Elstead vs Frimley Green Cricket Club - Sunday 1st September 2019, 13:00

With a sultry Bank Holiday weekend giving FGCC 2 wins in the space of 24 hours, some late summer sunshine greeted the club on their first ever trip to Elstead in the 35-over-a-side game. Agreeing that FGCC would bat first (no toss here - second time in a week the skip's been asked if he's OK having a bat first), Jim sent out newcomer Anthony and Mark to the crease to take on the Elstead attack. On a flat, true surface and with the crowd slowly building, both openers played themselves in well, with Anthony's running between the wickets and Mark's crisp striking making an early impression. Bringing 50-up in the 11th over, both were going nicely until Mark was unfortunate to play onto a delivery from young ECC bowler Bisley. With a 61 first wicket partnership in the bag, last weekend's centurion Lloyd strolled to the crease in his own inimitable test-match-batting style, and soon got into the groove. With Elstead's focus very much on 'giving everyone a go' (just how Sunday cricket should be played), bowlers were chopped and changed, but yet FGCC kept the momentum up throughout their innings. Next to go however was Anthony, who was caught behind right on the cusp of a maiden FGCC 50. With Lloyd and Pavan both continuing their fine form, and despite Suresh calling early for a runner after he'd done something to his leg (Mark was asked to give him a rub-down, but as Rich will testify such a service is only available to elite players on FGCC central contracts), the score kept ticking along nicely, and 200+ was a definite possibility. Any doubts over an uncompetitive target however were soon erased by Anam, who started spanking the Elstead bowling all over the shop, making 33 in 17 balls and dominating a 5th wicket partnership with a crocked vice-captain. FGCC finished on 230-6, another fine batting performance and the 3rd match in a row they've passed the magic 200. After a good old fashioned English cricket tea (certainly an improvement on the Subway 'banquet' of the previous week) Elstead's reply was initially curtailed by Sheshi, who trapped opener Lincoln LBW early on. Despite Anam coming in at full pelt and Sheshi continuing to bowl a good line, Messers Huard and W. Ryman took the bowling on, with one boundary an over getting through FGCC's defenses. Things got uncomfortable for the visitors when Ross, fresh off the back of a well-bowled opening maiden, broke down off his 10th delivery and had to spend the rest of the game watching from the sidelines (he says this had nothing to do with the North London derby being on at the same time). This brought FGCC wicket takers extraordinaire Kaarthav and Pranay to the fray, although both were greeted by a now well-set Huard, who blasted some meaty boundaries - including a huge 6 over square leg - on his way to a well-made 66. With Elstead 87-1 at drinks, something had to give, and this came via Kaarthav, who had Huard caught at deep square by a now post-2-pints Anthony, making amends for dropping one off the same batsman in the previous over. With the dangerman out, Jim sniffed a chance to sort his economy rate out a bit, and immediately struck when W Ryman top-edged his first delivery to Mark. With Pranay weighing in with a wicket, and Kaarthav and Jim both getting another each, FGCC were firmly in the ascendancy, and in the spirit of the afternoon the skipper decided to give some part-timers the chance to turn their arm. Following in his son's footsteps, Pavan bagged his first FGCC scalp, and when Jim managed to get his 3rd wicket thanks to another catch in the deep by Anthony Elstead were 9-down. A late flurry by ECC skipper Barry Young provided some late entertainment, until a mix-up saw Jim at mid-wicket chuck the ball back to MOTM Anthony to knock the bails off, running out Elstead no.11 Holland to give FGCC another win - their 3rd in a row, the second time this has been achieved in the 2019 season.