4 September 2022 Stragglers of Asia vs Northchurch CC at Northchurch CC.
Result: Lost by 4 wickets.
Match Report:
On a warm September Sunday, the Stragglers faced the challenge of an unbeaten Northchurch Sunday eleven at ‘The Meadow’ in a 40 over game. With a number of Northchurch players also either being full members of the Stragglers and even more who have at some time or another guested for the club, there was a distinctly “intra-club” feel to the game which lent a friendly but still competitive edge to the game.
Stand in captain Charles Fidler won the toss and chose to bat first and put pressure on the Northchurch chase later in the afternoon. Openers Chris Rogers and Matt Suckling started brightly in the face of some youthful (and testing at times) bowling and got the Straggs off to an excellent start. 47 runs came off the first seven overs before Rogers fell to a short ball for a beautifully constructed twenty-five.
Suckling was joined at the crease by Tony Hooper and the runs continued to flow and a partnership of sixty-one followed with runs being scored around the ground. Sadly, Suckling departed three short of a half-century after a sharp catch in the slip cordon. Enter Phil McDuel who looked to score quickly until he was sadly run out going for a tight single called through by Hooper. Tony then fell for 40; picking out a wide mid-wicket with a full-blooded shot. With the score now 134-4, Tom Calder was joined by Pradeesh Surendran. The pair set about quickly re-establishing the run rate with Calder drilling a straight six back over the bowler’s head. Sadly, as the two looked to kick on Surendran fell with the score now 179-5. Enter young Mevon Surendran (a future Straggler for certain) a late Sunday morning call up who continued to score runs freely with Calder. The pair quickly got the score past the 200-mark Calder fell to a superb catch on the boundary by Mike James (who I am sure will be remembered for playing some games for SOA). James was at long on and had to contend with long off running and diving in front of him, but still clung on for the catch!
This saw the tail come in and sadly Fidler’s stay at the crease was brief as was Harry Chapman’s as he was adjudged to have left the crease to be stumped by Mark Hobley (again another Northchurch player to have represented the Straggs). With the team looking to push on again Northchurch captain Harry Bennie (another SOA capped Northchurch player) completed a four-wicket hall with Hobley taking a sharp catch off young Mevon Surenduran’s edge which his father who was umpiring at the time, had no hesitation in giving out. Danny Dawson and Rob Pollock-Hill saw the Straggs home to a very good score of 229.
Set 230 to win Northchurch looked to score quickly but were dented in their chase when both openers fell inside the first ten overs. Firstly, Fidler had the first caught behind by Matt Suckling with Danny Dawson continuing his fine form bowling the other. A period of Stragglers frustration ensued with a partnership of 87 for the third wicket. Pollock-Hill and M. Surenduran bowled well with a few shots falling between fielders as the Stragglers strived for a chance would surely come. Up stepped Harry Chapman and Tom Calder. Calder claimed the first with Mike James firing to the boundary only to be caught by a well-positioned Charles Fidler. This opened the door for the Stragglers and the run rate would increase when Chapman claimed the first of his three wickets by having Steve Bateman caught and bowled for 71. Joel James (another SOA capped player) came to the crease and set about trying to up the tempo with Mark Hobley. The pair ran well to put the pressure on before Chapman bowled James for 19.
With the game finely in the balance, Mark Hobley powered his way to 51 mixing his game with big blows to the boundary and deft touches before he too perished caught on the boundary by Fidler for Chapman’s third wicket. But by then, the damage was done and with the run rate at a little less than a run a ball and a brisk 8-ball 20 from the Northchurch number six saw them home with two overs to spare.
A great game of cricket played in great spirit. Onto Saturday for the final match of the season against the HAC.
Innings of Stragglers of Asia CC
| No. | Batsman
|
How out | Bowler | |
| 1 | C Rogers | Ct Burrows | C Sweten | 25 |
| 2 | M Suckling (wkt) | Ct S Bateman | H Bennie | 47 |
| 3 | A Hooper | Ct G Living | M James | 40 |
| 4 | Ph McDuell | Run out | 5 | |
| 5 | T Calder | Ct M James | W Burrows | 33 |
| 6 | P Surendran | Ct H Bennie | A Hardyman | 19 |
| 7 | M Surendran (g) | Ct M Hobley | H Bennie | 24 |
| 8 | C Fidler (capt) | Ct A Hardyman | H Bennie | 2 |
| 9 | H Chapman | St Hobley | H Bennie | 2 |
| 10 | D Dawson | Not out | 3 | |
| 11 | R Pollock-Hill | Not out | 2 | |
| Extras | 27 | |||
| TOTAL | For 9wkts (40 overs) | 229 |
FOW 1-47; 2-108; 3-124; 4-134; 5-179; 6-215; 7-221; 8-224; 9-227.
Bowling
| Bowler
|
Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
| W Burrows | 7 | 0 | 38 | 1 |
| A Hardyman | 5 | 0 | 37 | 1 |
| C Sweten | 3 | 0 | 17 | 1 |
| H Bennie | 8 | 0 | 41 | 4 |
| J Kelly | 5 | 1 | 32 | 0 |
| R Hugting | 4 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| M James | 8 | 0 | 32 | 1 |
Innings of Northchurch CC
| No | Batsman | How Out | Bowler | Runs
|
| 1 | G Living | Ct Suckling | Fidler | 12 |
| 2 | J Kelly | Bowled | Dawson | 25 |
| 3 | S Bateman | Ct and bowled | H Chapman | 71 |
| 4 | M James | Ct Fidler | Calder | 24 |
| 5 | J James | Bowled | H Chapman | 19 |
| 6 | M Hobley (wkt) | Ct Fidler | H Chapman | 51 |
| 7 | C Sweten | Not out | 20 | |
| 8 | H Bennie | Not out | 3 | |
| 9 | A Hardyman | Did not bat | ||
| 10 | R Hugting | Did not bat | ||
| 11 | W. Burrows | Did not bat | ||
| Extras | 9
|
|||
| TOTAL | For 6 wkts | 232 |
FoW: 1-25; 2-40; 3-127; 4-139; 5-190
Bowling
| Bowler
|
Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
| D Dawson | 8 | 1 | 30 | 1 |
| C Fidler | 7.4 | 1 | 48 | 1 |
| R Pollock-Hill | 6 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| M Surendran | 4 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| H Chapman | 8 | 0 | 49 | 3 |
| T Calder | 4 | 0 | 36 | 1 |
Umpire: