We are a London-based cricket club. Although we don't have our own pitch, we usually play our home fixtures in Greenwich Park. This blog records our regular triumphs and occasional failures.

Thursday 26 June 2014

Centurion Shehbaz too hot to handle for Old Fallopians as Cincers (finally) pile on the runs

On a peach of a summer's day came a peach of an innings.
A superb 134 not out from Shehbaz proved just too much for Old Fallopians last Sunday.
The number three helped Cincers to a formidable total of 246 for 7 off 40 overs.
In reply, Old F's - who thumped us last year - crashed to 95 all out off just over 27 overs.
The game, at Greenwich Park, began in highly unusual circumstances.
The Skipper (that's me) won the toss and put us in to bat.
A brave move (courageous? characterful? far-sighted?), given that we only had nine men after two late pull-outs.
But behind the scenes, there'd been lobbying from some Cincers for a chance to bat first, to show that, despite regular batting collapses, we could post a total.
Not that it started that well.
Tim got a brute of a ball and departed early.
That brought Shehbaz out to join Saqib.
The opposition attack was good but we were still going a fair lick.
Then Saqib chanced his arm just once too often and went for 28. The score was 54 for two.
Shehbaz and Ali then put on 59 until Ali was given LB (by umpire Saqib. They spent much of the rest of the afternoon in a free and frank exchange of views on that decision).
We had a new recruit on Sunday, a very pleasant Lancastrian (is there any other sort?) by the name of Phil whose only character flaw seems to be that he once supported Leeds.
Phil, that's on the other side of the Pennines, don't you know?
He didn't score that many but he helped Shehbaz put on an invaluable 44.
When Phil finally departed, Tsawar, Faisal's brother, whacked a breezy 16 in a 42-run partnership with Shehbaz.
There were hiccups.
James W, making a pre-tour appearance, was determined to show he could hit the ball.
And he did. Straight to mid-wicket.
Meanwhile, so determined was the Skip to stop Old F's returning opening bowler from skittling him that he decided to kick the stumps himself. Hit wicket for 1.
It took a Yorkshireman (gritted teeth) to restore sanity, with Craig keeping company with Shehbaz while the latter ran amok, basically.
The star batter added about 20 off the last couple of overs, closing on 134 not out.
Marvellous!
Even so, as already said, Old F's battered us last year with some fine hitting.
So as we tucked into Richard H's tasty vegetarian curry, there was no guarantee we'd got enough on the board.
We needn't have worried.
Ali produced a snorter of an opening spell, snaffling four wickets (including two in two) for just six runs off six overs.
Saqib and Craig (two wickets a piece for not many runs) kept the pressure up superbly while the Skipper chipped in with two at the end.
Behind the stumps, Shehbaz - that man again - kept superbly, taking two stumpings and a fine catch.
All in all, a fine day and a fine win.
Thanks to Old F's for the game and see you next year.
Cincers Man of the Man: Only one contender - Shehbaz.
Game played at Greenwich Park on Sunday, June 22.

Wednesday 25 June 2014

It's the Simon and Richard wicket-taking show as Cincers humble Holtwhites up north London

Another week, another game called off by our scheduled opponents.
So it was off to new side Holtwhites Trinibis up in Enfield that we went.
Smart-looking ground, fine pavilion and a Sunday team which, we heard as we trembled, hadn't lost yet this year.
But that was before Simon M got to work on them, backed up ably by Richard H.
Both Cincers' bowlers took four-for's ('and two catches dropped, Skip,' said Richard).
On a sloping pitch, Holtwhites had no answer to Simon's wicket-to-wicket balls, with all four of his victims clean-bowled.
It was a lively affair to begin when a full-length ball from Faisal struck a painful blow on the batsman's foot.
The umpire, his dad, wasn't best pleased.
Cue some heated exchanges.
The best answer was exactly what Cincers came up with - a succession of quick wickets which meant the oppo never got going.
Only two men made it into double figures and the opposition finished on just 79 all out off only 25 overs.
Forty over game this, so a piece of cake for Cincers?
Not with our recent batting form, it wasn't.
And, inevitably, Holtwhites had some pretty decent bowling to open up with.
Mr Chairman (Tim) went cheaply, caught in an impressively large slip cordon, and Saqib was snared after flashing at one outside off.
When Dee missed one of his trademark hits to leg, we were rocking at 15 for 3.
That become 35 for 4 when Dan P went.
Much biting of nails and off-field rows, mainly between Dee and the Skip (me).
We're transferring to the West End next year.
Abid and Ali were at the crease as we all looked on.
It was anxious. It was nervous.
In the end, Ali sliced through the tension with a succession of fine fours and a couple of giant sixes - one of which to win the match and bring up his 50 at the same time - was an extraordinary bottom-hand, straight jab a la Freddie Flintoff.
Abid, though, was also a rock (insert fielding-related jokes here, please), pinching the odd signal and also striking a few boundaries.
Is there space to mention Abid's running catch off Richard? Only if we also record two comic bits of misfielding off the same bowler.
But Abid finished on 14 not out and Ali on an undefeated 51.
Thanks to Holtwhites Trinibis for a great day and fine hospitality.
Cincers Man of the Match: Tricky one, this, given Ali's knock but Simon set the game up. So S. Murphy.
Game played at Holtwhites Trinibis, Enfield, on Sunday, June 8.

Resignation rumour sweeps Blackheath, and Hampstead Heath… or wherever


By the Chairman

“It is rather like sending your opening batsmen to the crease, only for them to find that their bats have been broken before the game by the team captain.”

With these dramatic words, Geoffrey Howe, the former Chancellor and Foreign Secretary, one of Britain’s most distinguished politicians, described how his best efforts had been undermined by Margaret Thatcher, the captain of his government team, in his famous resignation speech.

A short time later, Thatcher herself was forced from office, having lost the support of her star players.

Lord Howe’s vivid analogy also neatly captures the hopelessness and despair facing Cincinnati in the absence of our own Captain, as we found ourselves, on June 1, up against the might of Real Maredrid.

In fact, with minimal adaptation, Lord Howe’s words put our desperate plight that day perfectly:

“It is rather like sending your opening batsmen to the crease, only for them to find that the captain had sent them to entirely the wrong cricket ground to play a team going by a completely different name, and then pootled off to France.”

So on a hot afternoon, in the shade of a municipal dog waste bin, the assembled six Cincinnatians, and one unfortunate young son, scratched our heads and waited for the opposition to arrive at their own home ground. Only it wasn’t.

Eventually, we discovered that we should have been playing at Parliament Hill, despite Brendan’s instructions to turn up at Hampstead Heath Extension.

Perhaps he thought we would need to come in off a long run. Perhaps there was a darker motive at work...

When the game finally started, and the opposition’s charming and competent captain, Mr Hugh Jones, politely informed us that their team was in fact the Gospel Blokes, not Real Maredrid, the chairman’s brain was scrambled and ludicrously he decided to bat first.

Opening the innings with Ben Jackson, the Chairman did his very best to get Cincinnati off to the very worst of possible starts, skying a full toss high over his own head, just beyond the reach of the wicket keeper and neatly into the hands of Mr Jones, who politely and charmingly dropped it onto the grass.

Some months later, with Cincinnati’s two openers still at the crease, the score reached 50, and drinks – some of which may have contained lethal barbiturates – were ordered, and taken.

Whereupon complete chaos unfolded. Even without Brendan to direct our performance, we managed to put on a peerless display of farcical batting, losing eight wickets for about 20 runs in the space of half an hour.

By the time Faisal, one of our talented all-rounders, arrived at the crease, 50-0 had become 70-8. Humiliation, our default setting, beckoned.

But nobody had told Faisal how things are supposed to end. Instead, he played a brilliant innings and rescued our prospects, finishing on 36 not out, having guided Cincinnati to 130 off our allotted 30 overs.

After a break for tea and a spot of dancing to the popular music combination entertaining the crowds from the bandstand, we set about defending our slender, but no longer entirely hopeless, total.

Ali and Faisal then ripped out the top order of the Blokes’ batting line up with quick and accurate spells, leaving them in the kind of disarray which had engulfed our own innings an hour earlier.

Ali finished with 3-14 and Faisal 2-12. Just when they thought they had survived the worst, Chris came on and took 2-2 off three overs of testing left-arm seam. Simon, Richard and Lucky Dan all chipped in with wickets too.

The Gospel Blokes were duly dismissed for 35, giving Cincinnati victory by the improbable margin of 95 runs.

Praise is due to Saqib for some fine wicket-keeping for only the second time in his career.

With plenty of daylight left, our hosts then suggested a 10 overs per side beer match.

The Blokes notched up 66-4 and Cincinnati fell six runs short in what was ultimately a far more exciting contest, in which the Chairman hit three sixes on his way to 28 off 13 balls before running himself out (or ambling himself out) returning lazily for a two, in the last over, effectively ending our chances of victory.
Despite the challenges posed by our leader’s absence at some kind of European summit, we fought on, and we fought to win… leaving only one thing left for Brendan to do on his return.Consult history, captain. And then consult your cabinet.

Game played at Parliament Hill on Sunday, June 1.

The Skipper writes: 'Ooh er.'

Dozy Cincers set up victory against old enemy BK...and then chuck it all down the drain!

If there's one thing any Cincinnatian knows, it's this: don't give BK an even break.
Nice guys, salt of the earth. Buy you a pint in the pub afterwards.
But not, repeat not, the team to give a sniff to, to ease up on.
Sadly, that's exactly what Cincers did at Greenwich Park last month.
Set just 150 to win off 40, we managed one of the most inept chases in our glorious history.
Batsman after batsman had a look, got in and then devised a cunning way to get out.
Actually, that's not all true.
Later on, when we'd slumped from an OK 81 for 4 to 125 for 6, there were some especially dumb shots when we still needed barely two an over.
The day began well enough.
Even though BK have replenished their ranks this season (with one or two spicy characters as Richard could attest when umpiring!), we contained them to just 149 off 40.
Conceding just four runs off his five overs (for one wicket), Chris P was Scrooge personified.
But Faisal (3 for 11 off 7) and Ali (2 for 21 off 5) were also on the money.
Even the Skipper chipped in with two wickets though at his traditionally more generous rate of six an over.
Tom was superb behind the stumps, saving virtually everything and taking a sharp catch.
What a pity our own innings was such a let-down.
Despite a promising start from Dee and Saqib who together put on 44 before Saqib went, we then slowly let it slip.
With five down and less than 100 on the board, Tom - who was batting well - was joined by the Skipper (yours truly).
If ever a situation was to tailor-made for Cincers' very own Brigadier Block, this was it.
No, it wasn't.
A mix-up led to said Skipper being run out.
Cue fulsome apologies from Tom.
Even then, the game was there to be won. Still loads of time, still wickets in hand.
But no.
A succession of daft shots meant we chucked it all away.
We finished at 135 all out off 39.
Grrr!
But thanks to BK for a great game, played in the usual old competitive spirit.
Cincers Man of the Match: Tom Lowe.
(Game played on Sunday, May 25)

That deadly combination - youth, talent and a hot sun - cuts Cincinnati down to size

By The Chairman:

It must be one of the most inhospitable places on earth.
In the Great Morden Desert Valley, where rain falls once every 27 years and the temperatures can reach 140F, few living things can survive.
A Cincinnati bowling attack made up of hungover newspaper hacks, under-paid ringers, and Abid was hardly alive to begin with.
By the time the young prodigies of Old Rutlishians had finished with us, all that was left was a wind-blown skeleton, bones bleached in the sun, slowly being covered over with sand.
In truth, the match was probably lost before a ball was bowled.
The first blow came in the form of an immaculate little box hedge bordering the handsome pavilion at ankle height.
The small shrub featurette, more than anything, told those Cincinnatians who arrived on time (i.e. before the match started) that we had our work cut out against a serious club that takes everything - even the gardening - seriously.
As it happened, Old Ruts started cautiously and lost early wickets, Faisal and Simon Murphy breaking through the top order.
Once again, Mr Murphy showed that by bowling at the stumps and tempting the batsmen to do something different, they eventually will.
Either that or his haunted hat spooked the opposition into running for the sheds. Faisal was, as usual, sharp and accurate, with a hostile opening spell.
But the early progress was soon replaced with bowlers showing all the menace of a summer pudding at the end of a boozy picnic.
Names have been omitted to protect the identities of the victims.
Two Old Ruts (both actually on the young side), played superbly to amass large fifties each. Woollard, tragically, was out caught on 97, while the Old Ruts opening bat, Potel(SP?) fell for 79, slicing a catch to deep backward point as their innings drew to a close.
But not before they sent six after six into the houses and well-kept gardens beyond the midwicket boundary, and - once, for variety - crashing onto Alex West's sister's car.
In reply to Old Ruts' 257, Cincinnati fluffed our way to 188. All apart from Ali, who batted with dogged concentration and an explosive and brilliant eye for a loose ball, to reach 69.
Mr West made 30, or 28, or second base, or something (the book is almost completely illegible).
The Captain spent many hours at the crease on a lonely vigil, and notched up a handy 23 runs (*Duckworth-Carlin Method total adjusted to take account of boredom and other ill health affecting scorers).
Faced with a perfect summer's day, a club fit for any cricketer's dreams, and the flattest of tracks, Cincinnati were a shambles.
Old Rutlishians, themselves, however, were a delight of a club, who gave us a most hospitable reception, the use of a beautiful pitch - and, thankfully, a well-stocked bar. We weren't so bad at that bit.

Old Rutlishians 257.
Faisal Abbas 3-21 off 7 overs, S Murphy 1-13 off four.
CCC 188
Ali 69
Alex some runs or other
Brendan 23.
(Game played on Sunday, May 18, at Old Rutlishians, Morden. Replaced scheduled fixture v Old Wimbledonians who pulled out)

Cincinnati all at sea against Pacific until Magic Murphy dives in and paddles to the rescue

Cincers began the new season as they meant to go on...with a spectacular collapse.
At one stage on the opening day of the 2014 campaign, we were a dismal 39 for 5, then 58 for 7.
All over then? And against new opponents Pacific who'd had to borrow extra players from us just to save the fixture.
But when that seventh wicket fell, in came - at an unusually low number nine - the hero of the hour.
Simon Murphy strode to the Greenwich Park crease to join Faisal who was the only Cincers' batsman with any sort of score at that point.
It got worse before it got better.
Faisal's wicket fell with just another seven added.
But thereafter, Mr Murphy put Pacific to the sword.
Ably partnered - first by new recruit Andy Crawford, then by last man Craig - he dealt in boundaries as Cincers' score went from critical to almost healthy at 169 all out off 31.5 overs.
After Simon's blistering 70, only Faisal (31) and Ali (16) troubled the scorers.
But was it enough?
It was. In reply, Pacific put Cincers's calypso collapso in the shade.
At one stage, they were 25 for 5 after a disastrous run-out coupled with sharp bowling from Faisal and that man Murphy.
They recovered to a semi-respectable 107 all out off 30.1 overs - finished by one ball from Dee which was whacked straight to a fielder (who exactly, I've forgotten).
Faisal finished with four for, Simon bagged two as did Craig.
One played, one won!
Thanks to Pacific for honouring the fixture.
Cincers Man of the Match: S. Murphy.
(Game played at Greenwich Park on Sunday, May 11)

Cincers' big guns fail to fire as as the mighty Finchley make sure they take their revenge

A dramatic last-minute triumph over Finchley in 2012 was always going to have its consequences.
They duly came at the corresponding end-of-season fixture last year.
Something about the strong Finchley line-up (and Frank's 'defection' from us back to them) seemed to tell us they weren't going to let lightning strike twice.
We opened up with 'Selfish' Simon Bevan, in a rare outing these days, and strokesman George Arbuthnott.
And for a while, we did well, going along at a steady if not exactly express pace.
Sadly for us, the tight bowling kept Simon and George in check.
But the stately progress was interrupted when Simon went for 39, followed soon after by George for 44.
After that?
Well, not much. Tom got 20 (not out, it says here) and Ali scored 19.
We ended up with 146 for 4 off 33 (why 33? Can't remember).
From memory, Finchley got them quite easily.
Actually, not just memory - the scorebook says 150 for 4 off 22.
Faisal got a wicket. First ball of their innings as I recall.
One wicket went Simon M's way and one to the Captain's (Dee's son Sajj - stumped as usual though not by his dad who had deserted us for hols in the States).
And so endeth the 2013 season.
Cincers Man of the Match: G. Arbuthnott (but none of us really).
(Game played on September 8, 2013).

A game too far as late night and scorching sun, oh and the opposition, prove too good for Cincers!

One of the virtues of writing this match report virtually 10 months after the game is that the pain of it has (almost) gone.
Cincers' second game on Vis went the way of many of our tour second games - we got gently hammered the night before and really hammered on the day itself.
Let's step over the fact that our opposition, Cambridge side St Radegund - were also spotted enjoying themselves the night before on the waterfront...
Worse, Tim R and Dee got us off to a blistering start, with Dee notching a maiden 50 with some geometrically improbable shots and the Chairman also passing the half-century mark but with more orthodox (cricket)shots.
But after an opening century partnership, we duly chucked it away with some tired middle-order batting and suicidal shot selection.
A total of 201 (extras third top score after Tim and Dee) off 30 wasn't bad but on the relatively small Vis pitch, we need to bowl and field well.
The scorebook shows St Radegund got them with only four balls to spare but it didn't feel that close on the day.
Some of us (names and numbers noted) looked a little tired on our feet.
Chances went down and boundaries were unprotected.
St Radegund also had decent batsmen, with two passing 50 and two others notching over 25 or over.
Not even a late run-out by Richard or some game bowling by Tim (two for 41 off six) and Richard again(one for 30 off five) could save us.
Oh well.
It was a lovely day and so long ago, I've forgotten all about it.
Almost.
* Cincers man of the match: Dee
** Belated thanks to St Radegund for a fine game and to Roki for his hospitality.
(Game played September 1, 2013).