Rickmansworth 2nd XI v Chenies and Latimer 1st, 2nd and 3rd XI @ Home

Rickmansworth 2nd XI v Chenies and Latimer 1st, 2nd and 3rd XI @ Home

MOM - Rory Cussack

The first home game of the season had to be played on the second square as the main square is still recovering from badger damage.

The opposition captain was late so it was left to the opening batsmen to do the toss. We walked out removed the covers and he called tails and won the toss. To my surprise he decided to bat, the covers working in our favour immediately.

Andy Milner opened the bowling and started well with a jaffa second ball to remove the openers off stump and smash the bails ! Chenies were 0-1.

Mashooq in only his second game at Ricky struggled to understand that short pitched bowling means ankle high bounce. The good news to Mashooq is the batsmen had no idea what to do with it.

In the mean time Andy had taken another wicket a low full toss smashed by the batsmen to Kamran Shan at mid off take a good catch. To be fair to the batsmen if Kamran did not catch it he would have gone for four.

Mashooq started to find a length and got the oppo skipper out plumb LBW. His pace will cause batsmen trouble when he pitches it up if he can find that length.

Andy and Mahooq plugged away completing their eight overs well but did not take any further wickets.

The Ricky stand-in captain and chairman Mark Raine turned to Harsh Hariharan who found a length straight away and the opposition had no idea what to do with him on the damp Ricky pitch. At 53-3 Harsh bowled Chenies best batsmen for 22 and at that point the team sensed we could run through them.

Wickets started to fall as Harsha and Brendan bowled in tandem at one point the team took a hatrick of wickets leaving Chenies 61-8. A late rally from 10 and 11 took Chenies to 79 all out but Ricky where on top at Tea.

A good steady start was required and Sohail and Rory a new look opening partnership scored 2 from 5 overs as the pitch was hard work. Sohail was the first to go LBW for 8 to a lowish delivery. Enter Raz, exit Raz after four overs of work for a quick 3.

At this point Ricky needed to consolidate at 30-2 and get the scoreboard ticking.

Enter Kamran Shah a man in form following his knock in the first game of the season and a new hugh super sized bat. Kamran "Cave Man" Shah as he is now known by he team mates got the scoreboard ticking while Rory was stroking the ball around like Nasser Hussain at his peak. Kamran hit one hugh six that hit the Rugby floodlight and then got a little carried away and was bowled as victory was in sight.

At 68-3 and frozen solid Captain Mark Raine walked to the pitch hoping that Rory would knock off the last few runs but after a great Knock Rory charged the spinner and was out for a excellent 22 leaving Ricky 74-4.

Raine and Zaf Shah finished off the job with Zaf playing his normal Biff Biff style to finish on 8 Not Out and the Captain 2 Not Out.

Ricky won easily with the result set-up by excellent bowling from the seamers with a mention to Andy Milner and Harsh. Harsha took a Ricky best of 4 for 3 in Six overs.

Man of the Match was a hard choice following Harsh's efforts but batting was so hard the award goes to Rory Cussack who lead by example opening.

Rory has certainly put himself forward as a permanent opener in the third team going forward.

A good win by a combined Team on a bowlers track in freezing conditions.