2s fall short in the heat

RCC 2s Away vs Shepperton

Words: Josh Willmott

So it turns out I didn’t write a match report last week for our dramatic loss at home to Sheen Park 2s (my heartfelt apologies to all of our avid subscribers). Maybe it was because the close nature of the defeat was just too painful for me to retell, or maybe it was because as is often the case, life just got in the way. Either way, my apologies to you, and my apologies to Rossco, who’s brilliant innings almost singlehandedly chased down Sheen’s 204, and who deserved more than a passing comment in this match report. Oh and the increasingly excellent and only (somewhat terrifyingly) 16 year old Aqib picked up his first (and guaranteed not last) senior 5 wicket haul for RCC. Alas it wasn’t to be, and we fell 2 runs short in the last over of the chase. Indeed a game that deserved more than this fleeting mention.

Alas, such is life, and as the 2s picked themselves up from that bruising defeat to travel to Shepperton on Saturday, so this writer brushes himself off to try and tell the tale of a much less dramatic game.

On a scorching hot day most of the 2s made the journey down the A3 to the picturesque ground of Shepperton CC to see if we could register our first win of the season. Unfortunately things got off to a less than ideal start when the skipper inevitably lost the toss and the 2s were put into the field. The bowlers were not impressed, and to add to the somewhat glum mood we took to the field with just 8 players with Rubin racing his way to the ground after a brief (and we think successful?) trip to York, and Umer and Surinder at this point running inexplicably, but not unsurprisingly, late ('Umer never late')

Despite the heat and the gaps in the field, Babar and Aqib opened the bowling beautifully. Almost no bad balls were bowled, and by the time we had our full compliment of 11 fielders on the park the scoreboard was respectable, no wickets down, but run rate very much in check. Neither of the opening bowlers picked up a wicket in their first spells although both deserved significantly better, and it was the late arriving Umer Munir bowling first change who provided the first and second breakthroughs. Shepperton kept building partnerships, with RCC unable to take the quick wickets required. The run rate never got out of hand with Yasir bowling his usual tight lines and a decent fielding effort restricting the run flow.
Hugh picked up a wicket in a good spell of bowling with Surinder also causing problems at the other end. But Shepperton’s strong batting line up kept the run rate ticking over waiting for the late charge. However, thanks to some good bowling and fielding all round, that late charge didn’t do the damage we had initially feared, Baber came back on to bowl his last 3 overs along with Aqib to close out the innings, with Shepperton just 5 wickets down. Within the next few overs though they were all out, Baber picking up an excellent 5 wicket haul over the space of 2 dramatic overs (good catch from Harry P and a run out in back to back balls a particular highlight). Shepperton finished their innings on 224 all out with an over left unbowled. On reflection the bowling and fielding performance from the RCC 2s was excellent. Given the heat, the bowlers didn’t bowl a single wide or no ball, 1 catch went down but otherwise the commitment and level of fielding was largely very good. And we thought at the break we had kept Shepperton to a very chaseable score.

It transpired during the break that part of the reason Umer and Surinder were late was something to do with a lot of delicious home made samosas, so whilst we tucked into those in the shade those early overs with only 8 fielders on the park was all but forgotten.

Sacha and Josh strode to the crease looking to get the 2s off to a good start in pursuit of the runs. Alas, as has often been the case this year, that didn’t happen. Both were back in the shed early and were soon followed by Hugh, who fell to a bit of a wonder catch and Surinder. Harry Purnell watched on from the other end as the well travelled Rubin fell cheaply too, leaving the 2s staring down the barrel at 38-5. A good partnership between Harry and Stu Allen started to bring the 2s back into the game, both playing strong shots to the rope and rotating the strike well. Shepperton’s change bowlers slowed the scoring, with Harry falling soon after playing a cross a straight one, and was quickly followed back by the hard swinging Baber. Yasir kept Stu company at the crease as they took the score past 100. With the run rate rising dramatically RCC went in search of batting bonus points. Stu Allen eventually finished on a very well made 52 not out, and the 2s finishing on 142 all out with Aqib the last man to go.

On paper a fairly heavy loss, and in reality a loss down to a fundamental lack of runs from the RCC batsman. An excellent innings from Stu Allen helped to reduce the deficit of defeat but four scores of 4 or lower from the top 6 will make chasing any score pretty tricky.

Kudos to Baber for his 5fer and Stu for his 50 (I won’t go into the detail of the innings, he’ll do that next time you see him, whether you know him or not, whether you ask him or not and whether you’re interested or not) and the 2s move on to a home game against Teddington next week, continuing the search for that elusive first win.