Camden I v Haslingfield (home)

05/07/25

THIRDS SCRAPE HOME AGAIN

Subrata and Mukesh guide the Thirds to another one-wicket win

Camden (20pts) 115-9 beat Haslingfield (6pts) 114 by one wicket

After the previous week’s unsuccessful experiment with batting first, Captain Redfern might have been happy – despite the absence of Farid and Subbu – to lose the toss and be asked to bowl first. Happier still, when the Haslingfield opening batsman appeared to be batting with his shoelaces tied together. Rizwan soon had him bowled, and it wasn’t long before the wily left-armer accounted for the number three – caught by the evergreen Robinson at slip. In the next over, Subrata (1-32) found the edge and Clarke did the rest. 28-3 became 36-4 when, towards the end of a fantastic eight-over spell which yielded just seventeen runs, Rizwan bagged a third wicket. For an onlooking Haslingfield tail-ender, Prathyush’s nonchalant one-handed catch at mid-on was the final piece of evidence. There was only one conclusion: “This is the best fielding team I’ve seen.” Strangely enough, it wasn’t too difficult to see where he was coming from. No, not from [insert non-cricket-playing country here]. Ketul’s direct hit run-out rather underlined the point. By that stage, Mukesh (1-28) had ended a fifth-wicket stand of thirty-two. Karan began with four maidens on the spin, finishing with 2-15 from eight typically brilliant overs. All that was left was for Ketul (1-7) and Redders (1-0) to wrap things up. 114 all out.

“As private parts to the gods are we. They play with us for their sport.” Fourteen overs into the reply, Redders was quoting Lord Melchett from Blackadder. The skipper had just been dismissed first ball. The bowler?  The same guy who Redders, with his only delivery, had had caught by Robinson. It had all been going so well. At 45 without loss after ten overs, the decision to open with Karan looked to be a tactical masterstroke. Suddenly, after the wickets of Krishna (27), Ketul (4), Karan (16) and Redders, the Thirds were wobbling at 57-4. Irtaza flicked the hat-trick ball to the mid-wicket boundary, but nobody was looking particularly secure. Prathyush (10) was bowled, attempting an ambitious heave. Irtaza (12) was LBW. Rizwan played on without scoring. Robinson (9) was caught behind. 91-8. Any hopes of Clarke (4) rehashing his heroics of a fortnight ago were dashed by Krishna’s contentious LBW decision. 103-9. Twelve to win. Mukesh and Subrata at the crease. The jeopardy was almost too much to bear, but the gods were no doubt enjoying another thrilling climax. Eleven to win. Nine. Eight. Seven. Six. Five. Four. A maiden. Four to win. One wicket to lose. A huge appeal for caught behind. Not out. It was bat hitting pad. Fifteen dot balls for Subrata. But the sixteenth was struck sweetly over extra cover. Would it reach the boundary? No, but Subrata had earlier shown in the field his speed across the turf. Three runs. Scores level. All three results possible. In the end, nobody had to check if the Thirds had ever been involved in a tie. Because Subrata (4*) sealed a famous victory. With Mukesh unbeaten on 13, the last wicket pair had done it again.

Three matches in a row decided by a margin of one wicket. That can’t have happened very often. “Never,” responded Mary Beard. In an email to Redders, the historian and Camden fan went on: “The only instance close being in 2006, when the Thirds lost to Great Chishill by one wicket and next to Bassingbourn by two wickets.”

Man of the Match: Karan Derekar