27/07/24
POOR FORM
Thirds lose, Newmarket abuse
Camden (6pts) 195-6 lost to Newmarket II (20pts) 200-5 by 5 wickets
Still no Captain Redfern, and still no second win of the season after the previous week’s loss to TAC. Sutton had wisely skipped that match to spend a day at the Trent Bridge Test, but was back to lead the side at home to Newmarket. For reasons unknown, the selectors had furnished him with ten men, but there was better news at the toss. The Thirds would bat first. The pitch looked good, the sun was shining and all was well with the world.
Not for long. The tranquility was shattered by the visiting team failing to accept umpire Rizwan’s decision. Your correspondent must admit to hearing something as Vish swished at one outside off stump, but a batsman shouldn’t walk if they don’t think they hit it. Nor should an umpire give it out if they aren’t sure it is out. In a sour atmosphere, Vish – admirably, given the abuse – contributed 31 to a season’s best opening stand of 75 with Sutton. Sutton was looking in good touch, but few could have predicted what was to come. No, not a hundred. Not even a match-defining innings. 50 and out, in fact. But there was a six, smashed high over long-on, the opener’s first ever at Queens’. At 96-2 in the twenty-third over, the hosts- with Batley looking set – were in a position to post a challenging score. Sourav, off the back of 67 against TAC, could only manage 7 here. Robinson (3) never got going, but the Batman found his Robin in the shape of Farid. The Afghan’s excellent form with the bat continued with a run-a-ball 22. When he was out, with Karan dismissed next ball, the Thirds had reached 160-6 with five overs remaining. Enter Rizwan, and more unsavoury behaviour from the visitors. Rizwan (9*) didn’t just let his bat do the talking and, with Batley finishing unbeaten on 66 from fifty-eight balls, took the home side to a defendable 195-6.
The lack of an eleventh man hadn’t mattered with the bat, and with Rahul Manganda drumming up a spare man, it would be the same in the field. Setting defensive fields from the start of the reply, Sutton seemed determined to avoid a repeat of the last time he stood in as skipper. And sure enough, after 15.1 overs, Newmarket hadn’t won. They still needed 130 to win, in fact. With ten wickets in hand, however, with the Thirds seemingly unable to catch. Farid was particularly unlfortunate, and Manganda – who had taken 4-52 on his debut against TAC as cap number 173 – also went wicketless. The opening pair were replaced by Karan and Rizwan (1-34). The latter took a wicket, caught behind by Clarke, but the game seemed to be going the same way as the reverse fixture. That game had been sparked into life by Redders taking three wickets in as many overs. Here it was to be Vish, bowling leg-spin. Manganda had already taken a fine catch to remove Newmarket’s popular Australian opener for 80, but Vish (4-44) wasn’t finished. One bowled. Two stumpings for the evergreen Clarke. But 159-5 was as good as it got. The visitors sealed victory in the thirty-seventh over with an emphatically struck six.
Another loss, then – a seventh on the spin. But this match will be remembered for the poor form of Newmarket. They just wouldn’t let it lie, as Vic Reeves might have said. Cricket at this level can only work if the umpire’s decision is respected. Play on, don’t carry on.
Man of the Match: Vish Chandrasekaran