Shortage of runs and food at Guildford City for the 2s

Saturday 23rd May 2015
Surrey Championship Division 4 – 2nd XI Competition
Stoke D’Abernon 2nd XI 124 all out (38.2 overs)
Guildford City 125 for 5 (29.3 overs)
Guildford City 2nd XI won by 5 wickets

Stoke’s 2nd XI surrendered their 100% league record at Burpham after a succession of single figure scores in the top order left the lower order and tail too much to do to post a defendable total.

However an examination of the dismissals led to a consensus of opinion that there was hardly a dismissal that was avoidable.

Peter Phipps got a peach early from Butt; Billy Newman smashed one at the man on the drive who somehow managed to cling on; Andy Page was leg-before to the umpteenth appeal from an excitable bowling unit; and Steve Wade got one that popped and took the shoulder of the bat before he had got a start. Butt bowled his ten over allocation in one spell, returning figures of 10-2-30-3.

When skipper Jase Earl toe-ended a long-hop to mid-wicket, (59 for 5), there was a need for opener Alistair McMillan, who had worked out a good method to ensure the torrent of leg-before appeals would be turned down, to bat through. He had negotiated 25 overs; but did fall in the 26th when the volume of appeals eventually took their toll on the home umpire, and he was sent packing for 30 from 85 balls faced.

Giacomo Gray and Greg Routley looked to counter; Routley’s cameo containing a Chinese cut for four to the first ball he faced, and his nearly holing out in the deep yet getting just two for his shot when the ball dropped over the fielder on the line but plugged without reaching the chalk.

Routley eventually fell for 13 when he missed a pie from fourth bowler Meddagodage leaving Gray, who looked in good touch, to try and get as many for himself and the team and from the tail. Gray hit the fifth bowler for the match’s only six; but then fell to Meddagodage for 26 from 39 balls faced.

Jack Townsend and Malcolm Dickson hung around for a few more overs, getting what they could; but Townsend’s first knock in Championship cricket ended when he became Meddagodage’s fourth victim. Meddagodage returned the match’s best figures of 9-3-20-4.

However Stoke still had a chance to add to their total. With fifth and sixth bowlers bowling just an innocuous over each; if returning opening bowler Ullah could be seen off there was a chance to get some extra runs. But the leg-before appeals kept coming and Dickson, (1 from 24), was sent on his way to close the innings. Butt finished with figures of 9.2-3-13-2, seven of the runs he conceded were wides as Extras second-top scored with 29.

Whilst we appreciate that making tea can be an onerous task; the home offering could only be described as a disgrace, (not a crumb of bread anywhere, and no evidence of any trip to a supermarket to get anything basic like some crisps, cake bars or fruit.)

Guildford City Tea

When play resumed a fired-up bowling attack, hungry in more ways than one, left everything on the field. Gray bowled well without luck, but created pressure for Earl to get two early wickets; Malholtra was castled for 2 and Altaf hit a soft return catch off a ball that stopped. 27 for 2.

150 would have been a tough ask on the pitch; but Butt and Abbas added another 47 runs to put the hosts in charge; Abbas’ knock of 27 owed a lot to fortune; having nearly been bowled shouldering arms twice; surviving a difficult low chance at slip; and even getting a four between keeper and first slip after attempting another leave on length.

Billy Newman got the breakthrough when Altaf was bowled; but with so few runs to play with any partnership would probably signal the end. Abbas and Mohammed advanced the score to 97 before Abbas was leg-before to Jack Townsend, who again impressed with figures of 6-1-26-2; a second wicket courtesy of a catch by Dickson who moved from behind the timbers two runs later; but Mohammed and Meddagodage knocked off the remaining runs without further loss to complete the win.

Congratulations to Guildford City on their win and in Mutucumarana they have a good guy in charge who plays the game in the right way and we were able to have a good chuckle with him throughout the day; but we hope that he will sort out some of the above.

Next week, Stoke have their longest trip of the season when they travel to Dulwich to play Alleyn CC, (formerly Alleyn & Honor Oak and formerly formerly Alleyn Old Boys.)

Scorecard : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/website/results/2470485