This past Wednesday saw Ploughmans in their first foray in the T20 knockout competition in the Surrey League against Battersea Ironsides
Waiting till 6pm for a much-anticipated game of cricket is tough. Work took second fiddle to nerves, snack selection for an evening game, figuring out how to get there in peak hour traffic and checking the rules for this new Cup format. I may have overthought it all in what turned out to be a tough evening for poor Nicko.

After all my analysis of how to travel the 4 miles from West Norwood to Earlsfield, the choice of a lime bike to miss traffic was a huge error. On a very muggy evening, I quickly realised I am too tall, unfit and my cricket bag is far too big to cycle for 20 mins. Minus 1 for Nicko
We arrive at the game, and everyone is buzzing. It’s a stunning summer evening and its win or go home. We have been able to assemble basically our First XI + myself and we are feeling confident going in. The pitch is a little green, the outfield fast but very bumpy. Captain Conolly wins the toss, and we are batting.

A tough start with single figures for Dom Scott, Champion Boss and a Nicko Duck (minus 2 Nicko) and we are 4 – 37. Sounds like trouble right? Not when you have Duray. From ball one, he looks in complete control. Dispatching the pink ball to all parts of the ground. The ship has been steadied and we are now fully on the attack. Not matter what bowler or field placements Battersea try, Dooz hits gaps. He finishes with 51 from 27 balls after being adjudicated LBW by Nicko (minus 3 even though it was absolutely plumb).

Now it Barrons turn. Someone with a far larger head than him (cough Max cough) has messed up is helmet and its all he can think about. It clearly doesn’t matter. While poking it around initially when batting with Dooz, he takes the Alpha role after Dooz’s exit and announces this with one of the biggest sixes I’ve seen straight into the tennis courts. His only comment after it is ‘I couldn’t see where it went cause of my helmet’.

Plough finished on 167 from their 20 over which should have been at least one more as despite my reading and re-reading of the rules during the week, completely forget the leg side wide rule during an umpiring stint (minus 3 Nicko). Its huge recovery from our shaky start.

CRS and Spence open the bowling. The Battersea openers make a fast start. Despite great lines and lengths, they ride their luck until CRS makes the breakthrough with a great catch from Duray a long-on. Their number three continues the scoring and they reach 55 from about 6-7 overs.

Sounds like trouble right? Not when you have Duray (sounds familiar). Duray takes three wickets in his first over and the game changes completely. Leggies, offies, spin, skid, he had it all and the batters had no clue. Duray finishes his four overs with 5-10, 5 for bloody 10!!!! From there they have to deal with Azza and Ritik. Good luck tail! We are well on top but staying diligent with our bowling and fielding. That is until Nicko drops a catch (tough one but that’s Minus 4) and then misjudges where the stumps are on a throw from Barron and manages to take out said stumps and fall over all with the knowledge that this is on youtube (minus 5 for Nicko).

We stick to our guns till the final ball and Ploughmans win by 44 runs and move onto the next round of the cup. We are walking off the field and after a 50 and a 5fer its crystal clear who should lead us off the field. Well apparently not for Nicko who walks off first and then runs back on to let Dooz off first (minus 6 and off course there is footage of this as well).

A shoutout to Captain Conolly who lead beautifully all day and of course to Dooz with the definition of a match winning performance . He threw us on his back and dragged us to a win.

A number of us head to the leather bottle for beers and burgers. Its an absolutely stunning beer garden and a lovely way to finish off a great day. And for me, well there is always Saturday (and Sunday).

Match report from Nicko Dowell