IMPRESSIVE bowling from Grace Church CC put King’s Road in a spin and sealed victory in the first clash between the two clubs.

The Orange Caps – put in to bowl – had set the pace in Thursday’s Twenty20 and threatened to run away with the match early on.

Wickets tumbled in quick succession as Grace Church’s top seven all fell in single figures on Tooting Bec Common’s rock hard track.

But in a good-natured contest The Road let them off the hook and Grace Church managed to post a competitive score before their bowlers clawed back a win.

The Road’s early success was orchestrated by pacemen James Couldrey and Matt Small and backed up by sharp work in the field.

The pair had a field day despite leftie James clearly not bowling at his best and sending down a series of wayward deliveries and wides.

However, when he did get it on target – and with Matt bowling tight at the other end – James always looked like he could profit.

And it was The Road’s leading wicket-taker this season who was the first to strike, getting Kana caught at mid on by safehands Aussie Dr John Gledhill.

Matt, however, was becoming increasingly frustrated that he hadn’t picked up a wicket himself… until all that changed in one dramatic over.

With the score on 29 for 2 after James had bagged his second scalp, the elder Small brother got a deserved first when Anath looped another one up to John.

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Next ball, Matt got his second when Rajeevan gloved one to slip where a grateful Leon Watson pouched a catch.

Then, with the fielders in, Matt sent down his hat-trick ball to Jeevan and went into ecstasy thinking he had his man caught behind by stand-in skip Giles Fagan.

The umpire didn’t agree though and turned down the appeal when the batsman stood his ground – despite a confident shout from The Road.

It turned out not to matter however as the very next ball a full delivery from Matt crashed into Jeevan’s stumps to eliminate any lingering doubt.

Four wickets had fallen with the score still on 29 – James taking one and Matt running riot in one over and snatching three in four balls.

Imayan and Kirth staged a mini-recovery by putting on 34 useful runs until Jamie Keating got in on the wickets and took two from two overs.

Jamie had Imayan caught for 8 off 11 balls as John got his third catch of the day, and The Poet got captain Kingsly plumb lbw for 1.

Leon also weighed by pegging back Selvam’s leg stump and with just 81 on the board and 8 down the churchmen were in danger of being bowled out before completing their overs.

What the visitors needed now was a solid partnership to dig them out of a hole and get them to a good score.

And with Kirth in and number nine Richie walking out to bat they found the men to do it.

The pair – with Kirth taking the lead role – put on a vital 51 working the ball to all areas before Richie holed out to Leon at mid on to give Shailesh Joshi his first wicket.

Samuel finished not out on 1 having faced just two balls in a tight last over from Shailesh as the innings ended on 138.

The unlucky Kirth was left stranded on 49 off 44 balls – a match-saving innings that arguably turned out to be the match-winner.

Grace Church’s total had represented a good recovery and a good score. Despite The Road taking regular wickets they failed to finish off Grace Church.

And when they went out to bat the difficulty of the task The Road had set themselves became clear.

With a varied attack bowling with pace, swing and considerable spin Grace Church pegged The Road back right from the start.

After hitting two boundaries in the first over of the Orange Caps’ reply, Twenty20 opener Jamie Keating was bowled with the score on 12.

Fellow opener James Pritchard, normally so gung-ho, struggled to get the ball away and was trapped lbw by Imayan for 8 having faced 23 balls.

Even John, who has a 50 to his name already this season, couldn’t get bat on ball as Grace Chuirch’s attack bowled with real accuracy and menace.

Golden oldie Giles, captaining the side for the first time, however was hitting it seemingly only content to score in boundaries as his partners struggled at the other end.

It wasn’t enough though and with the run-rate mounting John finally fell for a 5 off 18 balls after being continually bamboozled by mystery spinner Rana.

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Out-of-form batsman Leon went in with his side needing a near impossible 62 off 4 overs and with the ball spinning prodigious amounts both ways.

Leon lasted just three balls before he was stumped off leggie Rana for 2. Newboy Jibbi was next in and crashed a boundary before being caught off Kingsly.

And with victory now a mere formality, Andy Saker had a late flurry scoring 16 not out off 11 with three boundaries in the last over.

The Road finished 22 runs short after being stifled by Grace Church’s unusual attack.

Matt finished with 3 for 18 off 4, Jamie got 2 for 6 and James C also got 2 but conceeded 32, including 23 wides.