Summer’s golden rays shone down, albeit without the ferocity of at the game against Theydon Bois, but still pleasant and warm weather greeted Belmont & Edgware to the Royal Vet College.
B&E are a team that Ivanhoe have had great games against, generally over the last couple of years they’ve had the wood on us, with one good bowling performance (or lack of wickets on Ivanhoe’s part with the ball) determining the outcome. Chats with the opposition before the game (and memories of seeing the ball whistle past one’s nose previously) suggested they are a better team with leather in hand rather than willow.
Stephen Parnell won the toss and elected to take first use of conditions – the captains had taken the Hobson’s choice of using the pitch that had seen play the previous day…the one we were supposed to play on was not well aligned and the holes for the stumps would have left less than half a meter between the edge of the cut strip and a left hander’s off stump at one end…and the other wasn’t great either. The pitch also had many brown spots interspaced with vivid green patches. The outfield was ‘mowed’ in some form of message to outer space, with long grass forming an inner ring around the square and then shorter grass around half the outfield that then tended towards longer growth. This put a premium on power over shot-making, as a powerful stroke from the middle of the bat all along the ground barely made it half way to the boundary, but an arial shot reaped the rewards and had a chance of reaching the boundary.
Prasad opened up and bowled beautifully, although the W column remained blank, his spell merited a couple of wickets as the outside edge was struck a couple of times as well as many play and misses…on another day the wicket keeper and slip fielder would have pouched a couple but it was not to be. Hansi came in down the hill and when he finally found his length caused a couple of problems before knocking the right hander’s off stump back. The left hander played a typical obdurate innings, not scoring quickly at first, but keeping the good ones out. The scoreboard began to atrophy, with singles being cut off by the ring field and few poor balls being bowled.
Krishna came on and bowled the only delivery of the entire game that misbehaved; there had been a few that bounced off a full length but one that pitched in Krishna’s half but struck middle stump less than a third of the way up did for B&E’s number 3. This brough a second left hander in, who after a brief period of getting his eye in, began to open his shoulders. The Left handed opener didn’t have it all his own way, as showing no respect for his imminent nuptials, Saqib struck him amidships necessitating an early drinks break as he lay stricken at the crease. In the ‘excitement’ of a man down the umpire was more concerned with his colleagues wellbeing rather than deciding if the batter was struck in front and should have been ‘something’ before wicket.
Aside from temporarily incapacitating the batter, Saqib bowled his eight overs on the trot, not taking any wickets but keeping the runs down and causing moments of concern for the batters.
John replaced Krishna and the batter began swinging a bit harder, playing to the canny spinners plan…Saqib too a good catch and a stumping by Will interrupted the flow of boundaries.
The score passed 100 in the latter part of the third quarter of the quota of overs, prompting the hammer to really come down. The opener passed 50 before a returning Prasad bowled a great one in the channel outside off stump which angled in and moved away, with Will affecting a comfortable catch behind the sticks.
This new batter brought some fresh impetus to the innings with lusty strokes accelerating the scoring rate, before Krishna taking a catch at long on and next ball (another) left hander being bowled by Hansi. Another catch at long off by Phil K saw Hansi finish with 4 wickets, and 171 runs on the scoreboard at the end of their 40 overs. The longer than expected drinks break and some excessive remarking of guard and pre delivery rituals from the opener saw the last ball bowled well over three hours after the first.
Those last few big hits and loose deliveries meant the score was probably 20 more than the bowling deserved and a par score on the ground. One has to applaud the batters for introducing an element of power hitting, utilising both the area in the V and backward of square.
With positive hearts Ivanhoe set off in pursuit of the score, knowing how quickly runs can be scored from bad balls and also fully aware that the game could only be lost in the first 15 or so overs, not won.
The name of the game was good running, turning what would have been a four on many other grounds into a two, rather than just meandering ones…judicious stroke-play and not getting ahead of oneself were forefront in the batters mind.
Phil and Hansi opened up, seeing off the opening bowlers and scoring a few here and there, getting the heart rate up with good running and also in facing what was probably the fastest bowler we’ve seen this season coming down the hill. The runs were not exactly flowing but Ives were never behind the eight ball, until first change initiated both runs and wickets. Hansi wafted and was caught off one that took an age to arrive, Mo came in and smote his first home six, but moving the score along was his undoing, Phil’s 40 was worth a 60 (or more) on any other ground before the traditional collapse in a heap was instigated when the score hit 98…both set batters were out, plus two other ducks had undone all the hard work but at least there were a decent amount of runs on the board. B&E’s left arm spinner started looking like a pie chucker before suddenly the ball landed in that magical spot drawing the batter forward but not quite getting there and he allowed himself a big grin having ripped the heart out of the top and middle order.
Ritesh, who was turning out for the Ives as a guest made an excellent 18, batting with Tai who was composed, untroubled and unruffled until somehow one of the battery of quick bowlers got one through his defences and he was bowled for thirty odd.
The view from the boundary veered from elation at a good shot, trepidation as one sped past an outstretched bat and biting of nails as the countdown of balls to go inexorably continued. At no time during the last 8 or so overs was the required rate more than a run a ball, but with the resources in the wicket column depleted, the risk against reward calculus wasn’t exactly easy.
In this maelstrom, Will stood firm. Despite looking troubled early on, as his innings progressed he looked more and more assured, swinging the willow and running like the wind. The enthusiastic run calling on the boundary got more passionate. Ritesh’s dismissal brought Prasad to the wicket and with a couple of lusty blows brought the Ivanhoe’s chase to almost within touching distance. The return of the fast opening bowler (albeit from the other end) saw the ball fly further and faster off the edges. With a handful of runs still required, Prasad was dismissed by an excellent diving catch. Last man, the coolest (or perhaps second coolest after Will) cucumber in the team wandered to the crease. John wasn’t heard to repeat ‘we’ll get them in singles’ or any other pithy clarion call, but a nice push through the off side saw a single, along with another good blow from will brought the final over from the quick bowler and the ultimate grandstand finish.
A waft outside off stump that met only fresh air was another of John’s great actions, as the ball sped away for four byes, before another single brought Will to face the final couple of balls with 2 needed. Talk on the boundary of super overs ensued. Who would Captain Steve send in to face the music? Who would bowl?
Will, channelling a right handed David Gower made all this moot with a swivel pull for four off the penultimate ball, for an excellent one wicket win! Cue the euphoria and scenes of jubilation, as well as abject disappointment from Belmont. It was a game they were in a position they almost could not lose, perhaps some laxity entered the fielding, the bowling changes were not quire on point. Nonetheless, it was an excellent game, played in a good spirit.
Everyone contributed, even if the numbers on the scoreboard didn’t necessarily show it, with good fielding, catches at the death…this led to the player of the match award being shared between the indefatigable Will for his keeping and heroics at the end, and Tai for his calm innings that kept Ivanhoe in the game. A special shoutout needs to be directed to Steve, for his excellent captaincy and calmness which imbued all with the confidence to perform. The bowling changes were excellently timed, well appointed field placings.
Time had been ticking by, how on a pleasant day could it take the best part of 7 hours for 80 overs to be bowled along with a brief tea intermission. Nervous twitches from batters, tinkering with field positions and lack or awareness at the end of an over about where to filed really broke the flow of the game. A plea from the author to all that read this, can we ensure that we are ready to start at the agreed time, arriving well before so all and sundry can help set up and get ready for an afternoon playing the game we love?
On final request, we all ,now how the game goes, so why not give umpiring a try? Counting to six isn’t too hard, and knowing where the stumps are is most of the job. Even just standing at square leg, it will take the pressure off the four or so people that the batting order is jiggled around to ensure that we always have someone able to stand behind the sticks.
Author: Hansi B