Watermill v Exiles, 19 July 1998
It is always sunny when we play Watermill, and Nick Coleman is always last
to the rendezvous at the Watermill pub in Wivelsfield, Sussex. After what
has seemed like an endless grey summer the bright blue sky with wispy clouds
came as a shock to the system, but a very welcome one. Also for the first
time this season the Exiles fielded a team drawn entirely from paid up members.
What a difference!
Tony won and decided it was a good day to bat, in spite of our record of
failing to bowl teams out in these timed games. The decision was to prove
correct, absolutely correct! Sean O'Connor opened with Soumitro Nagpal and
against a youthful bowling attack made steady progress, the run rate soon
climbing to around 5 an over, the well spread field was soon doing a lot
of chasing the leather. Soumitro made the early running, forcing through
the covers and driving straight he outscored Sean in a partnership worth
81, having made 43, his first sizeable score for the Exiles, that should
see him retain his opening slot for the near future. Keith Marchbank then
joined Sean, who accelerated his scoring so much so that in the 79 partnership
they forged he scored at a ratio of 3:1. Keith was victim to some ribaldry
from the bench that neither improved the rate or his humour, and he voiced
his displeasure upon his return to the bench having skied a pull to midwicket.
Nick Coleman attempted to show how it should be done as he swiveled and
swatted and scurried between the wickets like a man in a tight skirt. Sean
became more agricultural in his shot selection, hitting three consecutive
boundaries from the hapless Gentle in the first over of his second spell.
Sean eventually fell to an edge to the keeper off the same bowler on 91
, his highest total for the Exiles to date. When Nick attempted a stride
to cut at a wide one it almost killed him, and he fell to the ground clutching
his groin like a South American defender. It looked as though his season
was over. Moments later he was on his feet, keen to continue, unwiling to
let an opportunity like this go by. New member Rohan West nicked a ball
onto his stumps and missed out on the runs this week. But Dominic Wood's
hurried singles were too much strain on Nick's groin and he limped off ,
Dominic was caught off the bowling of Barnes (whether R. or W. the scorebook
is imprecise), Tony Brook smashed his first ball to the cover boundary,
sparred at a few then was bowled, which brought Nick back to grab a few
more with Naem as Effie was optimistic enough to have not bothered to pad
up for the final over and was setting off for the middle bare-legged, before
Nick pulled rank. Nick finished on 39* and Naem 6*, the Exiles had amassed
231 from 41 overs.
After tea the Exiles set about demolishing the Watermill batting with a
ruthless efficiency. 2 leg-byes came from the first ball, one a pointless
overthrow, which annoyed Paul Shorrock enough for his next ball to have
added spite, it went through Shorland's defensive prod to knock back middle
stump. Next over Naem Khan got in on the action, clean bowling the other
opener. Then Paul appealed for an lbw before the ball had chance to continue
it's path to middle stump, Watermill 3 for 2. M Shorland then fell clean
bowled to Naem in the next over, playing a shot that was beneath description.
Watermill 2 for 4, all four batsmen back in the hutch bowled for nought.
Bren Cura then raised the Watermill's spirits by striking Naem straight
for four, the first runs off the bat in the sixth over. Thanks to some sloppy
fielding from Sean the same batsman managed a two off Paul in his fourth
over to "dent" his figures to 2 for 2 from four overs. Barnes
W. then left a fairly straight one from Naem that removed his off stump.
His brother at least got an inside edge on one from Paul in the next over
that cannoned off his pads onto the inevitable middle stump. Six batsmen
down, all clean bowled, the Exiles bowlers sucessfully working around the
fact that Exiles can't catch for toffee. They can throw however, and when
Waseem's long hop was fielded in the deep by his brother the batsmen fancied
a second, however a direct hit and a poorly grounded bat meant curtains
for Gentle. Effie was bowling spin, and with 200 runs to play with nobody
objected, he even managed a stumping, the first by new keeper Rohan. After
realising that he is no Shane Warne he reverted to seam-up for his last
over.
Bren Cura hit out to grab some self-respect, mainly at the expense of Waseem
when he erred on the short side and was undefeated when he literally ran
out of partners, Terry being stranded yards short after one too many quick
singles. Watermill all out for 52, Exiles win by 179, I'm not sure if that
is a record but it ought to be. Victory was too easy in the end, but it
was good to see the Exiles working well as team again.
Next week sees a home game against The Old Antelopians, whom we have never
met. Phil James and John Morgan return, Nick and Dominic are unavailable,
otherwise a very similar team to last week.