Birthday boy Crocker batters Hemel

The first home game of the season was on a pleasant breezy sunny afternoon. The skipper lost the toss and Hemel put the Village in to bat. Openers Zaf Basit and birthday boy Lee Crocker got off to a fine start, rattling along at 7 an over with regular boundaries on the uncharacteristically quick mid-May outfield, until Zaf snicked one to the keeper in the 8th over (50/1). Andrew Teague and Lee piled the pressure on the Hemel bowling, putting on 96 for the 2nd wicket with Andrew (27) finally being bowled by leg spinner Barnett (146/2, 26th over). Rachit Chawla (5) was surprised by a ball which swung like a banana from Dan Turbutt (156/3, 29th over), swiftly followed by a bemused Anand Verma (2), also bowled by Turbutt in his next over (168/4). Pulkit Ohja joined Lee, who reached his century then got out the next ball, looking tired (well he is getting on a bit) skying one to mid off for a typically aggressive 103 (188/5, 34th over). Pulkit and Shash Seem continued to pummel Hemel until Pulkit was adjudged LBW for 31 (224/6, 41st over), Sanket Shah (12) was bowled (248/7) and Ali Javed (27*) and Shash (52*) put in a final assault to take the score to 302 from 50 overs.

We didn't get off to the best start in the Hemel innings as Ali Javed pulled up injured after 2 balls. His replacement Pulkit Ohja struck in the 3rd over, with Ali taking a comfortable catch at slip (14/1, 3rd over). Shash bowled the opposition skipper in the 9th over and Pulkit had the Hemel number 3 caught at gully by Anand Verma (40/3). The miraculously recovered Ali Javed bowled the classy looking Scott Radcliffe to leave Hemel in trouble on 49/4 from 15 overs. With Hemel well behind the run rate, Dan Turbutt and Nick Benson dug in and put together a partnership of 113, with the skipper happy to set a ring field and give Anand Verma a bowl. The returning Pulkit bowled Benson (62) in his first over back (162/5) and the Hemel number 7 in his next over (179/6). Ibrahim Javed then took the wicket of Turbutt (69) wicket with his first ball in adult cricket flicking the top of off stump (190/7). The Hemel 8 was run out, by Pulkit of course (216/8) and Pulkit finished off the Hemel innings with two wickets in two balls to complete an 83 run victory.

Normally a centurion would be an automatic Man of the Match, but Lee was pushed hard by Pulkit, who scored 31 runs, took 6 wickets and a run out. Apart from a blip in the middle order caused by some excellent swing bowling, everyone who batted contributed and the innings was finished well by Shash and Ali to take us to a formidable score. Pulkit was the star of the bowling, with 6 for 29, and both Anand Verma and Ibrahim Javed got their first bowl for the Village. Once again no catches were dropped....

Mill Hill Village II 30 points, Hemel Hempstead IV 15 points