A much changed AGSFP’s 3rdXI team travelled to Kemnay for the Grade 4 match at Bogbeth Park. The team which emerged from the oldest phone list in town was Johnston (c), Paul Norwood (this week’s keeper), Tim Gillies, Rahul Gopal, Abdul Khan, Shri Balasubramani, Arun Chithambaram and four FP’s, Former Players, somehow persuaded to play after an absence of 3 or 4 years, namely John Youles, Tom Murray, Andy Milne and Luigi Goval.
The weather was sunny but windy with the strong wind enabling the coin that little bit of extra drift to finally land heads up and Kemnay Kintore 2nd XI had to bat first.Abdul opened the bowling for FP’s and it took him only 7 balls to take his first wicket by bowling D. Gray for 1 and 2 balls later repeated the performance with another beautiful delivery to bowl S. MacIntyre for a duck, KK 19 – 2.
A third wicket for FP’s arrived 2 overs later when opening bowler Shri gleefully accepted a return catch from D. Reeve who scored 12 (2 × 4), KK 19 – 3. When Abdul took his 3rd wicket next over by also bowling Krugel for a duck, KK were 21 for 4 and struggling.
FP’s then brought on slow bowler Gopal in place of Abdul, but Gopal found the strong wind tricky and he was replaced by experienced Youles who bowled well, beating the bat on a couple of occassions. Batsmen G. Coe and L. West put together a good partnership of 45 runs with some good shots.Gillies had replaced Shri and made the breakthrough in his second over having Coe LBW for 18 (1 × 4), KK 66 for 5 of 17.5 overs.
Gillies struck again next over with Youles making a slip catch look easy, D. Fyffe out without scoring. But West was hitting some great cover drives off all the bowlers used by FP’s. Arul bowled 3 overs, Govil had replaced the second spell Gopal, the names very similar for the scorers when shouted in the wind, but fortunately Govil bowling left arm to help the scorers distinguish the two players. The scorers had plenty of opportunity to realise the change of bowling as the Govil over took some time.
Milne was given a bowl to test the 21st birthday party recovery, possibly too early in the weekend. Abdul returned to slow the run rate by claiming his 4th and 5th wickets, first bowling top scorer West for a well played 60 (8 × 4), then ending a handy innings from G Fowlie of 16, a 5th wicket for Abdul, all bowled! Maybe there is something in this wicket to wicket bowling?
The last KK wicket was taken by Shri, bowling Ms Gray who had shown a good straight bat. KK all out 159 off 40.5 overs.For FP’s Abdul was a stand out threatening to run through KK at the start of the innings before being prematurely replaced, bowling 11 – 2 – 27 – 5, Gillies bowled 7 – 1 – 29 – 3, Shri 9.5 – 0 – 31 – 2. After West, wides were clearly second top contributor to KK total, way too many. Norwood conceded only 2 byes in 40.4 overs.
Norwood and Gillies opened the batting for FP’s, but Gillies was out in the second over, LBW #1 without scoring. Norwood and Youles added a a quick 35 before Norwood was out sweeping, LBW#2, for 12, FP’s 38 – 2.Govil was next out, caught trying to hit over mid on to get off the mark. Gopal was then bowled by Farrow for a duck, FP’s 62 – 4.
Youles was the only batsman to find the middle of the bat and struck 3 x big 6’s before missing a straight ball, bowled for 43 (3 × 6, 3 x 4). Murray was next to go, caught at slip off Coe, then Johnston was adjudged LBW#3 for 9 (1 × 4).
Abdul was LBW#4 for a one shot innings of 6, Shri LBW#5 out for 0 and Arul LBW#6 for 2 leaving Milne not out LBW on 2, FP’s collapsing again to 93 all out. FP’s had two batsman in double figures, 6 batsmen in triple letter dismisals. Farrow ended with great figures of 7.5 – 2 – 14 – 7, another big lesson in bowling straight. G. Coe bowled 5 – 3 – 11 – 2, D. Reeve 4 – 0 – 15 – 1.
FP’s may find it difficult to field 11 players next week as 6 players have vowed never to play again without neutral umpires and their team mate umpires probably wouldn’t play either if they had recognised the hazy faces or vague body shapes of the 6 plumb batsmen who had stood 22 yards away and who had gesticulated violently as they left the middle.
Champagne Moment – Abdul’s first five-for
Man of the Match – Abdul took 5 but Farrow took 7
