Sunday June 21, 2009

Fulmer v Elite CC  Saturday June 13th

Fulmer 147 lost by 9 wkts to Elite C.C. 148/1

The previous damp weekend put paid to our BBQ and the match with Greenwich Zebras, but the fine weather returned as Elite CC made the short journey up the A40 from Perivale to King Georges Field.  

An all-Asian side resplendent in co-ordinated kit, their number made up of two senior founding members and nine keen-as-mustard youngsters. There was a sense of foreboding from the way they energetically loosened up while our skipper speedily grabbed his phone in the search for a ‘12^th man’ after Manu had to cry off. Our thin bowling attack suddenly looked even more fragile. 

Fulmer in fact were well and truly hammered, though things began brightly enough with Derek and Prash, both of whom have seen plenty of fast bowling before, guiding a few delightful early short balls down to the boundary at third man. Both however fell in the same over with our score in the mid-20’s. Del tried to force through the covers and sent the ball straight down their skipper’s throat, then Prash unluckily saw an inside edge creep into the stumps. 

Only Jamie King hung around to any real effect as Elite’s varied and accurate attack kept up the pressure. Apart from his 43, and one perfectly timed 6 from Danny Randell, batting highlights for Fulmer were on this day rare. 

Prash knocked back the opener’s middle stump in the 2^nd over to give us a brief moment of cheer, but Elite’s captain and the number 3 garnered runs all round the ground as they got home in a canter. A feature of both players half centuries being their outstanding running between the wickets, with not one single catch offered to the field. 

Our visitors were full of compliments for the setting as we enjoyed our post-match drinks, and we’ll have to be well armed for our return to their Perivale rec ground later in the summer.