3rd time unlucky for Ricky 2nds

When you turn up to Old Finchlieans on a warm sunny day you know they’ll be a lot of ball chasing for the team fielding first. And so it transpired as Rickmansworth lost the toss and OFCC put on 110 without the loss of any wickets by the drinks interval. The Ricky bowlers Did little wrong. However the opposition ran superbly and pushed the ball into spaces for quick singles. Ricky made a good comeback in the second half, conceeding 142 more runs, but getting 5 wickets in reply. Saffie bowled particularly well, as did Bilal going for only 3 boundaries in his 10 overs. So 252 was the target that have been set.

Being the Ricky 2nd team, it was only fitting that an early collapse should be on the cards. Stefan was unlucky to be given out LBW when three paces down the track. Possibly his sixth LBW in six innings! Ali looked great on the drive until he nicked one behind, and then Bobby did exactly the same thing edging to 1st slip. 13 for three on a plum batting track, and OFCC were showing Ricky how to bowl. Fizzy and Bilal did a rebuild and Fizzy in particular looked really good for a nice half century before a low one hit him in front of middle stump.

Then, as so often this year, it was the turn of Safraz and Waheed to put on a show. A partnership of 93 turned the game on its head and had the fielders shouting at each other as they suspected a stunning victory for Ricky could be on the cards. But after two successes in the last two weeks, this time it wasn’t third time lucky. Waheed was caught on the boundary for another fantastic innings. He really is seeing the ball like a football right now. Hitting shots all around the ground. Some good hits towards the end enabled Ricky to reach 200 all out. Which were seven good batting points.

In previous seasons Ricky would have been all out for 60 or 70 and would have been languishing towards the bottom of the table. But this team is made of sterner stuff. And Ricky are in the middle of the table thanks to the excellent points gained in losing causes, plus the wins on the board in the last two games.

Once the top order start firing, there’s definitely more wins on the table for this year‘s 2nd XI