The much anticipated return match against Bordeaux Giscours, who had won this fixture convincingly on their home ground earlier in the season, presented Entrecasteaux with the opportunity to seek revenge for that defeat on their own patch. Giscours had brought a team full of young talent (minus a couple of first team players due to injury), including their secret weapon – namely quite a few magnums of the irresistible claret from their famous chateau. So when Entrecasteaux’s captain, Clifford Gregory, won the toss and chose to bat it was perhaps that googly left in the pavilion which went some way to unhinging the Entrecasteaux batsmen as they strove to make a respectable total.
Satpal (1) and Burrell (1) opened the batting for the home team and with Kashif (8-4-17-2) opening from the Garden House end the last thing that Satpal was expecting, having received 4 wides in the over, was a ball on off stump which moved off the seam, so clipping his bat, into the hands of the equally surprised wicket keeper. This brought Uddika Bandaranayake (36) to the crease and he and Burrell batted prudently so that after 7 overs, with Ramiz (7-0-39-0) bowling from the Football Ground end the score had reached only 11 runs. Bandranayake had now seen enough and he was transformed into the force that we know he is, pulling and cutting at every opportunity, particularly off the unfortunate Ramiz. With a total of 25 runs scored off Ramiz’s 4th and 5th overs the Giscours captain, Clinton Ferreira, wisely replaced him with Imran Khan (8-0-40-1) who proved to be the key to unlocking Bandaranayake’s door. Having been pulled for a six over the square leg boundary and then a two, his third delivery did just enough in the air as Bandaranayake cautiously pushed forward and the wicket keeper gratefully accepted the simple catch.
Burrell was the next to go having almost completed his job in seeing off the pace of Kashif, he was starting to see the ball when with almost his first aggressive shot he picked out the opposition’s captain at mid off and had to return to the pavilion. This had brought Shalana Karunarathnage (20) to join Chaminda Perera (22) and the brothers in law added a useful partnership of 33 runs, Perera always classy, Karunarathnage always forceful. Karunarathnage fell first to a well taken catch by the bowler, Mohammed (8-0-48-3) who in his next over had Chaminda back in the pavilion with a mis timed shot, so providing an easy opportunity to cover point.
Roshan Perera (25) joined Anthony Slack (1) but not for long as Slack became Mohammed’s third victim after a mistimed shot which was caught at midwicket. Andy Fife (34) now joined Roshan and somewhat peeved with his captain at having to bat at number 8 went out to show him of his miscalculation. In a swash buckling manner he started to make the bowler’s bottom lips quiver so forcing Ferreira (2-0-15-3) to bring himself on from the Garden House end. It was an inspired move as his first ball was straight and it managed to york Fife. He then bowled 3 wides and a bye so putting Roshan on strike who promptly gave the wicket keeper a catch. In Ferreira’s next over he bowled another 3 wides and then had Gregory (4) caught off a lame looking shot and he had to return in a frustrated fashion.
Ferreira, somewhat embarrassed by his embarrassingly good figures, removed himself from the attack and with the Entrecasteaux total on a miserly 157, with only one wicket left standing and still a potential 6 overs to bowl it was the home team who were looking embarrassed. Ed Harland (31) and Robbie Lange (9 not out) had entered the arena and to start with they looked like openers in preserving their wickets. Harland had opened his shoulders on two occasions and so with two overs left the score had progressed to 173 – still way short of respectability.
Ramiz had been brought on to complete his eight overs and like a red rag to a bull Harland took this as the signal to open up a cannonade striking him for two fours. One over left to the unfortunate Bodie (7-1-44-1) who had otherwise bowled tidily, and Lange, in taking a leaf from Harland’s book, struck the first two balls to the boundary, and then a single so leaving Harland to continue his haymaking with a six and then a four. The last laugh was left to Bodie however, who had Harland clean bowled on the last ball of the innings and Entrecasteaux’s innings closed on 201 runs, 28 of those runs coming in the last two overs.
Rhys (61) and A.Khan (20) opened for the visitors against Roshan Perera (8-0-35-0) and Gregory (8-1-33-3), and showed us immediately that they had no intention of falling behind with the run rate. Khan in particular was forceful and took 9 runs off Roshan’s third over and so it was with some relief that in Gregory’s next over he snicked one to the wicket keeper. With no respite for the bowlers Ferreira (35) came to the crease and with Rhys in solid support the pair forced Gregory to make four changes to his attack before Robbie Lange (4.5-0-35-2) bowled a rather slower full toss which Ferreira played onto his stumps rather than dispatching it to the boundary which had been his intention. It was a fine partnership of 62 runs and had put Giscours on course for a victory.
Glen Burrell (6-0-43-1) had bowled two overs before being replaced by Chaminda Perera (6-0-30-0) from the Football Ground end and his left arm over the wicket had cause to give the batsmen reason to respect him. Rupert Holderness (8) had taken up the mantle after the demise of Ferreira and Chaminda was unlucky not to have him stumped by the vigilant Satpal behind the wicket. Uddika Bandaranayake (4-0-17-2) had both Holderness and Rhys well caught by Chaminda and Gregory respectively in the deep outfield. Rhys’ innings had been resolute and business like, never spectacular, always dependable, and for this worthy display he won the man of the match award.
Selig (31) was determined to frustrate the bowlers and this he did in a masterly manner, Burrell in particular infuriated by his shuffle down the wicket to tickle the ball to the long leg boundary with a deft flick. Selig was finally taken out of the action in Gregory’s final spell when in chasing the runs he presented a well taken catch to Chaminda Perera on the mid wicket boundary. Ramiz Ahmed (28 not out) at number 7 proved to be the match winning force and although wickets kept falling, Kashif (8) bowled by Lange, and Mohammed (0) well caught by Bandaranayake at deep mid on off the bowling of Burrell, it was Ramiz’s powerful display which saw the visitors home with 2 overs in hand. Indeed his last shot, a straight six over the mid-off boundary emphatically secured a two wicket victory and left the home side pondering how they will be able to unsettle this strong force from Bordeaux.
For that is what was mooted in the post game discussions over a really fabulous dinner, pitch side (how did they manage that?), very kindly prepared by Yvonne Slack, Suzy Perera, Charlotte Burrell and Ann Michem. Thank you so much ladies, the curry and everything else was delicious, your time and effort is appreciated so much more than these simple words can hope to emulate.
Here are two competitive teams who play the game to a certain standard, play it hard, play it well and both teams want to win - it makes for good entertainment both on and off the pitch. Long may this fixture continue.
A big shout of thanks also goes out to Maurice Mitchem for umpiring all day – one man for sure who was very happy to quaff a glass of that delicious claret at the close of play!
Sadly the Sunday’s 20/20 over fixture had to be called off after ten balls had been bowled as the heavens opened and Thor came out in force – the sight of 25 people huddled under the collapsed marquee was something to behold and certainly provided some form of entertainment. That Entrecasteaux had already struck the wicket in the first over it is certain that the home team would have won the contest, but in such circumstances, and under the rules of cricket, the match was declared a draw.
Entrecasteaux XI: Gregory C., Perera R., Bandaranayake U., Perera C., Slack A., Satpal., Lange R., Karunarathnage S., Burrell G., Harland E., Fife A.
Umpire: Mitchem M.