Mallards penultimate game of the season saw us play our old friends Riding Mill at you’ve guessed Riding Mill CC. The rain from last week had injected a flash of green here and there into the outfield and the sun provided a pleasant warmth despite a moderate and coolish breeze from the south west. Liaquat, our captain for tonight strode out into the middle and then strode back proclaiming we would bat and bat we did. Ankush and Matt Gregory, started positively, punishing the bad ball whilst defending resolutely against the good and pushed the score onto 14 before Mr Gregory called a risky single. Mr Kumar scampered down the wicket as quickly as his legs would carry him but it was to no avail, the stumps were down and batsman No. 2 trudged off using industrial language that would make a docker blush. Hamid Malik was the next batsman in, and after a brief but entertaining cameo was outfoxed and bowled by J Bennett Jnr for 9 valuable runs. Batsmen then came and went, Matt Gregory was bowled by Vlad for 8. Ryan Tinsdale hit a ball high into the air but unfortunately it came back down to earth and there was Riding Mill fielder J Brown waiting for it damn him. Jamie Park played out 3 dot balls before saying enough is enough and swiping a ball to point and Guna Sundar hit a ball so sweetly and so far that it cleared the field of play. Liaquat Latif was despatched by the treacherous Sai (playing for the opposition) who has developed a new ball in his armoury, the slingy side arm chuck. Slightly younger brother Khalid Latif and Peter Bell formed the final batting partnership and entertained the crowd with two boundaries, excellent running and rapier like wit between balls to end the score on 73 from 16 overs
So 73 runs to defend not huge but we’ll give it a go. Mallards took to the field. Tony Cleaver got proceedings off to a flyer. After conceding a couple of boundaries he got a ball to nip back through the gate and remove one of the openers Alistair Hall’s middle stump. Peter Bell bowled well at the other end but to no avail. Tony took a second wicket and ended with figures of 3-0-32-2. First change was Liaquat and Simon Holland who both bowled a number of good deliveries resulting in catches by Ryan Tinsdale but it wasn’t enough to stem the flow and Riding Mill reached the required score within 9 overs.
An early finish meant there was time for a refreshing drink in the club house to accompany pakoras and samosas brought by the Mallards stand in Captain for the night. Liaquat also raised a toast to Peter Nitsch as the light faded which brought an end to an enjoyable evening
-PB