As is their wont, several key Badgers were ruled out of this South London Ashes T20, through reasons such as injury or ill-timed excursions to America, so King’s Road were in confident mood. Forced to field a makeshift XI, which included a nervous debutant (Rahman), and a couple of noble friends stepping in as last minute replacements (Sayyed and Dawson), the Badgers were even without their captain for most of the first innings. Yes, Mr Jinks was needed in Parliament to fend off striking teachers rather than King’s Road’s opening attack. The MIA captain was at least able to communicate the batting line-up to Vice Captain Foord, relegating himself to number eleven, with Foord replacing Jinks at the top of the order. Foord went on to win the toss, electing to bat first in what was sure to be easier batting conditions.
Badger stalwart, Warman, was Foord’s opening partner and he looked in imperious form, confidently stroking the ball down the ground and picking off the loose ball with aplomb. However, with the score on nineteen, he played around a straight one and was caught plum in front. Nobody could complain with this decision because even umpire, Jan Marchant, usually so shy to raise his finger to any LBW appeal, was left in no doubt.
Warman’s demise brought Foord’s friend, Sayyed, to the crease. The chemistry between the two was palpable as they serenely put on fifty-eight runs in just seven overs. Despite enduring consecutive ducks in the previous two matches, Foord looked commanding throughout. He bludgeoned a few huge shots straight down the ground and didn’t even offer up crumbs from his table to the increasingly desperate King’s Road bowlers.
Just when it looked like Foord was about to take off and notch his first fifty of the season, Glover managed to elicit a thin edge that flew straight into the grateful wicketkeeper’s gloves. Although the in-form Mackrell was next in, the onus was now on Sayyed to push the score along having played himself in so successfully. However, in an attempt to manoeuvre one through mid-wicket, he guided the ball into the stooping fielder’s hands – a sharp take – which swung the momentum pendulum back towards the King’s Road side. With T20 specialist, Shone, the next man in, this momentum was surely only temporary, however. Lo and behold, he and Mackrell duly proceeded to make hay.
The broadest brush strokes on the canvas of Shone’s masterpiece innings were his cheeky flicks through mid-wicket and square leg. He effortlessly manipulated the ball into the leg side, even managing to clear the deep square leg boundary rope for two glorious sixes. Batting partner Mackrell looked on in awe at Shone’s heroics, and this inspired him to up the tempo, too. Swinging his willow as only he can, the all-rounder scored off all but one of the thirteen balls he faced, which included a trademark straight spank that cleared the boundary by some distance. However, a shade of overzealousness crept in, and a crazy run was attempted – the bails were duly dislodged with no need to even call for the third umpire.
Despite Mackrell’s kamikaze run out, the Badgers had amassed 132-4, and with just three overs remaining, the general consensus was that it was time to stage a late blitz. This led to a flurry of late wickets, all caused by flailing bats. Shone, however, very much in the “Shone Zone”, remained at the crease and his composure, coupled by an uncanny ability to transform ones into twos, ensured that the Badgers kept ticking along. The final score being 150-7, a total that would take some getting in the dying light.
King’s Road’s opening batsmen, Saker and Barnes, strode to the wicket. Teachers, Blake and Mackrell, opened the bowling and their nagging line and length made the scoring rate as meagre as the bowlers’ respective pensions have become. Barnes, who top scored with seventy-nine in the last South London Ashes match, was peppered by Mackrell, suffering repeated strikes to the chest. Apparently struggling to pick the ball up in the Putney sunset, he simply had no answer for the searing pace and bounce that Mackrell was producing. He persisted doggedly, however, and with the Badgers all too aware of what he was capable of, pangs of nerves started invading their hearts and minds.
Saker was unable to keep Mackrell at bay and was undone by one that kept low. This brought captain Fagan to the crease. With the score at just nineteen for one off six overs, King’s Road were forced to up the ante, and their tactic was to punish the weaker bowlers that now had to come on. They managed to do this without remorse, tucking in to Cole and Dawson, in particular. Much like his Dickensian namesake, Fagan was disgusting to watch from the Badger’s point of view and, pickpocketing runs, he looked in total control. They still needed ten runs per over, but Barnes and Fagan were still at the crease, and the noise and verve generated by the King’s Road camp suggested it was gettable.
Foord was then introduced into the attack, and after a customarily tight couple of overs, momentum began to swing back to the Badgers. Visibly dismayed by a controversial wide call from the umpire, Foord, snorting like a raging bull, charged in the next ball and upped his pace by half a yard. It was too good for Fagan, made a mess of his stumps, and ended a partnership of eighty-nine.
The Badgers fielders were tested regularly by lusty blows from both Barnes and new batsman, Glover, but once again adopted their “none shall pass” attitude, making King’s Road work hard for every run. Barnes soldiered on majestically in the twilight and reached his half century, but with twenty-nine runs still needed off the final over, he knew that an onslaught of Herculean proportions was now essential.
Jinks had cleverly kept an over from Mackrell up his sleeve and, boasting a season’s economy rate of under two runs per over, the Badgers were sure that their star bowler would see them home comfortably. Barnes, however, had other ideas and stunned the Badgers with a sensational six. He must have taken Mackrell’s earlier beating personally because, charging down the wicket at will, he was showing absolutely no respect to the Badger’s leading wicket taker. However, it was a stage where it was six or bust for King’s Road, and when Barnes let out a howl of despair after (only!) pulling Mackrell for four, one felt it was all a bit too much for him. Sure enough, the Badgers ran out winners by eight runs.
A good win for the Badgers, but it was a little too close for comfort in the end. Roll on match three of the South London Ashes series, the test match extravaganza. After all, this Ashes series is always a closely fought contest, unlike the other one!