SPORTING ALFAS CRICKET CLUB
SPORTING ALFAS TEACH HARROW SCHOOL A LESSON
Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Sporting Alfas 1st X1 v Harrow School C.C on Sat 10 Apr 2010 at 1pm
Sporting Alfas Cricket Club Won SACC 1st X1 245-7 Harrow School 195-10
Match report
On yet another sunny day at the Woodbridge Oval the first eleven entertained Harrow, the UKs finest all boys school. After winning the toss Alfas batted first hoping for a big score after watching the school side in a 20-20 the previous day make 164.
Spencer and Howe the opening SACC batsmen faced up to a very hostile attack from Harrow opening bowlers Pratt and Bose, the first 2 overs being maidens. Slowly but surely the SACC lads took charge, with the 50 partnership coming in just 9 overs.
In the 11 over Howe(22) hit one back at O´Bunting who took one for the lads and unluckily had to retire. Witrow came on to finish the over and Howe hit his 1st ball straight to deep cover and was caught.
Pennick joined Spencer in the middle and the pair carried on scoring at a good rate until Pennick on the unlucky for some 13 let one go through his legs and was bowled by Pearson Jones the Harrow skipper.
Crompton walked out to join Spencer and yet again looked in good form, Harrow cleverly bought back the opening bowlers and it worked a treat, Spencer(64) well beaten by Pratt, who´s second spell was as quick as any we have watched at the Oval.
Pratt also got Ur Rehman(5) and then Bose also got in on the fun having Crompton(17) caught at cover point. When Climent(8) was bowled by MacIntrye a SACC collapse looked on. Shaf ique Ali coming in at number 7 and skipper Laundon consolidated for a few overs to stem the flow of wickets until Laundon was runout in the 38th over with the score on 172.
Lupson joined Ali in the middle and the pair set about a 7 over run chase which added 73 entertaining runs, Ali finishing on 68 and Lupson 24 setting up a total of 245, not a massive total and certainly only just par on this ground.
Harrow batsmen found life in the middle a little tough as Laundon seamed the ball around and watched the ball fly of edges through to the boundry,
With 9 off the first over, a breakthrough was needed and in the 3rd over Castleman nicked one and was well taken by Climent the SACC keeper. After 9 overs Crompton was given the ball, replacing the injured Lupson, who maybe should have rested a side strain, and struck with his 3rd ball getting opening bat Patel caught by Taylor at gully.
55 for 2 from 11 overs. Cousins joined the fun but found Laundon´s bowling a bit of an handfull and nicked one through to Climent, to make the score 57 for 3 from 12.
SACC then began to take control. Wilce and White had other ideas though and took the score to 95 before White misread one from Crompton and gave Taylor his second catch of the day. Whilce still looking good belted one back at Taylor who cleverly helped it onto the stumps getting Harrow skipper Pearson Jones runout with out facing a ball. Wilce then attacked Crompton once to often, missed the ball and was stumped by Climent, and then followed by Bose´s runout, from a Lupson´s throw deep on the boundary.
The classy looking Baird spanked one at Crompton at short cover off evergreen Taylor´s bowling and Ur Rehman tempted MacIntrye to a mistimed drive which was well taken by Spencer in the slips.
With the score at 158 for 9 the game surely finished but as always cricket turns into a fantastic game, and the last pair looked to turn the game on its head, taking the score to 195 before Witrow(39) spanked Spencer into the hands of Laundon at deep mid on to end the game.
Yet another great day enjoyed by the crowd and players, thanks to Harrow for coming over and we are looking forwards to seeing you again next year.