Seconds set new record in close defeat

On the best day of the Spring so far, Ricky were asked to bat and in went Ubaid and Paul. When the first ball leapt off a length, the Potters Bar team got very excited and it was clear the new ball was going to ‘do a bit’. It quickly accounted for Paul, nicking off behind, and then Tom and Ubaid set about building a partnership. 30 runs later, Ubaid also nicked off to a ball that climbed from a length and the die was set. Fizzy and Tom played well and at 60, Tom played a big hoick across the line to a straight one to depart the scene. Lekshay played some magnificent drives before getting one that jumped which he popped to cover and then Stefan also looked handy before falling LBW (again!) for 11.

Ricky were now at a turning point, as they looked for the 160-180 that might make a game of it. Fizzy was again playing masterfully, but he was disappointed to see first Waheed (caught well at gully off a climbing ball) and Billy (bowled) depart for just 5 between them and Ricky were 107/ 7. Fizzy was playing the role that Bobby usually plays so well. However even he was caught out when he chased a wide one and clothed it to the keeper. 114/8 and the game was over. Or at least so it seemed. Shiv, who can bat, was joined by Safraz who was playing his first game for 4 years. The same Safraz who had been in Hospital multiple times in the intervening years. And yet, this was the same Saffie from 2015. Driving anything pitched up and pushing quick singles. And the partnership blossomed. 40, 50 60 runs. And suddenly the record 9th wicket partnership of 74 was in reach. Not only did they reach it but smashed it. Saffie scored his 4th half-century for the club and helped Ricky to a score of 204 for 9. And yes, they BEAT THE ALL TIME 9TH WICKET RECORD with 90 runs. That is a record set in 1981 (The year Charles married Diana) and includes all innings since 1847.

Potters Bar started like a train thanks to an extraordinary amount of wides in the first few overs and were 43/0 after 6 overs. Fizzy got an LBW and then Shivam induced an edge to Tom behind the stumps. But Potters Bar had plenty of overs in the Bank thanks to their fast start. It was only when Smithy and Lexay came on to bowl that the run dried up. Smithy in particular had a great tussle with Sai, the slogging left hander. He was dropped on 21 and went on to scor 46 before he was caught on the boundary by Lexshay. John the got 2 more wickets without troubling the scorers, and Ricky were back in the hunt.

Despite taking another wicket, Potters Bar’s tail wagged just as well as Rickys, and they knocked off the remaining 60 runs between numbers 8 and 9 for a famous victory.

Good points for Ricky, but still the curse of dropping the top-scorers continues and we need a bit more luck with the bat. However good points tallies and time in the middle means we have a decent start, despite not yet winning a game. On to next week and Greenwood Park in the battle of the bottom two..