Eastcote 1st XI

Saturday, May 22nd 2004 - League

NLCC 1st XI vs Eastcote
Saturday, 22nd May 2004, LEAGUE, Home

NLCC – I.JOHNS, P.MILLS, P.JOSEPH, M.ASKEW, D.AMEDEE, J.GREEN, T.WAKEFORD, R.deVILLIERS, A.HART, N.MATHURIN, B.WAKEFORD.

EASTCOTE 182 a.o. 51.5 overs.

NLCC        179 a.o. 46.5 overs.

NLCC’s 1st eleven came out on the wrong side of another nail-biting finish on Saturday. Having taken only 1 point from a very good performance against Shepherds Bush the previous week, NLCC were even more unlucky to come away pointless from this encounter.

Eastcote skipper David Goodchild, confident from a comfortable win batting first against S.Hampstead the previous week, again elected to bat first upon winning the toss. It proved a good decision, but NLCC ran last seasons premier league outfit, Eastcote, mightily close.

The new ball was taken by the Wakeford brothers, but after 11 overs the Eastcote openers were looking comfortable at 43-0. In truth the first 45 minutes was NLCC’s worst of the game, and the Eastcote batsmen were able to regularly dispatch loose deliveries. The introduction of NLCC’s overseas player, Patrick Joseph, to the attack for his first spell for NLCC brought instant results. His first ball for the club removed Butler for 30, the opener shouldering arms to a late inswinger that had him both LBW and Bowled! The second ball of Patrick’s spell removed Anwar plumb LBW to another late inswinger. Not a bad start, 2 balls for the club and he’s on a hat-trick! Eastcote skipper Goodchild survived an LBW appeal on the hat-trick ball, and later inside edged a ball past his stumps in the same over. Tom Wakeford then got in on the act to remove Goodchild caught behind by Askew with a fine catch. 43-0 had become 54-3, and NLCC’s game really picked up from this point onwards. The fielding was generally good and the bowling excellent. Joseph gave way to Dan Amedee from the Highgate end, and the spinner bowled unchanged for 16.5overs recording figures of 4-47. This was a high class spell of bowling, often to 3 or 4 close catchers, and conceding less than 3 an over. Tom Wakeford finished with 1-41 from 14 overs, and Patrick Joseph 2-16 from 8. Nathan Mathurin removed the dangerous Coleman’s off stump with a fine outswinger, finishing with 1-20 from his 5 overs. A special mention for keeper Askew who coped with the demands of standing up to Amedee and Wakeford with aplomb taking 2 fine stumpings, a catch, and having a hand in 2 run outs.

NLCC’s fine bowling and fielding forced Eastcote to bat on past the 50 over stage in search of a challenging total. They were finally bowled out for 182 after 51.5 overs.

Johns and Mills found the Eastcote opening attack challenging, but were looking to have got to terms with the movement of the new ball when Johns was adjudged LBW for 7 despite appearing to get a good stride in. Mills was looking solid before he sent a loose drive to mid-off and was caught for 13, leaving NLCC 39-2. Joseph hit three boundaries before being unluckily caught at third man off the bottom edge from a mistimed pull. Askew was looking good in gradually accumulating runs before playing across the line and being bowled by Butler for 21, and wickets continued to fall too regularly for the NLCC cause. When Amedee went to an unplayable delivery form the impressive Martin for a fine 35 NLCC were in trouble at 111-6 still needing 72 for victory and 58 for the 4 points draw.

There followed an impressive partnership of 47(the highest of the match) between deVilliers and Wakeford.T. This partnership was symptomatic of the attacking cricket played by NLCC throughout this game. Riaan struck 6 boundaries in his 28, and Tom 4 in his 27, but just when it appeared that they were about to win the game for NLCC they were removed by the other returning opening bowler Metcalfe. NLCC were now 167-8 needing 16 for victory. The skipper went to an off cutter from Martin for 3 leaving B.Wakeford to join Mathurin as the last pair in search of 11 runs for victory. Nathan struck a fine boundary through cover to reduce the margin to 4 runs, and the next ball took his pad en route towards the vacant fine leg boundary. The keeper dived across athletically and an outstretched glove limited the damage to 1 leg bye. With 4 now required for victory Ben chopped the next ball onto his stumps and Eastcote had prevailed by 3 runs, a foot either way and the ball would have avoided the stumps and found its way to the fine leg boundary!

So close but yet so far! In a very closely fought contest NLCC achieved 0 points. What they did however achieve was the respect of one of the pre season favourites for promotion, and proof, if it were needed, that they will be a very competitive side in Division 2 for the remainder of the season. Last year we were separated from Eastcote by 2 whole divisions, last Saturday there were only 3 runs between us! What we need to do now is convert these good performances and early season promise into league points.  

Report by:  Skipper