Strollers in the pink with T20 triumph over the Bohos
posted: May 28 , 2015

The Strollers notched up a third win out of four games and extended our undefeated start to the season with a tantilisingly hard fought victory last night over old foes the Battersea Bohemians in the first T20 clash of the 2015 campaign.

With several Strollers still en route to North Middlesex CC by the time of the 6pm start, the toss was sportingly contrived to permit us to bat first to allow time for our numbers to assemble. We took full advantage of the situation with Charles Trevor and young Adam Rose (both kindly guesting for us from the Highgate Irregulars) opening the batting and hit a useful 20 apiece. Charles was the first to go when Boho paceman Lewis broke through his defences.

However this brought Patric Marshall to the middle, our T20 specialist making a very welcome return to the side after a couple of seasons struggling with injury. Known for his aggressive and enterprising strokeplay, it was as though Marshall had never left as he immediately set about the Bohos' bowling with a succession of well struck boundaries. But Lewis persisted and Adam fell shortly thereafter when the ball unluckily dropped onto the stumps from his hip.

Viral joined Patric in the middle and what looked like a potent partnership on paper didn't disappoint. Whilst both batsmen rode their luck at times, with some unusually sloppy fielding from the oppo letting us away with chances that would more often be snaffled, this served only to inspire as the boundaries flowed and the hundred was notched up in the thirteenth over. Eventually the onslaught was ended when leg spinner Ball managed to dislodge Patric who returned to the pavilion having hit a scintillating 59.

Viral continued the good strokeplay but Tim, next in, unfortunately didn't on this occasion manage to cash in as Tom Whyte, now operating from the Calthorpe end, dismissed him early on although not before Tim had survived a simple skied chance offered behind only to be shelled by the keeper. This clearly displeased Whyte, much to the amusement of the onlooking Strollers on the boundary ("that's amore" — Ed).

Gav joined Viral at the crease with the score on 124 with five overs to go and was happy to play second fiddle to the dominant Doshi. Eventually it was a typically wily Rob Archdale delivery that saw off Viral on 38, the Bohos skipper realising he had kept himself out of the attack for far too long as the run rate dipped accordingly.

With spin served up at both ends and shameless hay making now the order of the day, Kashif hoiked one to mid wicket off Lancaster. Tom, next in, attempted to work the ball around but, with the light now turning decidedly gloomy, also fell to Archdale as he failed to pick the length and allowed one through. One final straight drive from Gav to the long off boundary respresented the last act of our innings and, with Paul facing a couple at the end without troubling the scorers, we closed on a formidable 159-7.

With a large but not unattainable target to defend, we took to the field in darkening skies with focused intent. Sensibly opening the bowling with pace, lest being accused of intimidation later on as night drew in, Viral immediately posed the Bohos batsmen questions and managed to dislodge Jones for 10 — the opener having looked in some trouble surviving an earlier nick behind that wasn't pouched.

However, this was to mark the start of a mighty 90+ second wicket stand between Ball and Hayley with both batsmen crafting a sound platform, seeing off probing opening spells from Simon and Viral, before opening their shoulders to pounce on scoring opportunities. The light was clearly posing difficulties all round so sensibly we switched to a using pink ball slighty to the chagrin of Harvey who had now taken over from the pavilion end and was hungry for the breakthrough.

Eventually it came from Bowstead, who had taken over from the other end, who sent down a well disguised slower one to dislodge Hayley for 38. This brought that most feared of Boho batsmen Tom Whyte to the crease and, with the score already past the hundred mark with six overs to go all results remained possible as the big left hander immediately looked on the attack. But when Kashif was reintroduced from the pavilion end, Whyte was bamboozled and the surrounding Strollers were delighted when his wicket went down having hit a mere 15.

However serious fears of victory for the Bohemians remained as the required run rate was still nearly being achieved, but these were quashed firstly when Ball, having notched up his fifty, skied one straight behind to stand-in keeper Rose. Then Yogesh, who had shown signs of attacking intent, holed out directly to skipper Couldrey in the covers who took a fine forward catch.

But with the Bohos still needing 25 from the final three overs some anxiety naturally remained that the oppo may yet pinch it. However, in combination with some textbook tight bowling at the death from messrs Khan and Bowstead, it really was the team as a whole that saw us over the winning line as, with sharp fielding and vigilant backing up, we choked the oppo's progress as batsmen Andrews and Pfeiffer were only able to amass half that total.

A very good win then and, despite the blackening skies and gloomy clouds overhead, our mood was bright and buoyant as we repaired to the bar and revelled in our ongoing loss-less streak. Next up, it's the Bricklayers... watch this space for the next chapter in what is shaping up as an exciting, possibly epic, season!

Gavin Richardson
28.05.15

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