 |
|
 |
| |
'Magnificent Mortimer' - The 2008 FNG-BCL Premier Division Review
Posted on Monday, September 15, 2008 @ 20:29:42 CEST by theumpire |
|
 |
|
 |
| |
dennis writes Having lost four highly influential clubs in the history of the Berkshire League (Yateley, Sonning and Purley (who’s 3rd’s maintain a place in the system), and Theale and Tilehurst) to the enticements of progression up the ECB ‘food chain’, by way of movement to the Thames Valley League, things looked somewhat ominous for the BCL at the close of the 2007 season.
However, one can still, and, hopefully would, by the end of the 2008 season, consider Ephesians 6:10 – which, to paraphrase, states that, ‘out of adversity comes strength’. Back in February, no sooner had a new committee come into place than a new sponsor had been secured, and Feisal Nahaboo Global (led by Feisal Nahaboo, a man who had started his career at Crown Wood), was willing to support the league with backing which had been unforeseen in the previous decade.
Alas, whilst the quality perhaps dipped from that seen in recent seasons, the fact that any side, could, and did, beat any other, made this arguably the most interesting version of the Premier Division as had been seen in many years.
Below I take a look at how the league progressed in a month-by-month account:
Wet. Wet. Wet. A boyband famous in the 90’s, but also a sad indictment of the first weekend of the newly rebranded FNG-BCL season. Stoke Row were forced to cancel their local derby with Peppard as early as Friday morning, whilst the games between Sandhurst and Woodcote, and Shinfield and Pinkneys Green were gone by Saturday’s ‘ante meridem’. Overcoming the odds of Mother Nature, Mortimer West End beat Crown Wood by 32 runs in a low-scoring encounter, whilst Swindon NALGO stole a thrilling 2-run win over Emmbrook & Bearwood. Amritendru Das grabbed 5-38 with his off spin.
The following week saw the league burst into true life, although the table was a far cry from that which culminated. Shinfield led the way post 10th-May after smashing Woodcote, whilst MWE continued their fine start with a 94 run win over Emmbrook & Bearwood. Tom Prinn (97*) topped the early season run charts. Pinkneys Green beat Stoke Row by 6 wickets, and, latterly, would have wished that Tim Butt (124*) would have stayed with the club. In a pair of thrilling draws, Peppard, claiming 15 runs due to Sandhurst’s late arrival, still fell short of the visitors, whilst Crown Wood and Swindon NALGO shared a memorable ‘Equal Draw’. The tone for the season was set – everybody could beat everybody.
Sadly the 17th saw yet more miserable weather. Peppard reached 194-4 against Mortimer, before rain curtailed play, whilst Pinkneys again impressed in reaching 259-4 (off just 40 overs) against Sandhurst (Tim Butt 107). Stoke Row claimed 30 points on the back of an unacceptable ground prepared by Shinfield, whilst the two games that took place were low-scoring - Swindon skittling Woodcote for 85 and only just getting home (5 down, in the face of a hostile spell from Jonny Clark {3-26}); Emmbrook, meanwhile, were all out for 140, and Ravi Godbole (93*) leading Crown Wood to an 8 wicket victory.
A week later Mortimer cemented their place at the top of the Premier League – a Jason Searancke inspired performance (4-17 and 43) seeing them to another 30 points. At the same time Swindon suffered a setback, albeit an incredibly brave one, by suc*****bing to a losing draw at Peppard. Nauman Ali Khan and Usman Sahar added an unbeaten 57 for the 10th wicket to save a draw. On the same weekend Emmbrook claimed a thrilling and, ultimately vital, 1 wicket win over Woodcote, while an Ali Malik (72*) inspired Crown Wood secured a 4 wicket win over Shinfield. Stoke Row garnered a winning draw over Sandhurst, but were left to rue The Oratory School’s decision to advise the outstanding Trevor McGeer (55 off 18 and 3-38) to play Reading 3’s with ‘room for a potential future’ from this weekend onwards. The player in question later confirmed that the BCL was a higher standard than Thames Valley 3B.
May culminated with yet another Mortimer victory – this time they cruised to a seven wicket win over Stoke Row. Paul McGee decimated Stoke’s batting line-up with 7-36 before Nick Bielby crafted a patient unbeaten 81. Titch Vickers made 55 against his old club but West End were clinical. Elsewhere, Sandhurst progressed to the lofty heights of second on the back of a 67 run win over Shinfield, whilst Ali Khan proved his bowling was as good as his batting with 6-18 as Swindon smashed Pinkneys Green by 6 wickets (Pinkneys 65 All Out – Ali Khan 6-18). Woodcote registered a maiden success of the season as James Worsfold and Jonny Clark shone with the ball, whilst Emmbrook stunned Peppard by defending 126 All Out. As was often the case, Matt Hayman was their hero, decimating the visitors much-vaunted top order with 5-34. VJ Kumar wiped out the tail with 5-21.
A new month saw a number of changes – good weather being perhaps the most pleasing of all. On the 7th, Shinfield caused a huge upset by toppling Mortimer by 1 wicket in a tight affair, and Swindon NALGO took advantage by securing second place with an impressive three wicket win at Stoke Row. In another close encounter, Emmbrook gained the best of a draw at Sandhurst (190-8 playing 187-6), whilst Peppard had a belter with Crown Wood where the scores ended 232-6 / 221-8. The only mismatch of the day occurred at Pinkneys, where the hosts racked up 215 (that man Butt striking another 63) before dismissing hapless Woodcote for 85. Dangerous new ball duo Rizwan Tariq (5-39) and Chris Anderson (5-30) were the main beneficiaries.
The following week saw the return to form of Woodcote’s run machine James Wheeler, and oh how he feasted. Amassing the top score of the season, Wheeler’s tour de force 150 provided the backbone to a winning draw against local rivals Peppard. The third member of that local triumvirate, Stoke Row, benefitted from the return of their University students – Sam Boughton made 76 and Rich Ashton provided a cool head at the helm as they walloped Emmbrook by 72 runs. Mortimer bounced back to form with a bang by beating Sandhurst by 3 wickets – two more players came to the fore as Bob Hodson claimed 6-51 and Andy Johnson made an unbeaten 80 – whilst Swindon kept the pressure on with a 112 run dismissal of Shinfield; Shaz Khan posting the second ton of this particular weekend. Lastly, Pinkneys Green continued their fine form by disposing of Crown Wood by tea-time, as Tariq took his personal wicket haul to 12 in two weeks with 7-37. Jags Dhillon saw Pinkneys home to an eight wicket win.
Sadly, just as the season seemed to be getting started, the rain returned. On the 21st, only two games were played – Shinfield moved themselves out of the relegation zone with a five wicket win over Emmbrook, whilst Crown Wood replaced them on the back of a losing draw at Sandhurst. Graham Sanders posted another half century for the hosts and topped the run charts at this stage.
The final round of fixtures in the opening half of the season saw Swindon grab top spot for the first time. The unstoppable Shaz Khan made an unbeaten 88, and along with Fahim Zafar, they helped NALGO to reach 263-8 against Sandhurst. The deadly duo of Das (4-51) and Sahar (3-23) skittled the visitors for just 158. Losing top spot were Mortimer, who also suffered the Wheeler effect (120 this week) – Woodcote 267-7. In reply Mortimer subsided to 185 All Out, proving once again, that this was the most open of divisions as ‘bottom beat top’. Stoke Row continued their winning ways with a thrilling win at Crown Wood, although Ravi Godbole ensured things were closer than they may have been – his 82 helped Wood add 96 for the last 2 wickets. Shinfield slipped back into the bottom two after Paul Vines produced a brilliant hundred to push Peppard up to 4th, whilst, completely against the form book, Emmbrook dismissed Pinkneys Green for just 65 (Hayman 5-30) and knocked them off for just 1 wicket.
What was fast becoming a two-horse race for the title gathered apace on 5th July, as Sahar’s 5-34 ensured a 10 wicket win for Swindon at Emmbrook, whilst Mortimer were no less impressive in thrashing struggling Crown Wood by 125 runs. A Vines’ brothers inspired Peppard ensured local bragging rights over Stoke Row, whilst Woodcote gained a winning draw (201-8 / 193-9) in a thriller against Sandhurst. Steve Curlewis enjoyed a fabulous day for Pinkneys Green (3-21 and 87*) as they annihilated Shinfield by 10 wickets.
The returning rain allowed MWE to reclaim top-spot the following week as, with Swindon’s clash with Crown Wood abandoned, they beat Emmbrook by 4 wickets; Tom Prinn’s 61 proving a vital knock. The clash between 3rd and 4th placed Pinkneys Green and Stoke Row fell foul of the weather when intriguingly poised – Sam Boughton’s unbeaten 70 had helped Row to 184, a competitive total. In a mid-table clash, Sandhurst gained a winning draw over Peppard in a reduced overs game, whilst Shinfield gave themselves hope once more with a 57 run victory over Woodcote.
It could certainly be argued that the 19th July was the crucial date in deciding the final destination of the title. An under strength Mortimer gained a thrilling 1 wicket win at Peppard as South African Mark Gillon took 11 from the final over (he had played for MWE’s 2’s until this point!). Just down the road, Woodcote held on by the skin of their teeth to force a losing draw against Swindon. Pinkneys consolidated third spot with a four wicket win at Sandhurst (who were by now slipping into real trouble), whilst Shinfield were dispatched by 7 wickets at Stoke Row (Messrs. Lunnon, Macdonald and Sampson dismantling the visitors cheaply). Crown Wood hauled themselves out of the relegation zone, and were replaced by their victims Emmbrook, as Ravi Godbole’s 100* secured a 104 run win.
Lastly, Mortimer West End felt the need to become even more bizarre. Languishing at 67-8 against Pinkneys Green, Paul McGee (91*) and Gillon (73 – batting at 10) added a league record 172 for the 9th wicket as MWE closed on 254-9. In reply, Pinkneys gave it their all and ended on 237-9 in another fascinating advert for the Premier League. At the same time, the marvellous Paul Vines (111) helped Peppard win away at Swindon, inflicting the only defeat of the season upon the hosts. Stoke Row slipped into third place with a dominant winning draw against Sandhurst, as Will Macdonald truly announced himself as a great player. Following a succession of 50’s, his unbeaten 123 was a joy to behold and paved the way for further success in August. Elsewhere Crown Wood stayed rooted to the bottom after a losing draw at Shinfield, whilst another Matt Hayman special helped Emmbrook beat Woodcote by 4 wickets.
And so five potential fixtures remained. Mortimer and Swindon NALGO were locked in a thrilling battle for top spot, with just 19 points separating the two sides. Stoke Row, Pinkneys Green and Peppard had little to play for other than pride in the mid-table, whilst the bottom five (Sandhurst, Emmbrook, Woodcote, Shinfield and Crown Wood) would be locked in a sterling tussle which was only decided on the last day of the season.
Let us sadly return to May – Wet, Wet, Wet. Stoke Row vs. Mortimer – Off. Woodcote Vs. Crown Wood – Off. Peppard Vs. Emmbrook – Off. Oh what a joy it would have been to be in the drier part of the county! 2 games were played, with Swindon claiming a winning draw over Pinkneys (190-8 / 125-8), a result which hurt Pinkneys Green a lot more than it helped Swindon, and Shinfield were beaten by Sandhurst on the back of more Graham Sanders magic – the opening batsman recording yet another fifty (65 this week).
As one might expect of an English August, the following weekend was completely washed out, as all sides wondered whether emigration to Australia may be the best available option.
However, if nothing else, the wet weather kept the denouement of the season highly open. As with the current County Championship, there was no clear cut winner, nor two sides certain to go down (although Shinfield found themselves in Surrey’s shoes of needing a lot of luck, and maybe a signing of Shoaib Akhtar!) On the 16th August, the top 2 were again all powerful, as Mortimer demolished Sandhurst by 77 runs, mainly on the back of 14th June heroes Andy Johnson and Bob Hodson (88 and 44 respectively this time around) rediscovering match-winning form; Swindon slammed Shinfield by 66 runs as the awesome Sahar and Das took another 8 wickets (cheaply!) between them. Woodcote appeared to haul themselves away from danger as Paul Knox helped secure a shock 53 run triumph over Peppard, whilst local mates Stoke Row helped send Emmbrook into the drop zone on the back of an 87 run defeat at Newlands Lane. The irrepressible Macdonald made another marvellous 98. Crown Wood pulled away from danger with a two-wicket win at Pinkneys Green with Sri Lankan Jay Jeyerajah (4-41 and 50*) enjoying a golden day.
Whilst the 19th July had arguably the decisive impact on the title race, the 23rd August was perhaps where Mortimer finally shook off Swindon’s advances. Travelling to NALGO, Nick Bielby (5-29) helped MWE dismiss the hosts for just 172, inside 43 overs. However, Swindon’s bowling attack was perhaps the pick in the league, and, reinforced by Usman Sahar’s brother Imran (another opening bowler), they made Mortimer scrap throughout, to such an extent that West End reached only 166-6 (Jamie Stead striking a defiant 55*). However, this ensured that Mortimer maintained a significant lead over Swindon, and that victory over Woodcote would see them crowned champions. In the meantime, Stoke Row secured third place by beating Mortimer’s final day opponents, thrusting them back into the relegation scrap it appeared they had left behind the previous week. Escaping the relegation battle completely were Crown Wood, who pumped Sandhurst by 163 runs (Kamran Nassir 99 and 3-19). Officially down were Shinfield after they lost to Emmbrook, who stood just 0.08 average ahead of Woodcote.
And so to the culmination of the season. James Wheeler looked set to single-handedly provide yet one more twist in this fascinating season, as he motored to an ominous looking 40 at Mortimer. However, when he fell to that man Bielby, Woodcote fell away to 88 All Out, and West End were never in trouble from that moment on. By 6.30 p.m. the champagne was flowing and a maiden Premier Division title was secured for Mortimer West End 1st XI.
That defeat meant that Woodcote also slipped back into Division 1, whilst the other results had no real effect on the table. Swindon did their bit by beating Sandhurst, but had to content themselves with second place. Stoke Row’s game with Crown Wood was notable only for ensuring that Will Macdonald (122*) ended the season as top run scorer. Peppard thrashed Peppard by 152 runs whilst Emmbrook’s 4 wicket win at Pinkneys Green meant they were the days big movers, climbing 3 places to conclude the season in 5th – boy was the league tight!
And now just to set tongues wagging, this would be this reporter’s team of the season – though, as with the league itself, there are some very close calls!
1 Will Macdonald (Stoke Row) Probably not one up for debate! Macdonald enjoyed a staggering debut season in the top flight, amassing 694 runs at an average of 86.50, including 2 centuries and five 50’s. Also bowled some handy off spin and claimed 27 wickets.
2 Graham Sanders (Sandhurst) Whilst his club suffered a disappointing season, ending in eighth, Sanders was undoubtedly the bright spark in their season. There was a fairly simple motto – he batted, he made runs. 560 runs including 7 fifty’s in 12 innings bear this out.
3 Shaz Khan (Swindon NALGO) Another player to truly flourish in 2008, Shaz was the third player to amass over 500 runs in the league. Batting at 3, he was often the rock who helped Swindon post some decent scores.
4 James Wheeler (Woodcote) As with Sanders, Wheeler shone in a struggling side. Whilst not hitting the heights of his ‘Batsman of the Year’ crown achieved in 2007, still made the highest score of the season and was always the wicket that opposition teams craved.
5 Paul Vines (Peppard) Runs and wickets throughout the seaon, Vines would be the first of four seam bowling all rounders lurking in the middle order. At times was simply impossible to bowl to (111 at Swindon his finest innings), and was also very handy with the ball, claiming 23 wickets.
6 Ravi Godbole (Crown Wood, Captain) A supreme season for Crown Wood’s skipper. You cannot argue with 413 runs and 29 wickets, and, as the only Club Captain to make the XI, would have to skipper the side.
7 Jagsit Dhillon (Pinkneys Green) Arguably possesses the strangest bowling action in the league, but 19 wickets, allied to 397 runs, would secure Dhillon a spot in the side.
8 Matt Hayman (Emmbrook & Bearwood) 383 runs and 37 wickets. At times Hayman almost single-handedly kept a young side afloat, and for that reason, allied to his hugely impressive stats, he slots into the side.
9 Titch Vickers (Stoke Row, Wicket Keeper) Possibly the most contentious pick, as Paul Penfold ended with most dismissals. However, he benefitted from keeping to the league’s best bowling attack – certainly something Vickers did not! – and the Stoke Row man’s glovework seemed widely acknowledged as the best in the league. 265 runs were also impressive.
10 Amritendru Das (Swindon NALGO) The off spinner claimed 40 wickets, a mark only topped by teammate Usman Sahar. Also a handy batsman who opened on occasion.
11 Usman Sahar (Swindon NALGO) The star attraction with the ball. Bowled with decent pace and claimed 43 scalps. A really key figure in Swindon’s title push and would add another cutting edge to this side.
All in all, a very talented XI, I believe. Also in consideration were the Mortimer quarter of Jason Searancke, Nick Bielby, Tom Prinn and Paul McGee; Swindon’s Nauman Ali Khan, Pinkneys Green’s Timi Butt, Woodcote’s Paul Knox and Stoke Row’s Sam Boughton (all perhaps penalised due to a lack of game-time); Peppard’s Tim Vines and Dan Hayden who came on strong in the second half of the season; Paceman Aron Shallom from Sandhurst and spinners Dion Sampson (Stoke Row) and Rob Crook and Jay Jeyerajah (Crown Wood). Maybe next year I’ll have to conjure a second ‘Team of the Season’!
Alas, whilst this debate may rage, there can be no denying that Mortimer West End were the best unit in the league, and congratulations are due to them for their maiden Premier Division triumph.
|
|
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
| |
| 'Magnificent Mortimer' - The 2008 FNG-BCL Premier Division Review | Login/Create an Account | 5 comments | | The comments are owned by the poster. We aren't responsible for their content. |
|
|
 |
|
 |
| |
|
 |
|
| |
Login
Don't have an account yet? You can create one. As a registered user you have some advantages like theme manager, comments configuration and post comments with your name. |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
| |
Article Rating
Average Score: 4.44
Votes: 9
|
|
|
|
|
|
