ONGAR 138 all out (37 overs)
Anup Kishen 42
Anoop Kurian 4/24 John Threadgold 2/13
HALVERSTOWN 139-6 (26 overs)
Tojo Thomas 42* Lijo Joesph 27 Juan Retief 24*
On the face of it this looks to have been a fairly comfortable win, but it wasn't. We won the toss and put them in to bat. They moved comfortably to 47-1 in 13 overs and looked in good shape. But - as is becoming the trademark of this team - we stayed disciplined and wickets started to fall and runs became more difficult to come by. At 128-6 we were on top, but they were still in with a chance. Anoop then returned for this second spell and took 4 wickets in 16 balls to wrap up their innings for 138 and we felt we had done well. A mention for most relaxed catch of the season to Avtar who looked so comfortable under the high ball he almost seemed bored! It made me pine for the days when I backed myself to catch pretty much anything, but those days are now a distant memory.
The thing about chasing a relatively modest total is that if you lose a few early wickets, things can get jittery. Falling from 45-1 with Andy and Lijo at the crease, to 67-5 (with some of the 5 having contributed to their own dismissals) this captain was getting uncomfortable. Paolo was then out to one that kept low and at 91-6 we still needed 48 with 4 wickets left. But we had three things going for us - the spirit of the team which has proved so resilient this season, Juan (24*) who really knows what he is doing at the crease and who can play any situation (hint to other batsmen) and Tojo. He was batting on one leg but the way he did, I think he could have done it with one arm. He smashed 42* off about 17 balls and just as the game was getting tense, it was over. Job done and more points to keep us in touch with the leaders. Malahide and Tyrrelstown are in the leading positions but we are breathing down their necks. We'll try to win each game and see where we are at the end of the season.
This was our last league game in whites at our beautiful ground. It's a real pleasure to be in charge of a team that this season is playing as well as we can most of the time and I can't ask for much more than that. We'll try to continue in that vein, starting at Gorey next Sunday.
To conclude, this was a sporting contest played in a very good atmosphere. It had its flashpoints like all keenly contested matches do, but I am proud of the way we have carried ourselves this year, particularly when we have played against sides that sometimes have trouble remembering the rules. We have not resorted to tit for tat, tempting as that surely can be. 'Play hard and play fair’ - easy to say but not so easy to do. We're doing it this year and if we set that example, perhaps more sides will follow.
John Threadgold 17/8/24