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The King Edward Recreation Ground, Chessington. |
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In a day-long orgy of runs, a powerful Pak batting line-up proved too hot to handle for The Gents at boiling Chessington. An accomplished 81 not out from Kingstonians CC first XI's Shahid Mahmood was the fulcrum of a successful run chase in which Pak were always up with the required rate. Earlier, The Gents had recovered well from 1/2 to post a season's best 187/7 with contrasting but encouraging innings for Scibo, Dhruv and, again, Nabil. It was the first PALs League defeat of the season but The Gents will at least share the 2005 title if they beat the Weasels in July.
| Buck had received instructions by semaphore and Boy Scout runner from absent skipper Sanjay to win the toss, bat first and wear them out. Parts one and two of the mandate were impressively and precisely discharged, The Gents' innings going along similar lines to the May knock in the first game. Then, an innings in shock at 8/3 recovered to 146/5 before stalling to 147 all out, which was enough. Here, two large partnerships of 89 and 64 were the bedrock of what seemed at tea a formidable total. |
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Nabbing a quick fifty - Husain 61 not out |
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Moon Cat was bowled (distracted by the glare off a car windscreen, he said) and HP caught at slip before Scibo, who had been padded up for the duration of the Husain/Patel S. stand eight days before, turned round the innings with Dhruv. Mark was watchful, checking his guard every over, but never spurned the hook or pull off the short stuff. Dhruv scratched around and was dropped twice before unleashing a flurry of boundaries, including three in three balls off the pacy Fawad to take the visitors to 78/2 at 20 over drinks.
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Scibo was bowled by wily spinner Ahmed, Dhruv stumped off Mahmood and Justin bowled as three wickets fell around the hundred but this only let in Nabil, in the form of his young life. In only 13 overs at the crease he belted 61 off only 42 balls faced, adding 64 with his captain (nearly lapping him on several occasions) and 14 with Hemin. Pak thought they had him early on gloving to slip but the umpire was not convinced, shades of Kevin Allerton being stoically unmoved when Martin Drake was apparently caught Renvoize in similar circumstances some years ago. Pak allowed themselves a few shouts of "Let's get him out again, boys" but that is all part and parcel of the game and they were good sports all day, and nobody will forget Nabil walking at Surbiton during the |
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Determined fielding from Justin |
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first West XI game when umpire Burman was going, in all integrity, to decline an appeal for caught behind. As he cut loose and lofted a glorious straight six on his way to 61 on the day and 286 for the season The Gents were happy and the final total of 187 pleased them, 109 runs having come in the final 15 overs. After all, the template for matches on hot days is that the side who fields first is the one who wilts.
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So much for tradition. The simple fact is that Pak were up with the rate from the first over, scored at five an over for 25 overs, 9 an over for the last seven and won with 18 balls to spare. There were Gent successes; Ajaz chipped to mid-off Ken, Hemin brilliantly caught Faisil off his own bowling – a rolling and tumbling affair – and Arshad off Scibo’s, but Moon Cat’s maiden wicket (caught Turpin) came too late to change much. Arshad, Anser and in particular Mahmood |
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Paul and HP can only look on as Mahmood eases the ball to square leg |
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batted excellently. The fielding was resilient, though Scibo's football tactics came amiss once or twice, but the bowling, with one exception, was average. That exception was Scibo, who was treated respectfully by Mahmood and whose figures of 7-1-20-1, incorporating the innings's only maiden, were quite remarkable. The Gents were disappointed to lose but a spot of research on the internet has yielded plenty of glowing press tributes to the Fuller's Surrey League feats of nemesis Mr. Shahid Mahmood along the lines of a “well-deserved century,” “glorious batting” and the like, so it was no disgrace to lose to such an innings. |
