Alexandra Park Cricket Club

Sunshine on the horizon and cricket on the agenda… bring on the weekend 🏏☀️

Not so much cricket played last Saturday but the 4's got a great win against our friends at Highgate and thought worth sharing the match report!

On a day when games of cricket were being called off with a similar frequency as dodgy loans/gifts/bribes to dodgy right-wing so-called politicians/racists/crooks, the 4s managed to somehow buck the over-riding trend and get their game on. Despite the weather being truly awful and the forecast even worse, it was thanks to an early morning meeting on a secluded patch of grass in north-west London that the true deal of the day was made.

In attendance was 4s’ skipper John Evans and Highgate 6s’ man in charge Phil Apthorpe, a former coach at AP and all-round ebullient Australian. Back home at HQ, the AP 1s and 3s called it quits early while the 2s and 5s didn’t get as far as starting up their cars before their away fixtures bit the dust. But not so in Finchley. “B******ks to the rain”, was the meteorological verdict of philosophical Phil who, in fairness, had seemed determined all week to play, come what may. Much to his credit. “If it p****s down later and we have to call it off, we’ll call it off but in the meantime what’s the worst that’s going to happen? We get a bit f*****g wet?”.

Love this guy already – he’s in danger of giving Aussies a good name! So while everyone else in north London, including the test teams at Lord’s, went back inside to ponder a day back at home kicking the cat, the 4s and Highgate 6s got changed and took to a somewhat moist field. The toss was always going to be crucial to the outcome today, and Evans (even without his lucky 1943 shilling coin) showed why he is the king of tossers and called it right, yet again. Tails never fails. Bowl first - the only option in town! The irrepressible Yuvi, making a rare but extremely welcome appearance for the 4s, opened up the bowling, hitting his straps straight away on a wicket that was always going to test bowlers and batsmen alike. However, three balls later, it seemed like someone hadn’t received the “tricky track” memo. Highgate opener Veer Mehta launched a perfectly good Yuvi delivery practically halfway back to the North Circular. Cue much scratching of heads. Was it going to be one of those days? All except Yuvi, of course. A quick shrug of the shoulders and he was back to his mark and ready to go again. Which he did with a wonderful spell of line and length bowling that had both openers guessing, and one soon departing with a rattle of the stumps and a trudge back to the boundary edge. At the other end, Richard Wells – back from injury for his first game of the season - began with some spin before reverting to his notoriously difficult-to-play seamers, forcing Highgate’s No3 to attempt to an extravagant pull, only to drop it kindly into Ray Akhtar’s waiting hands. 39-2. Some l***y blows from opener Mehta, including one to backward square that nearly took Yuvi’s finger clean off, moved the score along nicely as the oppo’s innings started to take shape, taking them to 68-2. Looking comfortable-ish,

Highgate were hoping to use this as their springboard to an innings of 200-plus and victory. But the 4s weren’t having any of that. Rather than things turning flat, the volume in the field increased with everyone supporting and geeing each other along. The bowlers responded, Yuvi snapping two quick scalps and first change Ray taking the big one of opener Mehta to quickly reduce the oppo to 90-5. He followed up soon after with the captain’s wicket, caught by a juggling Jack Sheldon at midwicket. Oscar was brought on to replace Yuvi and quickly proved what an emerging talent he is, moping up the tail with a plumber-than-plumb LBW and a double decimation of the stumps. It was left to Ray to finish things off with a nick to keeper Elliott James. From 68-2 and rolling to 127 all out. It was a fabulous fightback thanks to great fielding and a powerhouse bowling display. Yuvi 3-39, Richard 1-38, Ray 3-31 and Oscar 3-16.

Meanwhile, the weather gods were debating what to do next. Would it be more of the same Manchester-esque drizzle or was it time to open the floodgates and let all hell break loose? Taking no chances, 4s skipper Evans decided to juggle the batting order elevating hard-hitting Prince to open with Chanaka to get the scoreboard moving quickly before the rain did indeed stop play. Channy definitely did get the memo though, smashing fours with abandon – if you will bowl outside the leg stump to him don’t be surprised if he hooks you out of the park! While our very own Sri Lankan lion set about destroying bowling averages, Prince played the anchor role – diligently keeping the ball away from danger and ensuring as much strike as possible went to Wirasinha who raced to 45 off 52 balls before being bowled. A score of 71 for the opening pair, over half the target needed, was the perfect start. Prince followed soon after for a well-made 14 bringing Matt Whitaker and Elliott to the crease who both proceeded to make hay while the sun did everything but shine. Elliott especially looked like a man on a mission (a mission to beat the ever- worsening weather and also to ensure we got past the 20 over mark to officially make it a game), smashing 30 from just 16 balls before being bowled, unusually looking to defend one! So it was left to Matt (19no) to see us home to success and 10 very valuable points courtesy of a delicious ondrive for four. And right on cue, the rain started in earnest.

On a day when few, if any, decided to front it out against the elements and instead accepted three points for an abandonment, this decision to press ahead and play could turn out to be a potentially season-changing win for the 4s. But a huge thanks must also go to the man of the day, Phil Apthorpe, who at pretty much any point would have been well within his rights to stop the game. But rather than succumb to the weather and the increasingly obvious defeat he kept going to the end. Chapeau. A clinical performance and a clinical win. B******s to the rain.

As our minds turn to our 90th tour of Kent (is it the longest running annual club cricket tour?) I want to assure everyone that AP will be on best behaviour. Perhaps Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson fancy joining as we’re unlikely to have any curfews in place!

Team sheets are in. Ready for another big weekend of cricket. 🏏🎉

Four huge League games and three friendlies this weekend for AP!

Few early starts on Saturday to accommodate for the Champions League final, kick off at 5pm.

Congrats to APTourist Sam Freestone and do of former APTouristManager John Freestone on his Wiltshire Minor Counties debut today. In a cracking match Wiltshire lost to Devon by just 2 runs despite Sam’s excellent figure of 1-17 off 4. And in a quirk of history he also made a run out of the son of another former AP player Tony Medlock who moved down to Devon 20 years ago. Well done to both!!

Funny and slightly disappointing day today but team of week was our twos who had an excellent run chase away pulling in 257 with 4 overs to spare and only 4 wickets down. Well done Mike, Adam and especially Ash. Elsewhere results went against us in some close games and one not so much. 3s fell 16 short chasing 258 whilst 4s lost in a thriller with 5 balls to go. I’ve promised not to say too much but controversial decisions played a role in both games it seems. 5s also had a cracker and shout out to Josh Marks for a cracking ton. Only leaves the ones who came a distant second on this occasion. Disappointing. Yes in a top of table clash. We underperformed but has to be said oppo were a decent side!!

Big weekend of cricket in the sun as the 1s welcome the MCCL’s podcast Div 4 champions elect in a top of the table clash.

Do come cheer on the lads and enjoy a drink at the bar if you’re nearby!