Green light for Promotion for Ricky against Leverstock

On a rather indifferent Saturday afternoon the 4s travelled to Parmiters to play bottom of the division Leverstock Green. However the 4s have learnt in previous seasons the side bottom of the league is never an easy game and that was shown early on. Hanuman and Nass took the new ball and were straight into their work Nass beating the outside edge on numerous occasions, whilst Hanuman at the other end was slightly wayward to his usual standards yet he managed to bowl one of his classic inswingers that nipped away off the seam a ball that the great James Anderson would be proud of. Nass in his 5 overs bowled 3 maidens with the only runs coming from the inside and outside edge as he had figures of 0-8. Hanuman claimed his 2nd when the no3 snicked off and Graham Hilsden stuck his mitt right out infront of 1st slip and took an absolute blinder.

Jack Lee and Chandru were next into the attack and both were in the game early on. Chandru ripped through the middle order with some brilliant seam bowling, pushing his lengths up and forcing the batters into shots they did not want to play.

Amongst the wickets falling from one end there was a resistant force throughout the Leverstock Green innings, the no1 batsman U.Azhar playing one for the team blunting the attack from one end and taking runs wherever he could. Chandru claimed 4-5 in his 6 overs, a fantastic spell of bowling, 1 clean bowled 2 LBWs and another catch for Graham behind the sticks. Callum and u15 bowler Ali Akbar took the ball after drinks and both found some lovely turn and bounce more so for Ali as he claimed the no8 and no9 bat with some brilliant catches, one from Rayyan Khan 1 hand over his head, Ben Stokes esque. Still throughout this ripping bowling display from the 4s U.Azhar played his shots and worked his way up to 62 before his efforts were ended by a Keshav Shome full toss that went straight into the safe hands of Rayyan Khan for his 2nd catch. The Leverstock Green Innings ended with a run out that summed up the rest of their batting as Callum cleanly picked up and threw into Graham as he took the bails off. Bowling Leverstock out for 82, excluding the 62 from Azhar, Ricky claimed 20-9. An astonishing bowling performance on a pitch that was very good to bat on.

Prasanth saw this as an opportunity to promote the youth and give them a chance in such a small chase of 82. Rayyan Khan and Keshav Shome headed out to the middle and were greeted to a Leverstock Green attack that was much stronger than that of its batting, however both opening bats looked solid. Keshav Shome showed some great guts as he ducked and weaved from some back of a length bowling that were rearing up past the helmet. Keshav was the 1st wicket to fall with the score at 29-1, he departed for an elegant 13 playing some beautiful back foot punches and guides through gully and cover point. Callum joined Rayyan and both looked to take their time and thwart any chance of a Leverstock winning this game, hitting the bad ball for 4 and looking to take the 1s and 2s when available. Rayyan was the more expansive of the 2 as he played some glorious lofted drives reminiscent of the Pakistan great Younus Khan. Although he was next to depart as he smashed one straight back to the bowler. With the score now at 54-2 it looked to be in the bag and a walk in the park from here for the 4s, but the Leverstock bowlers had not given up yet.

Jack joined Callum and played his usual way looking to be free, scoring quickly as he smashed a 4 but that was all she wrote for Jack as the midwicket fielder stuck his hand out and took a fantastic grab and he was soon walking back. Ali Akbar was the next to join Callum and he too did the same as Jack smashing a 4 then getting out rather tamely caught and bowled. Chandru came and went for a duck and Ricky were quickly 64-5, with Callum quickly becoming frustrated with his partners as they came and went whilst he took the safe option of 1s and 2s.

Nasser was next in and tried to play his normal way taking huge swipes at every single ball. Leverstock felt that they had something and after 2 dropped catches off Nass he finally departed for 3 as the Leverstock Captain Jake took what could be catch of the season diving behind him at midwicket. Ricky were now 76-6 as Callum had found the boundary whilst he was with Nasser with a flick off his hips and a vicious cut shot. Callum was delighted when he saw Hanuman walking out to join him, the calmest player in the team understanding what the situation required. The pair took the 4s home as Callum finished on 19* and Hanuman on 9*.

A 3rd win on the bounce leaves Prasanth’s Ricky 4s 3rd in the league just 17 points off League Leaders West Herts 5s who we travel to next weekend, a win could see them climb to the top of the table and with an excellent bowling attack and an inform batting line up anything could happen. Competition for places has never been higher and it is a sign of how much the club as a whole has improved. Long may it Continue!