Match Report: NECC vs Fazal CC


First home game of the season at last and we faced Fazal CC on the most pleasant day of the year yet with a little cloud and a strong breeze.

The ground was looking beautiful, the square having been cut and rolled thanks to the generosity of our Lifetime President and it was a stunning setting, ideal for cricket, with ducks quacking on the lake and the Crystal Palace tower watching over us.
The rain over the previous two days had made the pitch quite sticky and having won the toss, we decided to field first to make the most of the early cloud cover.
We started steadily with the ball to keep the visitors to under five runs per over on a lightening-quick outfield that gave a high return on shots, but a few dropped catches limited the wickets to just one at the halfway mark. Aside from a few loose deliveries, the bowling and fielding was much improved over last week's performance at Woodmansterne.

FCC then opened up their attack and their batsmen capitalised on their measured opening with a brilliant hundred from Ansar Ahmed which was well supported by the rest of the order who peppered mid-wicket and the long on fence. For the home team, there were several dropped catches during this second phase of the innings and the only wicket takers were Aaron, Elliot and Charlie, the latter with an outstanding contribution of 2 for 28 off his eight overs.

On this outfield, a total of 251 presented a tough but not impossible chase and we had another steady start courtesy of Jez and Sam before Sam slipped while turning back from an impossible single and getting run out. Kalp made a brisk 38 in a charmed innings but he was unable to make the most of the opportunities he had.
Luke and our debutant, Tom, took us through to drinks and another pair who were solidly on top of their work were Charlie and Aidan who umpired under a continuous barrage of Fazal CC appeals which were for absolutely everything.

At 93 for 3 after 20 overs, we were on par with the opposition’s score at the same time and Luke continued the chase, carving away four fours in the first over after drinks on his way to his first 50 for the club: a classy innings. Around Luke, however, wickets continued to fall and the required run rate got away from us. We fell short at the end by 51 runs.

Another first was Aidan’s first 6 of his career, aided by a couple of generous overthrows. Nonetheless, Aidan should celebrate it: It doesn’t matter how they come, just ask the Fazal CC batsmen as they middled quite a few off their edges.

Ultimately the better team on the day won but this was a much-improved performance overall. Had we held on to some of the the earlier chances in the field, Luke’s brilliant innings could have taken us over the line and it is for this innings that he is the player of the match - a sublime 65 at number four against a good attack on a sticky wicket.

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