Nomads beat Buccaneers by 47 runs at St.Paul’s School on Sunday 1 July
Bob Palmer launched the inaugural encounter with our fellow wanderers with a sensational 1st ball which swung in abruptly to trim the off bail of bemused opener Andrew Smith. In happy harness with a gusty westerly and a bony pitch, Bob’s left arm immediately blew two more bats away and, with David Russell also rattling the stumps, Nomads were soon in tatters at 9 for 4.
Buccaneers loyalists might wish to stop reading at this point. Richard Horne had survived Bob’s blitz and finally found support from Saj Ayub who helped mount a spirited recovery until lbw to David Bugge at 84. Beguiling leg spin from thirteen year-old Archie Marsh and aggressive hitting from Nomads completed an interesting morning of cut and thrust.
Although Palmer returned to remove Horne for 58 immediately after lunch, Nomads batted deep with Nos 6-9 all making twenties before they were eventually bowled out for 187 after 57 overs with spinners Marsh and Simon Woolfries taking two wickets apiece.
Buccaneers’ hopes of reaching a target already steeper than face value on a large outfield of longish grass was soon dealt a savage blow when the prolific Kim Ross was bamboozled by an outswinger from Vithiani which pitched leg and hit off.
An impressive opening spell of pacy swing from Sajjad Shawl shivered the timbers of Sathish Subbiah and Subir Chakravarti and, with John Marsh discombobulated after a cross-seam lifter from Smith, the Buccaneers limped into tea at 36-4.
Only Bugge had survived the mayhem but the need to make a transatlantic business call forced him to retire at tea. However, when the 7th wicket fell at 64, Bugge returned to join Russell in the only significant stand of the innings. Bugge finally fell for a fine 65 and when Russell was caught for 44 at 129-9, the Buccaneers were left with 9 overs to salvage a draw.
Despite a cross-generational age gap of 53 years, Richard Gwynn and Archie Marsh held out with comfortable aplomb until, with just 2 overs remaining, Archie was adjudged out of his crease at the non-strikers end when a smart throw hit the stumps.
Congratulations to the Nomads for recovering impressively from a disastrous start to win a match of constantly fluctuating fortunes which gripped the attention throughout. We look forward to wreaking revenge next season.
Nomads innings
A Smith b Palmer 0
C Peerless b Russell 0
T Brockton b Palmer 6
R Horne b Palmer 58
S Shawl b Palmer 0
S Ayub lbw b Bugge 28
H Kamal b Marsh 24
R Patel b Woolfries 28
S Vithiani lbw b Marsh 6
S Marians c & b Woolfries 22
M Blumberg not out 7
extras 8
Total 187 (all out – 57 overs)
FoW: 1-0, 2-3, 3-9, 4-9, 5-84, 6-123, 7-123, 8-144, 9-168, 10-187.
R Palmer 13-3-23-4
D Russell 13-3-47-1
D Bugge 8-1-39-1
R Gwynn 7-0-31-0
A March 9-1-30-2
S Woolfries 6-1-9-2
Buccaneers innings
D Bugge b Shawl 65
K Ross b Vithiani 4
S Subbiah b Shawl 3
Subir Chakravarti b Shawl 0
J Marsh c Brockton b Smith 0
Sujay Chakravarti b Shawl 0
D Russell c & b Smith 44
R Palmer lbw b Brockton 2
S Woolfries c Peerless b Smith 8
R Gwynn not out 3
A Marsh run out 6
extras 5
Total 140 (all out – 41.4 overs)
FoW: 1-4, 2-35, 3-35, 4-36, 5-39, 6-42, 7-64, 8-129, 9-131, 10-140.
S Shawl 16-1-38-4
S Vithiani 5-1-22-1
A Smith 11-0-37-3
T Brockton 8-4-14-1
H Kamal 1-0-19-0