Scorecard

Balkan Bash Final v Incogniti Cricket Club Incogniti CC on Sat 28 Sep 2019 at TBC
Incogniti Cricket Club Won vs CFCCCC off the last ball with 9 down!

Match report So, Incogs faced CFCCCC in the final (the oppos name has something to do with a cycling club) The team was basically made up of a bunch of ex Cambridge Perse Schoolboys all 30 years of age, all of which meant their average age was a fair bit less than Incogs, and that they didn't take kindly to our keeper's inadvertent sledge, which went like this:

Scorer: Bowler's name?... Fielder: Rupert Cornelius Rudkin... T SImms: Ha ha, I'm guessing he might have gone to public school... CCCFC skipper: Yes, as we all did, we all went to the Perse school,... Anyway, that's a bit rich coming from you lot in your jazz hats and stripy blazers!... Hilarious, and as Tim was generous enough to acknowledge, fair enough!

Incogs stuck to their winning formula of opening with the pace of Khan in combination with the previously reliable slower stuff from Phil and Nav M. B Wakeford had been mooted as possibly opening with Imran but had been overheard saying to the skipper that he'd not bowled for weeks, the run up had a huge concrete ridge in his usual take off spot, so he should only be used as a last resort to try and knock their heads off if plan A went wrong. These proved to be surprisingly prophetic words, as for once plan A didn't work. CCCFC's openers showed the fearlessness and cheek of relative youth to begin smearing Incog's previously parsimonious slower bowlers all round the ground (well, mostly over square leg/cow). After 10 overs Incogs had been flayed for 77 runs and a score in excess of 150 was looking likely. Skipper Bowry decided it was time for plan B. Wakeford was whistled up to brush off the dust, forget he was 50 in a couple of weeks, and avoid the concrete block on the way in. In tandem with the returning Khan the pace duo then whistled down some terrifying chin/helmet music. This was interspersed with wicket taking deliveries and amazingly the innings was finished off in a further 7 overs with only a further 30 runs added. Highlights included Khan's usual skidding yorkers sending the the stumps flying three times, and Wakeford's age defying full length diving catch off his own bowling.

108 the total for victory.

Parvais and Uzi Ali were sent out to open, but unlike the heat games, both failed, falling for ducks. Golden child (Khan) was dispatched to work his magic, but could only manage the one big six before perishing. At this point the skipper, recognising we were finally in real danger of defeat, strapped his pads on (but in haste no box or thigh guard) and went out to bat(tle). The ex Perse schoolboys were immediately treated to a Bowry special as he uppercut their fastest of their bowlers over backward point. Having asserted his authority, the skipper then settled down, voice booming across the field as usual, and the innings began to take shape. Candidate Javed Riaz showe his 20 20 credentials with a towering six and was unlucky to be bowled soon after by a ball which basically didn't bounce, Nav Saeed stuck in with his captain for a while before being bowled by a good one from Gimson, and then Nav Malik and Bowry looked like they were going to take us home with ease. Unfortunately the CFCCC youths were not finished, and they showed the same courage they had done when being struck hard on their helmets, by digging in and getting right back into the match. Bowry was tempted to follow a decent lifting ball outside off stump to be caught behind. Gibson was then caught off a lifter, and Wakeford was again finished off by a grubber before Nav Malik's fine innings ended. 93 for 9 with 14 runs still required and it wasn't looking great for the Cogs. Enter 'Hockey wrists' Arnould who took advantage of the spinners last over by twanging him twice through midwicket to leave 6 to win off the last over.

Opening bowler Fairbank was entrusted with this key over. Tim Simms showed all his experience to clip his first ball for a single and get Arnould on strike. Three huge swipes brought no further contact from the hard hitting hockey player (pace bowling on the right lengths being almost impossible to hit on this surface). so, 2 balls to score 5 still. A wide brought that down to 2 off 2 (wides counting for 3 and still having to be rebowled in the last over). Phil sneaks a single to bring the scores level and it's down to the veteran Simms to see us home. He's down the track, the bowler can't believe it and smears the ball miles outside off. It's a wide and Incogs retain their trophy off the last ball of the tournament!

Great stuff, and great fun had by all again. Next year, an international standard turf wicket in Romania. The batsmen will be pleased!


Balkan Bash Final Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
19w 4b 2lb 
for 10 wickets
25
107 (17.1 overs)		     
W Hammond lbw  Gibson 21
R Cassels ct  Uzi Ali b N Malik 28
J DIllon b  Malik 7
O Rudkin ct  Javed Riaz b Wakeford 8
O Cassels b  Khan 0
R Brennan b  Khan 0
W Davidson ct  & Bowled Gibson 10
S Gimson b  Khan 0
C Rudkin ct  Parvais b Khan 2
W Fairbank ct  & Bowled Wakeford 0
J Dean Not Out  0

Incogniti Cricket Club Incogniti CC Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Imran Khan4.001735.674.25
Phillip Arnould2.002400.0012.00
Naveed Malik4.002337.675.75
Guest One3.101929.506.00
Ben Wakeford4.001829.004.50

Incogniti Cricket Club Incogniti CC Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
15w 3b  
for 9 wickets
18
110		        
Ali Pervaiz ct  Davidson 0 1
Candidate One ct  (Uzi Ali) Davidson 0 1
Imran Khan ct  Hammond 13
Sunny Bowry ct  Hammond 20
Candidate Two b  Gimson 11 1
Naveed Saeed b  Gimson 6
Naveed Malik ct  C Rudkin 16
Guest One ct  (Gibson) Rudkin 3 1
Ben Wakeford lbw  Davidson 8 1
Phillip Arnould Not Out  11
Tim Sims Not Out  3

Balkan Bash Final Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Davidson4.001033.332.50
Fairbank4.002000.005.00
Hammond4.001829.004.50
Gimson4.0025212.506.25
C Rudkin4.0026213.006.50