Sunday XI: 18/9/05

Ich habe vorgessen, mein Essen in Essendon zu essen

Jack Grover's Report

Sunday's match saw Denham travelling to the picturesque village of Essendon in Hertfordshire.

Heavy weather on Thursday and Friday had resulted in a green pitch, but with the late season light in mind and a strong bowling side, captain Jack Grover had no hesitation in choosing to bat.

Essendon's opening bowlers soon got amongst the Denham top order, with Bowry and Rai both dismissed cheaply. Nicholas hung around for a valuable 15, but Denham's travel sickness left them reeling at 22/3.

Stonewall Stuart Payne joined Grover and soon both ends were blocked up like we'd been on a diet of goose eggs. When Grover was caught for a circumspect 17, having seen off the opening attack the score had limped on to 57/4. Payne kept grafting and his 20 was greeted with shrieks of delight from the boundary. Sadly he departed next ball.

This gave the lower order the chance to shine, and with a slow outfield restricting the flow of boundaries, it was all about running them up. This almost did for Jeff Simpson who could barely talk for most of his fine innings of 31 not out. Other notable performances include Faisal Mahmood's 25, including an enormous lofted drive for 6 and Richie Brathwaite's weekly lesson in how to pull it like a West Indian. The result was a score of 167/8 at tea, a total that looked increasingly defendable on a slow pitch.

At this point special mention must be made of the tea, which was well worth travelling for. Tasty.

Denham's defence opened with Mahmood and Harish Bhatt. Faisal bowled superbly, in fact too well, and the home team were content just to see him off with figures of 7-3-13-0. Harish (5-0-14-0) also bowled a tight off stump line but with Denham needing to take ten wickets in order win the bowlilng was soon swapped round.

Simmo didn't disappoint as he found some late season form and returned 7-4-13-1. With the danger that Essendon would get bogged down and shut up shop, the medium pace of Payne was called upon but to no avail, and at drinks the home team were just two wickets down. Denham had kept the run rate down with some sharp fielding, exemplified by Alan Coulson's competent glovework, but as Russell said, it was time to make the batsmen feel the pressure like Harish sitting on their faces.

Cue the part time spinners. In a bold move first team skipper James Nicholas was brought on to test the batting team's defence against off spin and Grover brought himself on to test their eye for a full toss. However the tactic paid off and four batsmen were soon returned to the pavilion with some excellent variation at both ends, Nicholas taking 1-24 and Grover 3-20, each off 6 overs. Denham could now sense an unlikely victory, but Essendon's captain was playing a tight and tidy innings.

Who else could the skipper turn to but First-Ball Bowry, the man with the golden arm? Anticipation was high, and the ball ballooned to covers where it was dropped by Smokin' Bobby Rai whose bowling had taken a wicket to help the cause. Surely Denham's chance was gone. But no! Just a few balls later Bowry found the outside edge and a reflex catch by Grover at short gully gave Denham hope.

Essendon were 8 down with three overs to go. Could the home team's young colts see off the wily finger tricks of Bowry and Grover? They could and then some, adding runs and seeing Essendon safely through for the draw.

Denham 167/8 41ov. Essendon 136/8 37ov. Match drawn

Sunday & Non-League Averages (11/09/05)