MATCH 13   NOMADS CC v Eton Ramblers CC  at Upper Club Eton Sunday May 15th 2010 11.30am *- Declaration,20 overs from 6.00pm 

Toss:    Ramblers won the toss
Result:  Eton Ramblers won by 4 wickets
Umpires: Terry Wilkins & Roger Seymour  
Scorers: Michael Blumberg
Debut(s):Hammy Goodman 

NOMADS CC Innings 
T Brockton  c Fielding b Taylor     6
N Keess     c Fielding b Baker      1
J Gordon    bowled       Baker      4
M Plant     c Phillips b Bouverie 116
C Peerless  c Lowson   b Carroll   83
D Leng      c & b        Taylor    16
K Alexander c Phillips b Taylor    14
J Ireland   not out                10
H Goodman   not out                 2
Extras     (b1,lb5,w7,nb3)         16
TOTAL    (7 wickets dec,47 overs) 268
  Dnb:B Hyam,D Shah.                         

Fow:1-4,2-8,3-24,4-226,5-234,6-257,7-257.

Bowling-Baker 9 0 46 2,Taylor 11 1 49 3,Phillips 10 1 49 0,Robins 9 1 54 0,Bouverie 3 0 22 1,Carroll 5 0 37 1.

ETON RAMBLERS CC Innings 
J McKillip c Goodman b Hyam   111 
A Taylor   run out             71  
E Fielding lbw       b Hyam     9
P Inking   c & b       Hyam     0
H Lowson   lbw       b Ireland 21 
A Carroll  not out             28  
P Phillips c Plant   b Hyam     0
A Robins   not out             25 
Extras    (b3,lb4,11,nb0)       8
TOTA     (6 wkts,45.2 overs)  273
Dnb:B Bouverie,O Baker,R Briscoe.                       

Fow:1-153,2-182,3-182,4-220,5-221,6-221.

Bowling-Shah 4 0 31 0,Leng 5 0 42 0,Ireland 17 2 66 1,Goodman 2 0 18 0,Hyam 12 0 70 4,Gordon 3 1 8 0,Brockton 2.2 0 20 0.  

*The match started nearer 12 noon than 11.30am 
 

                                                    Ramblers' openers set up victory  

A  strong and well balanced Nomads eleven rather gave away the match against Eton Ramblers much to the surprise and jubilation of the mostly young Ramblers. Ramblers inserted Nomads and despite some wayward opening bowling quickly removed the top three,24-3. Two to rank long hops and one a straight ball missed. Mike Plant and Charles Peerless rebuilt the innings reaching 119-3 at lunch.   

After another excellent lunch these two raised the tempo adding 202 before first Peerless for 82 and then Plant for a stylish 116 departed to catches. There followed cameos from David Leng and Keith Alexander and Joe Ireland had stroked a couple of good looking boundaries when the skipper declared at 268-7 off 47 overs.

Unless Nomads were to bowl their overs very slowly this meant Ramblers would have at least 53 overs or more to chase the target. A very generous declaration remarked Andrew Carroll.

In contrast to the previous week when Nomads had one bowler there were eight to chose from this time-five seamers and three spinners. Doubtless this abundance of riches effected theskipper's decision or was it the flight departure time for Hong Kong at Heathrow the same evening.

Peerless chose Dawood Shah and David Leng to open. Now last year Dawood achieved prodigious bounce and took three wickets and David Leng has bowled a series of mean 8 over spells against us at Follies Farm and yet on Sunday Dawood bowled far too short and Leng who nearly made a remarkable catch off Dawood's first ball suffered from some poor fielding to go for a run rate of 8 an over. The result was mayhem as Taylor & McKillop threw their bats at the ball to such effect that at tea they were 111-0 off 15 overs and that included a maiden from Joe Ireland.

After tea Peerless persisted with the left arm slows of Ireland and right arm slows of Ben Hyam. Such was the confidence of the batsmen that despite some mishits and missed balls the rate was maintained. Eventually Hammy Goodman redeemed himself and threw out Taylor as he attempted a second run,1-153.

The breakthrough? Well last year Taylor set off like a rocket and then the innings collapsed. Well wickets did fall,four to Ben and one to Joe, so that Ramblers were 221-6. They also had a missing number 11 injured earlier while fielding by a powerful shot from Mike Plant. Three wickets to win, 48 runs to defend and a great many overs to bowl.

There were chances including a run out mix up but the spinners failed to make the breakthrough with some very attacking field placing. The skipper turned to two more seamers to take the wickets. Johnno Gordon bowled a maiden and two more tight overs but Brockers was hit conceding 20 off 2.2 overs. Ramblers won with some eight overs to go,Carroll & Robins had added 52 runs.

A good number of Nomads plus Umpire Roger Seymour found their way to The Royal Stag in Datchet and took in a fair volume of ale and wine while debating the absent skipper's strategy,field placing and more.