As the opposition players observed Max Gumpert, memories of his previous year's century against them in less than 60 balls began to dawn on them. Approaching Max, they greeted him while subtly expressing their apprehension. Max sported a mischievous grin and simply nodded in response. Adding to their trepidation, skipper Gray won the toss and chose to bat.

Taking my position at number three, I joined Max in opening the innings, accompanied by Leon Parks, the club's fixtures secretary. Overheard from the Ploughmans dugout was a comment expressing concern about Max Gumpert, to which someone replied, "But have they seen Leon Parks bat? They're in for an unpleasant surprise!" I thought to myself, "Yes, they will soon find out."

Facing the first over from the opposition's Thomas Dilley and Jacob Dilley, suspected to be related, Leon Parks encountered T. Dilley's well-directed deliveries. However, J. Dilley succumbed to a powerful straight drive from Max Gumpert, setting the stage for a flurry of boundaries. Leon soon joined in the revelry. By the drinks break, Ploughmans had comfortably reached 151 runs without losing a wicket.

Shortly after the drinks break, Leon departed the crease, falling just two runs short of a well-made half-century. Taking his place, yours truly partnered with Max in the middle. Max went on to achieve his century, demonstrating true sportsmanship by declaring himself retired out in the spirit of Sunday-friendly games. The subsequent batsmen played their parts but fell victim to some excellent bowling. Ewan Dilley of Battersea Ironsides, in particular, bowled a fantastic spell, maintaining a tight line. However, Harry Edmonds and Ihtesham Aslam unleashed a late onslaught in the final overs, propelling the Ploughman innings to a commendable total of 238 runs after 40 overs.

Following the tea break, Ploughmans commenced their bowling innings with skipper Liam Gray and Ihteshamleading the attack. Both bowlers maintained tight lines, challenging Battersea Ironside's openers Riaz Patel and Milo Osbourne-Young. The openers proved to be cautious, valuing their wickets dearly, which sparked a thrilling battle between bowlers, batters, and fielders. Change bowlers Anusha Rajasooriya and Niraj Tailor also delivered impressive performances. However, the star of the day, Max Gumpert, entered the bowling attack after Anusha completed his first spell and clean bowled one of the openers, leaving Riaz visibly disappointed.

Milo, the other opener, soon followed suit, while ShaiganKhan fell victim to a stumping by Leon Parks as he attempted an aggressive charge against NT's bowling. Battersea Ironside's skipper Mark Breeze attempted to stabilize the innings alongside Edward Bannister, playing elegant cover drives and controlled lofted shots that threatened to shift the momentum in their favor. However, Max had other plans. He set a tight field for Mark, forcing him to play a shot he would have otherwise avoided, resulting in Max catching and dismissing him. Josh Kerr outfoxed Theo Oxley, while Max delivered tight bowling to dismiss Bannister.

The following partnership between Jake Stevens and Joseph Chinta presented a challenge, as they played cautiously against good deliveries and unleashed aggressive shots on loose ones. Ploughmans realized they had their work cut out for them and would need to exert extra effort to secure a victory. At the clear command of skipper Gray, every Ploughman on the field gave their all, with Niraj sprinting vigorously to stop boundaries and Dr. Merch patrolling the boundary region like a hungry cheetah, covering vast ground. A special mention goes to Simon Crane for his outstanding death bowling, which completely turned the game in Ploughmans' favor. Bowling 5 overs with an economy rate of 3, his line, length, and pace were an absolute delight to witness, and a nightmare for big-hitting batters. As the dot ball pressure built, both Jake and Joseph fell victim to run-outs, one to the ever-vigilant Max and the other to Niraj, who exhibited exceptional throwing skills.

Skipper Gray returned to finish the proceedings alongside Crane, and in the end, Ploughmans CC emerged victorious by a margin of 20 runs. Although the scoreline suggests a comfortable win, anyone present at the game or playing in it would attest that it was anything but easy. Nonetheless, it was a brilliant triumph, and every Ploughman on the field relished the victory, as did the enthusiastic Ploughmans Cheers squad of the day.

A special mention goes to Plough cheer Xl on this day, with heartfelt appreciation to Audrey, Sean Mcgrun, Jo Hockings, and Joe Hawkings. Their presence exemplifies what makes our club truly exceptional—a place where people willingly and cheerfully spend their weekends with us, passionately cheering from the sidelines. We are grateful for their unwavering support and their contribution to the unique spirit of our club. May this tradition continue to flourish, as we proudly say, "Plough On’’!

Yours Truly

Rahul Nair

Match report produced by Rahul Nair