing yourself in.
With Wajih looking relatively un-troubled, although our hosts were guilty of some dropped catches, the score rattled along and the target was reached with nearly ten overs in reserve.
