CtC achieved their most successful domestic season for some years, winning ten from eleven games on their way to retaining the LMS Monday / Tuesday Islington title, and regaining the Summer Solstice cup for the first time since 2018. A loss to Moose was the only blot on an otherwise excellent season.
The Last Man Stands season began with three straight wins, before an eagerly anticipated match up against our old friends And That’s Lunch. Batting first, and with a stacked batting line up, CtC expected to rack up a big total, however despite 50 from Rudders and 36 from Conway, collapsed to 120 all out, staring down the barrel of a second consecutive defeat to Hugh’s weird mates (having only made 126 against them last year). However, a fine bowling display limited ATL to just 109, giving CTC four wins from four. Next up were perennial league wooden spooners No Qualms, but another supine batting performance, this time scoring just 163, was easy pickings for a rejuvenated No Qualms who chased down with overs and wickets to hand. Though well placed in the league table, these two performances led to some degree of soul searching in the CtC dugout as the season reached halfway. With their final five regular season games squashed into 22 days at the end of August, CtC needed a strong end to the season to secure finals footie. Fortunately, after the indifferent early season form, the boys reeled off five straight wins, four with bonus points, and several resulting in reaching The Yates pre-8pm. This set up a final against Green Stars (having merged with the legendary MCEC over the winter) in the last week of August. With daylight at a premium CtC had the fortune to bat first, but in a repeat of last years final, limped to an underpar 159/6 from their 18 overs - despite 29 off 8 from TIlbury and 34 from 15 from Conway. It was left to Gimson, batting at 7, to contribute a crucial 18 to ensure we batted the overs, and perhaps more importantly chew up more of the late summer sunshine. In last year’s final CtC had managed to defend 146, could they repeat the trick? CtC did not begin well with the ball with Taha and Mapara getting to 30 in quick time. Conway was bought to break the partnership, having got Taha the week before, but his over went for 20 and, in a low scoring game, this felt crucial. Skipper Davidson however knew he had an ace up his sleeve in Gimson, a man fast getting a reputation for turning up in big games. In a final that was beginning to feel eerily similar to last year, Gimson once again turned the game on its head with 2-22 from 4 (c.f. 1-15 in 2022). Backing up their bowler Holmes took a blinder on the boundary, ‘cushioning’ the ball first on his chest, and Davidson ‘took’ a slightly controversial catch at long off and suddenly CtC were cruising home - Green Stars finishing on 148/4 to give the cycling cricketers victory by 11 runs. Overall a very satisfying LMS season with strong availability and some excellent new signings in the form of Luke Hutton and George Clayton. Tilbury topped the runs with 202 from 8 appearances (average 50.5, SR 269) ahead of his stooge Cassels, Ben (180 runs at 25.71, SR 191.49. George Clayton and Mark Conway were the two others past 150 runs. Tilbury also topped the wickets with 9 (average 25.22, economy 7.83) but Gimson was arguably the pick of the bowlers (8 wickets at 13.13, economy 5.53). Conway and Davidson were the only others past 5 wickets for the season. Cassels topped the appearances with an impressive 9, followed by TIlbury 8, Conway 7 and Clayton 6. There was a manually scored game (thanks, Ross) which will not be counted. In the XI aside format CtC renewed rivalries with old friends The Moose, having been dropped from their fixture list the previous year. Out to prove a point CtC were hoping for a strong performance, and indeed started well, Gimson running through the oppo’s top order to leave Moose 15-3. Sadly this was as good as it got for us as Moose reached 221-9 from their allotted 35 overs, a stiff target with a batting line-up shorn of McNaught (at home with an upset stomach) and heavy on bowlers. Our fears soon materialized, with CtC collapsing to 134 all out, only Conway (38) reaching anything remotely responsible, though your chairman did run out Shaw for 5 who was arguably set for a matching winning 70 from number 9. The highlight of the season was as ever The Summer Solstice Cup at the wonderful Whitgift School. More so than ever it was hard to find a full XI, and many thought this could be the last occasion we ventured down to Croydon. Thanks though to Cass, who mustered a couple of weird mates, and Pemberton, obviously too busy himself, who sourced Afghanis Abid and his cousin to get us to XI. WIthout a victory in this fixture for five years though, fielding XI, and enjoying the outstanding barbecue and ice cold Asahi was about all we were probably hoping for. Little had happened to suggest we would be competitive when after 6.5 overs we were 42-3 and in danger of being bowled out before Pemberton’s shipment of afghani’s arrived. What we did not expect was not to lose another wicket as debutant George Clayton smoked 100* from 51 balls and Rutt 54* from 36, the 166 partnership (a new club record, beating the 122, also for the fourth wicket, also against Whitgift between Dillon and Hmmond, last time we had once this fixture in 2018) only broken as George retired, having reached his hundred form the penultimate ball of the innings. A truly magnificent innings, against some good bowling, from a man who had barely touched a bat in 10 years. As we turned around at the halfway stage, with 212 on the board and now with XI players, were confident of a famous victory. Famously the Whitgift track is not an easy place to defend, and despite an excellent three overs from both Abi and his cousin, and three smart overs from Alex Wilsopn (Cass’ other weird mate) and a wicket for Baggo, somehow Whitgift remained in the hunt until the end. Tilbury and Wlson however returned and we managed to hold on to secure a highly enjoyable victory. As ever the post game barbecue and ice cold asahi’s were enjoyed by all and thoughts rapidly turned to next year - we go again. N.B. Scoring for both games was somewhat haphazard, so figures may only bare a passing resemblance to reality.
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AuthorGeorge Dean. Archives
October 2023
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Cambridge to Casablanca Cycling Cricket Club
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