Shaken up at Elstead

A road closure meant that the approach to the Elstead ground by car took a circuitous route in the by-roads, including a bone-shaker filled with potholes which, if taken at the wrong speed, resulted in car and passengers enduring a severe buffeting; alas, a flavour of things to come.

Matters on the pitch began promisingly. Captain Rangaragan was mustard-keen and ‘up for it’ (in front of proud visiting parents from India), inserting the opposition in a hybrid format 40 over game that could nevertheless be drawn (!?), with a plethora of nine Mandarins assembled at start of play despite the usual A3 roadworks. Opening bowlers Eastaway and Wigram kept things tight, followed up by Aussie newcomer Saunders and an especially miserly Hurst. Elstead had made a contained 67 for 0 off 20 at drinks with only one sharp caught-and-bowled chance going begging. The initial breakthrough came soon afterwards after swift work by Lowin in the outfield resulted in a run out. Wickets then fell with regularity as Elstead never really cut loose, Mandarins took most of the catches on offer (six in total) and capt. Kish ended with the best figures (3 for 8 off 4 overs) having held himself back. A target of 162 off 40 overs looked eminently gettable on a good pitch with three short boundaries and a fast outfield.

It didn’t take long to disabuse us of that fatuous notion with the introduction of Elstead’s opening bowler Lincoln who was pacy, but kept the swinging ball low from short of a length. Despite managing to pull his opening loosener over mid-wicket for four, your correspondent was soon fishing outside off stump and was bowled in the fourth over. Ducks for Wilmot and McKeown soon followed and we were reduced to 24 for 5 off 12 overs with Lincoln withdrawn from the attack as a gesture of generosity. Counter-punching defence from Lowin, Wigram (19) and capt. Kish (25) then ensured that scorer Baker’s speculation about records for lowest Mandarin totals and worst collapses was soon snuffed out. However, we were never realistically back in the hunt but gamefully kept trying until all out for 96. Johnny Extras contributed a miserly 5.

So half-time hopes were dashed and the recent run of close finishes at Elstead was broken in a game notable for Kishen’s first outing as captain for the Mandarins and Pat Murphy’s first year after retiring from active cricket duty. Hopefully, the roadworks will be completed by next year’s fixture and we won’t be shaken up so much.  

Paul Mills