Sunday 23rd August 2009 OMT V Pretenders at Durrants

By Jamie Dunn

Pretenders travelled to their second county, Hertfordshire, for the first time this season, for their oldest fixture dating back to the early days of the club, against Aldenham. The team was a little threadbare in midweek, so it took all the renowned press-ganging skills of Horry Money to get 11 men on the pitch. Mark Fellowes was a late withdrawal suffering from self-induced sickness.

 Tim Burell and Chandra made their debuts, and Horry’s nephew Ben was also roped in. Ben plays for London schools, and is such a good prospect that one day many of us could be boasting about how we once played in the same team as him. On a warm, sunny afternoon Horry won the toss and elected to bat on an excellent pitch. Miguel Tony and Frank Mullhall formed a new look opening partnership. Miguel pounced on anything loose, driving and hooking to all parts, and smashed his way to 50 off just 30 balls. Frank was LBW for a duck, so big hitting Luke Derrin joined Miguel for what everyone thought was going to be a boundary fest. Sadly, Luke got a beauty of a yorker just as he was getting warmed up and went for 8. Duncan ‘Super D’ Stahl survived two close calls, firstly when he was dropped off a thin edge, and then bizarrely when Chandra gave him out caught off his boot with barely an appeal. Disbelievingly he trudged off but was called back in a great gesture by Aldenham. But he could not make them pay as he soon lobbed up a catch off wily leg spinner Doughty. It was turning square for the off spinner, Ward, who got the prize wicket. When Miguel fell for a superb 80 and the run rate dipped below 5, it needed cool heads to consolidate and not blow our excellent start. The situation was tailor made for Horry and JC. They took a risk free approach but still kept the scoreboard ticking over. Two consecutive sixes by JC (one of which were overthrows, the other onto the pavilion roof), injected some acceleration into the innings and they put on 51 in 8 overs before Horry was caught off Doughty for 24. Cummins junior joined Cummins senior half an hour before tea, but he was dismissed by Ward for 0. Jamie Dunn and JC set about boosting the score to set up the declaration at tea. JC hit another awesome six into the trees on his way to 59 not out, and once Dunn got his eye in he also smashed a six over long on. A partnership of 50 was ended on the stroke of tea when Doughty cleaned up Dunn for 23. Ben faced only one ball but confidently hit it over the top for 2. Horry declared on 223 for 7. Aldenham’s openers got off to a good start and reached 40-0, but the breakthrough came when a good stop by Horry went to Ben who threw the ball perfectly above the stumps for Luke to run out the danger man Bazeley. Stahl found no luck and was even dispatched behind some recycling bins way beyond the boundary by Haque. Horry turned to spin and Miguel accounted for Saunders and Munroe for 37, both caught by Luke. Then JC (10-6-13-5) ripped the heart out of the middle order taking 5 wickets including 2 stumped by golden gloves Luke who ended with 5 dismissals. Horry also took a wicket, and Ben bowled 3 overs without conceding a single run with some lively bowling that Aldenham weren’t expecting. With 8 overs remaining, Pretenders moved in for the kill when last man Doughty walked to the crease. The run chase had long been abandoned, so they blocked and played for the draw. Horry tried everything but could not find a way of getting them out.

 Aldenham survived, just.