Ploughmans prove Hard to Beat

Another warm day greeted both teams as they took the field at Broadfields on what was to be yet another capricious track. It was good to see Nasser Khan, so recently very ill back in harness and on the mend, amongst us again, a fact acknowledged by both teams, with which he has long associations. Having probably had his share of looking at people in white coats, recently, he rather bravely had agreed to don the umpire’s apparel and venture onto the field.

Ploughmans won the toss and inserted their opponents

Poly battered (sic!) first as at times it seemed that way at times as the ball regularly found its way to the boundary. Indeed the only success early on for the Ploughmen was the wicket of Mirza caught by Davies of Gillman for one. His opening partner Soneji, however, was to prove limpet like as he refused to give up his wicket. It would be easy to dismiss his efforts in making 50 as fortuitous but that would be disingenuous as he showed a quality essential in an opener which is to dismiss from the mind the play and miss errors to focus on the next ball. What eh also did well was to ensure that when he chose to attack he gave it the proverbial kitchen sink. Indeed, all of the Poly batsmen showed this latter trait, although it can be questioned as to whether the Ploughman’s attack played into their hands with a tendency to bowl too straight and full. The result was that the ball often disappeared back over the bowlers head. Daryanani was particularly punishing in this regard, amassing 89 supported by Soneji and skipper Arnould (87). After the loss of Collard for nought the only other batsman to fail, Cornwell made 47 before the declaration was made with Poly 300 for 4.

The resumption brought Feeney and Ridgway (N) to the wicket as Ploughman set about making a reply. However, this very soon a faltered as both were back in the Pavilion very quickly. Indeed the only one of the top order to make telling contribution was Britto. So the Ploughmen’s minds turned to saving the game. Marshalled by Davies and in part by Lonnen (15) the lower order began to show the grit which has deserted their earlier colleagues. Of particular note was the contribution of Jackson who made a long and painstaking two employing a combination of forwardly thrust pad, judicious use of the leave and occasionally the bat, defied the Poly bowling attack for a long period. Davies cannot have worked harder for 3 – 41 balls in fact. It seemed as the over ticked by that the Plough were going to achieve safety by some margin.

But fate likes a twist and a flurry of wickets meant that the last pair Campbell and Lloyd came together for the last few overs. Indeed, Campbell a competent batter negotiated his quota including the last one with some comfort. Lloyd, however, cannot have had a more pressurised baptism in first team cricket. His job, to see two balls out of the penultimate over against the Poly opening bowler and then rest on his bat at the other end, whilst Campbell negotiated the last.

Indeed, as Blowers might have said himself;

“Its Lloyd to face the last two balls of the penultimate over, this could be Poly’s best chance of winning. Breaths are held, fingers crossed, the tension is palpable. The only sound being the clatter of knees knocking. First ball up, its quick, just short of a length, getting bigger, there’s a deflection pouched by a close fielder and an enormous appeal. Has he touched it?.............no says Umpire Khan. For moment there was stunned silence as the umpire paused before answering the appeal. Its relief for the Plough, frustration for Poly, Umpire Khan correctly judging that the ball had deflected off the batsman’s upper arm……………

Second ball its quick again and straight, just short of a length and rising. Lloyd pirouettes to evade the ball, its an outrageous leave with the ball clearing the top of the stumps and nestling in the keepers gloves, dramatic stuff. That’s over called. Have Poly blown their chance”……….

As history shows they had as Campbell saw off the last over with some ease.

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Lessons learned –

sic