He may be too skinny to get in the King’s Load XI… but that hasn’t stopped Jamie Williams weighing in with two hefty tons for the King’s Road.
In a spectacular innings on Saturday the orange-capped avenger hit a club record-equalling 128 not out as a weakened Road chased a challenging target of 220.
That blockbuster innings made him the first Roader to pass 100 twice and was also the highest score ever racked up in the London Premier League.
Unfortunately though, with only another 43 runs off the bat from the rest of team, it was not quite enough to propel King’s Road to victory at Haydon’s Road in Wimbledon.
For the second time this season the side lost to the London Itinerants, on this occasion by 28 runs.
It was also a second defeat in the 35-over LPL, meaning The Road’s 2015 title challenge is effectively over barring an extraordinary set of results.
But the miserable outcome did not dampen an otherwise incident-packed day of cricket.
The match started in gloomy conditions with a hint of light drizzle but ended in bright sunshine, at least for the Ities.
After winning the toss skip for the day Leon Watson, celebrating his 100th game for the club, had no hesitation putting the Ities in to bat.
The reward was immediate.
In his first ball for the club, Muhammed Shaboodien – a recruit drafted in by Raju Mazumder at the eleventh hour – bowled Ities keeper Jon Tennison.
The ball dipped in and flicked off his pad before hitting the top of off.
It was a beautiful piece of cricket. Pretty good for a guy who later informed us he had had a heart attack just eight weeks earlier.
Captain @LeonWatson trudges off after the end of his long partnership with @Jim_116 vs London Itinerants. @LPLcricket pic.twitter.com/wYvwDw17co
— King's Road Cricket & Social Club (@KRCSC) June 13, 2015
Muhammed continued to bowl well too, sending down 7 accurate overs for just 15 runs.
But despite that spell The Road couldn’t make further inroads as Paulo Davies and the ever-dangerous Chris Jeffreys put on 82.
That came to an end in… dubious fashion.
.@Jim_116 reaches his century with a 4 vs London Itinerants. #lplcricket @LPLcricket pic.twitter.com/WYFenshshf
— King's Road Cricket & Social Club (@KRCSC) June 13, 2015
At 87 for 2, Paulo decided to “play the percentage shot” and reverse-swept a benign-looking ball from Adam Zabel straight into the substantial frame of a grateful Michael Rossi.
It was madness.
Rossi bagged the catch, Adam had his wicket, and The Road had broken the partnership.
Paulo, meanwhile, walked off with his tail between his legs having scored an – until then – creditable 26.
That was where the fireworks ended for The Road. Wickets kept falling with the Ities on 103, 110 and 134 but there was no collapse.
The visitors kept the run-rate ticking over and Keats got Jeffreys for 33, caught by newboy Richard Harper.
Rich then got a second catch when Daniel Dodman scooped up Leon’s first ball to square leg.
On came Amir Alipour-Mehraban and he grabbed a brace, having Will Steggals stumped smartly by Dan Sherman and bowling Tim Staples with his mystery spin.
The game was still in the balance with the Ities on 134 for 6.
But then a late-innings burst from Manny Singh tipped it in the Ities favour.
He plundered 64 crucial runs off 38 balls and Paul Dixon whacked an equally-important 31 off 28. It was too much.
King’s Road were trying to keep the runs down, but the fielding was not exactly tight.
Raju, attempting to protect the long on boundary, unleashed his most powerful throw ever.
Unfortunately it went straight up into the air, and returned to earth behind him.
With that, Raju sealed the game’s Most Embarrassing Moment award, again.
Manny eventually fell on the final ball of the innings, caught by James off Jamie W.
The Ities finished strongly on an impressive 219 for 7 off their 35 overs, leaving The Road with a lot to do.
When it came to The Road’s reply though, it was all about one man: Jamie Williams.
Of course, the innings got off to its customary shocker.
First Zabel, who had been feeling confident despite injuring a toe in the warm-up, was bowled for 6 by Dixon.
Then number three James attempted a suicidal run, calling Raju through from the non-striker’s end to run himself out for a duck.
Raju did his job sticking around for 41 balls as Jamie arrived before himself getting run-out.
Sherman lasted 8 balls, before being caught for The Road’s second duck. Rich was unlucky – caught by a belting one-handed catch from Jeffreys. Duck number three.
Jamie, meanwhile, was going into overdrive.
With some support, at last, from Leon, he went on to smash an eye-watering 20 fours in a blistering 108-ball innings. It took him just 79 balls to pass 100, becoming the first Roader to reach a ton twice.
In just 13 innings now for club, Jamie has hit 565 runs at an average of 72. Watch out the Battersea Badgers.
At the same time Leon was nurdling an uncharacteristically quick 29 off 32 balls and finding the gaps to give Jamie the strike so he could pepper the boundary.
Together the pair put on 99. But try as they might, Jamie and Leon couldn’t stop the run-rate required continuing to rise.
It was all in vain. Just before the end Leon fell to a catch taken by Dixon as he tried to hit out off Singh.
It was a real pleasure to be at the other end today as @Jim_116 scored an absolutely STUNNING ton in the @LPLcricket
— Leon Watson (@LeonWatson) June 13, 2015
Keats followed soon after, lasting two balls, and Muhammed was left not out. The Road had fallen short by 29 runs.
Jamie’s innings was undoubtedly the highlight. He was dropped though, albeit after he’d passed a 100, in another moment Paulo would probably like to forget.
The pink trouser-wearing Itie somehow, following on from his horror dismissal, let slip a dolly at midwicket.
If Jamie had gone on to win the match that would have been a shocker.
As it was, the Ities were victorious.
Man of the Match: Jamie Williams, for his cracking ton
Champagne Moment:
Most Embarrassing Moment: Raju Mazumder, for that attempted throw
Teasmaker of the Match: Raju Mazumder, for his tasty chicken buns