Scorecard

HAROLD WOOD v Gidea Park & Romford Cricket Club Saturday 3rd XI on Sat 24 Jul 2010 at 1PM
Gidea Park & Romford Cricket Club Won - 20 points

Match report GPRCC 3rd IX 203 for 6 beat Harold Wood 3rd XI 196 all out. Win 20pts

Ah as I sit gazing out over the River Spree, the S Bahn rolls into Friedrichstrasse Station and I'm still smiling. Skipper James Patient is probably still smiling, Aaron Hughes and John Jones maybe still smiling, although leaving the curry house sometime early Sunday morning its hard to remember exactly what happened in the game.

I know for sure GPR had nine men. One cry off at 12:55pm is a new one for me in lateness. So we all questioned exactly why we give up all of our Saturdays and a considerable amount of time in the week to play on Saturdays.

The only thing we could hope for was to win the toss, bat first, get as many points as possible, then bowl and try and take a few wickets as Harold Wood chased our total making us undoubtedly regret fielding with 9 men.

However then something miraculous occurred, and it didn't start easily. We lost the toss and were asked to bat. Matt Brett struggled against the new ball and looked all at sea on a pitch with two different bounces and in the face of a good opening spell from Harold Wood's younger opening bowler. Narrowly surviving two LBW shouts he then edged to be caught by the keeper standing up to the stumps.

Saghir Khan had played a couple of good cut shots and looked reasonably comfortable until a straight one didn't bounce as expected a pinned him LBW. This bought Sam Hewitt (aged 14) and John Jones (Welsh) together at the crease. John played some good attacking strokes after some initial struggles and knocked up a fine sixty. Sam however, looked equally comfortable against the bowling until he pulled a hamstring and required a runner. He then changed tack and started to find the boundaries. He gallantly fielded all the way through the Harold Wood innings when others would have quit.

John and Sam fell leaving Skipper Patient's and solo traveller (and Glamorgan's Cosgrove look a like) Pasola to push towards 200 (8pts). Pasola fell trying to clear long off, and Paul Winmill assisted the skipper to reach 203 off our 52 overs. Quite happy with events a substantial tea was in prospect as we only had. 9, more sandwiches for everyone.

Then the prospect of fielding set in. Gurjit Jutla bowled well but the pitch didn't seem to do as much for his faster pace. Aaron opened from the other end and bowled very well. Soon the first wicket fell as Aaron started what was to end in a state of disbelief. Paul Winmill then replaced Gurjit and bowled very well. The ball stayed low and a very very very good looking LBW was denied as GPR searched for the illusive second wicket. Harold Wood put on a good sixty or seventy before it fell Winmill had his first.

John Jones bowled well without reward and Winmill was chipping away taking another couple of wickets. Aaron came back for a second spell and took a wicket with his first ball. We then discovered something dangerous with 20 overs to go, hope! The total didn't look enough as Harold Wood had closed to within fifty of the target. But wickets kept falling, 30 needed 3 wickets left 20 needed 2 left, and finally after James had taken a superb one handed catch 10 needed 1 wicket left.

The ECB have fast bowling directives and Aaron had one over left before Health and Safety prevented him from bowling anymore. The young Harold Wood bowler pushed forward and edged behind to keeper Brett who ended a game he had started.

A celebration in the middle was held as The Magnificent Nine started smiling. Harold Wood were generous in there congratulations. Paul Winmill took six wickets, Aaron four. But what made it great was that everyone contributed and everyone rightly should be proud of that win.

Back to Gallows, lose cars, drinking games, curry, cab home, 3 hours sleep, up fly to Berlin! Still smiling. Waiting for the hangover still thou.

The magnificent nine: James Patient capt, Matt Brett wkt, Saghir Khan, John Jones, Sam Hewitt, Dave Pasola, Aaron Hughes, Paul Winmill, Gurjit Jutla.
DP

Gidea Park & Romford Cricket Club Saturday 3rd XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 6 wickets
0
203		        
Saghir Khan lbw Hammatt 20
Matt Brett ct Bennett (b) King 8 3
John Jones ct & (b) Hammatt 60
Sam Hewitt ct Wooding (b) Ayling 41
James Patient Not Out  40 2
David Pasola ct Wooding (b) Ayling 14
Aaron Hughes b King 2
Paul Winmill Not Out  9
Gurjit Jutla   1
A.N. Other  
A.N. Other  

HAROLD WOOD Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
King20.0555227.502.75
Mortimer8.032300.002.88
Hammatt15.0371235.504.73
Ayling9.0047223.505.22

HAROLD WOOD Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
195 (0.0 overs)		     
Wooding G ct Brett (b) Hughes 14
Ellis D lbw Winmill 18
Manula Z b Winmill 30
Hall E ct Jutla G (b) Winmill 5
Bennett C ct Patient (b) Winmill 27
Stallibrass J b Winmill 25
Hammatt L b Hughes 5
Gooding J ct Brett (b) Hughes 8
Ayling B ct Patient (b) Winmill 20
King B Not Out  10
Mortimer B ct Brett (b) Winmill 0

Gidea Park & Romford Cricket Club Saturday 3rd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Gurjit Jutla7.013700.005.29
Aaron Hughes13.0342410.503.23
Paul Winmill18.0265610.833.61
John Jones9.042600.002.89