Having snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in their previous two outings – from the final to penultimate balls no less – Hill lost the toss and were set the task of setting a total once again. With an enviable batting line up that would cause plenty of headaches (not least for the captain), surely it would be third time lucky?
Newcomen and Radcox were given the opportunity to open the innings and the first ten overs passed rather uneventfully, due to a combination of controlled bowling and the slow outfield. The former went into his T20 bag of tricks for a late dab to third man but ended up getting bowled in the process, bringing Mackay to the crease. The most in-form man in the Surrey Downs League, relieved of the burden of captaincy, hoped to make it 3 centuries on the bounce, after whetting his appetite with an unbeaten 50 on the opening day. Hill’s run machine is cricket’s equivalent to the Linda McCarthy sausage in vegan circles: a star attraction.
Hearts were briefly in mouths when his customary pull looked destined to pick out the man patrolling the midwicket boundary. In taking the catch, the fielder then stepped over the rope, handing Mackay a reprieve and a maximum to boot. Radcox – convincingly impersonating the absent Stupples – looked imperious in defence but fell shortly before drinks as Hill looked to push on with a run rate of 3.5. Much of Hill’s hopes of a strong second 20 overs hinged on the partnership of Mackay and Ransom, but the former departed LBW (note they can be given in SDL after all) for 37 in the first over following drinks, bringing Symons to the crease.
The old adage of “one brings two” rang true as Hill approached the 100 mark. Ransom was bowled around his legs for an unlucky 13 and Symons was dismissed for 8 as Hill went from 95-3 to 95-5 in a matter of deliveries. Srivastava and Subramanium also succumbed to the wily opposition, although the latter comically smashed over his own stumps when preparing to launch one into next week. Nutfield maximised the leniency afforded by no legside wides, despite some protestations at perceived ‘harsh calls’ that left the wicket keeper diving at full length to stop errant deliveries. The quickfire dismissals meant that Hill were precariously positioned at 109-7 with 7 overs remaining.
The rebuild was left to Chipperton and Rolfe: this meant lots of scurrying between the wickets and exploiting the gaps in the field could be expected, rather than clearing the ropes at will. This is exactly what transpired until Rolfe fell in the penultimate over, but with the score in the mid 130s. Jones Jnr joined the fun for the final over and Hill scraped to a respectable total of 148. A few words were exchanged as the players trudged off and battle lines were certainly drawn; the main takeaway ahead of tea was do not expect a decision in the second innings!
You can’t say we weren’t warned! Subramanium, still reeling from destroying his own stumps, toiled away in vain as his miserly spell did not see him rewarded for his industry, despite some vocal and vociferous appeals. At the other end, Jones Jnr broke the deadlock as Srivastava claimed the first of two catches after a stubborn start to the run chase. Chipperton replaced the hosts’ young seamer and claimed a scalp in his first over, getting one through the defences of the new man at the crease. A series of close calls were dismissed out of hand and a quick spell from Jones Snr paid dividends as the remaining opener chipped one up to cover.
Wickets started to fall in quick succession following Ransom’s introduction, notably with his first delivery that was lofted to mid off! He didn’t take long to get in on the act again, the biggest surprise was that it took as long as it did to claim an LBW following the odd tactic of attempting to use the pad instead of the bat to ward off the leg spinner. His third wicket was emphatic and left the stumps in disarray, as the visitors started to look down the barrel with the required rate steadily rising.
The final 4 wickets fell at regular intervals and Chipperton and Jones Snr helped themselves to a second wicket apiece. Ransom showed no signs of letting up and went on to finish with impressive figures of 5 for 4 off his 7 overs to cap a ruthless display. Hill were under no illusions that their total of 150 was defendable, but it required them to bowl and field efficiently to get the job done.
Player of the match – Sponsored by Nicholls Residential = Elliot Ransom
Park Hill Cricket Club 