Ricky beat Hatfield to maintain promotion dreams

After a nailbiting victory in the first round of games at Hatfield, Rickmansworth were hoping for an easier ride in the home fixture. With a strong looking side with both bat and ball, Ricky skipper Stefan was unsure what to do at the toss, but Hatfield won and decided to put Ricky in, on a decent looking track. Maz and Stefan got Ricky off to a more than decent start putting on 78 for the first wicket on a track which wasn’t proving as straightforward as we thought. The bounce was a little inconsistent and not really coming on to the bat. Stefan was the first to go for a streaky 26 having been dropped four times, whilst Maz notched a decent fifty containing nine fours, before trying a T20 style shot to be bowled, when a ton was on the cards. Both went to veteran left arm spinner Gareth Wynne- who like so many at this level prospers from bowling a very tight line and length whilst doing very little with the ball. You miss – they hit!

Bobby, Yusuf and Shammi all settled in scoring in their teens before getting out as Ricky got to 133-4 in the 37th over, and this was where the game turned with the arrival of Majid Khan at the crease. In customary fashion he plundered a huge six off Memon to get off the mark – his previous 5 overs had gone for 5 runs. Figures of 0-5 off six became 2-53 off 10 as Majid was now joined by the equally belligerent Ali Asghar .They plundered runs all around the ground . Mistry , the first change went for 28 off one over as the pair peppered the boundary with maximums. By the time Ali Asghar departed for 44 he had smashed four maximums and two fours. At the other end Majid looked at one stage like he may complete an impossible century. He finished on 86* including seven maximums and six fours. Rickmansworth finished on 280-9. 147 coming off the last 13 overs. This was a great effort on a tricky wicket .

Yash and Fizzy opened the bowling for Rickmansworth with Fizzy making the breakthrough first ball of the fourth over, removing skipper Collins off stick and quickly following it with his partner Mamon, in his following over. At the other end Yash bowled well but without any reward. Hatfield didn’t ever look like they believed they could get anywhere near the Rickmansworth total and seemed to be settling in for batting points. Smithy replaced Yash. They did briefly try to work quick singles in a bid to get somewhere vaguely close to the run rate, however at the halfway stage they needed exactly 200 runs off the final twenty five. Wynne Junior had briefly offered some resistance with 26, however Fizzy finished with 4-33 off his ten- including all the Hatfield top 4 batsmen. Smithy got 1-22 off eight, and was unlucky not to get a couple more . Yusuf joined the attack from the pavilion end with Ali Asghar at the other. Both bowled well, with Yusuf showing some good pace. He finished with 3-29. The final wicket fell to a catch at mid on by Maz off Ali Asghars bowling. Hatfield were all out for 153, 128 runs short of their total. Another pleasing 30 points which leaves Rickmansworth 87 points above Bovingdon who are second from bottom, and 21 off Greenwood Park in second place. Botany Bay appear to be too far gone now and the title should be a formality for them having lost only once. The bottom two are somewhat cut adrift, however only 52 points separates second place and eighth. Rickmansworth IIs have to play Bovingdon (a), Old Finchleians (h), Old Elizabethans (a), Luton Indians (h) and Cheshunt & Rosedale away on the final day of the season. If todays performance is anything to go by, promotion is in our own hands.