Hail fails to stop play! RCC 2s beat Nomads by 5 wickets

The 2nds chased down a good score set by the Nomads on a slow, sticky wicket with a calmness and inevitability that bodes well for the new season. In an engineered game that was played without too much pressure, the day was always going to be about brushing away the winter cobwebs, and in the case of the skipper, shaking off last night’s caparinas.

Both Dharmesh Vaghela (2 for 53) and Stuart Turner (1 for 42) got a stretch of overs under their belts and managed to get a little rhythm into their bowling. Turner on his RCC debut achieved the champagne moment in the game by grabbing onto a fiercely hit drive whilst diving full-stretch to stop a certain four. The batsmen, jogging through for a perfunctory run, suddenly saw the ball being hurled back to the stumps for a stunning run-out! Obviously Turner had been on the Weetabix that morning – marvellous! The pick of the RCC bowlers was probably Chad Potter (1 for 39) who bowled an excellent line outside off stump and was unlucky not to have a few more decisions go his way.

With clouds circulating in the air and showers intermittingly annoying all concerned, a sporting declaration gave RCC a fair chance of winning if they could bat well. After a good tea - that they did…

A slow start at the top of the order due to a combination of trying to gauge the pace of a difficult pitch, allied with some excellent bowling from the Nomads, left the 2nds well behind the run-rate. As a hopeful sign of matches to come, the innings was built around an excellent score of 71 by Marc Moderegger. He played each ball on its merits and managed to tough-out a difficult beginning by playing straight on a classic English early season wicket. When he had his eye-in he cut lose to reach the fantastic milestone of 2000 career runs for RCC. Congratulations Mods – very well deserved.

Moderegger was joined at the crease by Suraj Chauhan (31) and Ed Stephenson (38) who injected a sense of controlled aggression to the run-chase that inevitably did enough to see RCC home. Chauhan should be applauded for filling in as wicket keeper for 39 overs and then batting number 3. Whilst Stephenson’s floppy hat was never troubled by the return of the Nomads pace attack in the descending gloom. Generally playing straight, and putting balls on his leg-stump away with excellent timing, it was only when he tried to go across the line that the pitch got the better of Stephenson.

Having played for RCC enough times to see run-chases right royally messed-up, Stephenson and Moderegger in particular played effortlessly and skilfully, with a sense of calmness that had this observer scratching his head and wondering if he was really watching the Mighty Deers? Towards the end of the innings, with darkness, rain and even hail lashing down on the Roehampton Oval the Nomads should be congratulated for staying out in the field and allowing the game to reach its conclusion.

Overall, a pleasing match to kick off the season and one with lots of positives to build on in the coming months.

Man of the match – Marc Moderegger.

(report – H. Gunasekara)