2nd XI Match Report - Home to Beddington (by Jan Skarbek)

First game after the top of the table teams were defined and we started with “Deja vu all over again” as we welcomed Beddington (again) at home on Saturday.

A few weeks ago we had failed to score enough runs and let their opener score a hundred and were reasonably comprehensively beaten so...game on.

Beddington won the toss and inserted SNCC on what was a wet, sticky wicket especially in the context of the scorching Summer and bone dry wickets we have grown accustomed to.

Slow, accurate opening bowlers pegged back the runs containing us to only 30 off the first 10 overs, almost all from Simon Marus, who then holed out trying to push the run rate along driving on this low, slow wicket. Matt Wright strode to the crease and found it was hard to score quickly. 75 for 1 at drinks after 20 overs. What was a good score on this wicket ?

The skipper was in the ear of the incumbent batsmen over drinks “we are below where we want to be at 75 for 1.... and don’t want to be 150 for 1 at the end”.

Dutifully, Skarbek and Wright tried to follow orders but the next 5 overs went for not many and the Skipper, umpiring in his spare time, was seen twitching. Not long after, and in an unrelated incident, the Skipper sent Wright on his way LBW trying to push the run rate along. Unusually, Wright fully agreed with the decision.

Damo Hutchinson was promoted to 4 to try to up the tempo and smashed a few before falling, bowled trying it hit out.

Anthony Wrinch was more successful, mixing big hits with scampered runs and adding 65 runs with Jan before being caught behind for 33. However, the score had ticked up to 180 odd off 37 overs.

Nick Driver came in with less than 3 overs remaining and almost immediately fell putting run rate and the team ahead of his averages, bringing the Skipper to the crease to steer things over the 200 threshold he had set for the team...202 for 5 with Skarbek carrying his bat for a Boycott-esque 90 odd. A fantastic knock in very difficult conditions, which was worth 150 on any other day.

Now we would find out what a good score was on a pitch, where it was definitely hard to score fast to line and length bowling, especially pace - off.

Hanif and Dylan opened the bowling against their centurion from the previos fixture and the experienced- looking Jayardanan. It felt like this was a pivotal partnership and, despite solid bowling, they made it to around 40 for 0 offer 10 overs, broadly in line with the required rate.

The game felt in the balance.

Skipper wisely listened to the experience around him and changed the bowling to take the pace off the bowling. Hanif and Dylan had bowled well enough, but there was a feeling that slow was the way to go. Damo started with a full toss which was hit for a hard 4. At the other end Gibbo started with two balls which also did not show much promise, wide and short. Both did not require long to find their line, length and swing.

What followed, does not happen very often.

It was started by the skipper who caught Dave “Fred” West (bad-taste nickname!) the Beddington centurion from 2 weeks ago at midwicket off Damo, who was bowling big inswingers, and in quick succession Skarbek held on to a hard hit from the other opener in a similar mid wicket position. With those two out it felt like we may be in with a good chance.

But nobody would have predicted that from 41 for 0, Beddington would be skittled out for 58, so 10 wickets for 17 runs. An interest star is that Beddington’s number 4 bat was stranded at the end. On 1 not out!!

Not only that, but each of Damo and Gibbo took 5 wickets a piece. Their figures were, respectively, 5-10 for Damo, (2 caught, 2 bowled, 1 LBW) and 5-12 for Gibbo (3 bowled and 2 LBW). Beddington did not seem to learn that playing off the back foot on a low, slow, skiddy wicket with the bowlers putting on a length and swinging...was a BIG mistake.

Outstanding bowling, sweet revenge, and one win required out of the next two for promotion (we think!)

To quote Simon “ taking individual responsibility, resulted in a great collective result”.

As for Beddington, well, they took it in good spirit and showed that they don’t just stick around for a beer when they win. Nice bunch of guys.

And I still don’t know what was a good score on that wicket....