So everything was in place for a fine day of sport and as we all wearily arrived at the newly renamed Mary Deckers sport groun

St Lukes v Battersea Ironside – Saturday 01^st July 2006

St Lukes 1^st XI

Ed Hardwicke

Tim Craig

Fawad Omar

Adeel Hassan

Tim Blatt

Tim Haslehurst

Karl Quinn

James Somers

Charlie Hillman

Michael Krishna

Matthew Cobb

So everything was in place for a fine day of sport and as we all wearily arrived at the newly renamed Mary Deckers sport ground. Positivity ebbed amongst the St Lukes players. The toss was then duly lost by the Battersea captain and with a rather bowler friendly wicket looking like being on offer, Battersea were put into bat. It was then that the St Lukes players and their captain realised that their biggest nemesis had struck again – 3 players were still missing and the game was due to commence. After the vacant slip area had been penetrated on a number of occasions the first sighting of the missing pair, Fawad and Adeel, occurred at 10:57. Witnesses claim to have seen the pair in the Mary Deckers car park, and were believed to be discussing the merits of the best cleaning products to use on wheel hubs. The second sighting was of Fawad a further 10 minutes on from the original sighting, a witness saw a man fitting his description was cleaning his cricket shoes on the garden table by the Mary Deckers ‘Social’ club. The pair were finally seen and identified by the St Lukes authorities at approx 11:38, with Adeel seemingly carrying four carrier bags of weekly shopping and Fawad admiring the wild flowers growing by the railway line as they slow strolled towards the game!

So with normal service finally resumed, St Lukes started their habitual steady wicket taking after having given the opposition a generous head start on a difficult track. Adeel’s late arrival meant a strong bowling change could occur and the opposition was greeted with another Adeel four’f and again another member of the league found him to be the Real A-Deal! Blatty ensured that the threatening ‘Mouth’ was stamped on and Battersea innings was finished after only 30 overs. St Lukes were left to chase the modest total of 128, but as we all know by know; we have it in us to make chasing hard work.

So in the heat of the midday Surrey sun the St Lukes opening pair without water or food turned around to face the Battersea men. The game soon became a war of attrition with boundaries being rarer than Fawad, Adeel or Hemant turning up on time. But the first victory went to the St Lukes opening pair of Hardwicke and Haslehurst, with the pair successfully seeing off the Battersea opening attack, who’d bowled a very disciplined line. However the usual collapse soon occurred with wicket after wicket falling to headless cricket shots rather to good balls. And it wasn’t until the partnership of Charlie and James that we saw sensible application of the batting ability the St Lukes team posses but rarely displays. After Charlie played early on a shot, it was then left to the impressive Somers Jnr and Adeel to coolly guide us home with two wickets to spare. Another victory but another victory made hard.

Female Icons of the day:

Fawad and Adeel – do I need to say any more

Man of the Match (and the lush prizes it brings):

James – a vital innings, showing great composure to see us home. Mention here also to Adeel for another 4’f.

Lessons Learnt: (this is taken from the match report from 3^rd June!!!!!???? When do you want to start learning.)

1) Get to the ground 30 mins minimum before the start – causes such a headache if you don’t.

2) Batting – same subject as last week. All I need to say is follow Tim Haslehurst example of perfect defence. Big stride forward on these pitches and then pick them off.