Hornsey Cricket Club

North Middlesex CC vs Hornsey CC - Sunday Development League

Hornsey 241- 4 (40 overs)
North Middlesex 168 - 9 (40 overs)
Hornsey won by 73 runs

A comfortable win underpinned by our highest total this season saw Sunday's development X1 produce the goods in a run away win at North Middlesex. In Jaz Cable's first game as skipper he couldn't do anything wrong having not done anything at all, simply captaining the side with poise and purpose. First games of the season for Phil Holbrook and Al Thomas as seniors added experience to the side while the youth provided with the ball with 7 wickets between Oscar Wood and Jack Stevens. Having dominated two innings, first with the bat, second with the ball and all split by the best tea we've had while at Hornsey, it added to a great day.

Having won the toss Jaz elected to bat on a good wicket. Most of whom have played at North Mid would be used to either playing at the top or bottom ends of the ground, however, being the only fixture it allowed us to play on the 1st and 2nd X1 square. This provided bigger boundaries and the prospect of running twos and threes at North Mid. With that in mind our innings started well With Jack opening with Alistair. Runs flew off Alistair's bat with increasing frequency as the bowler became frustrated. By the time Alistair departed for a valuable 28, we were on 41 and with Rob Devenney next to the crease a big total was potentially imminent. Rob and Jack complimented each other well as both rotated the strike and punished the bad ball. The two managed to put on 85 for the second wicket with Jack departing for a “far too text book” for Nii, 56. With Nii having talked the talk he duly obliged and walked the walk by hitting 41 for the second week in a row in very quick time. All spectators managed to witness Nii's golf swing in fine fashion. Rob and Nii hit 50 between them before Rob departed four short of his maiden 50 however recorded a personal best score of 46. The torment didn't end there as Tom Ralston and Liam Baker, fresh from 71 not out the previous day both recorded 23 and 27 not out to finish our innings in a flurry of boundaries to end at 241 - 4.

Walking out to bowl with stomachs full to capacity, we set out in defense of our total of 241. No wickets were taken exceptionally early however Nii's figures of 6-3-11-0 meant he went at under two an over which really tied up one end. Keith then reaped the rewards of Nii's pressure and with advice from our bowling coach (Brody Fulton) he took two wickets knocking off stump out the ground both times. This triggered him to turn around and point towards Brody in recognition. With the North Mid innings now beginning to falter, Jaz brought on Oscar Wood and Jack Stevens which proved the decisive move. With Oscar finishing with 8-0-34-4 and Jack with 8-1-36-3, both showed what they have to offer and ensured North Mid never got anywhere near our total. Liam and Rob came on to bowl at the death but with 9 wickets down and one adult at the crease the task proved too much and we finished very much the happier side.

North London next week will again be a tough game but let's ensure we get back for our loss two weeks ago, and really stamp our mark by getting to the final.

-- Jack Goldberg

Hornsey U10 vs Sheen Park U10 - Gubby Allen Final 2010, Lord's

Sheen Park 89-2 (net runs 79)
Hornsey 70-9 (net runs 35)
Sheen Park won by 44 runs

A very disappointing day for Hornsey U10s, who had played fantastically well to reach the final of the County U10 Cup at Lord's. It was hoped that Hornsey would repeat last year's success but they came across a highly polished Sheen Park side and then gave their poorest performance of the season. All teams at this age group can have a “bad day at the office” and it's unfortunate that this happened on the day of the final. This cannot deflect from the achievement of reaching the final in the first place, for which the players and coaches should be congratulated. Danny Smith, Ben Waine and Ton Blackshaw put in good performances in the final. Sheen Park were exceptional opponents and deserved winners.

-- Johnny Bruce

Wembley I vs Hornsey I

Hornsey 193-9 (53 overs; Garfield Struthers 55)
Wembley 194-9 (46.3 overs)
Wembley won by one wicket

Wembley successfully chased 194, with their nineteen year old number three batsman scoring an unbeaten 105 to hand us a sickening last over defeat, given how close we came to victory at the end of a difficult week. That said, the news that Mrs Patel's condition had stabilised took the edge off any complaints of misfortune over umpiring decisions, sticky wickets or enforced changes. In a game decided by the most slender of margins we returned home with regrets over all three matters, but also over our own lack of control with the ball.

Having lost the toss we were asked to bat first on a pitch which began to noticeably deteriorate from around the tenth over. Garfield Struthers responded positively to his promotion to opening duties, but we lost Dee Makwana (5) and Jaz Cable (0) to slip catches off consecutive balls to set us back on 26-2. Paul Weekes duly came in and played with his usual authority but apart from a top edged six over square leg he was faced with a hard grind against a disciplined home attack - they had the common sense and the accuracy to keep a tight line and let the pitch do the rest of the work. It led to some grisly but admirable batting, with our third wicket stand of 67 a fair achievement on a wicket starting to spit around. Garfield can be particularly proud of his half-century, for which he sacrificed the trademark fluency of his start in order to knuckle down on the demanding track, before falling caught behind on 55. A few overs later we lost Alex Burrows (8) and Weekesy (35) within three balls, both to spooned catches as the uneven bounce started to play havoc with our middle order.

Each recognising that a ball with their name on it was lurking round the corner, Marty Tucker (20), Dean Collings (13), Ian Gregory (13*) and Joel (17* off five balls) all counter attacked with abandon, in sharp contrast to James Fleming's 7 from 36 balls. Finally satisfied with 193-9 overs, we declared with the confidence that we had made a good score on a minefield. Indeed we had, but we didn't get the opportunity to test out the home side in the same conditions, as they brought out the heavy roller during tea and exorcised most of the demons from the wicket. Joel took both of their openers cheaply (a caught and bowled followed by a leg before decision) but other than those two quick strikes we gave away too many soft runs through lax fielding and unfocussed bowling, trying too hard to bowl magic balls or to find any remnants of inconsistency in the wicket. Wembley's number three had already scored a clutch of punishing boundaries, and their third wicket put on 51 in ten overs at well over the required run rate until Ian's self-introduction had their well set Australian number four LBW for 24 playing an overambitious sweep. But Ian's celebrations proved fleeting as the number three savaged his third over for 18 runs to bring up his half-century. Yet no sooner had this occurred then Weekesy had their captain and talisman (who scored 87* in their victory at Tivoli Road this season) caught by Marty Tucker at bat pad for just one.

At 107-4 it felt as though matters were just turning in our favour, but we couldn't capture the critical wicket of the blazing number three. Dean had an adamant appeal for a bat-pad catch against the young dangerman waved away with the batsman on 60, before using his drift to trick their number six out of his crease and provide Alex Scrini with a clinical stumping. Weekesy had another two in quick succession, first another bat-pad catch for Marty before trapping their number eight adjacent to take the score to 147-7 off 34 overs. Alas, just as we appeared to have wrestled our way on top we continued to self-sabotage with too many loose deliveries, as their eighth wicket stand pieced together a game-changing 27 runs with their number nine gnawing away for 12 before Dean had him leg before. Needing twenty runs from their last two wickets, Wembley scored a dozen before Ian snaffled their number ten at short leg off Dean – the very next delivery their number eleven was rapped low on the pad having inexplicably chosen to leave Dean's armball; but equally inexplicably the umpire decided to leave his finger in his pocket. After a maiden from Weekesy (3-38 from 16 overs, easily our tightest figures) the final over came down to Dean against the number three, on 98*. It was very much a case of who would make the first mistake, and sadly Dean's second ball slipped out of his fingers to be belted for six, an appropriately spectacular manner to reach an immense hundred. The following ball was swiped away for the winning runs, duly opening up the race for promotion. For all the disappointment of the defeat, matters are still very much in our hands, and with our fellow table toppers Highgate visiting on Saturday we have a huge incentive to take out our frustrations and re-establish ourselves as undisputed league leaders.

Bessborough II vs Hornsey II

Bessborough 202-9 declared off 50 overs
Hornsey 184 all out off 38.4 overs
Bessborough won by 18 runs

A disastrous performance against bottom of the table Bessborough, where Hornsey failed to execute any of their game plan to the standards they themselves have set. We should have been chasing 170, we ended up chasing 202. We should have chased 202 anyway but didn't.

-- Johnny Bruce

Teddington III vs Hornsey III

Hornsey 173 all out (40 overs)
Teddington 174-7 (40 overs)
Teddington won by 4 wickets

Ten points sat up and begged to go home with the 3s on Saturday, but we managed to leave them all in Bushey Park, Teddington and kept the Hornsey III losing streak intact. Batting was the culprit once again as we were put in on a benign track against some pretty ordinary looking bowling. Openers Disco and Steve Fuller were looking in no trouble until Disco played all round the ball having launched one for six the ball previously. Greg Jansz then got trapped lbw before he got going. There then followed a series of batting suicides made all the more frustrating as so many of us appeared to be going well. Steve was run out by indecision, Scott skied one, Alastair didn't get in, neither did Joe, Blake got in and holed out, Tim got bowled... it went on until we were all out for 173 and with a scandalous failure to use up the overs (again).

We're certainly not getting rolled by this kind of thing, though - however difficult it makes it to get anything out of the game. A spoonful of grit for tea and a determined effort in the field saw us get reasonably close (given the 75-runs-short & 10-over-donation-to-the-opposition thing). Blake Bowden and Paul Groneveld opened the bowling well and generated considerably more life from the pitch than Teddington had. Picking up two wickets each (including a rare headed catch from John Barnes in the slips), Teddington were looking less than comfortable. Keith Michael then picked up the baton with an excellent 3-for at the end. But no cigar - and the need for points gets ever more urgent.

-- Steve Fuller

Hornsey IV vs Highgate IV

Hornsey 175 all out
Highgate 115(ish) all out
Hornsey won by some wickets

Vintage Hornsey: ad hoc team including an 'all forms of cricket' debutant, no bails, late start, a stand-in captain (combining child care with adjusting the field) but a powerful fielding performance that had Highgate spluttering on their cigarettes.

Honestly our 175 looked 50 odd below competitive on a hard flat pitch, but we were glad of this many after we had stumpled to 50 for 4 after an outbreak of swishing at slow yorkers. Raj Patel and Liam Baker then put on 80 between them without running a 2 in the whole partnership. When Raj fell for 40+ Liam pressed on despite serious attrition at the other end, finishing on 65ish.

In the field, Oscar and Liam bowled sharply and to a plan, enough that Highgate didn't fancy it much, a couple of wickets in the first 10 overs. But then Dipak Palmer lit the fuse from mid-on. He gave a good impression of having dozed off on his feet, invited the short single to his deep position and then gathered and threw down the middle stump at the non-striker's end leaving Highgate's finest in the wrong post-code. Big Freddie at the Oval last August is the image I want to convey!

At then Highgate fell apart to the devastating lack of pace of Raj and Ivan. Off spin rattled up the wickets. No dramas - catches were taken. The main issue was the debate wish was faster, Ivan's stock 'old school' flighted ball or the lob back from the keeper? Those of you who played against John Capps for years - believe me ' he had wheels' in comparision. Far to tempting for Highgate. Hornsey new face Sammy, negociated a bowl with 6 down and promptly took two wickets in his first over. Last wicket provided some resistance as I over attacked but as soon as we sorted the field, Ivan finished the job.

Great fun, a first league win and a highly competent performance. Special mention to Raj and Liam for their runs and his wickets, Ivan for his bowling, Sammy for his impact on debut and Danny who fielded very sharply in his first ever game despite not wearing the spalding Mit on his left hand... and not sure we dropped a single catch as a team.

We would win this league if we played like this every week.

-- Mark Peters

Hornsey CC vs North London CC - Shepherd's Cot Sunday Development League

North London won the toss and elected to bat.
North London 245 – 4 (40 overs)
Hornsey 218 all out (37.3 overs)
North London won by 6 wickets

An overcast and occasionally sunny day saw a good Hornsey development X1 lose to North London in a game that was there to win throughout our innings. Unfortunately we found ourselves on the wrong end of an opening partnership of 193 which would have been a respectable total by it self. The fielding was the difference today as North London were hungry in the infield and not afraid to get the whites dirty in the outfield. In all fairness we did well towards the end as it looked likely we would be chasing 300, despite that we surrendered upwards of 80 runs including extras.

The start of the North London innings was fairly relaxed as one batsmen looked to go on the offensive from the off and the other looked scratchy at best. This was when we should have made it count however regular singles in the ring allowed a pressure release pretty much whenever they wanted it. Once the number 1 had reached 35 he seemed to hit a block and not hit a ball of the square for the next 10 overs. Saying that, their number 2 then mirrored his partner for the next 10 overs as he looked to take the attack to our bowlers. At drinks we were in no immediate trouble as they were only going at fives; meaning they would have got 200 odd. Shortly after drinks both batsmen reached their fifties and looked to press on knowing they had all ten wickets in hand and they were both hitting the ball well. Such the confidence of the North London openers' cricket shots became far a few between as they looked to target the short boundary, and to our displeasure, the run rate increased. A small element of dignity was restored to the scoreboard as 2 late wickets for Keith left him with figures for 2 for 41 off 8 and our pick of the bowlers, one for Brody and one for Nii. North London finished on 245 – 4.

Jack and Jaz began our innings in a slightly slower start than previous innings as the North London openers bowled full and straight from the off. In a slow start for Jaz to lose his wicket for 11 put pressure on us as Jack and Nii, two of the older colts would have to take some responsibility. Nii strode to the crease having left the Jumbo at home, brandishing a new Gray Nicholls blade. He looked to really score quickly and in a matter of minutes over took Jack who was still on 14 off 12 overs. The partnership began to grow and reached fifty in no time at all with good running and some pounding boundaries from Nii. This pushed the rate up to 5.5 and with every over the required fell. Nii soon fell before drinks to what was a well made 41. With respect to Norm, a well sought after and somewhat seasoned umpire, his decision to give Nii out caught behind where he hit his pad was unfortunate. In the process however, Nii came down the wicket, missed the ball, turned around quick enough to avoid a stumping, marked his guard, turned to face the next ball where Norm was telling him to get off brought an end to a valuable innings and a partnership of 75 with Jack. Brody adversely couldn't repeat his form of Saturday and this brought Ben Reed to the crease. Ben played some promising shots to get Jack back on strike. Jack continued to keep the rate up as Ben begun to settle down. With the field in it's hard to find a gap but he did just that. With an older bowler now on Ben was caught behind to, in his defense, a ball that popped on him a few overs later. Tom Ralston then came out and once he got his eye in played a typically robust innings to combine with Jack. With the score now looking more promising Jack fell, stumped to a young bowler for 86 trying to get runs quickly. With Jack gone James, Keith, Oscar, and Richard footman had brief stays as the crease, all falling to a bowler who bowls first change for North London 1's. Tom Ralston made an encouraging 39 but similarly fell trying to keep the rate up. We finished on 218 all out to lose to, on the day a better side.

Still strongly positioned in the development league we have a good chance of making the finals, but again our fielding let us down and today it was the difference. Let's keep our heads up and concentrate on next weeks fixture.

-- Jack Goldberg

Ickenham I vs Hornsey I

Hornsey 242-7 (52 overs; Paul Weekes 119, Chetan Patel 49)
Ickenham 173 all out
Hornsey won by 69 runs

Paul Weekes' second century in three matches was followed by an excellent performance as a bowling unit to bring home ten points from our trip to West London. Nevertheless Ickenham deserve credit both for their conviviality as hosts and for providing us with a couple of shocks during the game, the first of which came when we found ourselves 12-2 after losing the toss and being inserted. First Alex Scrini (2) clipped to slip, then the returning Sanjay Patel nudged behind without scoring, although his nonchalant impression of a man who hadn't played a shot in anger did force the umpire into giving him out. Once again Paul strode out to face the still-new ball, and again he delivered a masterful display of batsmanship. Every ball was played on its merits; no brash or vain early declarations of intent, just a determination to settle himself at the wicket and set him up for a couple of hours at the crease. Any good deliveries were defended or left with due caution and respect, but Ickenham's attack soon found out how fine their margin of error was – anything which would have been an average ball to most top order batsmen in the division proved a gift to Paul, either shovelled away for a single or blazed through the covers before the fielders had even flinched in response to the shot. Dee Makwana wasn't in his best form at the other end but supported Paul with a pleasing adhesiveness before being given stumped off their offspinner for 35 after raising his foot in the crease, ending a 73 run partnership midway though the 28th over.

The fourth wicket stand between Weekesy and Chetan Patel proved even more prolific, as they combined for 111. Chet had looked slightly stiff to begin with, but settled into the groove after pile-driving a six off their secondary offspinner, who bowls like Muralitharan but without the wickets. From thereon in we looked in control, but given the early circumspection which had left us 91-3 off 30 overs, we needed an extended late innings acceleration, especially given the home side's potent batting and the small ground. Both batsmen duly obliged, picking singles at will from around the fortieth over as Weekesy charged unsparingly to his century, ferociously striking anything loose whilst strolling singles off everything else (including the ball which took him to triple figures). Chetan's own tilt at a milestone fell just short, caught and bowled for 49 off the first chance he'd given all day. Our score still needed topping up in case we gave Ickenham too great a chance of victory, so we batted on for 52 overs as a late surge saw us 242-7, chiefly thanks to Weekesy (bowled for a superlative 119) and Marty Tucker, who scythed 16 from five balls.

The momentum only gathered when we started bowling, as we took a wicket in each of our first three overs. First Joel Gregory bowled a jaffer to their overseas allrounder, who was powerless to do anything other than edge behind to Screens without scoring. Marty castled their number three in the following over, and soon after Joel was presented with his second wicket as the Murali-type bowler (who also bats like Sehwag without the sense of restraint) tried to launch our towering strike bowler out of the ground only for Weekesy to make a catch running backwards from mid-off look effortless. With Ickenham 12-3 the only cause for concern was the home side's powerful number four John Alderson, and for a brief while he counter attacked with a fury which put us on the backfoot. A batsman with sufficient ability to have scored 150 in the league last year, he scorched a half century off only 30 balls, rocketing nine fours and three sixes back past the boundary rope – one of the sixes was cannoned straight back past Joel's head and threatened to burn a hold in the sight screen. Given his growing taste for our opening bowlers, Chet introduced Weekesy's off spin from the thirteenth over, and instantly took the supporting batsman's wicket after he gloved to Screens for 12 to shouts of delight and no little relief. Weekesy's next over brought the big wicket, as Alderson got a faint edge behind to depart for 61, leaving the score 93-5 from 15 overs.

Ickenham continued to bat stubbornly, but with Ian Gregory picking up an LBW and a stumping off Screens, we had over twenty overs to prise out the final three wickets. However, the home side valiantly counter attacked once again, and their eighth wicket partnership notched 46 runs in just six overs. Looking to rekindle our attack, Chet replaced Ian with Dean, who was thumped for six off his first ball and would have also been dispatched for four off his third ball had Ian not run in from deep mid-on to take the most phenomenal diving one handed catch – anyone who remembers Rob Kirtley's catch at Lord's in an ODI a few years back will know exactly how astonishing it was. Foiled by their old nemesis yet again, Ickenham's tail surrendered soon after, leaving Dean with 3-10 thanks to catches from Dee and Marty. We now enter the crunch part of the season with a ten point advantage and four consecutive wins – we next play Wembley (fifth), Highgate (joint second) and Uxbridge (fourth) in what will surely prove a decisive run of games.

Hornsey II vs Enfield II

Hornsey IIs 265 all out off 48.5 overs
Enfield IIs 182 all out off 48.1 overs
Hornsey won by 83 runs

An excellent win for the 2s against Enfield. A curate's egg of a batting performance whereby we scored quickly but lost wickets regularly, almost all to poor shots. At about 225-8 off 40 overs the word came out to the middle that we'd “scored too quickly”. We were in danger of getting bowled out for 230 but leaving the oppo well over 50 overs to get them. It is always a time and runs equation and we managed to bat out until almost 50 overs. Runs for Fulton (88), Holbrook (42), Fleming (32) and various smaller contributions from an exceptionally strong batting line up. Old Hornsey player Maurice Seaton was in the oppo and was making noises about returning to Hornsey next year. I assume we would want to see the colour of his subs cheque first.

In reply we took early wickets but Shah (who hit a superb hundred against us earlier in the season) looked in ominous form. Problem is, he knew as well as us that if Enfield were to win he needed to get at least 170 of the runs. He is a quality bat playing in the 2s because of “availability issues” his words, or “he has simply not shown up for 2 first team games” (skipper's words!). Eventually he hit a huge steepler to long on where Graham Allen was stationed under the ball. Graham himself will admit he's not the fielder he once was, but he took it calmly inches in from the fence. After that it was simply a question of winkling them out, which we did with 3 overs left. The bowlers were Bruce 9-0-36-1, Yew 16-3-64-4, Fulton 3.1-0-24-1, Fawden 8-3-20-1, Weekes 5-2-8-1 and Goldberg 3-1-13-1.

-- Jonathan Bruce

Hornsey III vs Finchley III

Hornsey 240-5 Dec (52 overs - R. Charlton 53, N. Ollennu 53, G. Jansz 74)
Finchley 242-3 (39.2 overs - J. Pattni 154*)
Finchley won by 7 wickets

"I don't think they've got much batting" - S. Haughton, 24.7.2010

A greatly improved batting performance gave us hope of being able to take something from this game until some poor bowling and a masterclass from Finchley's left-hand opening bat put us in further trouble at the wrong end of the division. Aloysius continued its reputation as a batting paradise as we lost the toss and were inserted. Scott Haughton was unable to get a start but Disco and Greg Jansz both played steadily and didn't look in much trouble until Diso was out for another fifty. Alastair Thomas looked determined not to get bogged down, and played with some aggression, this time at the expense of stickability - out for a quickfire 12. Nii Ollennu then got in and looked to be building a big partnership with Greg until he straight drove a ball along the ground, took a deflection off the bowler onto Greg's stumps at the non-striker's end. Nothing much you can do about that and with Greg gone, unluckily, for 74 the run rate had slowed quite a bit.

The innings needed some impetus and it was provided by Nii and Tim Waine who, once he got his eye in, laid in to Finchley's bowlers with the full meat of the bat. Nii eventually holed out for an excellent 53 and with Tim 38* and Steve Fuller 6* at the end we posted a reasonable score of 240-5 (probably the low end of par on this pitch).

The Finchley innings started out well enough with a wicket for Steve in the second over, but the opener at the other end was looking in good nick as he timed decent deliveries through the covers and punished anything short. The runs flowed freely pretty much from the start and although Steve picked up another wicket and Blake Bowden bowled the Finchley number four with a good ball, the story is one of good batting, loose bowling and half a dozen sharp chances in the field (none of which stuck). Pattni got his century with the Finchley score on just 120 and by that time they were well ahead of the run rate and were able to cruise home with 10 overs to spare.

-- Steve Fuller