Grammar not good enough at Kemnay

Grammar 2nds travelled to play Kemnay-Kintore with what looked like a reasonably strong team of: Magesh Devendran, Arun Chithambaram, Chris Clelland, Guru Thanganami, Hemal Chovatiya, John Eagles, John Waldron, Kieran Whyte, Phil Whiteley, Raja Monnapillai and Shaun Mountain. 

Devendran again won the toss and is available to tutor the tossers in the first team. He invited Kemnay-Kintore to bat on a somewhat ragged track that played similarly to how it looked. Unfortunately, Grammar did not bowl well enough, nor did they field well enough, to exert much pressure on Kemnay-Kintore who generally batted well. J. Thom and Cole got them off to a brisk start, while Grammar started to drop the first of six missed chances. As it happened it was third drop lucky for J. Thom and very unlucky for Cole as the ball ricocheted off bowler Chovatiya’s hand to run him out at the non-striker’s end. Next batsman Summers was soon bowled by Whyte without scoring.

Mirashi joined J.Thom who was by then accelerating the scoring with some lusty blows, especially off the rather erratic Eagles. However, Mirashi was plum LBW to Eagles off the first ball of an over and off the last ball, following an intervening six, J.Thom also hit across the line and was adjudged LBW. The batsman was displeased, feeling that he was a long way forward, while the bowler felt that it was an accurate and sporting decision. A few hours later, Eagles was deemed to be LBW when he felt he was a long way forward and struck outside off stump- it is just possible that batsmen and bowlers see LBWs rather differently…

Devendran, the best of the Grammar bowlers, then clean bowled Holt, and Chovatiya returned to do the same to Radnall whose bat preceded him as he made for the pavilion. With Kemnay-Kintore now 98 for 6, this was the high point of the match for Grammar. But L. Thom batted well, getting very sensible support from Fowlie, this pair adding 58 before Chovatiya bowled Thom for a well made 52. Grammar then held their one (dolly) catch of the day to account for Fowlie off Devendran, B.Thom and Morrison added a few more and Kemnay-Kintore declared confidently on 178 for 8 after 42 overs. With 2 for 20 in 9 overs, Devendran’s figures were a good bit better than the other Grammar bowlers.

Grammar were optimistic that they might chase this target successfully, and Clelland and Whyte moved fluently to 32, before a good bit of fielding ran out a rather hesitant Whyte. Clelland soon followed, patting what looked like L.Thom’s slower ball to a fielder. Waldron and Eagles then attempted to consolidate, with seeing off the Thom brothers a major part of the plan, and managed to add 50 together.

Waldron began to accelerate, and with little more than 4 runs per over required, there was another brief spell of optimism. J. Thom returned to the attack and tempted Waldron into smashing a short ball to the bowler’s brother at mid-off, out for 31. Holt was bowling a mixture at the other end with some loose ones and some crackers. A great ball did for Thangamani who edged a leg cutter to be superbly caught by wicket keeper Cole. Monnapillai soon followed, caught off Holt to leave Grammar 5 wickets down.

Radnall came on to bowl and Eagles was out LBW for 25. Next to go was Mountain, bowled by Holt. Grammar’s only realistic target at this stage was draw points, the target for this being 135, and Devendran and Whiteley began to edge toward this. After hitting three fours in his 12, Devendran was caught behind the wicket. Whiteley then went for a few more shots before skying one for wicketkeeper Cole’s third catch. Chovatiya had a go before also holing out off a skier, to leave Grammar all out for 124, and Chithambaram not out 0.

This was a pretty mediocre display by Grammar with erratic bowling, poor catching and collapsing batting. Sadly, Kemnay-Kintore were better in all of these areas and Grammar will need to regroup if we hope to win promotion to Grade 2.

Man of the match: John Eagles for his patient 25, 2 wickets and the only catch which was taken by Grammar.

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