Windsor Great Park

Sun 24 July                           Windsor Great Park                                    Drawn

    They 225/4 in 43 overs     (A.Allen-Turner 76*, M.Lazarczuk 48,
                                                D.Allen-Turner 43, Nayar 2/40)
    We    172/7 in 41 overs     (Shanker 73, D.Behar 35, A.Allen-Turner 2/13,
                                                T.Lazarczuk 2/36)

It was time to do battle once again with the Lazarczuk and Allen-Turner families (and the odd Cox and Fearnley) at this wonderful setting in Windsor.  Although we were a man short, 14 year-old Vinay Chaggar plugging the gap for his debut, we were much stronger than previous visits so held out high hopes of securing a win after many a year.  As usual San lost the toss and Russell Cox did not hesitate to bat first on a wicket with little to help the bowlers other than the low bounce.  Matt L and Dean A-T took off like a jet at nearby Heathrow smashing the hapless Tabby and Amit aerially on this large ground, but Amit bowled Matt through the gate before he reached his fifty.  We could have done with an extra bowler (and, as it turned out later, five more batsmen) as Gabriel had to be pulled from the attack with an injured finger.  Adam A-T and father matched each other in a KCC-bashing spree until Dean miscued a potential six to Tabby in the deep off Pammi.  Neeraj picked up two wickets near the end but Adam continued on his merry way until the declaration.

Well, 226 to get would be a doddle we thought as Amit and Usman began our reply with assured ease.  Although Usman holed out just before the team fifty, David Behar showed class and spirit as he and Amit pushed on, albeit a tad slow against an accurate attack.  But just as we were in command, a senseless run out ended the 88 run partnership.  We now required 7 runs an over in the next 13 with 8 wickets in hand with a well-set Amit and big-hitter Shahzeb at the crease.  Still a doddle.  What followed three overs later would beggar the belief of the average cricket watcher, but not so followers of KCC.  In 19 balls we lost 5 wickets for 6 runs.  First, Adam A-T clean bowled Shahzeb then next ball uprooted Furquan’s middle stump.  Amit was run out in the same over.  Then Tom L at the other end bowled both Tabby and Neeraj.  153/7.  With 10 runs an over now needed and only young Vinay and injured Gabriel to follow, Pammi and San, still in shock, played out the innings quietly.