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A spring
day in Winchmore Hill as Pied Wagtails gambolled about the pitches of
the Paulin Ground, the clouds clearing to bring a warm afternoon and
a drying pitch.
The second game of the season and the Horizontals were faced with a
player shortage, John Willcock making his way down from Huntingdon to
augment the team and Barry haring down the M1 from Leeds to make up
the numbers to eleven. Other matches had already started elsewhere around
the Paulin ground as it became apparent that South Woodford had gone
to Low Hall….
The game therefore started a little later than planned with captain
Murray winning the toss and electing to bat, and a 35 over a side match
was agreed. He elected to open the batting with Ken and Richard, batsmen
who are in the “see it and hit it” game-the “running
between the wickets” bit being less of a strong point. Stoic defence
almost saw off the opening pair of swing merchants Hafeez and Rizwan
using the sultry conditions to great effect. Ken used the edge to third
man tactic with success before clouting Rizwan over mid off for 4 to
bring up the first boundary. However next ball he was caught trying
the same shot. Richard perished soon after for 4, and Chris Willcock
and Craig Murray following for 8 and 1. Ken made 9 and 44-4.
However Amit Shankar and Matt Webster changed the game with a 67 partnership.
Amit exuding silky grace and Matt opening his shoulders to great effect
to hit 41 with 7x4 and 1x6, treating the second string bowlers with
a combination of care and disdain. Matt was caught with the score on
111 which only brought Peter to the wicket to continue the assault.
Amit reached his fifty and was caught soon afterwards. Which brought
Barry to wicket who thrilled his spectating teammates with his second
career 6. Peter reached 35 before being caught hitting out at South
Woodford skipper Pete Stevens who had brought himself on to stop the
carnage. 180-7…and after Arif was run out following a quick piece
of fielding, this brought professional Yorkshireman John Willcock to
the crease who along with Barry, closed the innings at 195-8 from 35
overs.
After tea, the Horizontals went out to field, and Matt Webster opened
the bowling from the Fords Grove end dismissing Miraj in his first over,
an edge which Barry clutched to his midriff. “I love your belly!!!”
cried the exultant bowler. This sharp bit of fielding presaged a superb
exhibition of fielding which saw another two slip catches by Barry and
Amit. Craig exultantly took a catch at mid-off to leave South Woodford
at 20-4 with Webster taking three and Amit one wicket. However Zahid
swashbuckled and Peter Stevens blocked as Amit came on, and Zahid’s
astonishing range of shots meant that SW were up with the rate, each
boundary met with a request from his skipper not to throw a fifty away.
Youth prevailed and in an attempt to reach his fifty with another six,
he hit Arif stright down Amit’s throat at deep mid off.
With Webster finishing with figures of 7-0-20-3, Roger Skipper came
on for his first bowl since 2001 to dismiss Hardy and Rizwan , caught
by Pete and Craig respectively(and finishing with 7-0-34-2) who had
taken up Zahid’s cudgel to thwack 33. Peter Stevens was cruelly
dismissed edging onto his pad to be caught behind and then Arif and
Webster both recording catches from Craig’s bowling to leave him
with figures of 4.4-0-23-3.
Have you noticed the anomaly? That’s right…ten catches…a
great fielding effort from the Horizontals and contributions from the
entire team. A performance which was rounded off with several pints
in the clubhouse with Craig waving £20 notes at the bar.
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