Gassers vs Slashers Match Report 4th July 2010
The sun was shinning over North London for this years’ instalment of the eternal struggle. As usual the Slashers suffered a pre-match availability crisis, tellingly just another example of the poverty of training, on this instance in giving excuses, offered under the EWTD (compare Mr Bond-Smith’s ‘I have to go shopping’ and Mr Roux’s ‘I have to help take a child to the park’ with Mr Imber’s ‘I have to take out a liver’).
On winning the toss Dr Goldsack, guest captain of the fortified Slashers this year, opted to bat first on the magnificent Southgate first team track. And it looked like a good toss to win, the Slashers racing to 70-1 after 10 overs. Rahul Patel hammered wayward bowling to the cover boundry with an exuberance only previously seen with replacement knees, and Pervez Sultan drove freely off front and back foot (and begging the question from the fielders ‘why isn’t he playing for the anaesthetists?’). Their retirement, with 30 runs each, brought the Minhas brothers to the crease. Some accurate bowling from Martin and Herson slowed the surgeons progress. Suks Minhas, playing some stylish shots, raced to 8, but was then deceived by a Mythen Snr. ‘slower one’, and was caught at cover. His brother resisted such temptation and was the third surgeon to be retired at 30. More good contributions with the bat by Muneer (10) and Goldsack (15) brought the Slashers score to a very competitive 170 from the requisite 30 overs.
Verma gloriously cut the first ball of the Gassers innings for 4, but was soon out – clean bowled by Patel. Holding reached 30 in a short, crowd bothering, innings which included the only 6 of the match (sorry Mrs Dick). Howell ground out a steady 21 before becoming the first of Muneer’s two victims, playing all round an in-dipper. Lambert (17) and Broomhead (19) made useful middle order contributions before holing out – Broomhead being spectacularly caught by Minhas S on the deep square-leg boundery – this year’s champagne moment. His demise left the Gassers a mountain to climb, still needing 70 runs from the last 10 overs, and the Slashers tasting victory. But Martin (21no) was resolute, and quietly accumulated, and when joined by a Nadal like Dick (25no), the surgeons realised that this years game was up, Martin imperiously smashing the winning runs straight back over the bowlers head.
Thanks to Lee Varney for his excellent scoring, to David Howell for sorting the pitch, all the enthusiastic supporters, and to Flo for organising the rounders.
Teams:
Slashers – Goldsack, Patel R, Minhas S, Minhas N, Muneer, S-Grey C, S-Grey Z, Harper, Sultan, Prassad
Gassers – Mythen M, Verma, Holding, Howell, Mythen P, Lambert, Sutherland-Dodds, Broomhead, Martin, Dick, Herson
