Whistable Labour Club v CCC

Cincinnati had two causes for celebration last weekend: a fine half century from founder member Mark Wright and a gritty draw earned in a timed match against Whitstable Labour Club.

Several CCC regulars toasted Mark's 50* on Saturday night in Whitstable where - possibly in a sign of growing maturity in the CCC ranks - no injuries were picked up in this year's party games.

Come early Sunday afternoon, Cincinnati players took up their usual starting positions in the field. We made the perfect start when the WLC opener hit Rocky's first ball to square leg where debutant Ben took a good catch. Our opponents then made steady progress with John Butterworth hitting a stylish half century. But wickets fell quite regularly throughout the innings. The Skipper, with the wind and slope behind his flighted leggies, took 3 wickets; Selfish, uphill and into the hurricane, got two. Tom pitched in with one before our Whitstable regular, Roger, finished things off with 2-8. WLC closed on 157 all out.

The innings will surely go down in CCC folklore as the day we finally found a solution to Tom's tendency in the covers to throw in the ball a good few yards over the keeper's head: posted on the deep point boundary, he returned the ball right over the bails to earn us a vital run out (after a dramatic one-handed misfield, of course).

Following a high-quality tea, the Wright Bros - Mark, Steve and Paul from Paris - led the CCC response. Steve in particular displayed great determination in the face of 10 overs of angry medium pace from the WLC opening bowler. Selfish contributed 41 to the middle order before making way for Jack, JP and an admirably disciplined Tom.

With the run rate creeping up, a draw seemed a safe back-up option for CCC. After all, we had 4 wickets in hand with just four overs to go. A trip to Whitstable would not be complete though without a nail-biting finish. A mini collapse - including Tom walking for a catch off his forearm for 28 - left our final pair in the middle with two overs to bat out.

Rocky danced his way through the penultimate over to leave the Skipper to face the last 6 balls. Bren heroically blocked us to the safety of a draw - a good result that leaves us undefeated in 4 trips to Whitstable.

Man of the match was the Skipper for a Montyesque display of accurate spin bowling and match-saving batting.

Shelving O'Moynihan tucks into BK for a brilliant 97 n/o but Cincers go hungry

A stunning 97 not out from Tim Moynihan rescued Cincers from another humiliation at the hands of BK on Sunday.
The formica-flashing Moyners despatched the fine BK bowlers to all corners of Greenwich Park to register his best knock yet for the team and give Cincinnati hope after another faltering start to the innings.
Sadly, it was all in vain as BK triumphed for the second time this season.
For once, the Skipper took advantage of winning the toss to put us in.
Unfortunately, Test Match departed in the first over to a snorter from BK's Rashid (Test Match walked after gloving it) while the bowler was also too good for Ash.
Cincers' pinch-hitter departed for a duck.
Newcomer Rick introduced himself at number three with the cultured shots of a batsman.
What a day, then, for JP to give his first LBW since the Romans pulled out.
'I felt sick in my stomach,' said the Vice-Skip. Not as sick as the Skip felt standing at square leg.
Rick, though, was right in front and left with no grumbles.
Enter the Shelving. The Mighty Moyners - bruised by being dropped by his other club -meant business.
Just as well. The rest of us didn't until Abid joined him with seven wickets down for an innings-saving partnership.
In the meantime, Ash made up for his duck by triggering two Cincers when he umpired - both LB!
BK insisted both were out but it'd be nice if Ash's finger hadn't shot up almost before Mr Ball met Mr Pad.
Abid finished with 34 before perishing to a fine catch by BK's Simon at cover.
Tim M battled on to finish just 3 short of his century. He'd stopped counting at 50!
The 176 total off 35 overs was probably never going to be enough against BK's powerful batting line-up.
Add to that, BK's Dan (well, his wife actually) served up a tasty tea - augmented by the world-famous brownies provided by Amy (aka Mrs Test Match) - to slow us down in the field.
But Cincers started superbly. Test Match, the first slip formerly known as Lurpak, picked up a stunning catch off a lifter from Max.
Ironically, the man out was Biraj who scored a 50 in Cincers' colours earlier in the season.
The wicket was a false dawn as Asim, his opening partner, carved his way to 40.
The Skip dropped him, a sharp chance at shortish (no jokes, please) midwicket off Max.
A bowling change brought Rick on with his leggies and brought Asim down to earth, caught at backward square off a mishit. The catcher? Old Bucket-hands himself - Max.
The Skip chipped in with three overs for 11 but no wickets as did Rockie (none for 19off 3).
All the while, Simon pressed on though not at his best (thank God after his three sixes off the Skip earlier in the season), with the odd edge flying up but not to hand.
Rashid, having snaffled three Cincers with his bowling, put the game out of Cincers' reach with a powerful 47 until he was smartly stumped by stand-in keeper JP off Dan's one over at the end.
In the meantime, Max at mid-off had given us the faintest of hopes with a brilliant run-out.
Sadly,that just brought in big Pete, the BK keeper, who chanced his arm to smash a quick 19.
BK got the runs off 31 overs, with 5 wickets down.
Main Cincers' bowling figures: Test Match one for 37 off seven, Max one for 29 off 5, Rick one for 28 off 7 and Abid none for 35 off 5.
The usual four or five jugs of ale in the Hare and Billet with BK's skipper Max, Pete, Simon et al soothed Cincers' pain.
The story of the day was, we were outgunned by a fine team.
Mind, we should make them work harder for our wickets - ahem, the Skip being a case in point after whacking a loose one straight to a fielder.
'Batting is based on a good defence,'
Many thanks to Rick and fellow Cincers debutant Khan for turning out for us.