Victory for the first team; defeats for everyone else. Here’s how (some) of it happened

1s

Southgate v Highgate

Southgate won by 2 wickets

Highgate 189 all out (52.1 overs)

Southgate 191-8 (46.4)

Faisal 57

Crease 47

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2s

Highgate v Southgate

Highgate won by 36 runs

Highgate 210-9 (55)

Ali 5-65

Southgate 176 all out (43)

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3s

Ickenham v Southgate

Ickenham won by 130 runs

Ickenham 254-5 dec (49)

Southgate 124 all out (44.2)

A half of two halves is the best way to describe the first half of the 3^rd XI’s season. Discounting a fluke loss against seemingly poor Ickenham in the league opener, the first five games were positively played, yielded encouraging results and catapulted the side to second place. The next four represented a complete turn of fortunes and only two points – due, on two occasions, to the team’s inability to score runs, and the other two times because of a failure to dodge the rain.

There were three factors that made a reversal of such fortunes unlikely in the return leg at Ickenham. One: in the two months since our first encounter, “seemingly poor” Ickenham had managed to progress undefeated to a 23-point lead at the top of the table. Two: we had only ten players, thanks to three last minute cry-offs and a failure to locate Delmore’s house “somewhere in Bounds Green” en route to the game. And three: of the ten that did eventually arrive, only six had previously played a 3^rd XI fixture.

Ickenham started well, reaching 70-0 fairly quickly. The extra gap in the field was very noticeable and it took a controlled spell from Julius Thomson to peg back the run rate and take the first wicket. At the other end, Syed Hussain bowled ten good overs, but it was the introduction of Nadeem just before drinks that helped us regain some control. The score progressed to about 140-4, but – despite offering a couple of chances – Ickenham’s opening biffer was still at the crease and scoring with ease. Striking a partnership with the confident number six, the opener brought his individual score to triple figures, and the team’s past two hundred, slightly before the 40^th over. Ickenham eventually declared at the end of the forty-ninth on 254-5. Nadeem had bowled the opener for 114 – his third scalp – whilst Roy Marett, Hussain and Thompson were all unlucky not to take more wickets.

Our innings began and ended with dismal batting collapses. We should, of course, receive some credit for the display; constructing a collapse once in a match is a challenge, yet to successfully pull it off twice and with the level of severity that we achieved… Really, it’s no small task, and we have all worked very hard over the past few games to perfect such a talent.

After seven overs we were 25-4 with Gordon, Thompson, Sharma and Bishop-Laggett all out. Doug was unlucky to be adjudged lbw in the opening over when the only appeal, a half-hearted one at that, came from backward point. The other three were tame dismissals, all caught. Roy joined me – yet to face a ball – in the middle, and we decided to take it one over at a time and reassess at drinks. This we did, reaching the 25th over on 70-4 – 26 more to go. A short while later, both Roy (19) and I (25) departed fairly quickly, leaving the remaining four batsmen about 15 overs to survive. Enter stunning collapse number two. Syed Hussain smashed a couple of big hits to the boundary, before smashing another big hit straight back to the bowler, whilst Rohan and Ford both fell cheaply as well. Nadeem, in the dizzying position of number ten, was able to claim another not out, and bounced off the pitch with a gleeful smile, posing for his Facebook profile picture and requesting a promotion up the order for Winchmore Hill next week. Ickenham had won by 132 runs, with eight overs to spare.

Overall, a committed effort in the field and a dismal display with the bat resulted in another loss for the struggling 3^rd XI. Can we win next week, please? Paul Lassman

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4s

Highgate v Southgate

Highgate won by 9 wickets

Highgate 121 for 1

Win toss, stuff oppo in, bowl ‘em out, knock off the runs, 10 points, get home early. The perfect outcome for a Saturday afternoon league match – especially if you happen to be the Highgate IV’s skipper.

However, that achievement was brought about by a lot of background work, beginning with having to hire a ground as the Fours were unable to play at Southgate because of the intervention of the Middlesex T/20 with Somerset the next day. The day had started with a cry-off at 8.30, replaced by 10.30, losing a player by 11.30 due to a 2^nd XI cry-off, and reliance on Delmore arriving at the club in time for the meet. No sign of the Jamaican star, so we fielded ten, which included Alfie Packer’s dad Myles who also transported most of the team and kit to Barnet Football Club in his London cab. Charging him and his son match fees has been on my conscience ever since.

We endeavoured to bat on a very grassy pitch that surprised batsmen with its inconsistent and unexpected bounce. Ricky and Josh negotiated the early overs without undue hassle before Josh played early to a straight one for 20 and his partner touched one behind that had bounced, for 25. Marcello De Crescenzo entertained both sides with a breezy 13 and Alfie Packer showed tenacity but was left adrift with an unbeaten 23 as the short tail sadly subsided very quickly and we could only muster 120.

Although the sandwiches were at least fresh they were very few in number and there were no cakes. This cost £110 of which we could legally reclaim only £40 from the oppo. However, Barnet Football club have some reasonable facilities – the changing rooms are roomy enough, there is a marvellous set of long nets at the bottom of the field – and the bar was open from teatime onwards.

Highgate only required 22.2 overs to knock off the required target, largely thanks to Prasanth (probably one of the three people in his side the Highgate captain confessed he hadn’t seen before) who scored 58 out of 73 before being casually caught by Syed Sultani above his head at long-off. The fielding was at least competitive, with Mark Hughes again outstanding, and Josh, Arvind, Marcello and Alfie all bowled with enthusiasm, but there were too many “4 balls” and it was difficult to stem the flow of runs.  Better availability further up the club will push a few batsmen and bowlers our way – and maybe an eleventh fielder. Ricky Gunn

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