A full XI smiling sat outside the pub on a balmy summer’s evening, the picnic benches weighed down by a team full of happy cricketers and pint glasses filled with beer, fanta and other assorted beverages. What calls for such a fine occasion? A romping victory full of great fielding, bowling and batting over Kings School Old Boys no less.
Mallards lost the toss and were made to field underneath the shadow of the rather lovely looking St Gabriel’s Church (built in stages from 1896 and 1931 and funded by good ol’ Lord Armstrong. Somewhat notable is the fact it’s not cruciform in shape, the original site of the church was too small to allow for these expansions) were off to a good start and some nifty fielding on display. Restricting the opposition to a sub-30 score through the first 5 overs with a combination of D. Cox’s relentless line and length & A. Kumar’s tricky spin bowling, of which your match reporter had a lovely view of from mid off.
Despite losing an early wicket KSOB were able to build up through the middle of the 18 over innings, reaching a score of 77 in 12 overs before losing their second wicket to a stumping from a cat-like C. McCaffrey behind the sticks. The first of two in the evening.
After the retirements of numbers 1 and 3 batsmen, the runs dried up for King’s and they set Mallards a respectable, but achievable 99 to go and chase. Chase it they did.
Despite a very strong start from opening bowler Usman, collecting the wickets of openers M. Gregory & A. Kumar for a total of 8 runs, the middle order of Mallards managed to pile on the runs: D. Cox (17), A. Rathinam (ret. 31) and Special K. Latif (5) setting the stage for a remarkable Skipper’s knock to bring the game home.
Feeling the maw of defeat opening behind them, opening bowling Usman was unleashed for one final over at the tail. Fielders crossed fingers hoping for a breakthrough that might give them the edge they needed to cling onto 13 runs from the last three overs. Instead they were met with M. Buckley striking the ball with great vengeance and furious anger as he hauled 15 runs from his last 8 balls to see his team over the line.
In the midst of all of this drama L. Latif also contributed at a strike rate of 400, though debate raged afterwards as to how much he meant for the ball to reach the boundary with his self defensive swing of the bat.
One of the performances of the season, and one of the turnouts of the season at the Northumberland Hussar on the wonderfully named Sackville Road in Heaton.
-JS