Concorde v Northolt Manor

Match Report

Following heavy rain all day on Saturday, it would not have been a surprise to find a wet and soggy ground on arrival the following day. However, quite the contrary was the case! The outfield showed little sign of the previous days rain and the wicket, having been covered by the grounds man, Mick Reeve, was bone dry. Jerry Wright, who is on a bad trot with toss of the coin, duly lost it again and was not too unhappy when Northolt Manor elected to bat first.

Johnny Wright, on leave from Premier league duty with Esher, bowled fast and from his 8’6” delivery point, generated considerable bounce. In some ways, too much bounce as anything that beat the bat simply went over the stumps but to their credit, the batsmen stood up to it and anything pitched up was well driven. However, as is often the case, the rewards from hostility at one end went to the bowler at the other end and Jacob Nizzola, making a welcome return after about four busy years during which he has married and become a father, picked up a very handy 3 wickets through some accurate and well pitched medium pace which induced mistimed drives well taken by Ash, Matt Jarratt and a diving Johnny Wright.

Matt Jarratt it was who replaced Jacob and on his debut for the club did enough to show that he is a very useful addition to the bowling resources. Bowling with good pace and a very nice action, he too picked up three wickets, including a sharp caught behind by Nick Freeman and at 80 – 6, the Northolt Manor innings looked in terminal decline. However, a very good attacking knock by the opposition Captain who passed 50 raised the innings to a competitive looking 160 before being brought to a close by a lovely spell from young Ben Westen who took 2 wickets in an over by clean bowling both batsmen and inducing such panic that the last batsman was run out attempting a suicidal run. the innings closed on 170.

The Concorde reply was opened by Jordan Dyer and James Aston. Jordy was straining at the leash in this, his first game of the season and knowing his addiction to run scoring, it sent a shock wave through the side to see him tamely knock one back to the bowler to be caught and bowled for 1 in the second over. Ash, not looking quite at his best to begin with, settled in, with James doing most of the scoring in making 20 before being caught and he was replaced by Johnny Wright who immediately played a couple of lovely back foot drives through cover and two elegant shots off his toes through midwicket before wafting at one outside off stump and being caught behind the wicket also for 20. Matt Jarratt and Jacob did not stay long and nor did Jerry Wright or Nigel Wright, leaving Ash alone in defiance and standing firm amidst the wreckage of a score of 80 -7 and with Nick Freeman to come with an injured arm, sustained while trying unsuccessfully to take a catch earlier, the situation looked dire.

Nick’s first two scoring shots clearly caused him pain but he bravely battled on in support of Ash who was now nearing a much needed 50. Suddenly, the mood of the innings changed. Ash began to hit out aggressively as did Nick who’s painful arm appeared anaesthetised by the opiate of run scoring and the momentum shifted inexorably. Suddenly, Northolt Manor looked worried as our two heroes smote boundary after boundary and victory began to look a possibility. A howitzer down the ground from Nick followed by a straight six into the old oak tree followed by a powerful pull to midwicket by Ash and we were coasting home to a famous victory which only thirty minutes earlier had looked impossible. What a game and what a win!