Belmont & Edgware Cricket Club

Knebworth III 198-8 dec
BECC II 199-4
5th September 2004-09-06

BECC win by 6 wickets

By Michael Blasebalk


The first challenge of the day was getting all the team to the ground. Some can’t tell their right from their left but others somehow end up going in totally the wrong direction. Eventually we started with a full team and the home side began their attack on the openers. With 45 runs scored off the first 6 overs it was almost time for a bowling change but the score was not due to bad bowling, just aggressive batting. In sweltering heat David Kaplan bowled a consistent line through his eleven over first spell and only gave away 41 runs in 12 overs. Ben Schwarz on the other hand was not as tight but bowled to his field as any captain would ask. Stuart Haring took a great stumping off a leg side delivery, and then Ben brought the catchers into the game. First Ashley Connick too a superb knee high catch to remove the danger man. This would have got the ‘catch of the day award’, but then David Kay outdid him by holding on to an amazing one-handed full stretch effort that had already gone passed him. That was the third wicket for Ben and two others gave him his first every 5-wicket haul for just 36 runs off 7 overs. David Kay bowled a nice spell but without rewards (6,0,37,0). Then came a chance for the younger players - Adam Goldman took time getting settled but eventually got his first wickets for the club finishing with 2-33. Jonathan Evans got his chance to bowl and his 4 overs were tight and he got 1-13. Some ten years after his last bowling outing Darren Diamond got his chance to turn his arm over, his over (or more correctly overs as there were 12 deliveries) helped speed the declaration and gave everyone a lasting memory of the innings. They finished on 198-8 and we didn’t even need to call on Ashley to bowl.

Following a great tea, Joel Sager and Jonathan started the challenge. The skipper’s unrelenting confidence in Joel had not been misplaced as he got the big score he’d threatened to get all season. He finished on 47 and Jonathan got a well-worked 27 to put the score on 94-2. Ever the previous week’s hero Ashley Connick and skipper Blasey. Being just behind the run rate didn’t seem a problem for the youngster who punished every bad ball. Not being selected for the first team motivated him to prove he was good enough as he sped to his second half century in two weeks. The pair put on 82 runs in 10 overs to swing the game, before Blasey holed out for 20. Ashley steered the team to victory with 5 overs remaining finishing on an undefeated 79, which included 13 fours.

The day saw three season’s bests with the bat; two players get their first wickets, a career best 5fer and every player either getting a bowl or a bat. A very hot day proved a very enjoyable, friendly and successful match for Belmont & Edgware - shame the season is coming to an end.