BICKLEY PARK 4th XI v CATFORD CYPHERS 3rd XI

CATFORD AND CYPHERS WON BY 8 WICKETS

BICKLEY PARK

86 all out

CATFORD & CYPHERS CRICKET CLUB

87 for 2

The pre-match challenges of actually getting eleven men on the pitch on time were somehow overcome. I must pay a special tribute to Chris Atkinson who seemed to produce players from nowhere the way Tommy Cooper could produce rabbits from a hat. The similarity ends there! Mr cooper wasn’t trained in the finer points of the english legal system and atkinsons delivery and comedic timing leave everything to be desired ,imagine a catford cyphers fez!I digress!!!!Andy Page a Thirds player was afflicted with last minute problems with his ‘locks’ (no ,not his hair or a euphemism for something that is kept in his box!) so chris arranged for the Fourths picked Mickey Johnson to appear in the right place for the Thirds and Andy to make an appearance with Cavaliers when his locksmith arrived. To actually get on the pitch was something of a relief as was the positive change to the weather.

The author won the toss yet again (is there a special Skippers prize for the biggest Tosser?!!) and put the opposition in. My hospitable, yet corpulent opposite number seemed pleased. He was less pleased when they were 86 all out. Bickley Park put on 20 odd without loss and didn’t seem in trouble against Anil and Rajakumar. Then Anil claimed a catch down the leg side, Mickey Johnson came on from the bottom end and Catford turned the screw. Anil fully deserved his return of 5 for 19 off 15 overs. Mickey chipped in with a couple of initial wickets at the top of the order, a run out and a consolation wicket for Anthony B accounted for the rest. Our spirit in the field was excellent and the teams ground fielding was first rate.

There was never any doubt that we would get the runs easily. Para was fed with a few leg side long hops which he despatched for some big sixes and Dave Sharp the ‘not out king’ shepherded the innings home again. Anthony came in to show us what he is capable of at the death. Iqbal was unlucky to nick one behind but his runs will come.

Yash, Asim and Rajakumar, not to mention Mickey Johnson all came into the team at short notice, the former two didn’t get much of a game , their contribution may seem small but was invaluable. Rajaveen kept superbly behind the stumps. His enthusiasm is boundless and he managed a brilliant stumping off Mickey if he is not available next week he will be missed.

The Skipper has concluded that he made the right decision by choosing to insert the opposition, the conditions demanded it. It was easier to bat second. We won comfortably, it may not be pretty but we won. That is the team objective and any league victory must be greeted positively. ‘Stiffer challenges lie ahead’ I have written before.It seems we are ready to face them