After the Kingsmen CC dropped out for our agreed fixture at the iconic Regents Park Hub Setting, they were kind enough to organise an oppo for us and keep the fixture at same venue. Step up please “Sheffields Bush” after skipper Elmo updated our whatsapp, the lads frantically typed in Sheffield bush wondering if we were to host a tough Yorkshire cricket team but the typo was corrected and it was indeed Shepherds Bush CC a strong team with many Saturday teams and colts this would be a combo of their 4th/5th XI’s.

Before we continue on would like to make a note that the Camel Area of London Zoo is alarmingly close to the Regents Park Hub North cricket pitch and I am quite sure Ploughman’s and She Bu’s Opening batsmen might be banned from playing cricket within a 10 mile radius of the Camel Area at London Zoo as Nealon , Elmo and their opening bat kept peppering 6’s narrowly missing Camels and London Zoo visitors by millimetres !!!

Lets go back to the beginning as Tea was not provided there was a genius idea to take the opportunity to create “International Picnic Day” which included some wonderful coffee cake, sausage rolls and Venezuelan Arepas which all went down a treat. Back onto the Cricket on a kind of muggy humid warm day we had a quick shower before 1pm to really slow down the pitch at the toss we lost and were put in to bat.

AJ and Yanni opened the batting and on a very slow outfield and accurate bowling runs were tough to come by. AJ started going through the gears nicely and hit a few boundaries, before Yanni was unlucky to get a very low one. In came Ean who steadied the ship nicely with AJ but runs were still hard to come by. Then around 15th over we lost 2 quick wickets of Ean and AJ. In Come Nealon and AGW. Runs still hard to come by AGW while being stuck on 1 runs off 13 balls loses his patience and tries to take on their spinner to hit a 6 and is caught. This brings in skipper Elmo who set up a fantastic partnership with Nealon and upped the run rate and came at the bowlers. The partnership was worth 99 and stayed in for a good 13 overs really saving our batting innings. Some fantastic brutal 6 hitting which had the aforementioned camels and London Zoo spectators in real harm’s way.

As the hitting continued Elmo and Nealon were both soon caught and after that not many more runs were added as we finished on 162 all out which was a great outcome considering we were 37-4.

After the fantastic international picnic Ploughman’s bullishly walked back on the pitch feeling confident to defend the total. Shepherds bush did have the better of the batting conditions as the sun came out the pitch dried up. Walton and Viberg opened up the bowling and started really well and kept it tight. Then followed the breakthrough John “Wasim Akram” Walton bowling their star bowler. The classic 1 gets 2 was never truer as 2 overs later Viberg gets a wicket caught by AGW for a good high catch. We now have them around 40-2 and feeling good but one of the openers a young lad is starting to play his shots and another batsman sticks with him to get them up to around 80-2 the mood starts to change a bit.

Also, John Akram Walton suffers a nasty knock on arm trying to save a boundary and is clearly in pain and come off pitch (turns out to be a broken arm after X ray – SPEEDY RECOVERY mate we hope to see you back on the pitch soon) with this skipper changes it up and brings on Hari and Oli Lonsdale who both bowl some nice line and length putting pressure back on the batsmen. Hari picks up a good wicket smart catch from AJ and Lonsdale unlucky not to get wicket.

Then inspired change to bring on some spin, Ed BEEEES Beasley and Skipper Elmo - spin from both ends pace off ball and the She bu batsman lose their heads losing wicket after wicket in quick succession. Ed Bees is bowling absolute magic and after a ridiculous played on and a fantastic stumping by Yanni we now have them for around 120-7 and feeling pumped. The only problem is there gun opening bat is still in and batting very well.

It gets to around them needing 8 more runs when we take 2 QUICK WICKETS 1 from Bees and 1 from Skipper Elmo and now, they need 4 with one wicket left in comes their bat number 11 and to say he looks nervous is understatement taking about 2 mins between each ball while 11 ploughman swarm round him PROPER TEST CRICKET THIS!!!! Fair play to him he blocks out the 3 balls he has to face and their gun bat hits off winning run.

A Loss by 1 wicket but what a game of cricket, load cliché but cricket was the winner here thanks to Shepherds Bush for stepping up late doors to play us and was a great skippering effort to almost turn it to an unlikely win. We took some good catches, but also dropped a few - small margins but would be great to play them again next year at same venue, but this time we will ask the Zoo to close on that day for their own health & safety.

Cheers, Plough On!

Match report from Alex Gordon-Walker