The end of the season trip around the M25 to play Buckhurst Hill is one many of the Dodgers would rather avoid however with the opposition pulling out of the start of the season due to Rollergate and then pulling out again on the eve of this game, we wondered if we would be playing at all. Strangely enough, Epping CC, another team not too far from Buckhurst were looking for an opposition and so under leaden skies, those of us living South of the river headed around the M25 again.
On arrival we found a sloping pitch which was greener than most and what looked like a sandy base and so things looked encouraging that we’d at least get through the full 40 overs a side even if we got a bit wet.
Captain Ralph promptly lost the toss and maybe given the greenness of the pitch, the Dodgers were inserted to set a target.
Dollin and Cheti headed in and faced some accurate bowling on a sticky pitch. Cheti played some lusty blows before missing a straight one and Mike’s watchful innings was undone by a ball that just seamed enough to take an edge and was caught behind.
Kunal headed confidently to the middle and proceeded to up the run rate as the field started to spread. Kunal is one of the batsman who looks like he’s in no trouble at all until he is in trouble and he conjured an impressive looping top edge to be simply caught behind for 28. At the other end Charlie was starting to build a good innings and was unfortunate to fall for 32. Tamal and Satya then entered the fray and initially found runs harder to come by as the odd shower freshened up the pitch. There was also some occasional extra bounce to contend with but gradually the two batsman found their groove and nudged the run rate up from 5s to 6s. Given the tricky conditions, any score above 175 looked like it would be possible to defend particularly as the Dodgers had a number of bowling options. As it was, the boys started to play more aggressively and pushed to the total to 204 at tea. Both were not out Tamal, hitting a run a ball 81 and Satya 42 from 50 balls.
Tea was then taken with the background excitement of one of the home team disappearing into a shipping container and then emerging on board a motorised roller. The home teams plan for a flatter pitch to bat man might have back fired as this process seemed to take an age. As the potential for nocturnal end to the game hoved into view, there then begun plenty of frantic shouting and arm waving from the boundary for the errant rollerman to return. Possibly because of the noise the engine or his commitment to his craft, the driver initially ignored the protests and carried on his 2mph slow reverse up the crease. With roughly half of the pitch flattened he was finally encouraged to speed up a little and eventually left the field.
With the roller going in one direction and the Dodgers heading in the other, we then set about the task of defending our total with Waleed and Finlay opening the bowling.
Presumably inspired by recent events in the test match, Finlay summoned up his inner Robinson/ Abbas and first took two wickets in his first over. The first was memorable as the opener’s eyes lit up to a full ball which he drove straight back at the bowler. Fin then nonchalantly reacheddown and grabbing the ball one handed only inches off the ground. The next batsman fell 2 balls later to full one. Fin’s figures of 0 for 2 quickly became 0 for 3 with a bail trimmer of a deliver accounting for the next batsman. Epping were now 3 wickets down for just 9 runs and in danger of falling well short of the total required.
Waleed persevered and was unlucky to not take a wicket with the normally reliable Satya shelling a chance at point and also a close lbw call. After 5 overs each from the openers, Satya and Gary took up the attack but by now the two Epping batsman were starting to mount a recovery of sorts. Both bowlers finished wicketless despite a couple of reasonable LBW shouts.
Cheti and the chairman then took over bowling duties and should be commended because firstly why shouldn’t they be and secondly because their spells were endured through a couple of almost monsoon level downpours of drizzle. Unfortunately, both struggled to keep their footing and ball holding as their spells ended with leg side wides now being punished more severely and LBW’s becoming even harder to be given. We headed into the drinks break with the cross armedCharlie confirming that Epping were now the favourites to win.
Fortunately for the Dodgers, cometh the hour and cometh the 5th and 6th change bowlers. Kunal started his spell with control and ever-increasing pace which the Epping batsman both having passed 50, struggled to get away. Charlie came on at the other end and immediately started to induce some airy wafts outside off stump.
As the run rate started to creep up with both bowlers keeping the run rate under 4, the Dodgers slowly started to get on top. Eventually some over eager hitting saw motm contender Tamal hold 2 tricky chances from Charlie’s bowling. At the other end Kamal was unfortunate not to get an LBW with a full delivery but then managed to avoid the batsman’s leg to get a wicket of his own.Charlie finished on 21-3 from 6 overs and Kunal was unlucky to finish with just 1 wicket for 25 from 7.
Despite some valiant batting by the Epping no.9 who scored 25 from 27 and the impressive Epping captain who was also not out for 78 from 89 balls, the Dodgers headed back to the Pavilion in the fading light after the final 7 balls with a well fought 14 run victory.
MOTM votes: Tamal 9, Charlie 2
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