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Coleshill 1st XI v Denham 1st XI
Sept 2nd 2006
James Nicholas's Report
In extremly blustery conditions, Denham elected to field and bowled out Chalfont for 218 thanks to spells of 3-23 from Khan, Nicholas (3-61), Shaikh (2-53) and Dickson (2-37). Hardy was the main contributor with the bat with a well played 70.
Ten-man Denham took the field with just 8, as neither Joe 'Ow they were huge!' O'Hara or 'Dangerous' Dave Hales had yet graced us with their presence. Joe soon arrived, but there was still no sign of Dave. The now 9-man Denham began to give up hope that they would ever get to see Mr Hales' fantastic eyebrows that day. After 18 overs a familiar red car pulled into the ground, and finally out jumped the legend that is Dave Hales. However rather than rush to the dressing room to get ready, he instead beckoned to the skipper, James to come over. 'I've got my boy in the car, I was supposed to be taking him out but he doesn't want to stay. What do you think I should do?' Dave was then persuaded to rush home, secretly drop his son off and escape back to the game before his wife noticed what he had done This of course all within 8 overs, as a player cannot join the game after 26 overs have been bowled (a league ruling enforced due to Dave's brother Gary turning up after tea and winning a game single-handedly a few years back!). Dave did finally take the field that day. But only just!
In reply to Chalfont's total, Denham got off to a slow start thanks to some tight slow bowling from St Giles. However Bowry (60) and Khan (33) began to take charge and took the score to 94-1 before 3 quick wickets put Denham in trouble.
Nicholas then made a quick 39 and Hales chipped in with 15 before Payne blew away the tail finishing with a superb 7-27 and clinching the game for Chalfont St Giles by 36 runs.
Denham finished 4th which is a fantastic effort in their first season in the top flight. Well done to Jamil for taking 21 wickets and thus the bowling award for the season. And also to Usman who's 980 runs may just be enough to also win him the league award for most runs this season. Lets hope so!
Chalfont St Giles 218 all out
Denham 182 all out after 46.4 overs
Next week: President's Match 1 pm start
Denham 2nd XI v White Waltham 2nd XI
Sept 2nd 2006
Mark Dalton's Report Awaited
As with the 1st XI but closer still, but at least they got 7 points for their efforts and White Waltham's game was abandoned with just 5 points on offer, so Denham finished above them in the final League table.
Littleewick Green 219/8 off 52 overs
Denham 198 all out off 45 overs
Next week: President's Match 1 pm start
September 3rd 2006
Russell Bowry's Report
A routine win of the toss by Denham captain Jamail Shaikh led to a routine decision to bat first against Oddney on Sunday. The opposition were feared to be quite good so Denham filled their side with 6 first team players.
After 14 overs, with the score at 65-4 these fears looked justified. Rai was lost to bad umpiring, Maynard to a bad pitch, Shaikh to a bad shot, and Raithwaite to bad running.
Ironically, it was bad boy Joe O'Hara who rescued the innings and made Oddney suffer in the field as he destroyed their bowling attack. He hit 9 sixes in an absolutely massive innings of 147*! Asked as to why the sudden change in form had occured O'Hara informed us that he had decided to treat the bowling much more like his girlfriend, who he absolutely ruins on regular occasions. There was able support from Faisal Mahmood who scored 79 and James Nicholas who scabbed 35*. Thanks to O'Hara Denham scored a huge 310-5 from their 40 overs and had clearly overestimated their opposition.
Any thoughts of a Penn Street style run chase from Oddney were quickly removed by the opening spell of Bowry, who removed the top three batsmen with deliveries that drifted in the air and moved off the seam. Attempting to finish the game early, Denham tried to lure the Oddney batsmen into giving their wickets away by selecting their part time bowlers, but Oddney seemed content to block out the remaining overs and finish way short of their target.
Maynard's delightful looping chinamen were somehow resisted, as was Nicholas's filthy off-spin - which should have been despatched to all parts of the boundary. It was only when wicket-keeper Alan Coulson was brought on, whose absolute dross was twatted by the last batsmen straight to square leg to be caught by Maynard, that the Denham players could enjoy Joe O'Hara's celebratory jug, which was very unexpected in a season where he has scored 12 ducks and looked to play the cut shot off a straight delivery on every possible occasion, only to be bowled, then blame his dismissal on some external but pointless reason such as "it wasn't coming on at all."
So Denham won by 156 runs and the forests still echo with laughter. Remember laughter.
Joe O'Hara celebrates his match-winning century