Catford & Cyphers Sunday XI vs Catford Wanderers 1^st XI

Catford & Cyphers won the toss and elected to bat.

Highlights: A Ismail 114 (89 balls) A Mohamed 3/28

A fixture originally scheduled for the more picturesque climes of Knole Park, Sevenoaks, was finally destined to be played behind Homebase, Catford! For as long as I can remember, we seem to always play at Sennocke when its pouring and with the weather set fair this weekend, it was no surprise they called off. We will eventually make it down there on a sunny day!

A rather muggy day and unusually green wicket for this time of year greeted us at the home of local rivals Catford Wanderers. Fearing nothing, away captain Dave Golbey decided we needed to bat first, as it had been decided to play a timed game despite protestations coming from the direction of the away team dressing room.

The home side got off to a good start removing both openers caught behind with very little on the board. Old stalwart Brett Dolman and once in a blue moon visitor Andre Ismail played out the openers sensibly thereafter rebuilding the innings. Brett in particular initially found gaps well behind square on the off side, his 24 consisting of 5 fours. His dismissal brought to the crease one of four doctors in the side (to the anoraks in the club is that a Catford record?), Chris Levy, who played the support role sensibly as Andre began to find his feet having picked up his old favourite plank of wood for the first time in 4 years(!) punishing anything loose, and some that wasn’t. Supported by the lower middle order, he progressively upped the tempo, his innings finishing finally on a superb 114 from 89 deliveries, with 12 fours and 5 sixes. Rarely can the pavilion roof have been peppered so many times by the same batsman.

Shortly after Andre’s hundred, Dave declared just after 430, leaving us plenty of time to bowl the opposition out. Captain Golbey himself opened the bowling I think for the first time on a Sunday this season, and promptly removed their opener. Despite a couple of good partnerships, the oppo decided to gift us their wickets in a steady procession that had them bowled out for 131 inside 40 overs. Good examples of this were when Sim came on to bowl and caused hilarity when a mixture of full bungers and multiply bouncing deliveries brought him 2 for 7 off 2 overs! We will also never hear the end of Asam’s last wicket which apparently ‘pitched 2 feet outside off stump, turned square, and uprooted the leg stump’.

We now have 2 weeks before our next game to bask in the glory of another victory. Bring it on!

Rohit Pratap

7/7/3