KING'S ROAD CRICKET AND SOCIAL CLUB

Bear’s batting sets news agenda against the Sunday Times Occasionals

A dynamic rearguard action led by all-rounder Jamie “the bear” Keating helped the King’s Road recover from a middle-order collapse to earn a narrow win over the Sunday Times Occasionals.

The Norbury slugger hit 38 from 25 balls during an innings of controlled aggression as he batted the Orange Caps through to the end of their 40 overs at a gusty Dulwich ground.

Following the template of last year’s 8-run victory, the Road opened the batting and set the newspaper men a challenging but chaseable target of 184, only to cut off their circulation with some accurate bowling and tigerish fielding.

Openers Lomas Persad and James Couldrey made slow but steady progress against ST bowlers Umar Awan and Rhys Pitt before James was trapped lbw by Awan for 3 – and even his “best puppy-dog eyes” failed to save Couldrey from Chris Brown’s finger.

This brought in “ginger warrior” Jamie Williams to the crease, who soon upped the tempo, cracking several boundaries as his partnership with Lomas surged past 50.

The Road were looking comfortable, none more so than Adam Zabel who had brought his own chair, but no whites.

However Lomas then mistimed one against first change bowler Russel Herneman, spooning the ball up into the grateful hands of ST skipper Greg Struthers.

This brought the shorts-sporting Zabel to the crease, and the cracks soon began to show.

First he was bowled for 2 by Herneman, quickly followed by the prized wicket of Williams who was unlucky to play onto his stumps and depart for 39.

A few balls later Herneman had another victim as Chris Beckett was convincingly skittled for a duck, the Road losing four wickets for just six runs.

But it could have been even worse as Matt Glover, perhaps still feeling the effects of the previous night’s wedding gig, narrowly escaped being caught second ball.

It was a reprieve that brought precious extra runs as the firebrand found his rhythm, highlighted by a brutal six.

Batting with Elliot Small he helped to steady the ship and the pair entertained spectators and opposition alike with their classic Chuckle Brothers-esque “to me, to you” routine in the middle that could have seen either run out.

When Elliot was finally bowled for 4 by Dutta he had helped steer the Road safely past 100 and towards a defendable total.

With Chris Brown joining Glover in the middle the stage was set for some big hitting, but six balls later he was out for 2 and taking out his frustration on Zabel’s chair after looping one up to Struthers.

At 115 for 7 – with plenty of overs remaining – the Road were in trouble again.

As his team were down on their knees it was fitting that Keating entered the fold, yet the bear is a very different animal these days.

After Glover finally fell, caught by Herneman off Shomit Dutta for 21, Keating relished the role of senior partner, finding gaps, farming the strike and roaring for quick runs (“YAAAAARRRSS!”) as he started to take the fight to the ST bowlers.

Along with Kevin Pittaway the pair added a useful stand of 14 before the Road’s favourite KP (soon to emigrate to Australia – good luck mate) was caught by Lee Garwood off Martin Hemming for 8.

This left skipper Matt Small to join the pumped-up bear in battle and the “Brixton Wall” proved to be a perfect foil, the duo adding 40 vital runs before Small was caught final ball by Hemming off Pitt for 9, giving the Road a total of 183 all out.

After the usual tasty lunch, and extra lemon meringue pie for some, a refreshed Road took to the field with Glover and Matt Small taking on ST openers Jon Mills and Dutta.

The latter, a member of Harold Pinter’s famous Gaieties cricket team, had been branded a “run machine” as he strode up to the crease and the cultured batsman was certainly ready to punish any Road lapses with quick running.

Unfortunately his very sharp attempted single off Glover’s bowling left Mills scrambling back for safety as the ball came in.

When the Yorkshireman whipped off the bails it looked as though the ST opener had comfortably made his ground, only for the umpire to raise his finger.

It may have been that Mills’ bat was off the ground as the stumps were broken but, whatever the reason, the Road were grateful for their good luck.

Then, just a few balls later, another Glover over saw two successive caught and bowleds, claiming the wickets of Pickford and Carter and leaving the ST shell-shocked on 10 for 3.

However this print media XI, weaned on deadlines and the smell of hot metal and angry news barons were used to such pressure and began to repair the early damage.

With aggressive batsman Garwood teaming up with Dutta the ST steadily added runs and, despite a few near-misses, coped with the pace and accuracy of the Road attack as Glover (8-4-12-2) and Small (7-0-24-0) were changed for Brown (6-1-27-0) and Pittaway (4-0-31-0).

Yet as the score moved towards three figures the Orange Caps were keeping the batsmen honest with a rush for every ball and some ingenious fielding to stymie the flow of runs, including an audacious Messi-style flick from Keating.

At drinks, with Garwood and Dutta set and the ST needing a run a ball, the match was in the balance.

Captain Small decided it was time for a change and brought on the bear and the move paid dividends.

Bowling with good flight and finding a bit of turn with his right paw, Keating (7-0-36-1) first frustrated the batsmen and then – as the run rate started to creep up – lured Garwood out of his crease to be stumped by star gloveman Elliot Small for an impressive 72, ending a 139-run partnership.

The ST were suddenly on the back foot as the Road’s depth of bowling talent shone through.

First Persad (4-0-22-0) kept things tight before Williams came in for a late, pacy super spell.

His first victim was Dutta whose lofty strike went high, high into the sky – to a point where most Orange Caps fielders would develop a nosebleed or start thinking wistfully about their next Mirch Masala mixed grill.

Fortunately, just inside the ropes as the ball came hurtling towards him stood Road newcomer Brown who, unburdened by such psychological failings, claimed a beauty.

“Yes, we have someone who can catch!” yelled the bear, he wasn’t wrong.

With Dutta dismissed and the overs running out there was only one likely winner.

As each fresh ST batsman faced increasing pressure to score there was a flurry of late wickets, with a run-out apiece from Pittaway and Couldrey seeing off Pitt and Awan before Williams (4-0-10-2) castled Struthers for 4.

By now the run rate was too high for the ST and Herneman and Nevil Smith, requiring a boundary off nearly every ball, could only see the ST to 171 for 8, leaving them 12 runs short as The Road celebrated another great victory.

Man of the Match: Jamie Keating, bat and ball

Most Embarrassing Moment: Chris Brown’s tantrum after getting out

Champagne Moment: Chris Brown’s steepler of a catch at long off

 

Oscar Newlove

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