KILKENNY: 172 for 6 off 24.4 over
Sapi 50 * Azaz 26 Fahim 17 James 15
Azaz 4-1-8-1 Joy 2-1-7-0 Hadiq 3-0-13-0 Roy 4-0-25-0
HALVERSTOWN: 57 for 1 off 13 overs
G.Bayer 34* A.Williamson 5 C.Johnston 3* H.Beaumont 3*
G.Bayer 3.4-15-2 N.O’Reilly 2-14-1 D.Drumm 4-15-1 A.Williamson 2-24-1 G.O’Shea 2-10-0 K.Thokola 3-16-0 P.Carroll 2-14-0 Ahsan 4-34-0 D.O’Ceallaigh 2-19-0
Bob Dylan might have sung “A hard rain’s a-gonna fall” but he saw nothing like the rain in Kilkenny. But not before we got most of a game in, mainly through Kilkenny’s keenness to do so. We were distinctly less enthusiastic, but our hosts, having won the toss and batted first, were determined that we should get some batting in. I am not sure whether it was genuine concern that we should have a decent share of the game or whether they thought they had enough bowling power to get us all out before the storm hit. They didn’t reckon on the stubbornness of Cecil, though, or Gunter’s big hitting. Anyway, I digress…
We last played Kilkenny in 2019 and in response to their 147 for 7 we scored 29, with me scoring more than half of them of them, giving some indication of just how bad we were. This time we were going nicely and after 13 overs they had scored a relatively modest 60. Unfortunately their big hitting league players then got going and overs 15, 16 and 17 went for 11, 14, and 16 respectively and there was 20 (including consecutive 6s) off over 22. Rain came during the 25th over at which point they kind of declared. Gunter took 2 very good wickets, including a stunning caught-bowled, and easily had the best figures; Niall got his usual stumping from a very sharp Cecil; Ahsan took two excellent catches to give myself and Andrew a wicket apiece. Bowling was shared around in Oaks fashion but a couple of league batsman from the higher divisions did make us suffer a bit.
Andrew and Cecil opened against Kilkenny’s highly accurate bowling -and some driving rain too. Luckily the mat was in perfect condition and not slippery. Not that we did much running early on. Cecil scored his 3 not out off 28 balls, which Hubert, replacing him, matched off 5. Gunter was the star, with an undefeated 34 which included just 2 boundaries- the long wet grass slowing the outfield. It was a good performance against concentrated and accurate firepower and we were keeping pace with Kilkenny’s run rate when, shivering with the cold as umpire, I called the game off. As we left the pitch the deluge came and this time Kilkenny accepted the game was over. Just as well, I don’t think we would have kept up with their later run rate. Unlike Mr. Zimmerman there was no” I'm a-goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a-fallin'”, because we had the draw. Well done all!
Written by Des Drumm