N2 v Elite CC
Tudor Sports Ground High Barnet
Date: 10/7/10

Weather - Very hot and sunny 31 degrees.

"The Maginificent 9!"

The invading bandits of Elite CC gathered under the Mexican skies of Tudor Sports Ground. Stand in skipper Shy "Brynner" Bhatt won the toss and put the oppo in to bat. It was a newly formed and untried band of gunslingers that made up a depleted N2 team of 9 due to overnight casualties in the tavernas of North Finchley.

A long hot sweaty few hours of stubborn determination followed with opening bowlers Shy and "Chico" Butler having little or no luck breaking the opening partnership. With Butler unable to find his length and firing too many wayward shots, Arif Qawi replaced him and bowled straight and well but had no reward until well into their innings when a drive was skied to Parker at mid -off who duly took the catch.
Further wickets came from new player Kieran Fay who had not played for almost a decade, and forced a mistake to get a catch in the covers. Bhatt bowled straight and fast and was eventually rewarded clean bowling their number 4. Butler in his second spell found more accuracy and after having a good lbw refused immediatley repeated the ball and this time was given the decision.
Thompson also boweld well and eventually got his wicket.

Elite had made a formidable 219.

A break in the hostilities gave the opposing forces time to lick their wounds and eat Maggie's egg sandwiches and jaffa cakes.

With high hopes Parker and Qawi opened the batting. Under a heavy accurate bombardment the duo stubbornly persisted in frustrating the bowlers. The scoring however was slow and the draw was looking a more likely result. Eventually after an opening stand of 91 and surviving 29 overs "quick draw" Parker treid to smash a shot the bowler had unexpectidly thrown in while the umpire and fielder were still arguing over a previous wide decsion, and was bowled. Unanimous decision was that it should have been not out but the wounded batsman was already heading back to camp having made 47.

Arif went on to score 27 before being caught behind. With his Senorita watching Josh Newham went to the crease with chest puffed and a manly swagger in his step. A nicley hit 4 was all he would be boring the largely unimpressed lady friend with in his post match analysis as he was caught shortly after by a superbly taken low catch for 5.
The young boy "Chico" Butler was next in the firing line and was soon to be reunited with his scorebook being bowled for a duck after only 4 balls.
The village graveyard was beginning to fill. Could the now magnificent 8 after Kieron was lost to a date with his Senorita, survive the last few overs.
New man Anirudh and Thomo bravely saw off the last the oppo could throw at them after using 8 bowlers and saw off the overs.
The draw was ours. A winning draw. The bandits had been repelled!

Bowling

Bhatt 11-1-20-1
Butler 7-0-64-1
Arif Qawi 9-0-42-1
Thompson 7-0-52-1
Fay 3-0-27-1

Batting

Parker 47
Arif 27
Newham 5
Butler 0
Anirudh 8 no
Thompson 4 no