Harrow Town 1st XI

Sunday, April 25th 2004 - Middlesex Federation Cup

NLCC:

P Mills (capt.)

I Johns

J Russell

M Askew

J Green

T Wakeford

D Amedee

B Wakeford

J Vosti

N Mathurin

M Leighton

Harrow Town: 166 a/o (44.3 overs)

North London: 168 – 2

North London CC’s debut in the Middlesex Federation Cup ended in a comfortable victory for last years promoted First XI.  Carrying the mantle of a Second Division Middlesex County League side to Harrow Town in the first round may have riled the home side, considering it was they who NLCC pipped to second spot last year after a controversial 5 point penalty.  Both sides were relatively strong, with the stars of last season’s epic league encounter all present and correct (ish) – I Johns who scored a ton, T Wakeford who took a ‘Michelle’ and for Harrow Town, M Jadunath who scored a fifty and nearly took the game from NLCC.

Skipper for the day, P Mills duly won the toss and was happy to insert Harrow Town on a pitch that was a little damp, in the hope that the sunshine would dry it out over the course of the game.  Harrow Town started almost as slowly as the pitch was playing, and soon lost one of their openers to a floating Yorker from Tom Wakeford.  What proceeded that breakthrough, however, was not exactly vintage cricket from the younger Wakeford, as he struggled to find a satisfactory line to the incoming left-hander.  Six wides and a no-ball later, the over was finally complete!  Nathan Mathurin, opening up from the other end, bowled with pace and aggression on an entirely unresponsive deck, and was completely without luck for his fine first spell.  A further two wickets came the way of Wakeford Junior; a rare LBW for the left-armer was swiftly followed by a neat catch at second slip by his brother.  Three wickets, perhaps undeserved considering the amount of wides bowled in an erratic spell that had EARLY SEASON written all over it.  Ben Wakeford replaced Nathan after five excellent overs, and soon ‘joined the party’ by cleaning up the solid-looking Harrow Town opener with a ball that swung-away and jagged back to make a mess of the stumps.  At 66 for five, Harrow looked on course for a single-figure total, and with Dan Amedee brought into the attack and bowling a tight line and length – on many occasions ‘bamboozling’ both the batsmen and the ‘keeper – things were looking bleak for the home side.  A sensible partnership developed, however, and the score was gradually pushed towards respectability as NLCC let their intensity drop for a brief spell.  A caught and bowled for Amedee broke that partnership, as the frustration of not being able to lay a bat on the off-spinner finally told.  Debutant Vosti bowled his leg-cutters a little short, though still produced a couple of ‘jaffas’ and certainly didn’t leak too many runs.  Wakeford completed his first spell with the prized wicket of M Jadunath caught behind slashing at a full, wider delivery.  Mills also joined the attack and bowled with discipline, restricting the batsmen mainly to speculative shots.  The tail was duly cleaned up by Mathurin, who finished with two but could have snared more, and Ben Wakeford, whose four wickets included a catch by his brother at point.  The target: 166 from 45.  Unfortunately though, the pitch had not yet dried out as expected.

With last years four-time centurion Richard Swann having left NLCC for pastures new (if there are any pastures in Milton Keynes), this season sees Patrick Mills step into the breach.  In seasons past Mrs Mills has opened for North London at all levels, though in the last few seasons has found a role in the middle-order.  This year, however, there are high hopes that he will excel in the number one spot.  It wasn’t to be this game, however, as Mills received a peach of a delivery that snaked back off the seam to take middle stump.  Russell was streaky but stuck around and was just starting to look a little more comfortable when he was, perhaps harshly, adjudged LBW when pushing well forward.  Meanwhile, last season’s Run Machine looked in ominous form, and words ‘THOUGHT SO’ sprung to mind as he remarkably reeled off a century to compliment his last season’s league form of 103, 116, 99, 103 and 133*.  For interest, his only non-league innings during that run of form also ended in a large century against the President’s XI.  This innings was a trademark mix of concentration, aggression and sublime skill.  He picked off singles with ease – defying the sluggish pitch that had troubled all who came before him - and was ruthless on anything wayward.  The scraps were eagerly devoured by Askew, who played a sensible innings, and may have been rewarded with his own personal milestone had he not been batting with a broken bat.  Overall this clinical win for North could have been far more tricky without the heroics of Johns.  NLCC face much stiffer opposition in either Winchmore Hill or Wembly in the next round.

Report by: Fishmonger