Cavs Back to Winning Ways on Heath

Words: Harry Purnell

Remind me, when is that straight ball training starting?

Beach corner was bathed in wonderful sunshine and the Heath looked perfectly set up for an afternoon of orange-ball cricket.

The opening spell of bowling gave Stu Turner and Mark Boag plenty of opportunities to get their eye in and the openers put on a decent partnership of 45 for the first wicket. Stu can count himself unlucky to have got out to a marvellous catch, the likes of which are not often seen on a Sunday. Mark Boag pressed on with some particularly clean striking before the inevitable Roehampton collapse followed. The Cavs lost the wickets of Ejaz and Henry Desch cheaply after a bit of 'yes, no, yes, no'. Fahad steadied the ship, moving the ball around the field before being let down by Purnell Jr who made yet another start but fell to the straight ball. Both Ekaan and Purnell Sr fell for ducks, although Purnell Sr's was a shiny, gold one - that bloody straight ball again - leaving Fahad to do the hard work and see the Cavs through to a not too embarrassing score of 135 all-out.

The oppo, clearly fancying their chances chasing a smallish target, requested the match be played through and tea taken after they knocked us off in 15 overs. Had anyone asked the tea lady if she was ok with staying around until 7?!

Gerlach bowled tightly from one end, beating the bat on a number of occasions, and was rewarded with a couple of early wickets. With pressure mounting, and the top order skittled by Purnell Sr and Gerlach, Charing Cross called for tea to be taken. After a strange mid-innings tea, and with bellies full of beetroot and hummus sandwiches, Ekaan and Fahad came into the attack. Fahad teased them outside the off-stump with some tidy bowling and was unlucky not take a few more wickets. The bowlers did well to keep the wickets ticking over at one end as their keeper looked a handy bat and ended up not out. Ekaan bowled three of his victims with the lethal straight ball and made life hard for the batsmen. He made them work for their runs and celebrated in typically enthusiastic fashion after each wicket. The game was brought to a thrilling conclusion after a superb pick and throw from Purnell Jr. The unfortunate batsman was pretty quick for a 75-year-old. As I said, it was a superb bit of fielding.

Plenty of decent performances from the Cavs, although the Chairman was quick to point out that there should have been more runs given the Cavs line up. Like the best sports teams, the Cavs know how to win ugly.

MoM Ekaan Shaikh