HALVERSTOWN 2: 73 All out off 24 overs
Batting: B. McAllister 20 S.Hayes 7 G.O’Shea 6 A.Williamson 6 D.Drumm 4
Bowling: A.Barber 5-I2-1 D.Drumm 1.3-15-1 Ajesh 5-1-18-1 J.Hodgson 2-4-0
B.McAllister 5-1-12-0 A.Kurian 4-12-0
CASTLEKNOCK 4: 74 for 3 off 22.3 overs
Batting: Sajid 26 S.Iriani 12* Tharun 10*
Bowling: Arjan 8-1-16-6 Venkat 3-2-3-2 Sandeep 6-23-1 Tharun 3-20-1
Normal service was resumed. With me missing the previous game, Cecil again captained the side to a good win in my absence. Kilkenny 3 managed 127 against a strong bowling attack in which Ajesh and Will Richards took two wickets apiece with Brian McAllister, Jim Hogson and Andy Barber all picking up one. The economy rates were all impressive, particularly the latter three. The winning score was hit off 31 overs with Manik’s 45 not out the highlight, well accompanied by Kevin Hodson’s 15 and a nice 9* from Jim Hodgson, who hit the winning runs with a boundary.
It didn’t all run smoothly but Cecil and the team got the win after a few jittery moments. Against Castleknock it was all jittery moments, although in fairness we were missing several of our regulars. I elected to bat but once again our higher batting order failed to perform. Andrew Williamson and Stuart Hayes did hold out at the crease for a decent periods of over 20 minutes apiece but only Brian could get runs and his 20 included our solitary boundary. Ger did very well to stay with him for 27 minutes for his 6, their partnership taking us from 26 for 6 to a decidedly healthier 52 for 7. I then joined Brian but he was caught on 20 when we were at 66. I stayed at the wicket for 42 minutes to make a very careful 4, Cecil staying with me for a nice cameo that took us to 73. Arjun claimed me as his 6th and final wicket of the day. His 6 for 16 off 8 was phenomenal. Venkat was incredibly accurate too with his 2 for 3. There were no weaknesses in their bowling line-up, though our defensive batting did frustrate them enough for us to pick up 22 wides as they fired down a lots of fast balls.
Our score was barely defendable. We were now talking about bonus points for wickets taken in an honourable defeat. But then Andy and Ajesh opened our bowling really well. Kilkenny were suddenly 15 for 2 after 5 overs, with our lads taking a wicket apiece. Now we were talking about winning, not just earning losing bonus points! But their opener Sajid did we what we had done earlier. He now dug in. And so did S.Irani when he joined him at No.4. Slowly, carefully they ground out the runs. We were back thinking about bonus points and to get them we needed wickets, which Anoop and Brian were not taking despite excellent bowling with super economy rates. Jim and I took over, Jim to keep the runs down , which he did admirably, and me to try for a couple of wickets. First ball I bowled Sajid and there was great excitement at the thought that another wicket would bring a second bonus point. However Tharun, a left handed slogger, came to the crease and demolished me and that idea as they won in the 24th over. Thanks to Ger and whoever helped him with the scorebook: I have never had so much information with which to write this report!
Written by Des Drumm