CATFORD CYPHERS IIIs V BLACKHEATH IVs

Blackheath 244 all out after batting first

Catford 151 all out

Catford lose by 93 runs

Catford played Blackheath at the civil service sports ground in Eltham and suffered their first defeat of this season at the hands of the 3^rd placed team.

The writer anticipated that this would be a tough game and it became apparent that our opponents thought the same, and made an effort to field a strong team against us. (The resources available to the Blackheaths , Bexleys and the Gravesends will allow them to do so.)

This was not one of our best performances, we didn’t get our bowling or fielding right and we were missing a couple of stronger players. Our spirit, or lack or it, did not and cannot win games on its own. Ability and talent do have a bearing on the outcome and we must concede that we were well beaten by a better team on the day.

The wicket looked like a tricky one and the skipper chose to insert the opposition after winning the toss (its easy to be wiser after the event!).In truth the wicket was poor and guru got some success early on but our bowlers and ground fielding did not justify first use of the ball. We took wickets early on but gave away runs and failed to exert pressure. The shine came off the new ball very quickly , the aggressive middle order bats of the opposition took centre stage and batted well against some mediocre bowling and fielding. We did well to dismiss the opposition and Guru, Pagey and Para can take credit for their contributions on the day.

Our reply started pretty well, Sharpey was bowledround his legs but Para, Ro and Yash in turn fought well against some good pace bowling from Blackheath. We were up with the rate required with 3 out for 120. Following the end of the Yash/Para partnership our innings sadly capitulated. Our lower middle order onwards showed neither application nor backbone, which also was as big a disappointment to the skipper on the day.

The skipper reflects that some amongst the team were looking ahead to their post match social arrangement as opposed to concentrating on the job at hand. I will not allow such a mentality to infect our spirit and guilty parties have been duly noted.

I didn’t mind losing (it happens- that’s sport) but in a team game you collectively fight against the other team and we gave the opposition the win too easily. So on a day where we ‘lost a battle but are winning the war’ we should regroup, lick our wounds and charge ahead with our jaws set firm,chests out,”sinews stiffened” and look forward to competing for 20 points as a team on Saturday.