Beneath a wan sun, summer smiles returned to Badger faces, as a scorching cricketing performance lit up the unseasonable gloom. The Badger's opposition (and arch rivals), The Kings Road Social Club saw the sunshine of success beam, only fleetingly, on their endeavor before, once again, falling to the winter cold grip of defeat, as they continue to stumble their thoroughly joyless, and so far winless 2009 season.
Every question asked by The KRCSC was measured, met and answered by the Badgers as they cruised to victory, demonstrating with condemning clarity, their superiority over their lackluster, rudderless opposition.
The first challenge of the day fell to the captains; field placement. Not, on this occasion, a question of balance between Catchers and Sweepers, but the more fundamental dilemma of which of the two, greased, slick wickets to play. The Badger's Captain, Martin Cloke, keen to secure the wicket he felt best advanced his teams' cause, scored the first of many individual victories that day by securing play on his preferred track. Losing the toss, was scant inconvenience, as the KRCSC Captain, Raju, nominated his side to the field, putting a willing Badgers side into bat.
Marchant and Warman made their way to the crease to open the Badger's innings, the latter settling into his guard to face the opening ball.
The KRCSC started the game well. Quick, shaping, accurate deliveries skipped off the spongy deck causing problems for the opening pair. Opener James, especially managed to shape the ball, exploiting the damp conditions to infuse his deliveries with genuine late-showing swerve.
Warman, (playing as always with implacably straight bat), sneaked a few singles before being bamboozled by a ball that seemed to stick on the damp wicket, pushing his hands through too soon and turning a defensive shot, into a chip back to a well placed mid-off.
Warman's loss, for only two runs, sent The KRCSC apoplectic with excitement, was this to be their day?
J-Dickinson joined the quietly accumulating Marchant at the crease in the 3rd over and set about imposing his hard-hitting batting on the KRCSC openers. JD's physical strength allowed him to force through a sweetly hit boundary. Alas, this became his only contribution as he too fell to the good early spell bowling. He left the field with the Badgers in difficult straights at 18 for 2.
The great American President Woodrow Wilson, said, "I would rather fail in a cause that will ultimately triumph, than triumph in a cause that will ultimately fail." Warman and Dickinson may have been back in the hutch, but It is in this spirit we should view both their innings.
Barker now joined Marchant at the crease and was offered sage words of advice from the established Bat, "I think the plan is for us to hang around a bit.." Hang around, they did.
Despite a few (now almost obligatory) wobbles early in his innings, Barker soon fell into the easy, run scoring rhythm grooved by Marchant since the first over. In a partnership, totaling 79 runs, they hit the rope 10 times, rotating strike and scoring responsibilities. Importantly the pressure piled on by the KRCSC opening attack was bled away as the pair occupied the crease for the remainder of the first session bringing the Badgers into drinks with a total just short of 100.
Marchant finally fell after the drinks break, 34 runs of 59 balls. He had scored fluently, punishing bad balls to both leg and offside, teasing the field with glances through and over the slips and, most tellingly, driving up the run rate with quick singles and double runs (well managed alongside the sometimes 'gung-ho' Barker). Positively, Marchant displayed none of his occasional tendencies to 'chase the wide one' and this self-discipline made an important contribution to his success.
Marchant was finally caught pushing for a long boundary, an audacious shot that his pragmatic, considered innings had given him full license to play. Game on, Badgers in control. 97 for 3.
Batswoman Hirst replaced Marchant at the Housing Estate End. Hirst's has improved with every innings and it is now a compact, well stanced cricketer that adopts a centre guard to receive delivery. Defending well for almost an over, Hirst was unlucky to catch an edge whist driving text-book-style towards cover. The catch which ended her innings, was greedily gobbled up behind the stumps.
Robin Macrkell made his way to the middle, clearly meaning business. He had bought the Willow, not the Poplar. In traditional 'Big Bad Bob' style, Mackrell opened his account with a savage pull between deep-square leg and fine, resulting in 4 clean runs. A few exchanged singles kept the run rate ticking over.
Barker, who had now faced almost 12 overs of bowling had creeped up into the high 40's and was desperate to achieve his first certified 'half' for the Battersea Badgers. Alas, it was not to be as he was given LBW from an inswinging, full length delivery which struck his back leg, in lieu of the stumps. A solid innings came to an end and a disappointed Barker returned to warm (and gratefully received) applause.
109 for 5
Captain Cloke made his way to the middle and immediately settled himself into a shot playing rhythm, shaping an othodox on-drive to good effect and four runs, whilst putting good rev's on the scoreboard with precisely placed singles. Cloke, the Badger's 'text book' batsman was perfectly complimented at the other end by the more expansive Mackrell, already displaying his ability to bludgeon runs in the last few overs of his partnership with Barker.
Perhaps it was the Skipper's eagerness to get the heavy hitting Mackrell on strike that led to him calling, and starting out for, a run off a clipped ball past slip. Mackrell at the non strikers end had a better view of the lurking 'third-mannish' fly slip and resolutely held his ground sending the Skipper back. His refusal was in vain and, despite a ferocious scramble from the, now returning, skipper the bails were snatched off by a grateful KRCSC keeper.
Perhaps, his involvement in the unfortunate run-out spurred Mackrell on? Regardless of motivation, Mackrell switched gears, unleashing a blistering attack on the KRCSC opening bowlers, who by this time had returned to the attack. 6 fours and 2 Sixes across only 20 balls left the KRCSC reeling and the Badgers firmly in control of the game.
This devastating onslaught was by no means a spectator sport for Hubbard, the batsman replacing Cloke, and making his first appearance for the Badgers this year. On this performance the Badger Selection committee will be hoping it is not his last!
A pacey 12 at around 50% strike rate ensured that the KRCSC bowlers were pressured from both ends of the wicket. A sweetly pulled four, was celebrated in 'Tendulkaresque' fashion with a compass point salute sending the Badgers into rapture, the KRCSC further into despair.
Mackrell's devastating knock finally came to an end as he was caught deep on the rope, his excellent 44, breaking the will (and the bowling figures) of the KRCSC attack. The scorebook fails to record the bowler to whom he was dismissed...
Badgers 164-6
The Badgers tail was now well and truly wagging. Hubbard was joined by the able Shone, who continued to force the game hitting the rope with a crisp off drive and racking up singles for a quick fire 7 off ten. Frequent, error inducing nips, nudges and pinch hit runs, frustrated the KRCSC who desperately tried to kill off the game but with no success. Hubbard and Shone put on 8 of 12 for the 8th wicket.
Hubbard 12 of 26, Shone 7 of 9.
KRCSC faced the death of a thousand cuts as the Badgers batted all the way down to 11.
Thorpe and Thomas (note these two names, you will hear them again!) made their way to the crease within a few balls of each other and with a little over four overs remaining. The KRCSC, now desperate to escape the field , bent their backs with their last vigour but still could not find a way to beat their men.
Thorpe, as always, combined frame, height and handspeed to smash through the remaining KRCSC bowling, disheartened and already thrashed, the big hitting tail-ender wilted out the last of their resolve. A bulldozer 18 of 15 balls meant that KRCSC joy in 'dot balls' was quickly and absolutely eradicated by a vicious six and laser-straight fours.
Thomas, took a quiet moment of religious reflection, before he too entered the fray, cutting like a crusader in the holy land and sweeping all aside in his tee-total, homo-erotically charged slog of 10 from 13.
The overs ran out before the Badgers and after 240 deliveries (plus extras) the Badgers left the field NOT OUT. 210
As always the Badger Tea was first rate. Compliments allround but especial mention must go to the Banana Brownies. Refreshed, ready and rampant, The Badgers took to the field. The KRCSC's humiliation their sole objective.
When Martin Cloke finally writes his Opus Magnum, 'Cloke: The art of 'Fraise-Blonde' Captaincy,' he will no doubt give over a full chapter to his field-placing decisions during this game. He made the correct changes the correct number of times. Overall Badger fielding was strong, in no small part down to the captains insistence on high-standard, high-energy, highly- intelligent fielding.
The KRCSC openers were welcomed to the crease by Merchant and Mackrell.
Mackrell had the pleasure of the first ball and used it to good effect, sending out an immediate signal of his intentions: "I am going to be supremely quick and extremely accurate – and you had better hit the ball or I am going to rip your stumps out". The fact that his five overs only bought 1 wicket is perhaps disappointing. The fact that his five overs went for only 10 runs is nothing less than Mackrell deserved for an imperious display of corridor bowling that left the KRCSC openers intimidated tangled and runless.
Marchant took a while to find his rhythm, suffering from a few harsh wide calls early on in his spell. However, form, no matter how varied, is always temporary and it was only a matter of time before Marchant's class allowed him to bundle his way into the wickets with a sweet delivery that smashed into the Keeting's stumps. 1 for 38 may seem costly, but it was all bowled at the best of The KRCSC batting.
At this point is must be noted that Dickinson, behind the sticks for the first time, kept impeccably, especially to the quicks. His glove skill was beyond question, byes were notable through their absence. More time behind the sticks will surely improve an already strong performer.
Fielding overall was strong, with well taken catches throughout the team. Special mention must go to Warman who pouched a real 'talk yourself out of it' and Shone, who displayed real character to focus on a difficult hanger with the nag of a dropped catch already playing on his mind.
Thomas and Thorpe now entered the fray.
Thomas ended the day on 4 for 42. The fact that he was able to return these figures is in no small way a testament to his personal competitive qualities. The Mid-pace bowlers early overs were attacked strongly by the KRCSC Mid-order batsman, turning, albeit briefly, the momentum of the game back into their favour and for the first and only time, introducing nervousness into the Badger ranks.
However, Thomas' persistence and self-belief never wavered and inch by inch he crept the ball onto a dangerous length and exposing line. His breakthough wicket (LBW) opened the floodgates and subsequent overs bought further wickets, including two in two balls, both held by Thorpe at Fine-Leg.
Thorpe's spell mirrored Thomas'. Initial batting pressure finally diffused and turned into relentless probing bowling. Straight, low, skiddy, awkward deliveries, took the game away from the KRCSC as they ran out of overs and inspiration. Batsman were forced into playing high-risk shots or be subjected to the boa-like constriction of 'line-length dot ball goodness.' 4-23 were match changing figures. Thomas repaying the kindness of catches by pursing two of Thorpe's wickets himself.
In the end the Badger's were too good. Too good with the Bat, too good with the Ball, too good in the field, better Captained. Despite respectable innings from Watson (36) and Cocken(32) the KRCSC never threatened to take control of the game, unable to suppress the buoyant and skillful Badgers.
'The King('sRCSC) is dead,
Long live the Badgers.'
Oh..before I forget Barker hit an absolutely massive bloody six.