| Light aircraft swept low over the Old Bedhampton
cricket ground, perhaps in random tribute to David Gower. A gaggle of
local teenagers sat in the outfield with their backs to the game, bored
and listless in the summer sunshine. The Horizontals arrived to meet
their hosts The London Saints in a 35 over match.
The away team were first to bat. Of the opening three batsmen, only
Alistair Gaskell made much of an impression, reaching 11 before falling
lbw to the bowling of Loomes. Then came a more productive stand between
Richard Burgess (16) and Glenn Wintering ham (23). But it was Matt Webster
who made the highest score of the Horizontal’s innings. He was
on 40 when he played a stroke that looked to be heading for 6. But he
was caught, with breathtaking nonchalance, out on the boundary by a
man named Patel. This was not to be Patel’s only astonishing contribution
to the match. But for now, the Horizontals resistance was at an end.
Two further wickets fell while no more runs were added to the score.
All out for 120.
At tea, the talk in the Horizontals camp was of being perhaps 20 runs
short of a good score. This was to prove an unrealistic appraisal, to
say the least. Nevertheless, when 2 early wickets fell, one to Webster
and the other to David Scally, it looked as though the game was going
to be closely contested. Griffiths, the Saints’ opening bat, was
living dangerously, repeatedly edging uppishly through the slips. And
so it is unlikely he would have gone on to carry his bat had it not
been for the performance of the man now batting with him at number 4;
Patel.
Patel single-handedly demolished a good Horizontals bowling attack.
Neither the opening pair, nor Arif Qawi nor Craig Murray nor anyone
else could trouble him. He never gave a chance, placed his shots, often
perfectly bisecting the field, and he casually thumped good bowling
away for a succession of fours and sixes which left the Horizontals’
gawping. His 86 not out [in 12 overs: 4x6, 13x4 including 26 over one
over from Arif. Ed] was achieved with apparent ease, and was accompanied
by the sound of a cricket ball clattering into the upper branches of
the tall trees beyond the boundary, and ricocheting down through the
foliage, as in a vast, organic pinball machine. The end was mercifully
swift. The Saints won the game by 8 wickets.
|
