Putney Cricket Club
The Pavilion
Lower Richmond Road,
Putney,
London
SW15 1JF
Thanks to Matt for this match report
Winning in the drizzle!
After last week’s tour to Paris and mini-tour to Barton Seagrave, Graces travelled to our regular fixture to our good friends at Putney, ensuring another year passed with cricket being played in October in this 35-over match.
In chilly and overcast conditions, with later rain forecast, Graces won the toss and elected to bat. A good decision given that all 11 players were more the handy with the willow!
Skipper Matt entrusted Adam, fresh from his first fifty in Paris, and Henry to open the batting. However, given a spongey and soft surface and outfield, batting was not easy early doors. Russell and Smith providing great early overs for Putney, restricting runs to a bare minimum.
In fact, 26 dot balls came inside the opening five overs and only a couple of wides and mainly singles getting on the board. With runs being scarce, Henry tried to go aerial, resulting in a chip off Smith to a fielder to depart for 3. Shumail was the next batter and tried to follow Henry’s thoughts immediately, being rather fortuitously dropped second ball. The very next over saw Putney claim their second wicket as Adam was the next to depart caught.
Kosala was in at 4 and could only watch as Shumail again got lucky with his choice of fielders. After 9 overs, the run rate had finally breached two-an-over. Shumail was able to get a couple of shots away and was starting to get some much-needed runs. Russell was replaced by the slow bowling of Briggs, which worked immediately as Shumail, fresh from dispatching Briggs’s second ball for six, then skied one to be caught two balls later.
When Kosala snicked off to Smith in the following over, Graces were suddenly 43/4 and in much need of a partnership. The partnership would come from Mendis and Mahender, the latter of whom comically failed to arrive without any of his playing clothing!. The two members of the ‘M’ people pushed the
anti back to the hosts with a flurry of attacking shots off the slow bowlers. A three over period either side of drinks brought 41 valuable runs with a range of superb hits down the ground from Mendis and bludgeoning legside power shots from Mahender. Graces had found themselves massively back in the game.
Keen to keep the run rate climbing, the pair also pushed an aggressive tempo the running, limiting the number of dot balls as the partnership continued to grow. Just as thoughts were beginning towards a half century for either player, Mahender received a ball that stuck into the surface, kept low and clattered into the bottom half of stumps to remove him for a much- needed 41 from 33 balls. Young Konnor was the next in and tried to continue pushing the
run rate, comfortable in attempt big shots and reverses but couldn’t find enough elevation before being caught and bowled to Benson.
Now it was Mendis senior and junior at the crease as Leeno supported his dad’s charge on the innings. Again helped with some confident calling from the senior player, the runs continued coming. The frustration from Putney became evident when a four overthrows brought Mendis to his fifty! However, soon after, it would be one shot too many for Mendis, being stumped off Sayer’s bowling for a top-scoring 56 and Graces 166/7.
Patrick was in at 9 and unfortunately only lasted three balls, being bowled by Sayer. With skipper Matt still mid padding up, he asked Mark to make a slow walk to the crease and certainly meant to the crease, not back from the crease as Mark became Sayer’s third wicket of the over, pushing the ball straight back to the bowler.
Matt, batting himself at 11 in the only position he had yet to feature this season, negotiated the hat trick ball and set about the final two overs with Leeno. Having then hit a over drive for four, followed two balls later by another boundary, the opposition quickly realised that this was not a regular number 11 and would have to stay awake. They duly did as in the final over, attempting a quick two to keep Matt on strike, Leeno was run out for a good supporting
knock of 18, with Matt the not out batter with 14 from 8. A final score of 182 seemed highly competitive.
After tea, which featured delicious cupcakes from Karen, Graces set about defending the target, knowing that having so many slow bowling options could work in the favour. As the clouds grew darker and the light was starting to fade, Mendis and Mahender took the new pink ball. Similarly to Graces, it seemed hard to get the ball away early doors, but opener Ross had good enough power to force the ball above the infield to get the score started for
Putney. However, his partner Robbie was not so successful, with Mendis bowling him for 4.
After a couple of overs of consolidation, Graces picked up three quick wickets. Ross’s resistance was ended, bowled for 29. Manish was stumped by Adam from Mahender’s bowling and then Shumail bowled Sam in his first over to leave Putney reeling at 49/4, although not too dissimilar to where Graces were.
Mark provided support to Shumail at the other end and was unlucky on a couple of occasions as the boundary was hit, forcing a fielding change, only for the ball to then go exactly where the fielder was. Henry in particular the unlucky fielder getting his steps in for the day. It was Adam and Seb for the hosts who were forcing themselves back into the game with a strong fifty partnership to take Putney to 103, only for their hard work to be undone on
the last ball before drinks, with Mark grateful for Mendis to eventually cling on to a four time juggled pirouette catch at cover.
Matt brought himself on straight after drinks and took a wicket in his first over, with Mahender taking a good catch at deep mid off. But Putney weren’t going down without a fight as the misty drizzle brought dampness and even darker light to the game. With Matt economically holding up one end, Leeno was brought on at the other. Dangerman Seb, still in from the rebuilding partnership was still causing concern for Graces, which were then eased as Matt managed to spin the ball just enough when Seb shouldered arms, to clip the very outside of off stump to dislodge one bail. It left the final three wickets to score 60 from the final 10 overs.
Continuing the trend of every bowler taking a wicket, Leeno bowled Cameron for 4. The final bowling change saw Konnor, a keeper by trade, turn his arm over. He was thankful to Adam’s stumping to give him his first Graces wicket, quickly followed by his second to end the game, a bowled wicket, to give Graces a 24-run victory to end the season. A big thanks to Putney for getting the game on so late in the season and for providing very competitive opposition. Graces player can now begin their annual hibernation until the Lords nets in the early Spring.
Matt