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Harefield - Sunday 4th June 2006
Fortunately for LNZCC the start of June has brought with it both the start of summer and the first win of the season. On a lovely day in northwest London the 11 men of London New Zealand proved too strong for a Harefield CC team featuring LNZCC stalwart Chris Lee.
The day started promisingly with LNZCC turning up with the full complement of players before the scheduled start time, something that didn’t look likely at 3pm on Friday. The enthusiasm of those 11 players then visibly waned when the skipper was forced to tell everyone that the toss had been lost and we were required to take the field during the heat of the day on a pitch that resembled something one might see on the subcontinent rather than England in early June.
The fearsome opening attack of Penman and Reinholds started well, bowling economically and taking a couple of early wickets; Reinholds first wicket the result of a spectacular catch from debutant David Popplewell. This brought to the crease LNZCC club member Chris Lee who had several weeks previously turned down the opportunity to play the fixture for LNZCC citing unavoidable DIY issues at home. It therefore came as rather a shock for the match manager that these house issues had seemingly been miraculously resolved.
Lee batted carefully managing to compile 77 runs although he was probably helped by the skipper’s reluctance to use Doggy’s bowling nemesis from last years North South game Mike Singleton. Instead the twin spin attack of Richard Holden and Paul Christian bowled in tandem keeping the scoring rate down for a further 20 overs. Harefield finally completed their 45 overs having made 149 for 6.
Although this didn’t appear a formidable total, on a wearing pitch it could have proved a tricky target. However a useful opening partnership of 53 between Dormer and Popplewell put us on the front foot with Dormer particularly severe on any wayward bowling. Even the loss of 3 quick wickets was not enough to slow LNZCC’s momentum as another debutant Steve Bethune and skipper Foley took us through to within 20 of the target. After the loss of two more wickets, including an unlucky Bethune just 1 run short of a well deserved 50, LNZCC coasted to the target with Foley and Paul Christian at the wicket
By popular vote the player of the day prize and GBK voucher went to David Popplewell for his stunning catch, excellent all-round fielding and well compiled 19. Overall, then, it was a well deserved and comfortable win for London New Zealand against a Harefield team made up of experienced members of the 1st and 2nd teams, Doggy, and some promising youngsters. Hopefully LNZCC will go on from this result and post many more wins this year.
Scoreboard Harefield 149-6 (45 overs) LNZCC 153-5 (26 overs) LNZCC win by 5 wickets
Batting Runs Catches Stumpings Ben Dormer 28 David Popplewell 19 1 Steve Bethune 49 Mike Singleton 3 Sam Foley 35* William Maloney 1 Paul Christian 6* Tony Penman DNB Matt Reinholds DNB Andrew Swann DNB Richard Holden DNB
Bowling O M R W Tony Penman 10 2 16 2 Matt Reinholds 13 4 30 4 Richard Holden 10 0 44 0 Paul Christian 9 0 36 0 William Maloney 3 0 15 0 |
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