Dear all,
Phew… the 1st XI avoided relegation to finish a successful league season with the 5s unbeaten champions, the Trust XI winning their zone, a new 7th XI and the ladies qualifying for the latter stages of their league. New players aplenty and a full bar for most weekends bode well for the future. Many thanks to everyone who assisted (there are too many names to mention) in making this a great league season.
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NEWS
End of Season Dinner – Saturday 19th October
Come and celebrate the end of the season with your friends and fellow players, hopefully we can top last year’s event which (I understand) got a little messy for some… Sign up early for a discount. All details on the attached flyer. http://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090C4BAEAC29AA8-club
Quiz – THIS FRIDAY – PLEASE RESPOND ASAP IF YOU ARE COMING
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.
Coaches Conference
Attached is a flyer for the ECBCA Surrey cricket coaches conference on the 29th September – if anyone is interested, please contact Surrey direct.
Winter Junior Coaching
Starts 13th October at Alleyn’s School in Dulwich. It’s £10 per session, please contact Peter Edwards to confirm a place or for any queries: 07956 501320, peteedwards_48@hotmail.co.uk. Times are as follows:
1pm – 3pm up to Year 7.
3pm – 5pm above Year 7.
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LAST WEEKEND’S RESULTS
Saturday
1st XI vs Old Wimbledonians
Won
Another week and the final chance to salvage the season. I awoke to a message with a late drop out and then arrived at the ground to a steady drizzle of rain. Things did not look good. We batted first on another one of Roger’s superb tracks. Without the pressure of a run chase, our batting clicked with a solid base allowing the middle order to accelerate in the last 10 overs. Hassan joined Ellis at the top of the order and batted superbly, anchoring the innings despite a barracking from the OW’s opening bowler following a disputed bump ball catch which went in favour of the young all-rounder. Ellis fell for 20and left Kasheef Hassan (37) to join his younger brother and take the score to 131 before chipping to cover. Knott nicked behind for 11 and Hassan fell for well-made 76 with the score at 167-4. A minor stumble and OWs had a sniff of getting back into the game. An acceleration was needed and it came from the remainder of the order. Hill, Patel and Sarwavkhan scoring at a run a ball along with Fuller, who scored 36 from 27 balls and manoeuvred the field well before selflessly running himself out in the final over. With 241 to defend, SMCC took the field in a confident frame of mind but in the knowledge that OW’s have some dangerous players in their ranks, including an overseas player who was averaging 73.4 at the start of play. We started poorly as Berger went on the attack. 30 runs were scored off the first three overs before Sarwavkhan made the breakthrough. The young Afghan produced a fine opening spell to remove the dangerous Berger (35 from 18 balls) and the overseas for his lowest score of the season (6 – I can only dream of such riches). Blackburn soon joined the party to remove the OW skipper LBW with the final ball of a over which set the batter up beautifully. Spin was introduced and tied down the OW batters – Mortimore and Hassan bowled to their fields and the batters had little answer to their probing line and length. Knotty claimed his first victim as 1st XI stumper and Hassan ended the game with 2-15 from 9.4 to seal the man of the match plaudits. A fine effort by the boys and despite our lowly league position, we should remain positive that in a league dominated by overseas players, we were able to compete without one and still remain in the division. The squad of players if far stronger than has been in previous years and a good off season of training should see us move up the table next term. Thanks to all 24 players who represented the 1s this term, Natalie, Tina, Roger and James for scoring, Roger for his magnificent wickets and Eileen for her fantastic tea’s. (D Ellis)
1st XI League position – joint 7th / 10
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2nd XI vs Pyrford
Lost
SMCC: 108 all out (43.1)
PCC: 110 for 6 (36)
2nd XI League position – 5th / 10
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3rd XI
No game
3rd XI League position – 4th / 16
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4th XI vs Oxted & Limpsfield
Won
And so the league season ended much as it had begun, in the rain. With 2nd place confirmed, the original plan to bat 1st and see how many runs we could score was dashed by yet more lax tossing from skipper Hughes, 100% league loss rate needs improvement, leaving another new-look bowling attack to have a crack at an Oxted team considerably more advanced in years than in the return match earlier in the season. Harris with the wind, hill and a semblance of youth in his favour charged in and was unlucky to pick up only 2 wickets in 12 aggressive overs, whilst the miserly Hardy trudged and whirled his way up the slope to tease a wicket for 27 in 12 niggardly overs. Mehta’s 5 overs took advantage of the oppo’s need for quicker runs with 3 wickets, Viren Patel picked up another victim and emergency stand-in 3rd changer Brijesh Patel climbed in with the outstanding figures of 3 overs, 2 for 3. With Gladstone picking up the final wicket Oxted were left looking down the barrel of a huge loss, posting just 114 in 38 overs. Tea was taken early, and with hopes of finishing by 5 o’clock so to support the 1’s fight against relegation Hobbs and Henderson went out with instructions to get on with it a bit. A sticky start with decent opening bowlers was worked through well on a pitch showing some variety of bounce, but where S+Ms change bowlers only tightened the noose, Oxted’s were not up to the task of containing the mighty double H duo who set about plundering the attack with few chances given, unless you count Hobbs smashing the cover off the ball to the keeper, only for no-one to appeal. Henderson finished on 53, and despite the best efforts to manufacture a happy ending Hobbs ended 48 not out as the 4s completed a 10 wicket win, and happily on schedule The grand sight of the 1s polishing off what looked a pretty ragged oppo themselves set up the promised jugathon, and all-round fun was had. Special mention to Gladstone for making a spectacular a**e of himself, for which he begs forgiveness. So overall, a good season tempered by disappointment in not gaining promotion from a league dominated by an extremely strong Singuns. Only 1 game lost to inclemency, some good new players brought into the fold, spectacular individual performances and some of the worst catching ever seen on a cricket field. 2014 should be an exciting season, and with plans already in place the team should be pushing strongly for the league win. (D Gladstone)
4th XI League Position – 2nd / 10
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5th XI
No game
5th XI League position – 1st / 10 CHAMPIONS!!
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5As XI vs Hampton Hill
Lost
HHCC: 221-6 (35)
SMCC: 176 all out (31.3) – McDonald 58, Cockar 55
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Friendly XI vs Team Mitcham
Lost
No pitch available in South London for love nor money so we turn up to Belair Park to an unbooked pitch more in hope than expectation. The green horror 23 yards long masquerading as a cricket pitch is tutted over. Mark Davis redraws the pitch with the aid of a stump, the stump gauge, a couple of bails and a lot of guesswork. We love our friends from Team Mitcham and are very pleased to have got this game on. I win the toss and we take to the field. The pitch plays amazingly well all day. Mark Davis (6-2-9-1) and Shiraz Sheikh (7-4-16-0) bowl their usual menacing and tight spells. Shiraz is most unfortunate not to claim an LBW victim and lets everyone know how aggrieved he is. Mark Davis does get one of the three good shuts he had. Our trio of young spinners take over. Sunil Taper (5-0-35-0), Max Rampton (5-0-40-2) and Vinay Patel (6-1-36-2) all perform well and trouble the bat. Stan Barrett-Johnston takes a couple of stunning catches at cover – the best caught behind him two handed. The ground fielding is exceptional all afternoon – the joy of having colt fielders. Poor old Jamie Davorn got a bit of tap from Imran (81 not out) as Team Mitcham eased to 211 off their 35 overs. Stan (2-0-16-1) bowled well at the death with his slower balls and cutters. Picnic tea over our chase started disastrously with the loss of Ryan Willmot for none. Newton continued his excellent season with 17 runs including a first over six over point before having one stop on him. Mark Davis (68) batted beautifully to keep us rolling along at a pace and was joined by Stan Barrett-Johnston (37) who played with increasing authority, Stan was joined by Vinay Patel (16) once Mark was caught at slip and we really looked like doing it. We closed to within 30 runs with both young players fashioning some exquisite shots – the pick was Stan using his feet to drive peerlessly through the covers for four. The horror then when a calling mix up saw the young bat given run out by our umpire to the shock and consternation of the entire park. Jamie Davorn insists it was out. Young Max Rampton was run out soon after going for a second run and we fell short by 24 runs. A great game of cricket in the late summer. Bel Air has never looked lovelier – if only the track was any good. (L Johnston)
http://stmcc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/results.asp
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UPCOMING FIXTURES
We are at the back end of the season and Laurie Johnston will be responsible for selection in the coming weeks. We have the following matches in the calendar but these are subject to change:
Saturday 14th September
Friendly XI vs TBC (home)
4th XI vs 5th XI (home)
Sunday 15th September
Two home games
Saturday 21st September
No home games at the club due to a hiring (Roddie’s wedding!!)
Sunday 22nd September
Two home games
Saturday 28th September
Two home games
Sunday 29th September
Two home games
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!