Played at North Middlesex CC ground, Highgate
Report by Steve Hamilton
This encounter didn't look like happening at all as rain was
predicted for the majority of the day. But like everything in life
nothing is a certainty!
We agreed on a shorter 30-over game
due to the weather. We won the toss and batted in drizzly conditions
for the majority of our innings. But this clearly didn't affect our
openers at all, as Mo Junaid and Asad Mushtaq put on 150 for the
first wicket. After 30 overs we reached a competitive total of 209
for 6.
After tea we were confident of defending our total as
we had some premier league bowlers ready to be unleased!
Bohemians needed exactly seven an over for victory. Waseem Furqan
and Syed
Shah opened the bowling but were unable to find a
breakthrough. After 10 overs the home side were looking solid at 48
for 0.
However, their luck ran out when debutant Tahir Ahmed
tempted Pittman to have a swish at a short ball. The delivery
diverted via a thick edge towards deep backward point where Asad
Mushtaq took a breath-taking catch, turning round to reach the ball
above his head. Pittman was out for 49 and that was the first
turning point of the game.
A few overs later Umair Shahzad
was too quick for the other opener Buller and cleaned bowled him for
27, in the process cartwheeling the middle stump. Umair didn't take
long to claim his next victim, also clean bowling Kelly for five.
This time he knocked the off stump out the ground. We were now in
pole position with Bohemians on 108 for 3 after 21 overs.
But
it wasn't Mohammed Rashid’s day. I dropped a catch off his bowling
at backward short leg. And he should have had another wicket!
What I remember from the incident is that he bowled a decent
delivery which the batsman hit and was caught by Jakaria Ahmed.
However, the umpire didn't give him out because he thought Rashid
shouted before he released the ball. He actually celebrated
enthusiastically quite loudly after the ball was caught. But after
some confusion the verdict was still - not out.
We were now
in the driving seat after Ilyas Mansha claimed two quick wickets in
successive overs. He was giving our fielders catching practice with
his loopy full tosses, while tricking the opposition into thinking
they had free licence to hit out!
First to fall to his
devious plan was Hyde who hit the ball towards long off where Umair
took a skier comfortably. In Ilyas’s next over, the big-hitting
Buxton came charging down the crease and smashed the ball towards
deep mid-wicket, where Jakaria took a sensational one-handed catch.
This was the second turning point of the game and after 25 overs the
home side were on 147 for 5.
Now the opposition upped the
ante. Leece and Leslie put on 47 for the sixth wicket and pushed
their side’s total to 194.
I was bowling and got hit for
biggest six of the day over long-on. With three more balls of my
over still to go I was understandably feeling nervous!
What
happened next ball? Another minor miracle! I bowled a much flatter
delivery which was hit back to me violently low and hard at knee
height. My instinct was to get out of its way but I managed to get
my hands down in time to try to catch the ball. As usual the ball
didn't stick, but fortunately the ball didn't fly that far and my
cat-like reflexes (?) enabled me to reach out and take the catch at
my second attempt! Leslie was out for 32. Was that another turning
point?
Bohemians needed 13 to win off the final over. Waseem
was hungry to bowl, as were two others. Rising to the challenge, he
delivered the perfect final over. He conceded just four runs and
also took the wicket of Stoop with a thin nick caught behind by Mo
Junaid. Our victory was sealed by 9 runs.
A great all-round
team performance and confirmation once again that catches definitely
win matches!
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