Village 1st team show battling qualities

The Village 1st team showed their strength of character and strength in depth when they dug out a head earned 30 points against a well drilled Welwyn Garden City 3rd XI, who were undefeated before Saturday. Four of last week’s team were absent, due largely to a strangely timed trip to watch and play golf in Ireland. Four others who were selected in the team were late, even for the toss, a bad habit that needs to be broken please!

Regular Skipper David Overton played, despite a recurring hamstring niggle, largely because of the high number of absentees. Having won the toss, he elected to bat first. The start was reasonably secure and at 102-3 in the 22nd over, the Village looked well set for a decent total. Naz Asif (33) and Phil Smith (36) coped well with an attack that had a good mix of pace and spin and were bowling a predominantly good line and length. The persistence of the WGC attack started to pay off and the run rate fell as the wickets tumbled. At 118-8 in the 33rd over, the Village innings looked in disarray and the home side were struggling to build a defendable total.

Captain Overton however looked as comfortable in the middle as anyone had done all day and he found a partner in Ali Javed, willing to occupy the crease. The pair batted together for 10 overs in a period which proved pivotal for the match. Assuming the job was done, the fielding side seemed to relax and began to make some basic fielding errors. The bowling attack also suddenly became a bit ragged and extras began to flow, which helped shift the total towards respectability. Nearly 50 runs came in those 10 overs, without the Village lower order having to take any undue risks. It was surprising how swiftly the opposition heads went down, as the momentum of the game swung.

Ali Javed’s watchful innings came to an end with almost his first attacking shot. David Overton, by this time employing a runner to add to the general chaos, was joined by Steve ‘front crawl’ Pullen. The final pair added a few more useful runs before Overton finally holed out for 30, caught on the mid-wicket boundary over-hitting a chip into the outfield, having intended to ‘farm’ the strike. 177 was the final total and in honesty it was probably a little under par. And yet, the momentum of the game and the positivity from the sides all seemed to be firmly in MHVs favour.

So it proved. Saahil Mehra (2-23) and particularly Majid Asif (4-51) bowled superb opening spells to rip the heart out of the WGC top order. Assisted by overcast conditions, which had definitely swung in favour of the bowling side, the pair bowled accurately with skill, moving the ball off the pitch and in the air and the visiting batsman all struggled to cope, with one exception. Patel batting at 6 was dropped on nought and took this as his cue to swing from the hip. He was not out 57 at the end, scoring more than half of his team’s runs off the bat. He found an ally at No.8 and the pair gave the Village a brief scare as they recovered to 115 for 6. But the first change bowlers were also causing problems and both Ali Javed and Naz Asif picked up two wickets a piece to mop up the tail. It gave the Village a well deserved victory which moves the 1st team into 3rd place in the League at this early stage of the season. An important game looms against Hoddesdon IIs next week, who are the only unbeaten side left in the Division.