Match 8 Nomads v Great Missenden Pelicans Ground Nag’s Head Meadow, Great Missenden, Bucks

Result; Nomads won by 87 runs
Toss:   Nomads
Umpires;Various
Scorers:Bill rodwell
Debut;  None

NOMADS CC Innings
K Farrell    c D Bailey b Newman    62
R Ghosh+     c Livie    b Frank     11
T Brockton   lbw        b J Bailey   2
A Hill       lbw        b Jeffreys   4
M Bugden     c Howard   b Jeffreys  14
S Reeve      run out                31
J Al Darraji run out                55
S Wahi       c Tickler  b Jeffreys   2
S Shawl      not out                26
ME Blumberg  not out                 0
Extras       (b7,lb4,w9,nb1)        21
TOTAL       (8 wickets,40 overs)   229
Dnb:O Croom-Johnson

Fow:1-33(2),2-69(3),3-89(4),4-107(1),5-115(5),6-197(6),7-200(8).

Bowling-Frank 8 2 23 1,J Bailey 8 0 43 1,Newman 4 0 30 1,Jeffrey 7 0 37 3,Tickler 3 0 21 0,Livie 8 0 49 0,R Bailey 2 0 13 0.

GREAT MISSENDEN PELICANS CC Innings
R Bailey   bowled         Croom-Johnson 39
C Nicholls bowled         Shawl          3
D Bailey   c Shawl      b Croom-Johnson 40
S Tickler  bowled         Croom-Johnson  5
J Newman   bowled         Al Darraji     4
A Livie*   bowled         Croom-Johnson  0
R Gibson   not out                      20
P Howard   bowled         Brockton       6
J Bailey   c Farrell    b Budgen         1
R Frank    lbw          b Budgen         8
N Jeffreys c Al-Darraji b Budgen         1
Extras    (b2,lb1,w3,nb0)                6
TOTAL     (All out,34.5 overs)         142

Fow;1-11(2),2-87(3),3-96(4),4-103(1),5-104(6),6-106(5),7-115(8),8-116(9),9-140(10).

Bowling-Shawl 5 2 10 1,Reeve 6 0 29 0,Croom-Johnson 8 0 30 4,Al Darraji 6 1 32 1,Budgen 5.5 0 23 3,Brockton 4 1 13 1.

Nomads bowlers secure win

Nomads made good use of a late Easter Bank Holiday Monday to open up their 2014 (UK) season with a well earned victory vs Great Missenden Pelicans CC, the Nomads returning to the pretty Buckinghamshire ground after an absence of some 10 years. Pelicans is also the only club that Michael Blumberg has ever scored a hundred for, so he was keen to cogitate and reminisce before the start of play.

On a damp wicket Nomads were inserted by the home skipper and the opening pair of Farrell and Ghosh found the early going tricky against some wayward early overs. The wicket was slow, offering some variable bounce and with a damp outfield the general feeling was that 180-190 would be a credible score.

The pair progressed the score watchfully to the 12th over when Ghosh slashed at a wide delivery and was spectacularly caught at 1st slip by the Pelicans skipper. Ghosh on his way for 11 and Brockton was soon to follow adjudged LBW to the young opening bowler, and when Andy Hill was also victim of the home umpires finger shortly after Nomads were in a spot of bother. However, Farrell was looking in command and in tandem with Marcus Budgen brought up the Nomads hundred in the 22nd over.

Budgen was looking in good form, but picked out the cover fielder for 14, and after the departure of Farrell for a well crafted 62 featuring some gorgeous trademark cover drives the challenge of increasing the rate was met with glee by Northwood CC’s Stu Reeve and returning Nomad Jemile El Darraji who shared an assertive and boundary laden partnership. Cricket coach Darraji was looking in fine form, and timed the ball sweetly from the very start of his innings, which was impressive on such a slow track. His aggressive running between the wickets got the partnership moving and he and Reeve looked to push Nomads up to 200.

El Darraji reached his 50 from just 42 balls with a well timed back-cut for 4 but then confusion between the pair resulted in Reeve being run out for 32. Richmond CC’s Saurabh Wahi then joined El Darraji and promptly ran out the in-form batsmen, Wahi’s bizarre calling (or lack of) and running between the wickets was certainly brought into question by many of the Nomads and also Pelican’s Peter Green who had arrived to watch.

Sajjad Shawl need not worry about taking singles and his broad blade larruped a couple of mighty maximums and although Wahi perished in the attempt of quick runs Nomads had amassed 229-8 from their allotted 40 overs. With Nomads boasting a well balanced bowling attack GPelicans would need to be at their very best to overhaul this imposing total.

Alas, the rain arrived on the stroke of tea, pushing back the start time by some 30 minutes but meaning President Michael Blumberg and scorer Bill Rodwell could have a second helping of chilli con carne !

Play re-commenced and the drizzle had actually given the wicket some additional pace, but had in turn further slowed the outfield. The consensus was that the ball would resemble a bar of soap after 10-12 overs so Shawl and Reeve made the most of the new and dry cherry in the opening salvo. Shawl was quickly rewarded with a wicket, but the score progressed to 71-1 after 16 overs and with Pelicans’ two best players at the crease the match was in the balance.

Enter Oliver Croom Johnson who bowled impressively to effectively wrestle any semblance of initiative away from the home side. He struck to clean bowl the left handed opener, who was keen to point out that this was a “friendly” fixture but then refused to walk having clearly snicked behind early in his innings, then bamboozle the Pelicans skipper who bizarrely shouldered arms to a straight ball and had his off-stump pegged back. Michael Blumberg was heard to say “well that was an error in judgement” from his post at Gully. Two further wickets followed on Croom-Johnson’s way to 4-30 from 8 overs.

El Darraji also bowled with aggression and guile and took a wicket plus a fine catch, Brockton 1 and Budgen cleaned up the tail with his off-breaks to take the final 3 wickets to fall. From 71-1 Pelicans had been bundled out well short of their target and with overs remaining. A professional and well deserved victory for the Nomads who despite a wet ball had generally bowled with control and fielded with enthusiasm.

With the exception of a pretty puerile spat between El Darraji and the Great Missenden left handed opener, the game was played in good spirits and this was continued in the Cross Keys pub where both teams assembled post match for a few well deserved beers.

Our thanks to Bill Rodwell for his time and scoring for Nomads as well as the Great Missenden Pelicans team for hosting us in this early season fixture, and also Peter Green and his lovely wife for a delicious spread for tea.
  
 Previous Matches  
 2002 Nomads won by 80 runs
 2001 Nomads won by 45 runs

1997 Match Drawn