Ley Hill v The Lee, Saturday 12th June 2004

Nick Lee

The First XI put its season back on track with a convincing win over the Lee on Saturday and gained revenge for the mauling they received in the knockout cup.  Like the game against Hawridge & Cholesbury the previous week, they bowled out the opposition for 150 odd with 10 overs to spare.  Unlike the game against Hawridge & Cholesbury, they knocked off the runs.

The Lee, sporting a number of gangly youths in place of regulars who were absent at a party hosted by the captain (what would Mark Curtis have to say about that?), won the toss and elected to bat.  In place of the absent O'Neill, Az Shakoor (left) was asked to open the bowling and he did so with an extraordinary over.  A dot ball was followed by a no ball, which was followed by a boundary, which was followed by another no ball.  Opener Davies (Wr) was so bemused to receive a normal ball that he heaved it straight to Lown at mid off.

Despite this setback, the Lee moved smoothly on, with Davies (Wy) looking dangerous.  After initial troubles with his run up which caused Martin Leadbitter to remark "I just don't know why bowlers bowl no balls.  I've never bowled a no ball in my life.  A lot of wides, but never a no ball", paceman Craig Ottaway (right) changed that.  He had Misseldine in all sorts of trouble, bowling him with a no ball and eventually rattling the timbers with a legal ball to put him out of his misery.  Shakoor accounted for Neal (J), clean bowled, and soon after Davies (Wy), LBW (probably).  Some lusty hitting by Neal (P) and Humphreys carried the Lee to 120 until Ottaway removed the former.  Only Raffety provided any more resistance as Birkett took the wickets of three teenagers until Lown, spotting some cheap fantasy league points, brought himself on to bowl and finished the innings.

Although a modest total, the Hill changing room was understandably nervous about getting the runs after its travails last week.  However, Lown and Curtis saw off the pre-tea session with some ease and even scored some runs.  Lown's was the first wicket to fall: remarkably, he had made the majority of the 39 runs scored at that stage.  Rennard then scored a typically attractive 45 and Birkett a solid 25 to take the score to 149 for 3.  With Curtis taking on Lown's anchor role and consequently struggling to hit the ball more than 10 feet, Leadbitter (left) decided to get on with it, and ended the game with two sharp blows to the boundary.

The Lee: 158 all out (Birkett 3 for 25, Az Shakoor 3 for 38, Ottaway 3 for 55)
Ley Hill: 159 for 3 (Curtis 46, Rennard 45)
Ley Hill won by 7 wickets

Man of the Match: Shakoor, Ottaway & Birkett for bowling out an opposition, which although weakened, contained enough danger men to take the game away from the Hill.
Clown of the Match: No clowns: a great day for the Hill getting back on the winning trail.

Click here for the scorecard