Season winds down for 2nds

If you look up the word meaningless in the dictionary it literally says “Rickmansworth 2nd XI vs Greenword Park 1st XI, September 2nd 2023”. Rickmansworth were already safe from relegation and GPCC either promoted or relegated (depending on whether the council fund and allow a set of sightscreens for them in 2024) so for all the attempts to make a game of it, it felt very much like a friendly game of Cricket in the sun.

The Ricky bowlers toiled away, Safraz and Hamza perhaps the pick, but Ahmed Siffique, in his work sponsored shirt, played sublimely for a classy 106. Nitesh (another player with his name on the back of his shirt) was not as assured but also hit 66. Even Smithy was dispatched to all corners in the last 10 overs as Ricky’s heart wasn’t in as much of the game. It is hard when there is nothing it in.

Yash finished off with 4-42 and I am asked to point out that not all the wickets were taken by full-tosses. There was also a great catch by Waheed diving forwards and Smithy grabbing one from the air like a stork.

260 was the total to chase and luckily the investment bankers of GPCC (JPMorgan and Schoders were on the shirts) were able to often remind the batsmen how many runs per over this was, in truth Ricky just wanted to put up a decent batting performance and have a net in preparation for the friendly games to come next week. Taz (23) and Stefan (33) batted beautifully in the middle-order. This has been Stefan’s year with the bat and he was rock solid throughout against some useful bowling. There is no doubt that the players representing Greenwood Park deserve to go up on that bowling performance. Waheed smacked a quick-fire 21, as he often does, but there was little more to cheer.

By now, the players attention's had all turned to the match on the 2nd pitch, where the 4ths were trying to get promotion. The GPCC Umpire was a real stand-out performer and stayed for a drink afterwards to celebrate their promotion. We will miss him next year.