Floodlit Cricket at Manor Way?

Last Friday 5th May the under 17’s began their 2017 NKJL campaign against Bromley Common. With a few key younger players missing due to an ECB U15 Cup game, the usual U17’s were joined by Ben Bleksley, Georgia Tyler and Max Hallett. Even at 5.30pm it was rather gloomy and very cold but the game was on. Sam Barton won the toss and elected to bat on a decent track. Shanksy and Shaun Evans opened and while Shanksy got a bit bogged down Shaun went off like a train. Shanksy departed and was quickly followed by Shaun who to his credit had hit a refreshing 25 off 23 balls. A good start going at 7 an over. Sam Barton came to the crease and showed his intent by crashing his first ball for four. Lucas on his come back failed to get going; he would later repay with the ball. From then on it was all about Sam who went at the Common bowlers with venom dispatching anything loose to the boundary. Ten boundary fours and one huge six pushed his score along whilst others unselfishly let him take the lion’s share of the strike. The acceleration from his 50 to the 80’s was impressive and the Bromley Common bowlers, despite regular bowling changes, had no answer to Sam’s shot selection. Cruising into the 90’s one over remained and on 95 six balls were on offer to reach that magic 100. Sam is a team player and when one sat up for him he was probably a tad early on the shot and it looped up to mid-on. 95 runs had taken the Bexley score on to 155-6. The prevailing conditions put this match right in the Under 17’s pocket if the bowling was right.
If it had not been for the lights from the scoreboard and the glow from the on-going barbecue, all might have been lost. Floodlights were the order of the day. The younger kids walking past the scoreboard looked like something out of a sci-fi movie who had been exposed to alien radiation (or they had been on the tanning lotion!).
All credit to the Bromley Common lads and their coach and supporters – not one single complaint about the light which faded fast. Archie Hobbs-Moore and Lucas Hart, bowling his left arm spin (new found talent) produced 8 very good overs going for 29 between them despite the big hitting James McGruer, the Common star bat, having a go in the gloom. It was to an evening for the spinners and Rohan Moon bowled an impressive spell taking 3-11 off 3 overs and totally destroyed any momentum the Common batsmen tried to generate. However, two young bowlers showed what it was all about. Ben Bleksley, who had played some games with the older lads last year, bowled four overs taking 2-25. In the scheme of things this looked expensive but a few chances went begging and on another day it could have been four. Max Hallett was excellent. He has such a controlled run up and delivery technique and reminds me a bit of a young Louie Terry bowling. 3 overs 2-11 – total control and certainly one to watch at Bexley. As skipper Sam got everyone involved. Georgia Tyler went for only 5 runs and bowled a good line in difficult conditions – and Georgia’s fielding was excellent. Follow that. TJ Mazambani, who had joined us in the close season all the way from Pretoria, is as keen as mustard. He worked so hard in the winter nets but this was not to be his night. Maybe it was the darkness that got to him, 15 off a 13 ball over. Hey, he’s learning and despite an indifferent over he is a star and good for team morale. Cricket is there to be won and also enjoyed. 96-8 their final score and a solid 15 points in the bag at the start of the season. These were not good conditions for batting, bowling and fielding so credit goes to all the players, umpires and scorers for sticking to the task – and the barbecue sold out – wot no burgers!!!!!
Steve Griggs