The Week
at The Wick

Buoyant after last week’s thriller, the 3s returned home to face newly-promoted Croydon Lions. With Ollie unavailable, Alex returned from Canadian exile to replace him in the side.

Rahul won the toss and elected to bowl first in favourable conditions and with the opposition short on numbers. Ben and Dan opened the bowling and struck early — Ben in the first over and Dan soon after with a simple catch at cover. Both found good movement and unusual bounce on the Kingsfield wicket, reducing the Lions to 50–2 after 13 overs. Spin was introduced at the perfect time. Mitch and Sahib picked up where they left off midweek, taking wickets in back-to-back overs (Sahib with a sharp acrobatic caught-and-bowled). At drinks the Lions were 66–4.

After the break, both spinners continued with excellent control. Mitch finished with 9-22-2 (including a sharp slip catch by Matty D), while Sahib took 9-31-1. Hugo then added pace and struck immediately (Alex with a simple catch behind). Christiaan followed with two quick wickets — a stumping by Alex and a well-held steepler by Abid at midwicket. Abid pouched another at short third man off Dan Kemp. Despite some late blows from the tail, Croydon closed on 180–9 in their 45 overs. A very chaseable total on a good deck.

Hugo and Abid faced an extremely quick opening spell — one of the sharper ones seen at Kingsfield recently. Hugo was knocked off his feet by short balls, but the pair still scored freely, highlighted by Abid’s trademark flick for six over fine leg. Abid eventually fell caught behind, bringing Rahul to the crease.

Rahul got off to a flyer, launching several big sixes into the brambles and racing to a 50 off ~50 balls (his third of the season). Hugo departed at 80–2, followed by Rahul and then Matty D in quick succession (a very un-Matty shot). At 114–4 needing 67, nerves were tested. Dan Kemp joined Euan and steadied things with good running and clean striking. After Dan fell (possibly another victim of the Longhurst jinx), Alex joined Euan with 44 still needed. Excellent running combined with some powerful shots from Euan saw the 3s home comfortably. Euan finished unbeaten on 41*.

A really pleasing all-round performance — excellent bowling depth and a composed chase despite a mid-innings wobble. The side heads to the top of the table next week to face unbeaten Sheen Park. A win there would put promotion firmly back on the agenda.

There was very much an air of excited anticipation when the team was circulated this week. Lots of batting potential, plenty of bowling, a keeper who had scored a hundred on the very (beautiful) ground we were playing on, and an opposition side who had been skittled for 68 the week before. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, the Kingston traffic system, for a start. It turns out that arriving ten minutes before the start is not ideal preparation, particularly when you then lose the toss and are asked to bat first. To be fair, the opposition bowled well. One of the great benefits of bowling straight is that any variable bounce suddenly becomes your friend. Poor Chris had come a long way to be torpedoed below the waterline first up.

The fact that Dipesh and Nirmal were also bowled tells you that Redhill were certainly targeting the stumps, and suddenly, at 20–3, the batting line-up was under stress. After a brief period of stabilisation, Sam performed what looked suspiciously like a slip-catching coaching drill, before Dom edged a full-blooded cut behind to put the cat well and truly among the Dorking wood-pigeons.

Will came in and batted very sensibly, but it was only after Craig was bowled, Mandeep ruptured his back reaching for a wide one and nicking behind, and Archie also missed a straight one, that he finally found something of a partner in Akshay. At 59–8, something special was going to have to happen for us to have any chance. Will and Akshay rebuilt well, with the shot of the day being Will’s cover drive through extra cover. Will eventually perished for 31, caught at mid-off while slightly caught between shots, but not before claiming the batting bragging rights and giving us at least an outside chance in the game.

Jaden, hampered by having no voice (which made calling between the wickets somewhat hazardous), was just starting to time the ball beautifully before being controversially given caught behind. That left Akshay high and dry on 20 not out after a very good knock, and the team defending 102 — which looked well below par on a pitch that, Chris aside, actually behaved reasonably well. Highlight of the day: chicken biryani tea.

Still, bearing in mind Redhill had been all out for 68 the week before, we still had hope. Unfortunately, Archie and Jaden proved very adept at just missing the edge. The odd loose delivery, combined with the lack of a challenging total, meant it was difficult to build sustained pressure. Mandeep and Akshay proved our most effective bowlers — both economical and challenging — but despite some innovative field settings, we could only pick up a couple more wickets before the meagre target was reached.

There were plenty of reflections afterwards, with attitude, mental preparation and physical preparation the main themes. There is no doubt that we can more than hold our own in this league, having been promoted last year, but we do need to turn up properly prepared to do so. Player of the match: Akshay, for his excellent rearguard innings and accurate bowling (on balance over the biryani chef).