Another Win for the Cricket Team
Haslingfield Cricket Club
Match 11: perfect setting; the manicured grounds of Queens’ & Robinson, bathed in July sunshine sets the scene for this bottom of the table clash of Camden against Haslingfield. Haslingfield had eleven men again, with two newcomers Joel and Tony Ratnasothy.
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Lee won the toss and chose to bat. The wicket was a little soft with perhaps too much grass which seemed to make timing shots a bit difficult. In the thirteenth over a change of bowling brought the wicket of Clive with only 27 on the board; short …but sweet innings from Lee and then Jack accelerated the scoring to bring Haslingfield to 84-3 at drinks, both having been caught with exceptional catches at backward point and extra cover. A steady 31 partnership from Ash and Dave maintained hopes of Haslingfield posting a score approaching two hundred. After Haslingfield lost those wickets it began to look as if they’d struggle to reach one hundred and fifty. Chris and Harry came together at 122-6 in the 33rd over and gave us a defensible total of 170 with a partnership of 48 from 48 balls.
After tea Camden got well ahead of the run rate even losing two early wickets to Jack, some tight bowling from Lee (2-72) and a returning Colin (2-33, first match since his Achilles injury in the final game of last season) pegged them back so that with the loss of opener Gibson (37) in the seventeenth over the scores were level. This proved to be a turning point as the home side were unable to get ahead of the required run rate; still, losing regular wickets, their ninth wicket fell in the thirty-sixth over with the score only three less than ours at the same point. Nerves were jangling as people wondered whether Camden’s last wicket partnership could better the 32 runs that Chris and Harry managed in the last four overs of the Haslingfiled innings. No worries – Jack (4-74) and Ash (1-39) restricted them to only 13 runs – game over! An all round great team performance. Memorable moments: Ash’s fifty including a beautiful flat six over deep midwicket, Harry’s straight 4s through long on and long off, Dave’s one handed catch low to his right in the gulley, Lee’s juggling of the ball at keeper (and Jack’s look of almost disappointment that he couldn’t have a go at him as he’d held it), Jack’s quiet acceptance of his dropped five-fer, Chris and Lee’s beaming faces at another win, the Bombardier in the Red Bull.