1stXI Match report: Beckenham v. OD CUACO

A cloudy day with a hint of rain was on the weather menu for Saturday’s visit of local club ODCUACO.  Scorer’s chores done and a light lunch partaken, the umpires were welcomed as was colleague Sheila and the result of the toss was that Alex Senn had called correctly and elected to field first (which the Beckenham scorer agreed with!)

And do it proved as Junaid Nadir, moving in smoothly from the pavilion end and bowling at good pace, cut a swathe through the opposition batting with two catches for Gethin Roberts and one each for Messrs. Malcolm, and Balmforth.  At the Neil Simpson end, the miserly Mahfuzul Mahi chugged away and castled Dan Webster making the score 26-5 after 10 overs, Sheila commenting that it would be an early finish!  But it was not to be as skipper Andrew Ainger joined forces with Chris Webster to drag their side back into the match with some sensible batting given the number of overs remaining.  After Webster was forced to retire with a groin strain, Ollie Jasper took up the reins and a handy stand developed before Mahi trapped the visitors’ skipper in front making the score 53-6.  Jasper then combined with Cameron Sanders in what was to prove the best partnership of the innings.  With Beckenham slightly easing off the pressure, a few catches being put down and the fielding becoming increasingly ragged, the ODCUACO pair took full advantage with some fine, positive cricket, Sanders beginning to provide the momentum.  The introduction of Mudit Dayal’s leg-spin brought an immediate reward as Jasper holed out to James Fear for 17 and the same bowler lured Sims to his doom to give Balmforth a smart stumping to make the score 129-8.  The visitors were not done yet as Sanders steamed on to a well-deserved fifty in 85 balls, receiving good support from keeper Patel.  With the score 178, Johan Malcolm accepted a stinging return catch to end Sanders’ excellent knock of 72 which included seven fours and two sixes.  The injured Webster hobbled back into the action, managed to hit a boundary before Saad Khan had him lbw to make the final score 185, an amazing effort considering the early carnage.  Nadir took the bowling award for his 4-33 with Mahi and Dayal bagging a brace apiece.

The start of the Beckenham innings definitely had the air of ‘here we go again’ about it as the scoreboard read 6-2 after three overs, both dismissals the result of pathetically limp shots.  Even the ghostly voice of a much-loved former member could be heard uttering his immortal words from the Pavilion in the Sky, “***** cricket!”  Fortunately, the little Pakistani Saad Khan immediately started to reorganise the innings and Gethin Roberts began to slip into the anchorman role.  Khan, neat and compact, was quickly into his stride and scoring quickly as Roberts kept the score ticking over at the other end.  Khan had just reached an excellent fifty at a run-a-ball when he lost partner Roberts, the stand having been worth 79.  Johan Malcolm helped push the score along with a flurry of stylish boundaries, Khan batting imperiously at the other end.  When they had shared a partnership of 55, Jamie Batten trapped Malcolm in front with the score 140-4.  New arrival Mahi, solid as ever after his fine knock at Bromley last week, straight away supported Khan with some fine powerful strokeplay as Khan entered the nineties.  When he was on 94, two superb sixes took him past three figures and, with Mahi launching something similar, Beckenham achieved their first League win at home this season.  Khan’s century took him to join the Beckenham immortals who have achieved back-to-back League centuries; Bob Hungate (1973) and Ollie Robinson (2018) being the other two.  It had been a fine and enjoyable game of cricket but Beckenham’s fielding must undergo a radical tightening-up.

Scorecard: https://beckenham.play-cricket.com/website/results/5619381 (external site)