Full Scorecard: http://kingsroadcsc.play-cricket.com/website/results/3161357
Kings’s Road, nicknamed “The Beards” this season, took the battle to South Bank CC at Battersea Park on the first day of the 2017.
Under new leadership from Daniel Sherman, members of The Road were found out of their beds before midday and already steam-rolling into the nets at Battersea for a pre-warm up warm up.
Although the warm up wasn’t as enthusiastic due to the fact many of us had already slightly worn ourselves out with a ‘light’ net. Sorry skip.
Game 1 and the toss was won, The Road were batting first. An auspicious start to the season if ever there was one.
Striding out to the crease for the first ball of the official season were the two Matts: Matt Small and Matt Cocken. Yes that is right, for some reason our opening bowler was now entrusted with opening the batting as well. Against strong bowling from the offset both openers carried themselves admirably, fending off the straight ball and slowly keeping the scoreboard ticking over when possible.
The pair put on 24 before Smally was caught in the cordon fending off a bit of nasty chin music.
In strode one of two debutants of the Road, Peter Eastwood-Jackson. However, early season rustiness and some questionable calling saw Peter return to the clubhouse sooner than he would have hoped for 1.
Jamie Williams, absent all winter, returned to the arena with the score at 34–2. Another 25 runs were added before Cocken, who was on his 2nd bat of the game after seeing his newly refurbished weapon of choice destroyed following a hefty smack, was given out LBW to a left arm around bowler, the other newbie Ali Tyzack appears to have a case of itchy finger…
Captain’s innings required of Daniel Sherman as he came to the crease. He certainly played a nautical role in the partnership; an anchor. 55 runs later, Sherman was caught for 7.
When one beard leaves another must enter. Enter Vice-Captain Jamie Keating. He played one of the most memorable shots of the day, a good old-fashioned, knee on the ground hook to square-leg for six.
Jamie W looked set to start the season with a ton as none of SSBC’s bowling was causing him issue at the point, however after playing beautifully for 69 balls and the total on 77 he opted for jug avoidance and saw the finger of death raised against him – LBW.
Lewis Robinson was next in, however after finding his range the ball before he managed to pick out the fielder at deep Mid-wicket and departed for 9. 164-6
Cometh the hour, cometh the Mo Shaboodien. When all else is collapsing around him he can de depended upon, battling it out Mo shored up one end of the crease against all adversaries.
Keats couldn’t continue his big hitting and shelled out for 22, leaving the scoreboard looking slightly below par at 166 – 7
Chris Brown, fresh from a 51 n.o. in the intra game lasted a measly three balls. 4, dot, bowled.
Ali Tyzack got his first run for the Road, he did not get any others though as he too was trapped LBW.
Michael Rossi was the last man in, the score was 171 – 9 and the skip wanted 200 on the board. Well he and Mo didn’t quite get there but they did finish on a commendable 196 off of 40 overs with Rossi 7 from 14.
Teas eaten; more by some than others… Pete.
Warm-ups done, the new ball was tossed to 2016’s Bowler of the Season, CB. He didn’t do too badly for the first game, and that was an understatement. 4 wickets fell off his first 4 overs, one of which saw a stump out the ground and a bail broken. No further wickets could be claimed and he finished with figures of 4-3 off 8. Truly a remarkable spell of bowling.
At the other end Matt Small provided solid attack finishing with figures of 0-22 off 6. Wickets were certainly deserved!
Ali ‘Tywrap’ Tyzack was 1st change and proved to all that he was a good addition to the team, he quickly joined the party with some very impressive speed from such a diminutive frame, ending with figures of 2-35 off 5.
Lewis “The Horse” Robinson took over from Chris “Little Bear” Brown and galloped in to keep the runs down.
We also witnessed the Most Embarrassing moment during his overs. A ball was spooned up into the air and he promptly hurtled towards it with cries of ‘Mine’. However, it had only travelled as far as the batting crease and Sherman was also keen to claim a catch. Needless to say neither one caught it, instead just watched it land in-between themselves… Good work from the committee. He finished with figures of 0-19 off 4.
A slight stand had been put on by the middle order of SSBC by this point but last year’s Player of the Season Mo Shaboodien soon saw the end of that. With the wickets not having changed since Ali’s last at 41-6, Mo claimed his first victim of the season at 94-7.
Not to be outdone, our youngest player Michael ‘Diana’ Rossi took up the bowling and claimed the wicket of Murthy, who was effectively SSBC’S last hope of a comeback. He charged the pitch, probably having listened to Keats’s cry of “All swing, no Ding” for too long and was stumped by Sherman for 65.
The tail did not put up much resistance and Mo soon finished the job, SSBC all out for 115. Mo, claiming his 50th wicket for King’s Road,
finished with 3-21 off 6.4 and Rossi a very respectable 1-14 off 6.
All in all a very good start to the season and hopefully more of the same to come, especially as the LPL starts up this Saturday.
SSBC Awards
Champagne: Keating down on one knee six above head
Embarrassing: Sherman and Lewis for the chuckle bros dropped catch lost in the sun (6)
Teas
Sweet – Cocken’s Dalek malteaser cake
TANTRUM!
CBs tantrum during best bowling spell for this club because he couldn’t get a fifth wicket
MoM
CB 8-5-3-4