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BroadhalfpennyBrigands-Sunday,22ndSeptember2002

Comeththehour,comeththechair.

Thehour:5.42pm,SundaySeptember22.LondonNewZealandCricketClubisstrugglingtomakeinroadsintoaresoluteBroadhalfpennyBrigands’battingorder.It’s83/2,andonly48minutesremaintoforceanunlikelyresult.

Comeththechair:Thatever-presentpieceoffurnitureandclubspiritualleader,chairmanMikeSteadbeginshisspell.Asherunsinthewinddropsout,thecloudsmysteriouslyliftandthedrizzledriftsaway.ThehistoricBatandBallGroundisbathedinasinistersunlight.Afteraninitialsighter,Steadstrikes.Banes-WalkersnappedupatfirstslipbyMikeSingletonfor43asStead’slivelymediumpaceseamsawaytotaketheedge.Aregulationdismissal.

Thenthingsgetweird.

Stead’snextdeliveryshootsalongthegroundandclattersintothestumpsoftheunfortunateBeardhall.Shruggingofftheexcitementofaprobablehat-trickStead,theconsummategentleman,lobshisnextdeliveryharmlesslydowntheleg-side.

Butit’snotoveryet.

Thenextdelivery,gun-barrelstraight,thudsintoPolson’sfrontpad.Theappealisn’tsomuchweakaspuny,muteeven.“Ho”,whispersStead,alonevoiceinafield.Upgoesthefinger.It’s94/5.

Thestartledspectatorshavewitnessedasclearacaseofdivineinterventiononthecricketfieldastheywilleversee.

Steadhasthreefornone.

There’schaosintheBrigands’dressingshed.Inalesssedatecontestthenextbatsmancouldwellhavebeentimedout.

With181runsontheboardLNZissafe.ItremainstobeseenifStead,AnthonyPenman,AaronGaleandRichardKeyescanchipouttheremainingfourwicketsforvictory(adislocatedfingerhasreducedtheBrigandstotenmeninthehutch).

KeyespullsoffthebestcaughtandbowledseensinceSteveLester’sfamed‘claw’catchintheNorthversusSouthmatchtoremovethehalf-centurionSturmann,whileGalefinallygetssomerewardforinstructingthelocalumpiresonthefinerpointsofthelegbeforelaw.

Butit’snotenough.

TheBrigandsholdout,eightdownfor148.Anhonourabledraw.

LNZ’sfailuretosecurevictoryissomewhatamelioratedbythetacticalbrillianceofskipperRichardHolden,whohadearlierintroducedacaseofchampagneduringtheteainterval.Althoughhedidn’ttaketothecreaseinthismatch,thebubblystuff(NewZealand’sfinest)wassaidtobeatributetoHolden’sstunningundefeatedknockagainstTheFatherTimeXI.However,Holdendidcauseconsternationfortheclubstatisticianbyrefusingtoconfirmordenywhetherhe’dyetbroughtuphishalf-century.

Suitablyfortified,andwiththecelebrationsalreadybehindthem,LNZwasinano-losepositionasittookthefield.

Earlier,Singleton’slonehand(57from900balls)atthetopoftheorderhelpedthevisitingKiwisrecoverfrom23/4topostarespectable181/8.RichardFish,JamesMcMullanandtheKeyes’s(fatherandson)alldepartedcheaplyonastickywicketbeforePenman(23)heldupanendforabit.Penman’splaymighthaveattractedgreaterpraisehadhenotfiredtheauthorLBWshortlyafterhimselfbeingdismissed.

Partnershipsof59(Singleton/Penman),48(Singleton/Deane)andanundefeated34(Stead/Gale),nottomentionafantasticcontributionof46byExtras,easedLNZtoapositionofsafety.

PerhapstheonlysournoteonthedaywasthesightingofSteadforungentlemanlyconduct.HispersistentchatteratsquarelegattractedtheireofBrigands’firstdropTomkins,whowasmovedtocomplain.Unsurprisingly,giventheeventsthatfollowed,Tomkinsdepartednextball,comprehensivelybowledbyGale.

Spooky.

Scoreboard   LNZCC181-7    BroadhalfpennyBrigands148-8

Batting

                   Runs   Catches

MikeSingleton     57       1

RichardFish        0

JohnMcMullan      0

RichardKeyes       4       1

JamesKeyes         2       1

TonyPenman        23

SteveDeane        13

MikeStead        21*

AaronGale         15*

MikeMcMullan      DNB

RichardHolden     DNB

Bowling

AaronGale         18-5-38-2

MikeMcMullan       9-2-24-1

SteveDeane          5-0-27-0

MikeStead           5-2-12-3

TonyPenman          5-0-21-0

RichardKeyes        3-0-12-2