South Woodford: 217-6
Mandarins: 87
Mandarins lost by 130 runs

 

Summary: A weakened Mandarins side took an old-fashioned hammering from South Woodford who were superior in every department.

Detail: Despite an indifferent forecast the match was played on a lovely early autumn day with much brilliant sunshine (especially when S Woodford batted), the light as sharp and clear as at any time in the season. Highfield Road will never be the most scenic of grounds but it looked as near a picture as it ever will, the outfield well mown and fast, the pitch good. Those fielding on the south and east sides of the ground, at least, could distinctly hear the breeze rustling the poplar trees over the constant swish and hum of the M11. Sadly the game failed to live up to the conditions. The Mandarins started badly and fell away. Invited to bowl first, they took the field a quarter of an hour after the scheduled start time with seven men, reaching full strength (ten, on the day) half way through the second over. Hurst gave his bowlers ample spells of between six and nine overs each. They responded with reasonably tidy, if unpenetrative, performances. But after an early wicket for Hurst (of which more anon) the S Woodford second wicket pair settled in and put on over 100. Drinks were taken with the score around 150 for 2. The introduction of some decidedly small batsmen brought late wickets, however, and the final score of 217 for 6 did not seem outlandish in the conditions. Eastaway and McIntyre took two wickets each, Hurst and Temple one. Gardiner (0-35 off nine) was distinctly unfortunate to go unrewarded. At tea McIntyre - whose run up is a baroque affair these days, by the way - consumed the only two Wagon Wheels.

Afterwards it quickly became apparent that, just as S Woodford had fielded a couple of batsmen who were a cut above the norm for Mandarins oppos of recent vintage, so they had a couple of superior bowlers - one decidedly rapid, but also capable of spinning the ball either way, the other a slow twirler with a wicked quicker ball. Wickets fell steadily and with little resistance, only Gardiner (opening the batting as well as the bowling), Masraf and Eastaway achieving double digits. Again S Woodford gave their youngsters a chance to show what they could do but though the score mounted a little they were unable to stem the flow of wickets and the innings closed ignominiously at 87, which your correspondent is advised is the club's lowest losing score of the season (geddit?). Had S Woodford not realised at an early stage that they could ease up, the total might have struggled to pass 50.

Mitigating factors? Jarvis and Williams, both originally selected but unable to turn out in the event, would have strengthened the batting. Mandarin moments? Well yes, happily, and all involving Temple. Starting behind the stumps he dropped a sharp chance off the S Woodford no.1 but Masraf at slip snapped up an even sharper chance off the very next ball, whereupon to show his gratitude and admiration Temple immediately handed over the gloves. At the opposite end of the S Woodford innings Temple, brought on as the Mandarins' seventh bowler, hit no.4's off stump with his first delivery. S Woodford promptly gave up hope of scoring any more runs and declared. (Since Barry did not bowl in the last match of the season at OAs, he will start next season needing only two more wickets for his hat-trick....) Having closed the opposition innings so emphatically, Temple opened the reply, gave the slow bowler the charge and was stumped for one. S Woodford appeared a club in good heart: ground well prepared, good tea (save for the meagre supply of Wagon Wheels), several strong cricketers and some promising youngsters. Memo to team sec: we need to field a strong side there in 2002.

Malcolm Field

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