The Roehampton fixture is always a popular one among
Strollers and supporters, with its travel-friendly location in Putney Heath and
the nearby Telegraph pub having a knack of luring some Strollers out of
obscurity.
Despite some initial match management challenges, Michael
Pittams drummed up a strong and diverse side, including two debutants: Chris
Booth and Chris Stevenson. He also managed to enlist the midweek specialist
Richard Keightley - for likely his only Sunday game of the year - and the tour
specialist, Mike Daly. Rob Wall was assigned captaincy for this game.
Wall’s plan to make use of the seemingly batsman-friendly
conditions early did not come to fruition, with the toss not going his way.
With that, the Strollers pulled on their whites and took to the field.
James Dela Rue and Keightley took the new orange ball for
the Strollers. Dela Rue started off with good line and length, with just one
wide ball denying him a first over maiden. Keightley was equally tight from the
other end, pressuring the Roehampton openers early.
The pressure told in the third over when Dela Rue took the
Strollers’ first wicket with a rip-snorting inswinger taking out the off stump.
Things got tougher for the Strollers thereafter, however, with the arrival of
Roehampton No 3, Jamie Henderson, who wasted no time playing his shots and
racking up several boundaries.
The Strollers were not able to take the chances on offer
and both Henderson and opener Hugh Gerlach racked up unbeaten half-centuries
before retiring. Blair Travis entered the fray with the ball to try and stop
the rot and did so effectively, taking the wicket of Muhammed Bilal clean bowled.
Meanwhile the Roehampton skipper, Neelakas Biswas, was
plundering at the other end and also brought up an unbeaten 50 before retiring.
The Strollers then seized their chance to pull things back with Wall taking a
wicket after some good pressure bowling, while debutant Booth also got in the
wickets column courtesy of an excellent Travis catch.
Dela Rue came back to the crease and took another wicket,
caught by Pittams at full stretch on the long-off boundary rope. Travis’s
ripping spinners took two more Roehampton victims and he finished with superb
figures of 7-1-13-3. After going in at 132-1 at drinks, the Strollers pulled
things back well in the second stanza, Roehampton finishing their innings on
253 for the loss of seven wickets.
Daly and Booth were tasked with opening the Strollers’ innings
and made a solid start. Daly was building strongly before letting one through
the gate and had to depart for eight. Man of the moment Travis entered at No 3 and
immediately took to blunting the Roehampton bowing attack.
Booth and Travis were rock solid after the early wicket,
putting the bad balls away and keeping the scoreboard ticking over. Some
glorious leg glances from Booth showed his pedigree as he went on to bring up
his half-century in style. Unfortunately, he took on a spritely Roehampton
fielder in the deep, being run out for 61 when he attempted to come back for a
second.
Travis, meanwhile, had broken the shackles and was
dispatching fours and sixes for fun, hitting one poor Roehampton spin bowler
out of the attack and losing the match ball in the process.
Pittams joined Travis at the crease and kept the momentum
going. With the game in the balance, Pittams and Travis had to keep the run
rate up over seven an over for the last 15 overs or so, but were able to do it
with some flourishing shots and clever cricket.
With keen youngster Brad Trebilcock champing at the bit
for a taste of the action – he was seen pacing around the outfield bat in hand –
Pittams did the very noble thing and retired on 48no to allow Trebilcock to
come to the middle.
Meanwhile Travis racked up yet another century, finishing
102 not out and himself retiring to allow captain Wall to join Trebilcock at
the batting crease with just a handful of runs required for victory. Wall
dutifully declined a single to allow Trebilcock the chance to hit the winning
runs the following over, but sadly the ball beat everyone and four byes ended
up as the final play of the match.
After friendly handshakes with the Roehampton team, the
Strollers decamped to the Telegraph for a few cleansing ales, thankful for the
Monday Bank Holiday that was to follow.
Capt: Rob Wall. Wkt: Rob Wall & Mike Pittams.
Match report: James Dela Rue. Match fees: Simon Brodbeck.
