HEBER JEEBIED – NO VIPERS!

Mandarins 200 for 9 off 35 overs (Lowin 47, Wahaj 40, Hill 3 for a few) beat Heber Nomads 188 for 7 off 35 overs (Frankpitt 50 ret, Darmarla 50 ret, Wigram 3 for 21) by 12 runs.

Lovely day, lovely ground, lovely oppo (although these days the clubs are so intermingled it is odd to think of them as such). Congestion at gate as keys to the ground were mislaid. Having given instructions to his proxy to bat, late skipper Elias actually opted to field once he had made it for the toss. Eastaway loaned to Heber to even the numbers. Mandies got out of the blocks fast, scoring at over 6s as Wahaj helped himself to a run-a ball 40 and Jules (proper Mandarin) also cashed in. There was then a lean period as he and Jonathan struggled with the pace-off dobblers of Johnny Hill and Ollie Wood. The resulting scoreboard pressure accounted for first ball ducks for Saad and skipper Kishen as they strove for the 200 target. After 33 overs we were well short of par at 165 for 8. Fortunately, Abhi and Harry got stuck in to Eastaway and Frankpitt and 35 came off the last two overs to get us to the milestone. (A mere warm-up, as it happens, for the heroics of the following week.) Skipper very positive about our chances during the huddle.

The Heber innings followed a similar trajectory (or worm as we now seem to call it). We have seen a lot of Alex for the Mandarins this year, but he is just as easy on the eye, and seemingly invulnerable, when playing against us. Arvind (not that one) was equally fluent, and they defied the best that Vinoth, Channeth, Saad and Wahaj could deliver. Over 100 for 0 at halfway mark. That we avoided a 10 wicket defeat was down to the retire at 50 convention. That we wrested control was down to an excellent spell from Harry W which slowed them up and made inroads. Abhi too chipped in to restrict the scoring at the end.

That we won was down to the cunning plan to only take 7 wickets, thus preventing the 50 makers returning to the crease, and to pretty sharp fielding, for which a special mention needs to be made of Jules’s slidy trousers (Was that a song by Madness?) We look forward to further appearances by the trousers, and if they can link up with Baxter’s exploding pads we will have a mighty combination. 

Chris Baker