1st XI vs Wycombe House

Saturday, 2nd August 2003 - League

North London CC Vs Wycombe House CC, away

If any self-doubt had begun to creep into the hearts and minds of NLCC 1st XI, who for six weeks now have been chasing a sixth league win to put them back into a promotion slot, it was certainly not evident on Saturday.   Despite not quite achieving that elusive ten-pointer, they finally got closer to playing the hard, uncompromising cricket that brought their early season success of five wins in six games.

 

Skipper Hart was keen to bat on what was an extremely hot Saturday afternoon.  Though the coin came down the wrong way, NLCC found themselves batting nonetheless, as Wycombe’s skipper clearly felt his side HAD to win to stay in the promotion chase and thus elected to chase whatever runs were set.

 

North London had arrived at Wycombe House with both last week’s centurion, Ian Johns, and Multi-Platinum-Superstar-Batsman Richard Swann missing. The ‘new-look’ line-up was cleverly constructed by Hart, and more than stood-up to all the fourth-placed Wycombe could throw at it.

 

In previous years Mark Askew has captained and opened for NLCC, but has since been in prolific form as a number 6.  In the interests of the side, and perhaps in response to his constant moaning that he has no chance of a ton batting in the middle-order, he stepped in to open with Jamie Russell, who has scored heavily in the second XI and at colts level batting at number one.  Three overs, three maidens and one questionable decision later, NLCC were none for one with Russell back in the pavilion rueing his refusal to take the ‘innocent expressions to sway the umpire’ module while at Cambridge.  Another of NLCC’s young guns – Jack Godfrey-Wood – came to the crease in a hostile environment.  Suffering from stomach cramps, dysentery and all manner of nasty things G-W, drew comparisons to Aussie Dean Jones as he battled ill health in blistering conditions to score an elegant 35 (okay, not quite a double-hundred in India, but…).  Mark Askew, who has somehow had his picture in the local paper for the last six weeks, was aiming to make headlines again as he battled to fifty despite the varying bounce of Wycombe House’s pitch.  When Deano departed, heading straight for the toilets, in came Patrick Mills, who not for the first time this season looked to be dominating the bowling and on for a big score.  His bad luck continued though, as he played on while attempting to shoulder arms at the last minute.  Mark Askew also fell soon after for a fine 59, and may yet be after the opening slot again.  These wickets left North London in no-mans land at 120-4, a big score possible but by no means a certainty with their reshuffled middle-order.  Enter Jim ‘Ice-Man’ Greene of the ‘Red-Inka’ tribe.  He and Tom Wakeford took the score to 170-4, before Wakeford was bowled in the 38th over.  Greene (28) fell a few overs later, thus not managing an asterisk next to his name this week, but had more than done his job in steadying the ship.  Skipper Hart (28) and Simon Mann (37), making his seasonal debut, preceded to take the game away from Wycombe with a frenzied partnership of over fifty runs in no time at all.  The ‘big-guns’ of DeVilliers, Wakeford B and Amedee watched in amazement as Mann and Hart scored at six an over plus while barely hitting a boundary  - unless you count two ‘all-ran’ fours.  Usually the late order of NLCC is characterised by the bowlers jostling for the best batting position, but none of the waiting willow-wielders were keen to join in the sprint-masterclass going on in the middle.  The skipper pulled the plug on the innings at 253-6 off fifty-three overs.  Even Shane Warne would have been impressed by the weight loss over the course of their partnership, with both players vying for winner of the ‘wet-t-shirt’ competition as they walked off.

 

The pick of NLCC’s bowlers was Tom Amedee, who followed up his four wickets last week with another four of the finest plus a run-out.  After a brilliant twelve over spell, he was replaced by his former opening partner B Wakeford, who also excelled with the ball.  Bowling as aggressively as he as all season on what was an entirely unresponsive pitch, Ben picked up three wickets by virtue of bowling straight and fast.  DeVilliers bowled well to pick up the other wicket to fall, but Wycombe’s last pair hung on for a point for the last two overs.  In the following two weeks NLCC take on two sides they have already beaten first time round, and will hope to avoid slipping up in order to set up a showdown with Harrow Town in the penultimate game of the season.

            

Report by: Fishmonger