Presidents XI v St Lukes - friendly 9 August at Ryanes Park Sports Ground, Taunton Avenue

Report by Robin Ford

A wet day with constant drizzle, it was decided to try a 25-over match.  Presidents XI won the toss and elected to bat.  Their openers looked comfortable at the crease and steadily took the score to 25 before Evan Huyerman held a catch off the bowling of Bob Gaddes.  Two more wickets fell on 34, both bowled by Dusty Ahmed who, despite a slippery ball and softening run up, looked our sharpest bowler in his first spell of two overs.  The Presidents fought back with a 4th wicket partnership of 60 before Dusty made the breakthrough in his second spell.  He first bowled the dogged Muthiah for 12 and in his next over had opener Khalid caught by Bob for 67.  In the same over he took a further two wickets to leave the Presidents on 101-7 with only one over left.  Richard Somers was then tossed the ball and he took the 8th wicket with his first delivery and the Presidents' innings closed on 103-8.  A good fielding performance considering the difficult wet conditions.

Khalid   c Gaddes b Ahmed   67

Kamran   c Huyerman b Gaddes   8

R Frew   b Ahmed   0

Waqar   b Ahmed   0

Muthiah   b Ahmed   12

Bruggeman   b R Somers   0

Parthivan   b Ahmed 0

Thorogood   c Raj b Ahmed 0

Cox   not out 0

H Frew   not out 1

Extras   15

Total   103-8

FOW : 1-25; 2-34; 3-34; 4-94; 5-99; 6-99; 7-101; 8-101

Bowling : Gaddes 5-0-23-1; Huyerman 5-0-17-0; Ahmed 4-1-9-6; Breaden 2-0-14-0; Cobb 2-0-8-0; Zamir 3-0-20-0; Grutzner 3-1-9-0; R Somers 1-0-2-1

St Lukes started their innings comfortably losing James Somers with 18 on the scoreboard.  Richard and Evan then took the score to 45 when first Evan was bowled by H Frew (little boy) for 14 and the next over Richard fell to Muthiah for 16.  Dieter Grutzner did not last long attempting to hit Frew for six he was clean bowled.  At 53-4 off 13 overs the game was in the balance.  However, Dusty joined Matthew Cobb at the crease and the paid were never really troubled as they put on an unbeaten 51 to win the match by 6 wickets

J Somers *   c&b Kamran   7

R Somers   c Pathivan b Muthiah   16

E Huyerman   b H Frew   14

D Grutzner   b H Frew   2

M Cobb   not out 27

D Ahmed   not out 25

J Breaden  

W Zamir  

B Gaddes  

P Raj +  

Extras   13

Total   104-4

FOW : 1-18 (J Somers); 2-45 (Huyerman); 3-45 (R Somers); 4-53 (Grutzner)

Bowling: Khalid 3-0-7-0; Kamran 4-0-21-1; H Frew 5-0-26-2; Muthiah 5-0-21-1; Parthivan 1-0-13-0; Bruggeman 2-0-10-0; Thorogood 0.1-0-1-0