The weather reflected the significance of the day as it was the last game of the season for many of the players and Captain Trent's last game for the Plough (at least for the foreseeable). One might consider this is stating the obvious, considering a 40 over match is split into two innings, but it really was a game of two halves.

Having lost the toss, the plough were put into bowl first. Captain Trent took the first over, as is his right, and knew what needed to be done. Third ball, he delivered what the team later decided was a beautiful in-swinging to clean bowl the opening bat on the full. The captain did his job, got his wicket and then turned his attention to the field arrangements for the rest of the innings.

At the other end Damo continued the attack. His pace and deadeye accuracy rattled the bats and produced the pressure desired at the start of a match. He was joined by Ihtesham, who continued this barrage of pace and accuracy. So fast, in fact, that the umpire must have missed the multiple occasions the ball slammed into the bats' pads on centre stump - a testament to the power generated by Sham's bowling.

With pressure building, Damo got the breakthrough that was needed. A beautiful clean bowled sent the number two back to the pavillion: thoroughly deserved by Damo. The fielding was looking fairly sharp, though a few catches had been put down that maybe could have been taken. Nevertheless, not content with one, Damo decided he wanted another and took it in such style as to warrant it's own paragraph.
Picture the scene: Damo, steaming in, launches the ball at the batsman. The bat thinks he can drive this up the pitch for an easy four runs. The bat connects, the form is perfect, the ball is flying over the stumps at the bowler's end. This must be a boundary say all who are watching. But Damo says no. As calm as anything he snaps out his right hand and, as if on a string, the ball flies into there for a screamer of a caught and bowled. A catch so elegant it makes Root's at edgebaston look positively clumsy.

With the groundwork set, Raees and Dave came in to bowl. They started well, limiting the runs and putting the batsmen on the defensive. Dave yorked the bat second ball and caught his pad so plumbly on centre stump he forgot an appeal was even necessary, which must be why ump didn't give it. With pressure mounting, Raees got an edge to the keeper. Baveas, who we know is so good at taking catches he could probably do it with his eyes shut, decided to put on a show for the crowd and juggled the ball for a good five seconds before it came to a rest in his gloves. This safe safe hands were a sign of things to come.
As their spells continued, Yates and Raees built the pressure. There were a few balls popping up, but none of the landing in the right place for the field. Fortunately, Trent was constantly reassessing, showing his prowess at game management and as the overs ticked over his field adjustments would pay off. Yates launched one at the bat who popped it to Edmunds who took a cracking catch at short cover. The game was on.
Despite Yates and Raees' best efforts, a revered batting order meant 6 and 7 started to settle in. Hard work in the outfield from Jon and Ean kept limited the runs, as they frequently managed to save the four and the single in the same ball on the short boundary. As they pushed on, the breakthrough came as the left handed batsman edged one through to Yanni, who obviously caught it. Yates followed this up with another wicket the next over. The six skied it and again Yanni's safe safe hands took the catch over the wicket.

All that was left was for Raees to mop up the tail and he did so majestically. His spin resulted in an edge to (yet again!) Baveas who made the catch look so clean and easy the umpire must have assumed it was straight to keeper. Fortunately, the bat walked. A wonderful demonstration of the spirit of cricket for those of an antipodean pursuasion. Next was another cracking catch from Damo, who rivalled Yanni for ball skills during the game. The bat creamed a ball the Damo's left and, calm as anything, he reached out his hands and took the ball: another absolute beauty of a catch. To bring up his four-fer and close out the match Raees produced yet another edge which was yet again taken by Yanni behind the wicket.

All in all, it was a cracking innings for the Plough. Unbelievable hands from Yanni and Damo combined with wonderful captaincy and field placement from Trent left the Plough going into to tea feeling pretty optimistic they would close down the game in time to head over and watch the ones. However, as was mentioned above, it was a game of two halves and the second half was a little less than ideal.
Ellie and Trent went in to open. Their bowlers were, it turns out, surprisingly rapid despite their shorter slower run ups. Trent saw off the first five balls wonderfully, but unfortunately it was the oppo's turn to return the caught and bowled favour. The bowler took a cracking low catch that Trent was unlucky to get out to. This level of handling set the precedent for the remainder of the afternoon: they did not drop catches. Ellie got us off the mark, knocking single. Unfortunately, she then got a dismissal caught behind off a thigh pad. No one is too sure what happened, but it resulted in a return to the pavillion.

At this point, in came Raees and Harry to steady the ship. They started to get their eyes in and build an innings, knocking some boundaries and making the opposition sweat. However, diasaster struck. Raees cramped in his leg and had to retire injured. Clearly, in the heat his heroics as a bowler were too much.

Nevertheless, Harry carried on with Rahul at the other end and continued to build an innings. With both batsmen starting to settle into a rhythm, one of the opposition had to go off to bind a bleeding finger causing a break in play. Shortly after, Harry was bowled by a ball that nipped in: unfortunate and not much to be done about it.
At this point, things really started going south for the plough. Raees returned with Sham as a runner, and in a stokeseque manner tried to soldier on. The collapse is firmly in motion. Rahul creamed a low one to mid wicket, but again they take it. It was a good shot well played and he was unlucky to be caught from it. In turn, Raees popped one up since he was essentially playing off one leg and couldn't move move feet. This again resulted in a return to tha pavillion.

Now, the opposition brought on their secret weapon. Veteran spinner Parkash, who has played at Morden for over 20 years. He already had a wicket maiden against Raees and now went in for the kill. It was a horrible time to come in for Jon, Sham and Ean: game in the balance and still about 90 runs to get. Jon was beaten by the ball giving Parkash another wicket maiden.
Next in came Ihtesham to face the other bowler. He knocked one for four, instilling a bit of hope for the plough. Unfortunately, he then knocked one up and was taken by the Fielder. Yet again, no second chances. This was followed up by an LBW (the first of the game would you believe it) for Ean - bringing four for Parkash. At ten, Damo came on to the field. However the efforts he put in as bowler and in the field must have taken it out of him and he was clean bowled first ball.

Parkash is on for a hatrick and the final partnership of Dave and Yanni needed 80 runs to bring it home. Fortunately, Yates played a test block denying the hatrick. He then pulled a couple of fours, much to the confusion of the scorers who assumed it must be Yanni on strike hitting boundries. The innings came to an end when Yanni popped one to a very short cover and the Plough were left stranded on 58 (35 of which came from Harry!).

Although the batting might not have been ideal, it was a class day in the field and any disappointment was quickly assuaged by £2 pints in the pavillion. Trent lead the game wonderfully on and off the field and will be sorely missed. Dave and Raees had career best bowling spells and Damo took a screamer of a caught and bowled. Of course, praise (and the match ball) must go to Yanni. Steadfast behind the stumps, he took five catches, which may well be a plough first (?), to bring up 25 career catches.

Match report produced by Dave Yates