Surrey Cricket Club- A Story

[TheDevil666]

Home game vs Middlesex now. Eager to keep our 100% record in this competition intact I keep an unchanged team from our last CC game. Rain and heavy cloud cover are predicted for this game throughout. Despite the heavy cloud it is a flat track and I win the toss and bt first.

Day One

The 50 partnership was brought up between the openers in the 16th over, a cracking start. We batted quickly and got to 128-0 at lunch. Newman was on fire whacking 82 off that session for himself. Newman got his century off just 138 balls, a cracking effort. Finally Middlesex got the breakthorugh with the big wicket of Newman for 125 and we were 185-1. At tea we were 233-3, Ramprakash and Brown gone. The rain came down and only 8 overs were possible in the last session as we advanced to 259-3.

Surrey 2-1 Middlesex

Day Two

An average session for us. We got to 332-5 with Afzall out for 66 on a very questionable decision. Batty went for 8 and I may consider dropping him. Must get to 400. We were bowled out for 401 whcih was okay for us. Butcher made 79 to keep us going. This game looks to be heading for a draw since more rain is forecast. Middlesex will be dissapointed with their batting as at the close we reduced them to 112-3.

Surrey 5-2 Middlesex

Day Three

Rain totally wiped out the afternoon session but by then Middlesex had got to 222-5. A draw is the most favourable result. The new ball claimed the prized wicket of Shah in the evening who had made 125. From there their batting didn't put up much resistance and Hussain took 5 wickets as they were bowled out for 286, a lead of 115. We had a small chance of victory. We closed the day on 12-0.

Surrey 7-4 Middlesex

Day Four

We smashed to 143-1 with Brown scoring 64* in the morning and declared leaving them needing 259 to win in 2 sessions or take 10 wickets for us to win. We put the pressure on immediatley and took a wicket in the 5th over putting them at 6-1. Game ON! Shah hit a half-century off 49 balls and we took several wickets. The score at tea was 132-4. They needed 127 to win and we needed 6 wickets. What a game! More blasting by Nash and we couldn't compete. They needed 60 to win off 61 minutes with 6 wickets left.

I won't be the first and I won't be the last to lose having declared in tryrying to win a game. Middlesex win by 5 wickets.

Surrey 7-18 Middlesex

[konrad_middlesex]

Unlucky in that game. I feel it's good to try get a win like you did, instead of settling for a draw, and I guess you just found Middlesex on a good day.

[Tom Guntrip]

As you are playing as my beloved Surrey, I feel inclined to follow this. Great job! Glad to see someone else fails occaisonally when declaring.

[TheDevil666]

Only one change with King coming in for the expensive Tudor. We won the toss and bowled first against a very strong Sussex side in the Challenge Trophy.

Sussex Innings

With them 110-2 off 22 we turned to our hero Hussain who immediately took a wicket in his first over! Sadly our attempts to slow down their run rate by taking wickets failed. We bowled them out for 248 with our hero Hussain taking 5 wickets again. Their batting was led beautifully by Luke Wright who made 74.

Surrey Innings

The first 15 overs were very succesful for us. We were propelled to 79-1 by Murtagh and Ramprakash. We were very well set up for the rest of the innings. Murtagh was shortly out though but he made a very useful 52 off 51. Ramprakash went for 41 and then Afzall for 50. 170-4 off 30 leaves the game intrestingly poised. Batty finally made a decent knock with 38 and Scofield helped him with 37. We needed 8 off 4 overs with 3 wickets left. Then BANG BANG. 2 WICKETS! 5 to go, 1 wicket left and Schofield still there. Schofield hit a 3 before a wide delivery. 1 to go, 1 Wicket left. Then Schofield nicks it behind. TIE GAME!

Whew. What a finish and what a game. But we really should of won it. Luck not going our well at the moment.

[TheDevil666]

Challenge Trophy Table for My Group Looks Like This:

Durham 6 Points
Sussex 5 Points
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Yorkshire 4 Points
Surrey 3 Points
Gloucestshire 2 Points

All teams have played 4 Games and there is 4 left. Any teams can still get through!

[TheDevil666]

Make no mistake this was a must-win game. You've seen the table, we've got 4 games left and we have to win a minimum of 3. This game vs Gloucestshire in the Challenge Trophy was high on our agenda. Jordan came in for King in the only change. We lost the toss and have to bowl first.

Gloucestshire Innings

Keeping them down to below 250 would be immensly difficult. 50-1 after 10 overs seemed to be a fair reflection of the pitch and soon they worked themselves to 108-2 off 18 overs until Jordan (In his first start of the season) took two wickets in one over. What a way to wrestle the momentum out of their hands! Suddenly the runs had dried up and by the 30th over they only got to 129-5. Gloucestshire fought back and go to 245-9 which we were pleased with. We felt we could win if we got off to a good start.

Surrey Innings

The 50 partnership came in just the 10th over. That was the start we needed! Then the collapse. 129-4 off 22. Batty out for 1, Ramps for 3. I am going to drop Batty for next game and it was only Murtagh with 66* keeping us going. Century for Murtagh! 192-4 off 36 Overs, surely home and dry? It was Murtagh who hit the winning runs fittingly as he made 135*. Hussain made a very good 33 in a 86 partnership which practically won the game for us.

Table now is:

Durham Played 6 Points 10
Surrey Played 5 Points 5
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Sussex Played 5 Points 5
Yorkshire Played 6 Points 4
Gloucestshire Played 6 Points 4

[TheDevil666]

Home to Durham in Challenge Trophy next. Expecting a sound whipping. Two changes, Wilson in for Batty and Walters in for Ramps. Another flat track on a scorching day. Rather confusingly we were put into bat. Target of 275.

Surrey Innings

10 overs gone and we're 78-1, Brown out for 3 and the near-perfect start was made. Hlafway stage and we dipped a little going to 149-4, exactly 6 an over. Afzall was 46* while Murtagh was out for 40. We passed the 200 mark in the 36th over with Afzall getting his half-century and Hussain going along nicely on 24* plus we were still 4 down. Suddenly 250 was passed and then the magic 300. Some great batting had led us to 328-5. WOW! Afzall finished on 143* and it was Hussain who steadied us again with 39. Schofield also hit a run-a-ball 39 and we have a great chance. Mustn't blow it.

Durham Innings

Their opening partnership came in just the 37th ball. We had some work to do as the openers tried setting the foundations for later on. 10 overs 97-1 we had to settle quickly and put the brakes on. Getting Di Venuto was a big wicket when he was caught at 1st slip for 71. Halfway stage they were 194-3. We needed wickets. Can't let it slip. Now with 60 balls left they need 50 and have 6 wickets in hand. And they win by six wickets. One word to sum it all up:Gutted

Latest Table

Durham Played 7 12 Points
Sussex Played 6 7 Points
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Surrey Played 6 5 Points
Yorkshire Played 6 4 Points
Gloucestshire Played 7 Points 4

Two games left vs Sussex and Yorkshire

[Imager36]

How're the run rates looking for you and Sussex? You may end up having to thrash them.

[TheDevil666]

Our NRR is -2.00
Theirs is -0.28

Their last two fixtures are: Us and Yorkshire

So it's basically a mini league between us, them and Yorkshire.

[TheDevil666]

Sussex beat Yorkshire! Bad news for us as we now have to win our two last games and hope to overturn Sussex's superior NRR. Next up Sussex. King in for Jordan, and a really flat track. We win the toss and bat. We have to give 'em a right pasting!

Surrey Innings

Nope lose our first wicket in 7th over, 16-1. Damn! Sussex's bowling was really on the mark and by the 20th over we were 86-5 and were all but out of the Challenge Trophy. Thorugh a vey British Bulldog spirit we got to 188-9 off 50 overs to leave us with a fighting chance. But it was very slim. Walters top scored with 32 while Afzall and Ormond made 25 each.

Sussex Innings

There was to be little fight left in our bowlers as Sussex romped home by 7 wickets. We are Out Of The Challenge Trophy!

Now I don't normally do this but I am skipping the game against Yorkshire as it is pointless and irrevalant. We lost by 56 runs!

[TheDevil666]

Now the T20 cup! First up Middlesex.

Team:

Murtagh
Brown
Walters
Afzaal
Wilson
Hussain
Schofield
Elliot
Jordan
Nel (Back from IPL)
Collins

We lose the toss and field first.

Middlesex Innings

Collins started well getting a wicket in the first over for us! 5-1! After 4 overs Middlesex were in trouble at 16-3, Nel with 2. Regular wickets kept falling and Shah made a spirited 52. With 4 overs left Middlesex were 112-7 and finished on 131-9, Nel taking 3-17 off 4 Overs. A great owling performance all round.

Surrey Innings

Murtagh holed out early, 7-1 off 2. Suddenly we were tied down and couldn't get boundaries. The pressure increased and after 8 overs we were 41-4 and in real trouble. Hussain made 38 off 24 but was soon out. 111-8 off 18. 21 needed off 12. Elliot on 12*, Nel on 3*.

1st Ball: Udal bowling to Nel. Nel picks out fielder. 21 off 11
2nd Ball: Nel squirts out to the leg-side, two quickly run. 19 off 10.
3rd Ball: Hit down the ground, One run, 18 off 9.
4th Ball: Udal coming round the wicket now, pushed out to off side for 1. 17 off 8.
5th Ball: Another single, 16 off 7.
6th Ball: Elliot goes with the aerial route, one bounce FOUR! 12 off 6
7th Ball: Silverwood to bowl the last, Nel gets a single, 11 off 5.
8th Ball: Another single, great fielding ,10 off 4
9th Ball: Nel plays a cracking shot but it stops agonisingly short, 7 off 3
10th Ball: Elliot swings and misses, 7 off 2
11th Ball: Vicious cut stroke from Elliot, its FOUR, 3 needed off 1, 2 to tie.
12th Ball: BOWLED HIM! All over we lose by two runs, gutted.