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Midweek SMS – 21.08.2013

Dear all,

Another big news week – so straight on with it.
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NEWS

5th XI Champions
The 5th XI were crowned champions of the Kent Regional 1C South Thames League on Saturday. Many congratulations to the team and especially their inspirational captain, Laurie Johnston, a true gent and (dare I say it) a living legend at the club. They are one game away from an unbeaten season, so all the best for the final game.

SMCC 10th Birthday Party – THIS SATURDAY
Streatham & Marlborough CC was formed on 1st February 2003 and this year we celebrate our 10th Birthday. As February isn’t a great month for celebrations, we will be holding our 10th birthday on Saturday 24th August after the games. There will be food (provided by Dulwich Tandoori) at £5 per plate, music, rum punch and special offers at the bar. Please invite friends and family up to the club to enjoy the evening festivities; and perhaps introduce them to the stump game!

Surrey Championship Players Survey
The new Chair of the Surrey Championship has been looking at ways to establish some new lines of communication, get feedback from players and look at all we do to improve ourselves and our cricketing experience. Therefore, they are, for the first time, launching a Players Survey.  The more responses we get the better the outcome for us all, and the more authority we will establish to evolve our leagues. It only takes a couple of minutes to complete and will have an impact on the future of the league. Deadline is end August.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SurreyPlayersSurvey

Quiz – Friday 13th September
After the success of the previous quiz in February (which attracted over 70 competitors), we will be running a summer version of the quiz for the first time. These events are a great source of income and rely on members spreading the word and getting tables together – teams of friends and families are more than welcome. Even if you don’t have a team, we can find space in existing teams. Details are below:

7pm for 7.30pm start.
Pavilion, Dulwich Common, SE21 7EX.
£10 per entrant (includes food)
Cash prize for the winning team

Please e-mail Natalie Hill (natalie.hill@falconpw.com) to confirm your attendance so we know how many to cater for.

Battersea Net Sessions
A reminder about the net sessions at Battersea Park. I hear some people are struggling to find the nets so… Nets are located in the western half of the park – between the two cricket pitches – and closest parking is on Prince of Wales Drive. These are ideal for any players who are based in central or SW London or simply unable to make Tuesday nets. Sessions start at 6.30pm. Unlike the Tuesday nets there will be a (very) small charge but the surfaces are a good quality and less than a couple of years old. For more information please contact Marcus Shukla: 07828 174296

End of Season Dinner – 19th October
Save the date… this years end of Season Dinner will take place at the club on 19th October.

Surrey Championship Dinner
The 2013 Annual Awards Dinner is to take place on Friday 4 October 2013 at The Kia Oval. If you would like to attend, please let me know asap.
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LAST WEEKEND’S RESULTS

Saturday
1st XI vs Chipstead, Coulsdon & Walcountians
Lost
A tough test against a strong Chipstead side who are in pole position to finish the season as runners up to Epsom. With rain anticipated, I win the toss and ask Chipstead to have first go. Devon Carr bowls a wonderful opening spell and nicks off former Surrey stalwart, David Ward. 31-1 is about as good as it gets as we proceed to drop eight chances in the field. The bowling isn’t terrible and Carr, Mortimore and Hassan return decent figures. The batting, at times, was as good as I’ve seen this season. One particular over at the end has a former first class double centurian playing strokes from third man to point exclusively and consistently finding the boundary with power and precision. Chipstead close at 294-2 off their 50 overs. Chipstead start with spin, keen to get the required 20 overs in before the rain comes. It doesn’t until we’re all out for a limp 110 in 34.5 overs. Zak plays a lone hand in making 40. We’re better than that. Three games to save the season… we’d better pull our fingers out. (D Ellis)
1st XI League position –       joint  7th /  10  
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2nd XI vs Egham
Lost
2nd XI League position –       5th   / 10   
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3rd XI vs Addiscombe
Lost
The three’s chances of promotion were dealt a fatal blow with a 5 wicket defeat at home to Addiscombe on Saturday. Addiscombe won the toss and after a pause just long enough to make the think they might have a bat, they decided to bowl. We lost Knapp (4) early to a ball that lifted off a length and caught a glove on the way through but Sowton (62) and Bartolo (56) saw us through against an opening pair that had no place being in the second bottom team. Having seen off the new ball, the pair cut loose against the change bowlers and we were well placed at drinks. They continued strongly before Bartolo fell to our first run out and Sowton was LBW to a decision that looked plum from where we were at fine leg. Patel (30) and Clark (31*) continued to score freely as the score went past 200 in the 40th over but as the rain started coming down, Patel was bowled by a lovely yorker from Dennis, quickly followed by Thomas (run out for 0) and when Driscoll D was bowled for 9 in the 42nd over, we declared on 212, to get the covers on and hope the showers passed during tea.

Which they did, and we got off to the perfect start when Lynch and Patel struck with an early wicket each. Soon after, Shiraz Hussain (87*) drove loosely to cover, it was well hit but should have been caught, but it wasn’t. Hussain went on to build partnerships that always kept us on the back foot; whenever we thought we’d taken a wicket and got back in the game, they just kept on going. They got a bit of luck but our dropping more catches didn’t really help, Addiscombe reaching their target for 5 down in the 50th over.

So we won’t be going up but our goal now is simple; win both our last two games and end up on 121 points. If that wasn’t motivating enough, Guildford City are just six points behind us and we definitely don’t want to finish behind them. And it’s Sinjuns on Saturday.  (M Begg)
3rd XI League position –      4th   / 16
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4th XI vs Wimbledon
Lost
Very brief 4s match report without any relevant figures as the temporary captain enjoys a Sangria in a tacky Majorcan bar. Horrible pitch. Opposition batted and caught better. We bowled better. Best team won on the day and it wasn’t us. Ball controversy. Ineligable player controversy. Alistair Cook’s brother playing for oppo and had a few choice and not overly positive  words to say about him. All looking forward to return of Henderson at the tiller. A good game and enjoyed by all but no win. Soz. It’s been totes emots. (D Gladstone)
4th XI League Position –      2nd  / 10
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5th XI vs Bexley
Won
Short of sleep and full of trepidation I reach Mayow Park seven hours after leaving Ponte de Lima to find that we are batting and that all is well save for poor Shiraz who is covered in mosquito bites and not at all well. Still he has answered the call. Newton Moss (25) and Andy Chowdhury (28) give us a great start with 49 on the board before Newton is deceived by a full bunger from the very useful R. Taylor (10-2-34-3). Andy is LBW shortly afterwards. Both batters had shown their usual aggression punishing the short and the wide. They set the tone for the remainder of the game. Paul Henly (15) played a long and patient innings to hold it all together allowing just about everyone to chip in. No one could get past Newton or Andy’s scores but Andy Brook (8), Ryan Willmott (14) Mark Davis (13 – one huge straight six), Adam Bailey (6), Brijesh Patel (13) all looked set fair to get a big score before losing their wicket. Ryan’s dismissal the pick in terms of comedy having called a suicidal run and being stranded he returned to the pavilion explaining ‘I think I called maybe…’ trailing off rather as he trailed off to the dressing rooms. Brijesh’s innings was remarkable for one fine straightish drive over the top after the field had come in encouraged by his bizarre calling and threatening to set off for a run when the ball was in the keeper’s hands. He did this not once but many times. After the innings was concluded the cunning chap explained it was a deliberate ploy to bring the field in. Every side needs a thinking cricketer like Brijesh. The least said about the captain’s innings the better but Vinay Patel (4 not out) and Shiraz ‘Emergency Ward 10’ Sheikh (5 not out)batted out for us denying Bexley a bonus point and any spare overs. The threatened rain looked more and more likely during tea and it was now pretty unpleasant conditions for cricket. We thought 155 was a par total.

Mark Davis (10-2-23-6) opened up and with his second ball gave us a tremendous boost as a straight short of a good length ball failed to get above ankle height and bowled H. Bassan. Thanks to Mark’s ‘statto’ research we knew him to be the dangerman with an average above 100. When he repeated the trick to remove I. Shanks LBW we were jubilant. A juggling catch by Andy Brook removed G Carter from Ryan Willmott’s bowling (6-0-29-1). A wonderful first over by Vinay Patel (5-3-7-1) saw him bowl Matt Dawson with one that turned a yard in the batsman’s estimation. Mark Davis bowling with venom and skill, just short of a good length exploited the pitch’s variable bounce and wrecked the Bexley innings. Barrington Wilks came on after drinks as we stared nervously or hopefully (depending which camp you were in)at the lowering skies and wrapped up the game for us with two quick wickets leaving the impressive and resolute young Alex Shanks not out four. Bexley 59 all out.

And then all of a sudden that was that. We’d won. Not just the game but the league and promotion. We’d beaten yet another very good team. I felt that if there had been any divine justice then the rain wold have come and saved Bexley like it did us when we were staring down the barrel at Bexley Park in June. Bexley are a great bunch of people led by a great captain in Steve Griggs and we wish them every success in their last few games and hope that they will be promoted with us as they are surely worthy of it in every way.

So well done to all the players who have represented the V’s this year. We have some truly fine players and they know how to play cricket in the right spirit. Well done to Barrington Wilks who has carried a lot of pressure these last few weeks – a prince among men. We can go in to our last game against Sidcup confident of defending our unbeaten record. No more sleepless nights for me, no staring endlessly at the league table, no working out of permutations. Job done, game over. (L Johnston)
5th XI League position –     1st / 10   
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5As XI vs Blindley Heath
Drew
The dismal skies, persistent whiff of petrol and long trek towards Gatwick Airport presaged the 5As’ most entertaining game of the season so far.  Offering our fixture at Cudham Wyse to the 5Bs (who themselves put in an excellent performance) gave us the opportunity to face new opponents in the form of Blindley Heath.

Winning the toss, the skipper surprised the hosts by opting to bat and hoping the side could put on a better display than last week’s game at Hampton.  Things started badly as we lost the form man Knott for 6.  Callum McDonald dug in for 14 before being bowled by Jenkins (the Heath seamer claimed 5-51); Supdewala lofted to deep mid-on without scoring and after Pentycross was removed for 13 we were in deep trouble at 43-4.  A patient 24 from Barnard steadied the tide though once he and Hunsley were dismissed it was left to Frean (46) and Shukla (26) to put together a valuable partnership of 62.  This was broken when the skipper sliced one to cover; Frean followed after being unfortunately run out when the half century looked on and the tail was mopped up for no extra score leaving us to defend 137.

After a tea which would have tasted better but for the needless chewing of cod liver oil capsules earlier on in the day, we watched as our hosts quickly went about their duty and punished the seamers.  Guest (1-17) made the breakthrough claiming the wicket of danger man Gamage for 19.  By this point Blindley Heath had 45 on the board and still looked confident, so much so that one of their number was seen putting kitbag in car in preparation for a routine win.  This proved to be a mistake.  We maximised the luxury of spinners from both ends for the first time this season and soon had the hosts in check.  Barnard bowled exquisitely for his 2-25 and Syed-Hussain (4-36) bagged four wickets for the third time this season.  Both spinners, now realising the benefits of cod liver oil, were supported by much improved fielding which included seven well taken catches and two decent run outs.  At the start of the final over the oppo were left clinging on for dear life at 119-9.  The chance for a famous win came with four balls to spare but Rawstrone’s despairing drive at short extra cover just didn’t quite reach.  The home side blocked the remainder of the over out and in the end both teams had to settle for the draw.  On reflection, and given the overall balance of play, perhaps a fair result. (M Shukla)
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5bs XI vs Cudham Wyse
Drew

http://stmcc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/results.asp
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UPCOMING FIXTURES  
Saturday
1st XI away to Bank of England
2nd XI home to Camberley
3rd XI home to SinjunGrammarians
4th XI away to SinjunGrammarians
5th XI away to TBC
5A XI away to Wimbledon Corinthians

Sunday
Friendly XI home to TBC

http://stmcc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/fixtures.asp

Best of luck to all the sides.
Dan

ps. Keep up to date with news from the club on Twitter feed (@SMCricketClub) or via our Facebook page (Streatham & Marlborough Cricket Club)

pps. Our local restaurant sponsors (Dulwich Tandoori & Mirash Tandoori) are very important to us and provide valuable financial assistance. Please make an effort to visit them and, if you do, mention that you are a member of SMCC and are grateful to them for their support!

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