Match 25
Olympians at Hainault Rec 30th August
Having 'banged on' relentlessly about the lack of a fixture over the Bank Holiday weekend, Chand then declared himself unavailable to play. Mental note - don't ever listen to Chand again. We struggled all week to assemble a full team and were indebted to Kev and Laddi for helping us reach ten. The Olympians appeared a little raggle-taggle, arriving at pitch-side in varying degrees of cricketing dress and in no great rush to start. Four or five other games were already in progress and the expanse of open space was punctuated by excited squeals and yelps. This match was arranged by Damon. Second mental note - don't let Damon organise fixtures.
Mike captained in the absence of Wajih and on winning the toss spear-headed our attack with strike partner Moyse. The mixture of pace - and lack of it - completely bemused the top order and they were soon in trouble. Darren removed both openers clean bowled and Mr Taylor trapped the number three in front. Olympians mounted a recovery, finding the change bowling of Nita, Spud and Upkar much more to their liking, as the score passed respectability and moved towards a serious challenge. On a small ground we failed to adequately protect the boundary and gave away far too many easy fours. Danglers returned to mop up the tail, returning fine figures of 5-16, whilst Mike was back to somewhere near his economical best. Olympians were finally dismissed inside the 35 overs for 158.
Tea was pulled out of a bag and laid on the grass. Enough said.
Crusaders needed some medal-winning performances if they were to pass the Olympians target, but unfortunately we failed to make the podium. Nita played his normal aggressive innings, paired with the more circumspect Don and they gave us a steady start. Unfortunately the middle order fell away, with only Canny Wee Lad Kev and Moysey looking vaguely like they could rescue the game. Skipper Taylor was last out attempting a quick single, leaving us high and dry on 115 and condemning us to our fourth defeat of the season.
Match 24
Sidcup at Crescent Farm 23rd August
With Aythorpe Roding crying off in midweek, we were fortunate to pick up a bureau fixture at Sidcup to fill the void. Local talent Kevin Scoulding and legendary former skipper Billy Webb were drafted into a side depleted by holidays and the start of Ramadan. Sidcup fielded a strong side, which had expected to be playing Sevenoaks Vine in a league deciding fixture.
Sidcup won the toss and had no hesitation in opting to bat. Wajih chose to ally the mercurial talent of Nita with normal opening bowler Danglers. Opener Jenkins made no secret that he was after quick runs, as he drove Moysey's first ball back past him for four, but he was soon undone by the same bowler, who pulled his length back to find an edge to keeper East. Nita struggled with direction, sending down 11 wides in a six over spell, but in between the dross, he managed to execute a fine run out, as well as taking a wicket courtesy of the first of three good catches from Upkar.
The change bowlers Spud and Upkar, further turned the screw on the scoring rate, with each bowling a consistent line and length that frustrated the Sidcup batters. Sidcup began to play desperate shots in the search for quick runs, as well as attempting ill-advised quick singles. Having seen the direct hit run out from Nita, Stent must have expected the worst, when he turned the ball to the prowling Scoulding at mid-wicket and set off for a quick single. With seemingly all the time in the world to lob the ball to Spud for an easy dismissal, Kev managed to clear Spud by a good six feet. Chand maintained the good work of the bowlers with six tight overs and Wajih continued his bowling rehabilitation with 1-20 from his four over spell. With the inevitable scurry of late runs, Sidcup finished their forty overs on 162-8.
Wajih and Gord scratched about at the top, with the Sidcup bowlers making life uncomfortable. Nethertheless it was a solid enough base, considering the reasonably low score required for victory and when Wajih was 3rd out with the score on 39 ,we still had capable players in the hutch. Chand joined Silent Kev and together they forged a match winning position, by way of a patient partnership of 64. While Chand was the natural aggressor, Kev was happy to bore the tits off us in a mind-numbingly dull display. Both fell with the score just past the hundred, Chand out for another fifty and Kev an important 14.
Bill played some beautiful airy drives through the covers in an attractive innings of 12 and Nita launched into anything within range, battering a rapid 31. Unfortunately he failed to see the match to conclusion, which necessitated Spud buckling on his pads to stroke the winning boundary.
With England securing The Ashes earlier in the day, it was a perfect finish, with the hope that we can secure future fixtures at Sidcup.
Match 23
Old Wilsonians at Hayes Hill 16th August
Match 22
Lenham at Ham Lane 9th August
The day began perfectly for Spud and Damon, with tea, samosas and sweet rice at the Sarwar's, before the forty minute drive to Lenham. Still with ample time, the Harvey's in the Red Lion was sampled and Damon received a batting masterclass from Jabs and Danglers. Amazingly the skip had arrived on time and on winning the toss, had no hesitation in batting.
Wajih and Jagdesh got us off to a brisk start, with runs coming at 6 an over, before Jagdesh, having survived an early chance, holed out to mid-on for 15. Wajih played confidently for 24, before he chopped a short ball onto his stumps, attempting to run it down to third man. Nita joined the list of players who had played themselves in and then got themselves out, when he played loosely around a leg stump delivery from Gracie and departed for 29. Johnny G never looked particularly comfortable and it was left to Chand and Jabs to form the only partnership to pass fifty. Chand having scored four consecutive fifties was content to play second fiddle to Jabs. The pair carried the score to 150, before both departed in quick succession, with Jabs falling four short of a half-century.
Don and Dave carried the score to 187 without further loss, with Lenham restricting the scoring in the final ten overs to only 37. On a good pitch with a short quick outfield we appeared to be 30-40 runs light.
After a good tea and some fine Master Brew, Moyse and Sarwar commenced hostilities. It was soon obvious that one opener was intent on blunting the opening salvo, while the other was happy to throw the willow at just about anything. Spud inexplicably dropped the aggressive Smith, but his misery was not compounded, as Jabs snaffled a firmly struck return catch. This was much to the upset of TC who was keeping a count of every run that Spud's drop had cost, desperately hoping to bury the ghost of Sutton.
Crusaders were firmly on top, as Lenham concentrated more on self preservation than attempting to score runs. Jabs and Danglers added a wicket apiece to leave Lenham struggling at 25-3 after 14 overs. Humphrey, who later described Moysey as the fastest bowler he had faced and then added that Chand was the fastest he had seen, tried to increase the tempo immediately the change bowlers came on, but only succeeded in lofting Spud to Upkar at mid-on. Upkar replaced Moysey, but struggled to find consistency. Two more wickets each for Spud and Chand reduced the home side to it's final pairing, still facing a deficit of 100+ runs.
Wajih called off the dogs and in the absence of Mike, utilised himself as buffet bowler. Lenham's number ten Potter put bat to ball effectively and the last pair gave an air of respectability to the score, putting on an unbeaten 58. Lenham closed on 128-9, with Crusaders victorious by 59 runs.
We were then royally entertained back in the Red Lion, with the pub providing Sausages and Chips, to compliment some more fine ale.
Match 21
Herongate and Ingrave at Brentwood Road 26th July
Crusaders travelled back into 'bandit country' for the second week running with a trip to Herongate. Opting for an early meet, Spud, Darren, Dave and Kev enjoyed the ale at The Old Dog, before most of the team assembled pitchside. Ominous by his absence was the skipper, who was still navigating the rigours of the M25. Mr Taylor stepped into the breach, winning the toss and thus making his only worthwhile contribution to the day.
Mike has shown in the past that he is a fan of putting something solid and reliable at the top of the order, opting for Moysey, who incidentally can't remember the last time he delivered something solid and reliable. Allied with the free-scoring Nita we got off to a slow start, with both opening bowlers recording maidens. Nita soon found his range and peppered the short boundary with a range of shots. Darren was his usual circumspect self.
With the score on 70 Darren (21) drove loosely to mid-off and was comfortably taken. He was replaced by TC, who after struggling initially, started to play with some fluency - the highlight of his innings a first ever six (the cruel amongst us will have to say it was fielder assisted). Nita and Johnny added another 43, before the former was dismissed for a fine 80. At this point your reporter led an expeditionary force back to the Old Dog, timing their return perfectly for the tea interval. In between times Wajih had evidently blazed a splendid unbeaten 74, kept company by Damon as our score reached 222-4 at the end of 40 overs.
Tea was right up there with the best of the season, with a vast array of delectables, with new boy Kev particularly keen on the non-participation part of the match.
Danglers and Ahmed bowled with pace and accuracy, putting the Herongate openers under immediate pressure. With two wickets apiece to our opening duo and our hosts teetering at 32-4 most observers would have considered the game done and dusted. Herongate obviously had other ideas, cruelly targetting our change bowlers. It serves no purpose (other than my own immense enjoyment) to go in to great detail about the complete carnage that followed, but in order to accurately reflect the passage of the game I feel I must highlight some of the most expensive overs in Club History.
First up from the Brentwood Road end, delivering an array of tasty morsels was the ever dependable and much maligned Mr Taylor, whose first over disappeared for 19. Somewhere amongst the dross, Kev took a fine catch from Mike's bowling, but this only served to bring the destructive talent of Palmer to the crease. After four reasonable overs from Gordy, Wajih decided to introduce himself to the attack. Anything Mike could do Wajih could surpass. Four consecutive sixes sailed back over his head in a first over that went for 25. Not to be out done Mike rolled the Buffet Car out of the sidings. Another four consecutive sixes were battered towards the houses, with residents reaping the benefits of purchasing armour plated glass.
From seemingly being out of the game, Palmer had single-handedly put Herongate in control. Amid the carnage Spud had wheeled away economically from the other end, adding two wickets in his final over, that reduced Herongate to 198-9. With the Herongate score progressing to 204, Wajih played his final cards, bringing back Moysey. Four balls later and three more sixes had taken Palmer to a fabulous hundred and the scores were level. Two dot balls, including a dropped catch by Jagdesh at gully, meant we had the number eleven on strike.
After much discussion the ball was tossed to Mr Taylor. Had the Skip completely lost the plot? The Herongate scorer obviously thought so as he repeated the name Taylor in high-pitched incredulity. The number eleven took a first ball sighter and then attempted to launch the second over the infield. He only succeeded in spooning it to mid on and the waiting clutches of Nita and somehow we had snatched a tie.
Match 20
Theydon Bois at Loughton Lane 19th July
With Wajih preparing for his wedding party, there was some confusion and a distinct lack of team information for the forthcoming fixture with Theydon Bois. Eventually team news filtered through and with some help from Chand we had assembled an eleven - or so we thought. Sunday morning drop outs and a canine emergency reduced us to only eight players, until Anand was drafted in and Chand made a mercy dash from the set of Pet Hospital to take our numbers to ten. We look forward to the broadcasting of an irritating little man jabbering incomprehensibly about his ailing pussy.
Theydon Bois had their own team problems, with late cry-offs reducing them to ten players and with Chand somewhere on the Central Line we began the match with Ten -v- Nine. Despite lacking a new-ball bowler, Spud elected to field first, hoping that Anand and Upkar could work some magic with 'the cherry '. Spud could be forgiven for thinking that Mike had turned up, as the first over disappeared for 16 runs, with the Theydon Bois openers licking their lips at the prospect of savaging our bowling for a full forty overs. Both Anand and Upkar struggled to maintain a decent line and runs came at a pace. A brilliant run out from Jagdesh broke the partnership, when he swooped in from mid-on to throw down the stumps. Spud and Jagdesh bowled in tandem and gradually we exerted some control over the scoring rate. Anand took a juggling catch at deep mid on to remove the dangerous Penman and then followed up with a fine throw from deep to run out the free-scoring Berretta (75), who appeared to be constructively dismissed by Marnock, much to the amusement of his team-mates.
This proved to be a turning point, as Theydon Bois struggled to find any one to lend support to Marnock. Gary and Chand put the ball in the right place and the remaining batsmen, keen to maintain the quick scoring rate, played rashly. Our fielding improved as the innings entered the final ten overs, with Spud taking a good catch in the deep and Don executing a sharp stumping - both wickets going to Gary. Upkar finished his spell much better than he had started, strangling the scoring with an immaculate leg stump line and only a last over of dross from Chand blotted his copy book, with 16 coming from it to mask what had otherwise been an excellent spell. Marnock remained unbeaten on 67, with Theydon Bois closing on 200-8.
Our response could not have started much worse, with Gary apparently caught in several minds on how to deal with an innocuous straight ball. He decided not to do anything at all and departed clean bowled from the first ball of the innings. Nita and Johnny G (14) then batted sublimely, taking the score to 57, before TC foolishly responded to a call for a quick single and was run out by some margin. Chand continued his current vein of form, with some trade mark lofted drives and aggressive pull shots and Theydon Bois seemingly had little in their bowling attack to counter our free scoring batsmen. Despite some fine fielding from the young Theydon Bois side the boundary was being breached on a regular basis and when Nita was finally out for a splendid 80, we required only sixty from the final 15 overs.
Dave (12) found some form with the bat (at last), adding another 32 runs with Chand, who passed fifty for the fourth consecutive time (probably some kind of Crusaders record). Anand became the second Crusader of the day to record a Golden Duck, but some lusty blows from Jagdesh (18*) finished the job, with a full ten overs still in reserve.
Whilst Nita and Chand should take the plaudits for an excellent batting performance, our victory was based around a strong team performance, with everyone making a worthwhile and vital contribution.
Match 19
Ashburnham Arms at Woolwich Barracks 16th July
With a bit of scrambling and coercion we managed to assemble eleven players at the home of Charlatans for our annual 20/20 with The Ash. Chand left his wife circling Luton Airport on an incoming flight to join us, Jagdesh produced Gurpinder - another player from the temple and Jabs persuaded Alex to make a return, joining Uncle Ali in the eleven.
The Ash won the toss and suprisingly asked us to bat, bearing in mind the evenings are starting to draw in and there was already a lot of cloud cover. Jagdesh continued a dismal run of form with the bat, falling lbw to the first ball he faced, but then three of the next four batsmen got themselves to the 25 run retirement point. Jabs Superstarwar played with graceful freedom, caressing the ball around the playing area, while Chand bludgeoned and Gary got there - eventually. Damon and Alex 'twatted around' for a while using up valuable time, before both finally found there range, as they added good runs in the final couple of overs. The Ash gave a mixed performance in the field, with the wicket-keeper sieving too many byes, whilst the ground fielding ranged from excellent down to Crusader level. At one stage we looked set to challenge the 150 mark, but as is often the case our latter overs failed to deliver and we had to settle for 134 from twenty overs.
Imtiaz took the opening over and produced a great opening delivery to remove The Ash skipper. Spud got some bounce and turn from the other end and quickly removed the new batsman and The Ash were reeling at 9-2. Ali and Spud continued to bowl tightly and with The Ash batsman keen to play shots whilst runs were being scored there was always the chance of a wicket. Ali obliged completing a fine 3 overs with another wicket from his final ball. Upkar replaced him, bowling an impeccable line from over the wicket and he was rewarded with a wicket in his opening over. Mr Taylor joined the 'wicket fest' pegging back the leg stump with the first ball of his spell, but by this time Ceiwen had seen enough and departed with the remains of her Welsh Cakes. The tumbling of wickets had knocked the stuffing out of The Ash innings and despite the opener reaching 25, it was well into the latter stages of the game.
Spud introduced Jagdesh 'The Finisher' and he immediately lived up to his billing. A confident LBW appeal was upheld, followed quickly by one that nipped through the gate. To rub salt into the wounds of The Ash he added further wickets in his next two overs. Alex was deemed too fast for the darkening conditions and after a couple of experimental deliveries from Gurpinder (who had obviously modelled his action on Chand) Alex reverted to his little seen spin action. Let us hope it is never seen again. The Ash opener returned as last man and very nearly converted his 25 into a fifty from the choice assortment that was served up, as the score rose dramatically to 115 at the close of 20 overs.
Damon was self-proclaimed Man of the Match for a 'fluent' 17 and some quicksilver work behind the stumps.
Match 18
Blue Bell Hill at Common Road, Blue Bell Hill 12th July
Crusaders romped to a ninety run victory against Blue Bell Hill, our longest standing fixture. Chand compiled his third consecutive Crusaders fifty, sharing in a 5th wicket partnership of 115, which rescued another ailing batting performance, before a good all round bowling performance restricted Blue Bell Hill to 132 all out.
In the absence of Wajih, Mr Taylor won the toss and elected to bat, a decision biased by the absence of the Schultz-mobile and it's cargo. Danglers was asked to adopt the responsible role at the top of the order and he was joined by the whirling blade of Jagdesh. Two overs later and both were back in the hutch, Moysey playing on and Jagdesh cleaned up by an inswinger. Thoughts turned to the debacle of Friday, but fortunately new acquisition Abrar and Nita steadied the ship, with the former playing some exquisite front foot drives. Both fell in quick succession, when BBH turned to spin. Nita attempted to clear the fielder at long-on and was well caught for 15 and Abrar (36) clipped straight to mid-wicket.
With Chand in the form of his Crusaders career, the skip decided to stodge up one end, while Channie entertained us at the other. For the second time in 3 days we posted a century stand, with Chand playing fluently and chancelessly to a fine 80. Mike meanwhile, was scratching around gamefully, never looking in any great trouble, but never looking like he was really 'in' either. It was however a vital contribution and formed a solid base for Gordy (13) and Upcar (21*) to play expansively during the final overs. After Chand's departure, Damon, who had been waiting expectantly in the pavilion, had his innings curtailed by a controversial run out - made especially more painful to bear by the square-leg fielder, who disagreed with the umpires decision. Our innings closed on 222-9, with Gordy's 'quick-step' down the wicket ending in an inevitable stumping, the last action of the session.
Blue Bell Hill began positively, with opener Parnell showing the full face of the bat. For once it was Mr Taylor who was stemming the runs, while Darren was struggling with his line, getting worked away to the un-guarded leg-side too often. It was Danglers who made the breakthrough however, with one that kept a little low, bowling Parnell off his pads. He followed that up with a delivery full and straight that would have hit middle, but for the intervention of the batsmans pads. The hat-trick ball was put into storage, as Mike had seen enough.
Despite all the BBH batsmen looking capable, they never really looked in touch with the scoring rate and were lured into playing big shots too early into their innings. Mike was able to rotate his bowlers, utilising the wide variety of spin options at his availability. Upcar was particularly impressive, turning the ball sharply off the slope, while Abrar snared his first wicket for the club, courtesy of a good running catch from Spud. Gord bowled a whole over of leg-breaks - some even landed on the pitch. It was left to the master finisher Jagdesh to bring the game to a close, adding to more wickets to his career total.
Match 17
Belhus at North Stifford 10th July
With eight overs gone Crusaders were teetering on the brink at 26-5 and had it not been for some benevolence from Barry Ruck the Belhus skipper, the afternoons cricket might well have been a short one. Some twenty overs later he may well have been regretting the decision. After he 'called off the dogs', we made a dramatic recovery, inspired by Superstar Sarwar and the ILM. Together they raised a partnership of 122, which enabled the tail, marshalled by a whirlwind 41 from Nomi to wag us up to a competitive 223-9 from our allotted 40 overs.
The afternoon could not have started much worse, with Gary feathering to the keeper in the second over, followed by the quick departures of Slapdash, Gordy, debutant Abdul and the unfortunate Sumo. Amid much disillusionment on the sidelines, Spud was still confident that we had the talent to rescue the situation. Jabs (69) played immaculately, without offering a chance, scoring 12 boundaries and he was ably supported by Chand, who played as close to a mature innings as is possible.
Chand (56) and Jabir (69) architects of our recovery with a superb 6th wicket stand of 122
Belhus were young and energetic in the field, but as the partnership grew it was evident that some heads were dropping and it took the re-introduction of the pacy Kenyon to raise flagging spirits. When Chand (56) was finally dismissed for a third consecutive fifty, Nomi carried on in similar vein, crashing eight boundaries in a quick-fire 41. Damon offered good support in a partnership of 34, which took the total through the 200 barrier, before they both departed in quick succession.
Tea was taken in a small marquee and lived up to the usual high standards that we have come to enjoy.
Despite posting our highest score of the season, Spud was conscious that the pitch and outfield were tailor made for fast scoring and that in the absence of Danglers and Mr Taylor we were looking a little under resourced in the bowling department. With that in mind Jabs and Spud opened the bowling in an attempt to keep things tight early on. Spud almost made the breakthrough with his third ball of the day, but the outside edge found it's way between wicket-keeper Eeyore and Gordy at slip. This looked to be costly, as the Belhus openers pushed the ball around confidently, building a sensible opening partnership.
In an effort to break the stand, the bowling was rotated, but it was an opportunist piece of work in the field that finally got us the breakthrough. Nomi and Chand had gradually turned the screw on the scoring rate and when the ball was driven in the air to Jabs, who promptly spilled the chance, Chand was quick to react, throwing down the stumps to remove Jefferies.
The ace up Spud's sleeve proved to be Neil Morrison, whose little seen, quirky brand of leg-spin removed the dangerous looking Pannelli and the old head Wright. Despite having 7 wickets in hand Belhus were fast running out of overs, as they failed to find the boundary enough times. Gary put the disappointment of his Duck behind him, with a good three over spell, that should have included a wicket, but for a drop by Don. Spud finally removed the stubborn Clark who had played an un-troubled innings of 63, before a rush of blood 'dance down the track' ended with a lightning stumping from The Don.
Crusaders Midweek XI
Back row ; Jabir Sarwar, Abdul Wahab, Jagdesh Singh, Chand Channa, Neil Morrison, Nomi Qureshi, Don East (wkt), Spud Whale (capt).
Front row : Damon White, Gary Magnus, Gordon Schultz.
Belhus still had some young guns in the tail, who continued to throw caution to the wind, until Chand in his final over delivered the death knell, taking a wicket and leaking only 2 runs. This enabled Spud the luxury of a Damon over. Not even he could go for 26 - could he!! Of course not.With variation Dermot Reeve would have been proud of Dave closed out the game with a head high full-toss, preceeded by a two bouncer. At the close Belhus had fallen 11 runs short, finishing on 212-9.
Match 16
Graces at Peter May Centre, Walthamstow 5th July
Armed with double-entendres, and politically incorrect phrases we travelled to Walthamstow for our first meeting with the self proclaimed only Gay cricket club in the world. Expecting an afternoon's entertainment akin to 'Benny Hill', 'Carry On' and 'It ain't half hot mum' I was disappointed by the lack of stereotypical gays on show. Quite frankly it left a funny taste in the mouth. There was a singular lack of Quentin's or Jeremy's and the nearest to John Inman was our very own Glenn Timms.Several homophobic Crusaders' excused themselves from duty, although why the skipper felt the need to travel to Iran to escape confronting his feminine side, only he knows. First on the teamsheet after a long absence, was Glenn Timms - draw your own conclusions, his wife has!!. As far as I am aware Glenn is the only Crusader to have had his 'Spam G-spot probed' by a Thai masseuse - but I firmly believe - 'what goes on tour stays on tour'.
The Gayest Man on Show - And he is one of ours!!
In overcast conditions Graces won the toss and elected to field. Crusaders opened up with Gary and Jagdesh and both put bat to ball efficiently to get the innings off to a good start. Glenn meanwhile had already struck up a good relationship with the Square-leg fielder - ooh missus.
With short boundaries and a fast outfield runs came at a pace and after 13 overs we had rattled along to 73 for the loss of Jagdesh (17). Graces worked their way back into the game with some good bowling mid-innings combined with the inevitable batting misdemeanours of our middle order. Gary fell attempting a pull (not sure who he was trying to pull) for a fine 33 and Nita struck a typically jaunty 25. From a strong position we fell away to 132-6, but with 13 overs remaining, still had time to compile a decent total. Damon looked disappointed that no fielders moved in close, as he had spent an eternity on hair and make-up - he is obviously ugly in the gay world as well. Timmo played an airy-fairy drive over a straight delivery (at least he was batting in context) and departed for 11 and it was left to Chand and Nomi to right the sinking ship. Both played with gay abandon (not in the biblical sense) mixing boundaries with well run singles, as the score began to accelerate. The partnership accrued a valuable 58 runs and took Crusaders close to the 200 mark. The tail wagged the final score to 213 - with only bat number 11 Danglers Moyse registering on the Gay Eye Candy Scale - allegedly described as quite cute.
Tea was a sparse affair.
Moysey opened from the far end, choosing to avoid arousing the opposition's waiting batsmen, with the sight of his sweet cheeks jiggling up and down during his run-up. We would not want to be accused of gamesmanship. While Danglers worked up into a fair lather Skipper Mike was having trouble containing the openers, who were happy to drive straight through the line. Darren's pace eventually took care of both openers, bringing Silva and Mendis to the crease. It was soon apparent that both were reasonable batsmen, with Mendis looking the more technically gifted. Timmo replaced Mike and immediately tweaked a shoulder muscle - he looked anxiously for someone to offer a massage, but there were no takers. Nomi and Spud shared the middle overs, with Graces picking up a lot of quick singles, whilst never peppering the boundary. The score mounted steadily, but Graces were falling behind the required rate. Spud eventually made the breakthrough, when Silva drove straight to Darren at mid-on and then almost immediately removed the 'very vocal' Shofiq for a duck. Chand delivered his usual mix of good ball followed by bad, but did take the vital wicket of Mendis, caught by a startled Moysey at square-leg for a well played 45.
With the big guns out, Mr Taylor returned to the attack targetting some bunnies to help disguise his abysmal figures - shameful. To their credit Graces never gave up the run chase, with all batsmen happy to swing the willow - ooh err!. Mr Taylor helped himself to three wickets and Slightly mopped up the tail, who certainly looked like they 'didn't like it up them'. Graces were eventually bowled out 40 runs short of target with 11 balls unused.
Post match we were treated to a trip down memory lane, as Mike and Timmo recounted youthful memories of The Alfred Hitchcock Hotel. The opposition were conspicuous by their absence.
Match 15
Old Elthamians at Foxbury 2nd July
Crusaders preserved their long unbeaten 20/20 record with a dramatic, victory achieved from the penultimate ball of the innings. Against a strong Elthamians eleven, Crusaders welcomed Lucky Singh for debut and Softy Timms for a first game of the season.
On a humid evening Elthamians took the opportunity to bat first, with the openers taking an immediate liking to the pace of Danglers and complete lack of any pace provided by Mr Taylor. With Crusaders looking shoddy in the field it looked like it was going to be an evening of toil. Despite getting carted all round Chislehurst it was Mike who made the initial breakthrough, removing both openers with 'even slower' balls.
Lockwood (75) ensured that the scoring rate remained brisk, with some lusty blows, but Crusaders gradually exerted some control, with good spells from Jabs and Spud. Eventually we raised our game in the field, with superb run outs from Jabs and Lucky and at the umpteenth attempt, a successful stumping from Simply. Timmo was pick of the bowlers, despite looking several yards slower each year that he plays, picking up 2-25 and the innings was polished off by Moysey courtesy of two almost identical catches from Spud at mid on. At one stage it looked like we would be chasing at least 160, but a good second ten overs restricted Elthamians to 139.
Gary looks puzzled as his accountant looks on
A sparkling opening stand of 69 between Chand (Poison Ivy) and Jagdesh (Ace of Spades) put us firmly in control. For once it was Jagdesh who played second fiddle, as Chand struck 11 boundaries in an entertaining 51. His innings was ended by a superb catch on the boundary, which started a mini collapse. Jagdesh and Gary - playing anything but a 'Blockbuster' followed soon after and it took a dashing 28 from Gord, who was obviously inspired by his Michael Jackson entry music to put us back on track. Elthamians maintained a high standard in the field throughout, which combined with the Crusaders in-built ability to press the self-destruct button, meant that the game was always going to go to the wire. Some nonsensical running from Timmo, followed by a ridiculous dance down the track, ensured the loss of 3 wickets, with the score anchored on 127. This left the final pairing of Moyse and Taylor 2 overs to score the required 13 runs for victory. A few scampered singles and a couple of lusty blows from 'The Wanderer' and we were home.
Taylor and Moyse guide Crusaders to victory in the gloom
Match 14
Sutton II at Holmwood Close 28th June
Not since shamefully depriving Manjit of his maiden hundred (and subsequently driving him from the club) has Johnny G found himself to be such a villain on the field of play. A straightforward catch on the deep-square leg boundary was spilled, allowing Sutton's former overseas pro a second chance, that he took with gusto. If ever the phrase 'catches win matches' was pertinent it was today.
Sutton won the toss and elected to bat in a 40 over game that was delayed to await the arrival of The Greggains contingent, who were kerb-crawling the entire South-Circular in an over-heating Saab. Eventually the match commenced and it was soon apparent that Aussie Nick Foster could bat, although his aerial shots always promised the opportunity of a chance being offered. Danglers and Jabs opened the bowling, with Jabs again in good form, taking two wickets. Moysey was unceremoniously slapped over mid-wicket for six, but did find the top edge from a mis-timed pull shot that almost carried to long leg.
Mr Taylor replaced Darren and his complete lack of pace initially had Foster perplexed. A cunningly delivered 'even' slower ball was lofted to the confident bucket hands of 'the claw', who inexplicably made a complete arse of it. Now I don't want to start blaming one person's mistake for the outcome of a game....but it was completely John's fault we lost.
Given a second chance Foster seemed to have no further problems working Mike out and proceeded to launch him numerous times into the trees, as he battered his way to 114 - I guess every cloud has a silver lining.
Despite the onslaught Crusaders fielded well and managed to limit the amount of strike that Foster was getting. The other Sutton batsmen showed little in aptitude, with Spud and Chand bowling good economical spells in the latter stages of the innings. Chand finally removed Foster, with Sutton 145-4. Only 31 runs coming from other sources rather sums up his dominance. The tail wagged and we disappointingly conceded over 30 runs in the final 4 overs, to give Sutton a slightly flattering total of 208.
On a good track against an aging side, we were still confident of a successful chase. Wajih opted for a more cautious approach, relegating a couple of his big hitters down the order, replaced by the ever reliable and stoic Moyse. Never one to throw his wicket away Danglers dropped anchor in efficient style and after Gordy's early dismissal, formed a fine partnership with Wajih. Sutton's wise old bowlers knew where to put the ball and although we had not lost wickets, runs were not coming at the required rate. Needing 150 from the last twenty overs, Danglers opened his shoulders and briefly with Jabs hitting an explosive 27, victory looked on. Unfortunately when Jabs was out, well caught at short mid-wicket the run chase fell away, coming up 16 short of target, with Moysey 5 short of a ton.
400 runs in an afternoon for the loss of 13 wickets - it could have been so different. Mike Taylor 8 overs for 58 - the last 4 going for 44. I hope you can sleep at night Greggains.
Match 13
Farningham at Horton Way 21st June
A vintage spell of medium paced swing bowling from Jabs propelled Crusaders to victory, on our first visit to Farningham. On what appeared to be a decent batting track both sides struggled to put runs on the board, on a day when the bowlers dominated.
A room with a view - The scorer surveys the debacle of another Crusaders collapse
On a warm sunny day, Wajih had little hesitation in taking the opportunity to bat first, but Crusaders then struggled to set our hosts anything like a competitive target. Jagdesh departed quickly for 2 and after a decent partnership between Gary (20) and The Skip (22), wickets fell at regular intervals, with Farningham happy to rotate their bowlers.
Chand takes strike on the way to top scoring 25
Despite several players getting themselves in, no one was able to go on to make a big score and we found ourselves (not for the first time this season) failing to utilise the full 40 overs, bowled out for 132.
Jabir Sarwar - 'nonsense with willow but masterful with leather'
Farningham must have felt confident of a straightforward victory, but were knocked out of their stride by the opening salvo, provided by Moyse and Sarwar. Whilst Danglers was generating some decent pace, regularly beating the bat and inducing false shots, it was Jabs that was doing the real damage. Somewhere between Madan Lal and Javal Srinath he was getting extravagant seam movement and some late swing, that produced 4 wickets in 6 overs at a cost of only 3 runs and reduced Farningham to 22-5. There was no way back for Farningham and despite some lusty blows from Davies, the end came at 82, with Crusaders triumphing by 50 runs.
Looks like a Harvey's moment !!
Match 13
Meantime Brewery at Greenwich Park 18th June
A lack-lustre performance from Crusaders in overcast conditions at Greenwich Park, was still sufficient to see off the challenge of the Meantime Brewery in our latest 20/20 match. Crusaders included Simon 'Ghoulash' Burr, Mirek Zarembski (2nd Pole to represent the club) and another appearance from ex-skip Grant in their eleven.
Spud won the toss and elected to bat. Jagdesh produced his usual array of strokes, smiting and slicing four consecutive boundaries on his way to a quick-fire 18 and he was followed by a more graceful contribution from Grant (26*) and the abrasive Chand (24) (run out while Neil laughed ) . At ten overs we were well placed for a score in excess of 150, but failed to run available singles and convert ones into twos. Simon finished unbeaten on 21 and Mike smashed the ball all round the square for a fluent 7.
Crusaders did their best to help Meantime to an improbable victory, with some awful fielding and indifferent bowling. At 80-5 in the 14th over Meantime were still very much in the contest, but the unlikely duo of Taylor and Burr curtailed the runs and helped themselves to a brace of wickets respectively, as Meantime closed on 107-8.
Tour - Fulbeck Lincolnshire
Friday 12th June
Crusaders embarked on their third weekend tour to Lincolnshire, lacking a little in numbers, but graced with some female company, with newly weds Wajih and Pommie preferring the night time company of their wives rather than 'Rustling Gord' or 'Legover White'. Amazingly there were no great navigational issues and we had all arrived by about eleven. Fulbeck had got a barrel of Tom Woods Lancaster Bomber in and all was well with the world, while Johnny G and Nita had enjoyed a candle-lit Thai dinner. We finished our evening in the Hare and Hounds with Indian sweets providing some sustainance for Damon and Spud, who had at that point survived on Pork Scratchings and Revels.
Hare and Hounds home to the tourists
Saturday 13th June
Wajih had obviously negotiated breakfast in bed, whilst the rest of the tour party made the short walk from room to pub. Saturday morning was spent perusing the Car Boot sale, before Spud led a small expedition to the Houblon Arms at Oasby.
Spud, The Claw and Chuckles emerge from The Houblon
Match 10
Fulbeck at Fulbeck CC 13th June
Glorious sunshine and Fine ale were the perfect recipe for an afternoon's entertainment against Fulbeck. Fulbeck produced their usual mix of young and recreational cricketers, while several Crusaders were nursing their heads having discovered the Tom Wood's weighed in at 4.8 per cent.
Fulbeck offered us first knock and Wajih extended his dismal form with the bat, falling in the first over for a duck, much to the dismay of Bahar. He then spent a painful ten minutes explaining to Bahar why the disruption of his stumps meant he would be spending more time with her, before strolling arm in arm off into the sunshine. Gord, Nita and Pommie formed the back-bone of our innings as we recovered from the early set back to be in a strong position at drinks. Unfortunately we fell away in the second twenty overs and failed to use our full quota.
Damon confidently ends his run of four consecutive ducks
Damon was looking to extend his fine form with the bat, but all good things have to come to an end, as he managed to score a run. Shalu Uppal made her debut for the club and wiil hopefully coach her new husband to play with as straight a bat. Fulbeck graciously allowed Wajih to bat again and Wajih made life easy for the statisticians by succumbing equally lamely second time around. At the close of our innings we had scored 143 all out.
Shalu 'Englishlady' Uppal Singh looking far more of a cricketer than her husband
Pommie and Jabs made light work of the top order, with Pommie working up to a decent pace, inducing an edge that was superbly caught by Spud at slip. Fulbeck fought valiantly, but with all Crusaders bowlers producing the goods the result was rarely in doubt. Spud and Wajih took three wickets each and the match was tied up by 'leading' bowler White.
Creative accountancy at it's best
Crusaders team -v- Fulbeck
(L to R) Back: White.D, Whale.S, Rehman.W (capt), Englishman, Englishlady, Grrrregains.J
Front: Schultz.G, Channa.C, Singh.N, Sarwar.J
After a few post match beers we headed for Grantham to The Ghorkas Indian Restaurant for a tour dinner. Uncle had words with the waiter and the food and service was excellent. Alas the late decision to eat out caused us to return too late for our Whisky tasting evening in The George at Leadenham and also too late for beers in the hotel.
Sunday 14th June
After breakfast the tour party accompanied the newly weds for a romantic walk around a nearby beauty spot. Unfortunately Chand survived.
A fine body of men
Match 11
Caythorpe at Fulbeck 14th June
With Grant joining us and the addition of Harry Fielder-Civil (brother of Blake) our numbers were bolstered to eleven. Caythorpe were not as strong as last year and the game was reduced to 35 overs with a maximum 4 per bowler. Johnny G was looking particularly concerned at the prospect of turning his arm over.
Nita in full flow against Caythorpe
Chand and Nita (30) gave us the perfect start, blasting balls to all parts of the ground in a partnership of 93 that occupied only 14 overs. Wajih returned to form with the bat, remaining unbeaten on 69, while Chand finally fell for an entertaining 64. Damon's sparkling display with the bat was confined to history as he failed to register a run for the 5th time in six innings. Despite the middle order evaporating we were still able to post an impressive 209-7 from our completed allocation.
Caythorpe were always in the hunt, with Cross and Barter each registering fifty's and Crusaders having to call on some little used bowlers. Pommie and Jabs ensured that Caythorpe began slowly with economical spells, before Caythorpe discovered some rich pickings from the change bowlers. Nita made the vital breakthrough as Barter drove to 'The Rock' who swallowed the catch at mid-on. Chand and Wajih produced good spells, which drove up the run rate and induced some desperate running between the wickets, culminating in Cross failing to beat the throw of Reynolds from Long Leg. Caythorpe eventually finished 14 runs short on 195-6.
Match 9
Cudham Wyse at Cudham Rec 07th June
A 2.30 start allowed the luxury of two pints preparation in the Blacksmith's Arms and we arrived to find an anxious Wajih had won the toss and elected to bat. Jagdesh produced his normal explosive start, bludgeoning 21 in only five scoring shots, but when he was first out Cudham's bowlers began to make scoring difficult. Gary (35) produced another composed knock, showing that it takes patience as well as ability to produce runs. Johnny G and Wajih would do well to follow that example as both succumbed to rash shots. Chand provided some much needed impetus to the innings with a quick-fire 32 as the we petered out at 148.
Cudham produced a fine spread and we were in danger of being lured into 'cake lag' territory, with several players over-achieving in the eating stakes in direct contrast to their on field achievements. With no bowling restrictions, Danglers and Spud delivered lengthy spells. Danglers was in fine form regularly passing the outside edge and generating decent pace. Spud made the initial breakthrough, trapping Burnham in front for a duck, but this brought the danger man Rayfield to the crease. He soon showed that he was a quality act, punching Moysey through the covers and then clipping him square off the back-foot. Despite appearing to have time to pick his shots, Danglers was still causing him occasional problems and a well disguised slower ball induced a mis-timed drive to Wajih at mid-off.
Wajih and Chand shared a wicket a piece, but we were unable to get through the tail before stumps were drawn with Cudham 119-8
Match 8
Newham Dogs are all bark but no bite
Newham Dogs at Flanders Road Rec, East Ham 05th June
Crusaders won at a canter against Damon's midweek side, with Jagdesh, Jabs, Nomi, Anand and Danglers all getting into the 20's in a score of 172. Despite getting a fearful hammering, Damon would still like to claim the Man of the Match for his 'oh so quick' stumping, scratcy 3 runs and the token wickets of Whale and Moyse in the final over.
Kevin Foy looking furtive before making his debut against Newham Dogs
On a blustery evening in East London, we eventually got under way with Crusaders supplementing nine man Dogs with a couple of fielders. Jagdesh and Jabs (27*) showed no mercy on some wayward bowling and the score rattled along at nearly ten an over. Debutant Kevin Foy was batting freely before dubious collusion between umpire and wicket-keeper returned him to the pavilion. A fluent 26* from Anand and a rapid 27 from Darren ensured the run rate was maintained, with only Mr Taylor's inability to get the ball off the square preventing a final score of nearer 200.
Newham Dogs were never really in the hunt, despite a well played unbeaten 50 from Andrew. Damon should have been out for yet another duck and Nita tried valiantly to put bat to ball, but the Dogs had no wag in the tail, with the innings closing on 102-3.
After some liquid refreshment in Wetherspoons (Moysey on J20's) we were treated to dinner by a very generous Uncle Jabs.
Match 7
Bromley Town & OB's at Hayes Lane 31st May
Crusaders stumbled to their second defeat of the season, losing by 27 runs against a youthful Bromley Town team. Bromley won the toss and elected to bat, with the opener soon taking a liking to Mr Taylor's brand of bowling, hitting him here there and just about everywhere. Fortunately Danglers was keeping it quiet at the other end and generating some lively pace. It was Mike however that got the breakthrough, trapping Reynolds in front for a duck and eventually deceiving the free-scoring Ramsay with a slower ball. Mike added a third wicket, picking up a good return catch to leave Broms reeling at 35-4.
Broms skipper Tom Smith was the mainstay of the innings compiling a hard-hitting 83, although his stay should have been brief, but for a drop by Sumo off Danglers bowling. The tail offered resilient support and despite good spells from Jabs and Gary our fielding started to get ragged and Bromley eventually posted 178-9 from their 40 overs. Darren was pick of the bowlers with 2-16 from his eight overs.
Jagdesh and Gary got us off to a purposeful start, but when Slapdash edged to slip with the score on 28, some controversial 'home' umpiring put Crusaders firmly on the back foot. Nita, Jabs and Chand all fell leg before to 'quick-draw McGraw', who gave the impression that he would give just about anything out if there was an audible appeal. Crusaders never recovered and despite Gary's fine 44 and a valiant unbeaten 23 from Spud we were dismissed 27 runs short half way through the 35th over.
Match 5
North Weald at The Memorial Ground 17th May
Persistent rain eventually prevented the conclusion of our first ever meeting with North Weald, with the match finely balanced, with all results still possible when it was decided to pull stumps.
The early season warm weather came to a shuddering halt, replaced by clouds and an icy breeze, with the exposed Memorial Ground attracting the elements to the full.
Wajih pulled out of the fixture at the eleventh hour (believed to be having intensive coaching from his dad in an attempt to rediscover some form), to be replaced by Damon, with 'Cheerful Don' and Mr Taylor returning to the side in place of Waheed and Ben.
North Weald called correctly and it was to no one's suprise that we were inserted. It was soon apparent that the pitch was bowler friendly and that patience would be required if we were to post a respectable total. Patience was the word that was required. We opened with two of the finest exponents of the word 'patience' - Nita and Jagdesh. Unfortunately the widely understood translation of patience to mean 'taking ones time and exercising caution' translates in most Asian dictionaries as ' play with wild abandon, dancing rashly down the track with head in the air'.
And so it came to pass that we capitulated to 57-8. Recovery came through a solid, dependable and (English translation) patient partnership between Captain Taylor and the redoubtable Moyse, who between them slowly but surely ground out a meaningful stand. It was'nt pretty. Taylor had barely the strength to get the ball off the square and Danglers was dependent on the bowlers feeding him either a square-cut or a leg-glance. Fortunately North Weald had not studied the Moyse scoring Wagonwheel and Darren feasted on his favourite shots. Meanwhile Mike patted it back. In a little over 18 overs the pair added fifty priceless runs, before Mike holed out attempting a big one. Spud and Darren scrambled a few more runs, before Spud was last out with the total 124, leaving Danglers unbeaten on 45.
Tea was a fine spread, swollen still further by some tasty 'sweetmeats' from Jagdesh. Despite a low total, the skip was confident that he had the bowlers to put North Weald on the back-foot. The saviours of our batting set about becoming heroes with the ball, as Moysey and Mike opened up. Darren bowling with the wind was regularly beating the outside edge, whilst Mike bowling into the teeth of the gale struggled to get the ball to reach the bat. It soon became apparent that our score of 124 was going to be difficult to overcome. Danglers made the initial breakthrough, Don taking a solid catch behind the stumps and then Mike removed the other opener, with Don deflecting the ball back onto the stumps via his pads for a slightly unorthodox stumping. The North Weald skipper briefly threatened to turn the game in their favour, driving strongly at anything pitched up, but he perished to an excellent delivery from Darren that squared him up and knocked out middle stump. Alas with Crusaders starting to get on top the ever threatening band of dark cloud finally dumped it's proverbial load and after a brief resumption it was agreed that the King's Head was a far more inviting place.
Match 4
West Peckham at The Green, West Peckham 10th May
Wajih rang the changes following last week's dismal batting display, drafting Gordy in to replace the rather porous looking 'Rock', with Gary and Ben Magnus taking their Sunday bows in place of Imtiaz and the ILM. Danglers returned from golfing duties to replace Mr Taylor, who was allegedly preparing for an Ofsted inspection - in his own words 'Ridiculous'.
Danglers, Gary and Ginger Tosser observe from the church
The Green was bathed in sunshine and the Swan even more inviting. Alas the 'Trumpeter' was still in the brewing process, so Spud and Moysey had to settle for Fuggles. With a warm afternoon forecast it was essential that plenty of fluids were taken on board. As usual a good crowd of locals had gathered outside the pub, obviously aware of the Crusaders' reputation.
Waheed, Jabs, Wajih and Ben looking relaxed as Nita piles on the runs
Crusaders won the toss, which gave us an immediate opportunity to put the Charlatans batting debacle to bed, but perhaps more importantly gave Spud and Darren additional pub time. Waheed was a little unfortunate to be given out lbw to one that appeared high from my vantage point in the tavern and Jagdesh could not come to terms with the lack of pace in the wicket, surviving a couple of times before his luck ran out.
Nita tries to blast Darren and Spud out of the Swan
The backbone of the innings was provided by Nita, who peppered all parts of the ground, including some that were precluded from scoring. He was ably supported by Gordy (17) and then Gary (22). On such a small ground runs came either in boundaries or singles and despite Dawson taking 8-52 they came at a good rate. Nita finally perished for a splendid 80, which included four sixes and ten fours. The tail rather fell away, as the skip registered a duck to expose the well lubricated numbers 10 and 11, with only a mature display from Ben Magnus (19) cobbling it all together. Our innings closed on 202 all out, giving West Peckham 75 minutes plus 20 overs to chase down the target.
Darren preparing to open the bowling with the help of Sports Psychologist G. Tosser
Danglers and Ben opened the attack, with Darren reaping the benefits of solid preparation, having the West Peckham top order in a quandary. Ben would do well to learn that having a pint of Kronenberg before a game is not big, nor is it clever. Whilst Danglers was dismantling the first four batsmen - all clean bowled - Ben struggled with the slope. Eventually he got his line right and started to beat the bat. Word of Darren's performance obviously spread, with what appeared to be an overspill from the Sangatte Refugee Camp congregating on the top boundary.
Ben toils away from the Swan end
Wajih was in ruthless mode, never once offering our hosts a crumb of hope. Spud replaced Ben at the Swan end, extracting bounce and turn from a receptive pitch as he removed the middle-order, with three quick wickets and then Wajih brought himself on, resorting to bowling bouncers (not once, but twice) at the young number 11 to finish the match.
The victorious Crusaders team minus camera-shy Gary and Ben Magnus
Match 3
Charlatans at Woolwich Barracks 3rd May
Crusaders crumbled meekly to defeat at the hands of Charlatans, producing a desperately fragile batting display at the picturesque Woolwich Barracks. Having won the toss, Wajih opted to field, despite the pitch looking firm and the pavilion boundary inviting. His decision appeared to be vindicated as Charlatans struggled to adapt to the pace of the pitch and the complete lack of pace of Mr Taylor. In tandem with new recruit Imtiaz Ali, Mike produced a miserly opening spell, returning figures of 1 for 9 from his eight overs.
Despite struggling to score quickly, Charlatans demonstrated a level of patience that was severely lacking in the Crusaders response. None of the top order was prepared to throw their wicket away and gradually with the aid of some well run singles, the score mounted.
Jabs and second debutant Qamar Waheed took over bowling duties, with Jabs making an immediate breakthrough to remove Curtis-Brignell. The dismissal brought Ball to the crease and he made his intentions clear from the start, striking the ball firmly and running efficiently. Charlatans, with wickets in hand must have harboured hopes of making 150+, but were pegged back by a fine spell of slow bowling from Chand and Spud. Chand removed Rickets, which impacted on Charlatans abilty to rotate the strike, with Ball being starved of the strike by some sensible fielding. Chand then removed the dangerous Pindoriya, as Jabs took a well judged catch at long-on. After conceding 7 from his first over, Spud slipped into the groove as he conceded only six more runs in his eight over spell, taking three wickets in his final over.
Charlatans innings closed at 129-8 from 40 overs, with Ball not out 43 at the close. From the way the pitch behaved we were in no doubt of the task ahead if we were to achieve victory. Tea was a fine effort, with the Vegetable Pakoras a particular success.
The less said about our reply the better. Nobody came to terms with an excellent spell of bowling from Pindoriya, who produced match winning figures of 6-23 from his eight overs. At the other end, Thomas was the perfect foil, matching Mike in terms of miserliness and only slightly exceeding him in pace.
Slapdash was first to go, unusually beaten playing defensively and he was followed by the rest of the top order, as Crusaders collapsed with some aplomb to 27-7. With the game effectively over, the tail wagged to restore a modicum of respectability, but we ended up skittled for 73 inside 30 overs, losing by 56 runs.
Match 2
Norwood at Norwood Lakes 26th April
Crusaders recorded their second victory of the season, with a hard fought 45 run victory against feisty Norwood. Skipper Wajih decided to sit the game out and in the absence of Mr Taylor, Spud captained the side. Gordon made his first appearance of the season, employing Chand as his navigator, with the obvious result that we started with nine men. Norwood called successfully and opted to field. The pitch was grassy and the outfield a little long, but the boundary was generous.
Big ead 'views the fleet' at Norwood Lakes
Nita and Jagdesh opened the batting in typically bullish style, putting on 41 before both fell in successive overs. The innings then stagnated, with Moysey struggling with his hollow bat, The GGG Man pumping his little legs manfully and Damon persevering without really looking in. Jabs eventually upped the scoring rate, anchored by Damon, with the pair adding an important 40 to take the total past three figures. Unfortunately Norwood's idea of being competitive involved sustained and vociferous appealing for any delivery that hit the pads or passed close to the outside edge. At best it was extremely over zealous, at worst it was intimidatory and bordering on gamesmanship. Norwood kindly provided an Umpire throughout the match, who was excellent, whilst Don might claim he was 'constructively dismissed' when he was finally given out caught behind by Nita under pressure from several fielders, screeching, posturing and wildly gesticulating.
We were in real danger of failing to post a competitive score, until a late flurry from the tail added a further 72 runs in the final 12 overs. Chand, after a cautious start put his foot on the gas, finding the boundary ten times in making a splendid unbeaten 60. He was supported by Gordy, Alex and Spud, enabling us to post 186 from our 40 overs.
Crusaders prepare to defend a total of 186
Norwood responded with all guns blazing, seemingly determined not to fall behind the required rate. This always presented the opportunity for some early wickets, with Danglers polite request for an lbw decision upheld by the umpire and the other opener taking ridiculous liberties on Gordon's arm, to be run out. Norwood continued to bat with abandon, preferring to play big shots, rather than accumulate runs in a steady approach.
Hamid was the exception, looking accomplished, as he compiled an unbeaten 61 to form the backbone of Norwood's innings. The introduction of Jabs into the attack initiated a Norwood collapse, as he completed his eight overs, returning club best figures of 5-39 to go some way towards dispelling the myth that he is just a 'net' bowler. Despite a couple of dropped catches our general fielding was much better than last week, (it could'nt have been much worse) with the Norwood chase finally curtailed by two contrasting run outs. Jagdesh produced a fine pick up and throw from long leg to remove the last decent bat, before Eeyore relied on several decades of experience, allowing just enough time to keep the batsman interested, before lobbing the ball to Damon to complete the dismissal.
Jagdesh (28) and ILM Channa (60*) top scorers in Crusaders 186 all out
Norwood did a bit of a disappearing act, so we took refreshment in The Jolly Woodman in Beckenham for some fine Harveys, where it was good to see Man of Match Jabir and Nita partaking of the Holy Waters of Lewes.
Match 1
Woldingham Village at Croft Road Woldingham 19th April
Crusaders began the 2009 season with a first ever trip to the idyllic village of Woldingham and returned with the spoils. After persistent rain at the back end of the week, the match was in some doubt, but fortunately Saturday was warm and dry, enabling the fixture to commence.
Damon tries to remain upbeat, while 'Doom and Gloom' Don tells Darren how much he is looking forward to todays game.
The pitch was green and soft, making Wajih's decision to field first an easy one. Mr Taylor (Football), Gordy (old age) and Pommie (marriage - will we ever see him again!) were absentees, so we welcomed back Jagdesh, who introduced newcomer Upkar Singh to the club.
Wajih peruses the strip accompanied by Danglers and the ILM
Vodaphone, Upkar, Nita and Johnny 'the bastard' Ggggg anxiously await the result of the toss
Danglers and Alex took the new ball and generally put it in the right areas, causing the two openers one or two scares. Alex drew first blood with a short ball that was helped into Big Head's waiting clutches at Square-leg, with the score on 27. Alex should have got further reward, but the skip and Nita allowed a reasonable chance to drop harmlessly between them. Spud replaced Alex and immediately took a return catch to remove the other opener. Woldingham started to show fragility, with Danglers finally getting reward for consistently beating the bat, when Chand took a comfortable catch at second slip. Fortunately it was far enough away from Don to prevent him flapping it over the slips. Spud and Upkar added further wickets to put Woldingham firmly under the cosh at 43-5.
Woldingham then launched a fine rearguard action, with Tozer (83*) peppering the short boundary and getting good support from Raghulan and Fanthorpe. Crusaders began to look ragged in the field as the score mounted steadily and it was some relief when the declaration was made at 184-7.
Crusaders made the kind of positive start you would expect with Voda and Wajih opening. Jagdesh opened his account with a lofted drive towards the long on boundary from his first ball faced, signalling the start of a fearsome onslaught. After a couple of drops, Jagdesh departed for 48 including 5 fours and 2 sixes. Wajih was a little more restrained, playing a more orthodox opening role. He was eventually deceived by Crane, playing down the wrong line.
Woldingham nibbled away, removing Chand, Damon and Upkar, as Crusaders showed signs of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Fortunately Nita was holding firm, batting almost sensibly, mixing up big shots to the small side boundary, whilst keeping the strike with some good running. He came close to seeing us past the winning line, but eventually fell for a fine 68, with the score at 177-7. Alex and Danglers finished the game, as they had started it, knocking off the remainder with few alarms and fifteen balls to spare.
Alex and Danglers having knocked off the last few required
Most of the victorious Crusaders team not so expertly captured by Woldingham's umpire.