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Batting blues strike again as
Twickenham slip to three wicket defeat at Highgate
The Ts bumpy start to 2007
continued as they came out second best in a close encounter at
Highgate. Below par batting once again left the bowlers with too
much to do and despite the best efforts of the Ts all-seam attack,
Highgate secured 10 points following their 3 wicket triumph.
Skipper Jon Varney once again lost
the toss and – once again and to no one’s surprise – the Ts were
asked to take first knock. The track looked a fraction damp, but
the warm weather and short boundaries led most to feel that a score
of 200 plus would be a decent opening gambit. Pete Carey and Andy
Barnes started solidly, playing the medium pace of Tony Duckett and
the awkward left arm loop of Syed Karrer reasonably well. Both
showed plenty of patience, waiting for bad balls to come their way;
Carey driving one over-pitched Duckett delivery exquisitely for four
through extra cover, while Barnes boshed Karrar over mid wicket for
a delightfully timed maximum.
Twickenham’s steady progress was
halted in the tenth over when the unlucky Carey (11) again succumbed
to the slow pace of English wickets; the Christchurcher drove a
Duckett half volley firmly back at the bowler who took a smart catch
to register his first scalp of the day. Although Carey has
struggled of late, he’ll no doubt know that while form is temporary,
class is permanent and as and when he gets used to the slower tracks
there is little doubt that he’ll excel. The entrance of Warwick
Paull, until Saturday the leading run scorer in the third division
of the MCCL, usually steadies the Twickenham innings; not on
Saturday, as Paull airily drove to second slip, departing with no
addition to the score. 27-2 and the T’s were reeling.
Carlos Nunes also looked a little
uneasy on the damp surface, mixing some big shots with wary
defence. However, just as he was beginning to settle Karrar picked
up the first of his four wickets as Nunes (16) played on whilst
driving. 54-3 became 58-4 when Justin Scriven was yorked by Karrar
and bad went to worse when Damon Combrinck was adjudged lbw for 0 to
Duckett. 61-5 and the Ts imposing batting line up was (again)
misfiring badly. Someone needed to stand up and play a big
innings. Mark Ryan came in at 7 and immediately looked to do just
that. He drive with real style and was quick on to the back foot to
punish anything short. Ryan and Barnes – who had watched
powerlessly as batsmen came and went at the other end – set out on a
re-building job. Barnes began to express himself a little, hitting
two sixes off one Duckett over, whilst Ryan competently stroked the
ball to all corners of the ground.
As both batters passed 50 hopes
rose in the Twickenham camp that 200 might be an option after all.
Then disaster struck. Wily Highgate skipper Dave Benton brought
himself on to bowl some leggers and his decision immediately looked
to have been a good one as Barnes was caught in the slips for 51.
Ryan – still looking most impressive – continued to play with real
authority, but he soon began to run out of partners. Sronjoy De,
Dimi Nicolaides, Dan Hough and Jon Varney all came and went quickly,
leaving Ryan high and dry on 66no. Benton, meanwhile, finished with
3-9, whilst Karrar bowled 21 overs taking 4-62.
157 looked like it wouldn’t be
enough. But the T’s bowling attack – which has performed
excellently this year – once again sought to rise to the challenge
of dismissing a side quickly. As the tea wasn’t ready at the change
of innings the umpires, Geoff Blackmore and John Sutherland, decided
that Highgate would have to bat for 45 minutes before the chilli,
rice, potato salad and cream cakes (interesting mixture – a very
respectable A- on the teameter though) could be consumed. Skipper
Varney emphasised the importance of making some headway in the short
pre-tea session and Justin Scriven, Warwick Paull and Dimitri
Nicolaides rose to the challenge well.
Paull made the initial
breakthrough, prompting Clarke to nick behind to Varney. The other
opener, Jake Sharland, played and missed on occasion, but he also
illustrated that he was more than capable of putting away the bad
ball – one six that smashed into the side of the pavilion being
particularly memorable. The number three, Lampard, looked compact
enough and soon the score began to edge up. As tea approached
Varney called for one more big effort from his troops and Nicolaides,
bowling a right off side line, responded by dismissing the dangerous
Sharland for 26 to a good catch by Varney. Freddie Barrass came in
at four but was quickly on his way back to the pavilion, well caught
by Andy Barnes at gulley without troubling the scorers.
Tea was taken with the game nicely
poised, Highgate requiring just over 100 with the Ts in need of
seven wickets. Highgate’s wicketkeeper-batsman, Jack Willow, came
in at five and immediately showed that he understood what was
required. Occupation of the crease. If Highgate batted anything
like the overs allotted to them, then they would win the game. He
was content to leave balls outside the off stump, only really being
aggressive when bowlers strayed onto the leg side. Lampard was also
prepared to be patient and as the score passed 100 it looked like
the game was slipping away from Twickenham. Varney gave Carey a
quick go, but to no avail, prompting him to turn to the
ever-reliable Scriven and big Carlos Nunes for inspiration. Scriven
immediately came up trumps, dismissing Lampard for 32 and when
Joseph (1) and Phelan (1) both fell to Nunes Twickenham were back in
the game. Nunes’s dismissal of Willow, for a dogged 38, left
Highgate on 119-7 and suddenly it was very much game on.
Despite the fact that Highgate
were reeling, skipper Benton and New Zealander Fletcher kept their
heads. Benton used all his experience to mix dogged defence with
the odd lusty blow; a very sensible tactic in the situation. He
drove well and was not scared to hit across the line; all to good
effect. Nunes in particular continued to bowl a very tight line
with a 7-2 off side field, but to no avail Highgate’s eight and nine
saw them home and to a spot in the promotion places.
Once again, the Ts can be very
pleased with their bowling and fielding. No catches were dropped,
excellent lines were bowled and energy levels were high. It might
be tempting to over-analyse the batting problems; whilst there is no
escaping the fact that the Ts batted poorly not just against
Highgate but in most other games this season, there is certainly
bags of potential there. In time, it’ll come good …
Dan Hough |
