Great Missenden Pelicans
Sunday April 20 in Great Missenden Strollers won by 43 runs Strollers 192
(34.5 overs; Le Serve 62, Love 36, Rogers 33, Smith 27, Dela Rue 11no)
Pelicans 149
(25 overs; Smith 3-12, Macaulay 2-13, Farley 1-15, Rogers 1-21, Travis 1-28, Dela Rue 1-53). After two years of washouts, we were glad to pitch up to
Great Missenden for the first domestic match of the season. The sun was shining
and the lack of rain in the last two months meant that the ground was looking
in good nick. The strip was green but skipper George Love had no hesitation in
batting first after calling correctly. Shockingly this could be George's penultimate
game of the season as he heads off on his travels.
The innings got off to a poor start when last year's
run machine Blair Travis clipped to cover for two. George and Rowan Smith soon
settled after it was decided that Rowan should do the calling to avert any
run-outs. They had put on 44 when Rowan, who was looking in excellent form, lofted
to at mid-off and was out for 27.
There was then a mini-collapse as the two debutants
departed in short order: Brad Trebilcock for nought and Jason Farley for one as
opening bowler Patel finished with 3-42. This was actually Jason's first ever
cricket match as he had pursued tennis as his sport back in Melbourne. In
Strollers tradition we found him in a pub (or rather Jack Le Serve did).
George's captain's innings ended when he sliced to cover for a well-worked
36.
At 82-5 at the halfway stage, the Strollers were looking to
score another hundred to be competitive on a ground with a fast outfield (apart
from up the hill into the corner) and a short boundary on one side. Steve
Rogers was joined by Le Serve and they set about repairing the innings, taking
full advantage of any wayward bowling.
Jack carried on his good form from the nets, hitting the
ball to all parts, amply illustrating the value of practice. Rogers survived a
bizarre incident when he heard the death rattle of the stumps behind him and
started to walk off. In fact the ball had rebounded off the keeper's gloves.
Sportingly he was called back rather than being stumped. To show his gratitude
he promptly hit the next ball for four.
Steve eventually fell for 33 caught off the bowling of
young Hussein Bilgrami, who was also playing his first proper game of cricket.
The pair had put on 64 for the 6th wicket in 11 overs to put us in touch with a
par score.
Jack carried on for an excellent Strollers career-best 62.
James Dela Rue hit a brisk 11 not out as wickets fell around him and the
Strollers were bowled out for 192 in the last over. Young Bilgrami ended with
4-22 off his four overs having persuaded three of us to hole out in the deep. A
legitimate tactic that brings rewards at this level.
GM normally put on a hot tea and this year we were treated
to a feast of baked potatoes, chicken and salad with a side order of cakes —
all the major food groups. James DLR will start his 2025 tea analysis with a
tick in the plus column.
Dela Rue and Smith opened the bowling. Rowan had the opener
Ali Bilgrami smartly caught low down by Blair at first slip, which was barely
celebrated by the catcher until confirmation that it was a catch (no dissention
anywhere).
The other opener Yusuf Khan had apparently spent six weeks
over the winter playing club cricket in Perth and he started with an aggressive
intent carried over from those fast bouncy wickets, smiting DLR twice over the
road, losing the new ball and its replacement.
In what was a canny move in retrospect, Rogers had been
brought into shortish mid-wicket when Smith was bowling and he took a very
smart catch when Khan hit very hard off his legs. Rowan picked up another
wicket as James Bailey was caught by Le Serve at cover. James eventually got
just reward for some decent bowling by having Amit Talman lbw in his last over.
Travis replaced Dela Rue at the top end and initially
conceded runs against Josh Bailey, who was scoring quickly at No 4. The
game was still in the balance when he drilled a ball off Travis to Farley at
short extra, who snapped up a great catch to dismiss Bailey for 46.
Once Rogers bowled Richard Frank for 17 the game was
effectively over as Patel was running out of partners (and the Pelicans only
had 10 players). Alastair Macaulay picked up a couple of wickets by bowling
very slowly at the stumps and Farley capped his debut by bowling Patel to wrap
up the innings. The Strollers won by 42 runs thanks to the Le Serve/Rogers
partnership and some really good catching.
Post-match analysis was carried out with the genial
opposition in the garden of The Nag's Head next door. One of them even
volunteered to drop some Strollers at Chesham station so they could carry on
drinking. They may still be there.
Capt: and wkt: George Love. Match report: Alastair Macaulay.
Match fees: Simon Brodbeck.
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