2nds record win no2 to stun Allenburys

Having won the 1st league game of the season, the Ricky team (or at least 10 of us) turned up against another week one winning team, Allenburys, to find a pitch that looked a belter and a quick outfield. The sun was shining, and Naeem was nowhere to be seen, so naturally on winning the toss the Captains decision was to field first. The groans could be heard from the nearby A10.

And things didn’t improve as Tom Watson, Brett Harvey, Bilal Mohammed and AJ Thakur all failed to remove the openers. The best chance was a sharp catch in front of first slip that keeper Blackwell spilled. It wasn’t until the 21st over, and Allenburys on 83 that batsman Mitchell was dismissed for a determined 16. At the half way stage Allenburys were up to 99/1 and looked like setting a big total. However, the Ricky field stayed lively, and the bowling kept swopping around to find the breakthrough. And it came when Naeem Khan pitched up a half-volley that 1st teamer Devine smashed straight at the safe hands of Kamran Shah. 118/2 and maybe Ricky had a hope. Brett managed to get a caught and bowled off the obdurate Scholl (28) and Ronesh got his second LBW of the game. Allenburys ploughed on, but never really got away from the relentless Ricky pressure and Ajay Thakur bowled a peach to dismiss Barter for 34 towards the end. Once again Ronesh was the top bowler with 2-15 in his 10 overs. Not a single boundary conceded.

Needing 4 an over, opening pair Paul Blackwell and Mark Berwick knew that a steady but run-filled start was required. And for once it happened to plan. Berwick was out for a swashbuckling 15 (leaving him balanced on 4995 career runs for the club) and though AJ was out LBW for 1 and then Waheed went for 10 after hitting 2 magnificent 4’s, the run rate was being maintained. Raz and Paul then put on 43 in the next 9 overs before Blackwell departed for 35 on the brink of the drinks break. Incidentally this took Paul past 8,500 career runs for the club.

Kamran supported Raz well and scored just 4 in a partnership of 36. But it got Ricky closer. Nerves were starting to tell for both teams, as Ronesh strode to the wicket. However he and Raz steadily knocked off the runs, with well placed singles and the occasional boundary. 4.5 an over became 4 and over, and with 10 overs left Ricky needed 38 to win. Ronesh by now was running on empty, but Raz had already reached a magnificent half century and was powering on. The last 8 overs went very quickly with both players opening their shoulders, and Ronesh went to a half-century of his own, his 2nd for the club, before Raz smashed a 4 to win the game and finish on 84 not out. Raz's highest score for Ricky.

Last season, the 2nd team didn’t have as much success as they perhaps deserved, and so to see the team coast to a score of over 210 was a delight to watch and participate in. In fact the last time Ricky 2nd XI scored over 210 to win a match was June 20th 2009. A second consecutive win also keeps Ricky level at the top of the table. With bottom of the table Old Cholmeleians up next, the team really do have a decent chance of making it a hatrick of wins for the first time since 2013. Keep the faith.