End of season dinner
Clear your diaries for Grace’s end of season/Christmas get together on Saturday 10th December. It’s upstairs at Charlie Wrights pub close to Old Street – 45 Pitfield Street N1 6DA.
It’s 7.30 for 8pm – come along and say hi!
LGBT History Month
LGBT History Month
Grace’s have been invited to take part in this year’s LGBT sport history month at the Oval. We will have a stall so come along and say hi!
There will be seminars throughout the day and the culture secretary will be there to give a speech about advances in inclusiveness of the LGBT in sports.
Our club president – Bob Ballard – will be co-hosting the evening events.
Here\’s a link – http://lgbthistorymonth.org.uk/
Ploughmans – Lost by 101 runs
Grace's trounced!
This final game of the season was switched to Boston Manor after Gunnersbury Park was declared unfit due to the week’s heavy rain.
Dom continued his fine 100% toss winning record and opted to bowl on a damp and muddy wicket – the square had certainly deteriorated since our last visit to this ground a couple of seasons ago.
The start was delayed due to a brief shower – Ploughman’s opening pair then batted very diligently, defending when necessary and punishing any loose deliveries. The pitch unexpectedly behaved itself and by the 20th over the score was almost 100. A big total looked on the cards. After drinks however the opening pair departed soon after each other , the first wicket falling at 93.
Dom had opted for spin and suddenly the runs dried up and wickets began to fall regularly – Manish and Anosh took 3 wickets between them and Abhi took 3 wickets with his accurate slow/medium pace. It was a completely different game with Ploughman’s reaching 160 for 8 after 40 overs , the last 20 overs yielding only 50 odd runs.
After tea Grace’s were soon in trouble after Ploughman’s opted for opening with a spinner (having noted how this had previously dramatically brought the run rate down) He soon bowled Ragbir trying to half volley a well pitched up delivery. Abhi then scored a quick 20 before being tempted to sweep the spinner and being bowled. He was the only batsman to reach double figures apart from extras! When Mendis was out second ball LBW to the spinner we were 28/3 and in trouble.
We simply did not learn from our mistakes as batsman after batsman fell to poor shots – the pitch belatedly started to misbehave but it can’t be blamed for all our woes!
To their credit Ploughman’s bowled well and simply let us play into their hands – we were finally all out for 59 – losing by 101 runs.
It was a bit of a damp quib end to the season but something we have to learn from when we encounter a similar pitch in future.
Beddington – Lost by 4 runs
Beddington CC 173 all out in 39.5 overs. Grace’s CC 169 all out in 39.2 overs.
Grimsdyke – Won by 4 wickets
Run Chase
24rd July 2011 v Grimsdyke CC at the Wilf Slack memorial ground Finchley – Grimsdyke 199/4 Grace’s 200/6 – won by 4 wickets.
A glorious Sunday afternoon saw us take the field against new opposition – the toss was won (again) and the oppo invited to bat. On a true surface wickets proved hard to come by and the first wicket didn’t fall until the score was 84. The second wasn’t until 143. Some sharp catching chances were not held and Grimsdyke continued to accumulate runs. Some controlled bowling over the last few overs saw the score contained to 199 for 4 off 40 overs. The highlight was a great piece of fielding at mid off by Richard B which resulted in a run out.
After tea Abhi opened and batted aggresively for a quick 28 before being bowled. Dom came in at 3 and patiently saw the good balls off. He and Neil put on 35 for the 3rd wicket before Neil fell LBW for 18. This brought Richard B to the wicket and he and Dom started to get their eye in putting bat to ball. A highly entertaining partnership saw the ball begin to disappear to all parts of the field as the batsman took a liking to the flat wicket.
Grimsdyke tried rotating the bowling but the partnership was well set with both batsmen accelerating into the 40s. Richard was first to 50 (off 46 deliveries) before being caught to a juggling catch in the deep. The 4th wicket put on 88 runs. Dom soon reached his 50 and carried on the destruction with support from Richard G.
A catch in the deep finally ended Dom’s personal best innings for 75 by which time he had carried Grace’s to the brink of victory. Hemang managed to get run out without facing a ball before Anosh hit the winning runs.
So a great confidence boosting win against evenly matched opposition. Grace’s batsmen will hope to come across a similar surface unlike the bowlers! It’s hoped to repeat the fixture next season
Teddington – Lost by 7 runs
LBW contoversy!
The match report is courtesy of Ramesh
Teddington CC 131 all out – 28 overs – Grace’s CC 124 all out – 29 overs – lost by 7 runs
A slight drizzle delayed the start of the match and both sides agreed it will be a 35 over each fixture. For the second time in a row Grace’s lost the toss and quite surprisingly were asked to bowl first on a cloudy afternoon and on a battered wicket (the same pitch was being used for few matches in a row) with one side of the boundary being twice the length than the other side.
Hemang opened the bowling with a maiden in contrast Ramesh couldn’t repeat his last match’s performance with erratic length in which couple of beamers were served. He repeatedly bowled a few full tosses which luckily didn’t cross the boundary. Hemang stuck to the basics and was rewarded with a wicket in the first few overs. Manish Raj duly replaced Ramesh and took no time to serve up a yorker which uprooted the opener’s stumps. All this while they both kept a tight line and length, until one of the batsman decided to free his arms and swung Manish Raj for couple of sixes and a four in one over.
There was a double change in the bowling with Manish Modi and Mendis brought into attack. Mendis took no time to get into the groove by picking up the wicket of the danger man for 31 leaving Teddington 71/4. Mendis was warmly welcomed back to the club after a long absence. He bowled with wile and picked up another wicket which brought a talented colt who batted sensibly with his senior partner and started to build a partnership. Dominic turned to Richard B who was on a hat-trick from the last match and almost got one only for Abhishek to drop a dolly in the covers. After a few quiet overs the partnership was broken by Richard B to bring a new batsman along with Hemang who was sidelined rolling his ankle while trying to stop the ball on the boundary. He was hidden in the slips but only for the first ball to follow him and he gleefully accepted the offering. Abhishek and Manish Modi picked up a wicket each giving Richard B an opportunity to finish off the one man short opposition and he did it by picking up the last two wickets in two balls, exactly the way he finished the last match. So, Richard B still has one more chance to go for the glory.
The rain re-visited the fields briefly delaying Grace’s innings. Dominic and Abhishek started the chase of 132 with caution as the ball swung at an alarming rate. Abhishek’s innings was prematurely cut short by ECB approved home team umpire when he managed to hear a nick when the ball clearly hit his thigh pad. Jonathan was the next man in. He batted with the same determination from the last match and he hit couple of well timed boundaries. Dominic and Jonathan both got out in space of few deliveries that brought the classy Mendis to the crease. He started showing no signs of a man who is short of match practice with few delicate late cuts and drives while Kalyan tonked a couple of boundaries with authority. Mendis was adjudged LBW by the controversial home umpire and Mendis didn’t hide his displeasure. And from then on there was a procession of wickets which were mostly going down to leg befores adjudged by the same man.
Manish Modi and Richard B started to rebuild the innings by making sure the ball didn’t touch the pads even accidentally in order to survive. It was a case of survival against the umpire rather than against the bowlers. They both showed the purpose of guarding the wicket and treating a bad ball as it should be treated. When Richard B returned to the pavilion for once not because of LBW. Grace’s needed 15 runs in 7 overs with 3 wickets left. But the ever reliable tail didn’t last long as the last three batsmen perished to LBW leaving Grace’s 8 runs short of what would have been a hard fought victory.
Overall it was a helter skelter day with the rain intervening and the ECB approved umpire forgetting how many balls maketh an over and not knowing how a Leg Before Wicket should be defined. Umpiring aside unfortunately we seem to be getting back to our old habit of dropping catches which we must put an end or minimise so that we won’t be left wondering WHAT IF……..
Jonathan adds – after walking past deer on the way to the ground the game turned out to be just as strange. We watched as a procession of thunder storms somehow avoided us. Definitely a few controversial umpiring decisions went against us but we should have reached the modest target easily on a lovely flat track. Checking the website of our original opposition ,Washington, ironically their game was rained off! So we did really well to get a game in.
FCO – Won by 125 runs
Back to winning ways
The match report is courtesy of Ramesh
On a cloudy Saturday afternoon and on one of the best grounds, Graces started the proceedings after losing the toss and were put into bat. Openers Dominic and Jonathan played cautiously as the both opening bowlers started to swing the ball at considerable amount. Unfortunately Dominic fell to a lovely out swinger. Abhishek joined the determined Jonathan and they started to open up once the bowlers erred their line and lengths. Jonathan was particularly impressive with his solid defence and shot making. After a solid partnership they both fell in the space of few overs. That brought the brittle middle order into play which couldn’t make up for lack of runs in their previous innings and Graces were in their familiar position of 97/6 at drinks.
Manish Modi who has arrived straight from work and even had very little time to pad up was in the middle with his usual defence and elegant left-handed drives. He was joined by Mr. Dependable Richard B to get the innings onto tracks and so they did by some solid hits to the boundary thus maintaining the run-rate. After an entertaining partnership they both fell in succession in search of quick runs in the death overs. The tail wagged as it has been doing for the whole season with some power hits and quick running between the wickets, and Graces reached a very defendable 183
Graces started their defence under the sunny skies, quite a contrast to start of the match. Ramesh started the innings with lively pace and swing and his three wickets inside 12 overs made sure the opposition never got to a decent start. Hemang bowled with tight line and length and ensured the run rate was well below the asking. Manish produced some magic with his spinners and picked up 3/14 and made sure not to waste the good start by the opening bowlers. He and other bowlers kept the runs in check with the fielders pumped up, result – determined ground fielding and auspicious catching. By the time of drinks FCO were down and out with only two wickets left for a petit score of 58. Richard B started the post-drinks session with two wickets in two balls ensuring an early end and jubilant mood with the team.
It was a solid team effort with very much improved showing in the ground fielding and especially catching, lack of these two in the past led us to few certain victories into defeats. But the main worry is lack of spine in the middle order. Hope we do produce the same effort in the field and middle order batting come good in the future.
TriNortherners – Lost by 49 runs
Wagging tails
This was a game of wagging tails – sadly TriNortheners wagged more than Grace’s!
The toss was won (again) on a lovely afternoon and the oppo inserted. A dream start followed with TriNortheners in trouble on 5 for 3 wickets – Manish taking a sharp catch at square leg.
Their middle order then consolidated punishing anything wayward – a couple of dropped catched didn’t help our cause but wickets were taken regularly leaving them 122 – 7 (including a smart stop at mid-off by Richard leading to a runout)
Their number 8 then tweaked his hamstring and batted on with a runner – unfortunately this seemed to help his concentration and he went on to make an unbeaten 49 taking them to a total of 210.
After tea Grace’s started badly with Abhi bowled for zero – our innings never got going after this – a middle order partnership was needed but we struggled to 91 for 8. Richard then followed up his great run out with a determined and patient innings ending on 40 not out taking us to a respectable 161 all out. Hemang and Manish gave good support.
TriNortheners felt confident enough to give a bowl to one of their definitley part-time bowlers who then bowled 10 wides in his solitary over!
So again our focus is on our batting – we need to follow Richard’s example – and also in killing off innings.
EBRD – Lost by 5 wickets
Short of runs!
After what seemed like a very long break our season resumed at Greenford against new opposition.
Grace’s chose to bat after winning the toss on what was the hottest day of the year so far. The wicket proved to still be very soft after an overnight soaking and runs were hard to come by as EBRD found their line and length.
A bowling change saw 2 quick wickets and when this was followed by a fantasic one handed catch on the boundary Grace’s were struggling at 35 for 3. Gordie and Richard Goatman then played aggressively adding some quick boundaries before Richard was bowled by a 2 bouncer!
After Gordie holed out for 27 we struggled to get any impetus and a combination of loose shots and some accurate bowling saw us all out for 87.
We followed EBRDs example with some accurate bowling but time was on their side and anything loose was put away on the dryng wicket.
Richard deserves a mention for outstanding bowling figures of 4 overs 3 maidens 1 run for 1wicket!
Abhi took two late wickets to give the score line some respectibility but more concentration with our batting is in order for next week!