Sunday 14th September 2014 vs Ickenham C.C.
 
Washington scores 311, snatches a tie from the jaws of defeat/victory
 
Washington C.C. 311/4
Ickenham C.C. 311/6
 

The Ickenham fixture was another fixture arranged via CCC/Fixture List, and the setting could not have been better. Ickenham are located near Ruislip on the outer western edge of London. Their main ground is not big, but it is a growing and vibrant cricket club embedded in its local community. The day started with a warm welcome from a senior player Andy Marshall, who believe it or not, toured with the Washington down under in the early 1990s.

The Washington had a very strong line-up for the game, with quality batting all the way down to no 9, with a very decent bowling attack. Shawn & Tony got caught in solid traffic so the decision was taken to bat first on what appeared to be a beautifully prepared road. And a road it proved to be.

Tom & Mike started off, and Tom wasted no time at all peppering the boundary particularly at deep mid-on with firmly struck shots. When the ball was not struck in the air it would fly across the bowling green outfield. Alas too soon Tom on 32 launched one which was caught on the boundary bringing the Guru to the crease, who quietly set about working the ball into the gaps. Meanwhile Mike at the other end was starting to time the ball sweetly, hitting some memorable drives. Mike fell LBW for 45, bringing Aftab to the crease. Aftab played a magnificent innings, working the ball around and smashing the odd boundary. Aftab & Guru put on 49 before the Guru fell to a sharp run-out. Leo Lang came in but did not get a chance to establish himself before being bowled by a Yorker for 2. Next up was Shawn, who set about taking the Ickenham bowlers apart, putting on 100 with Aftab. Aftab was out caught on 66. Incredibly there was more great batting to come with Kiwi who scored 45no quickly. Shawn was dismissed late in the innings on 63. A huge total was posted, 311/5 in just 40 overs, a superb day at the office for the batting side. Victory seemed assured.

After a very decent lunch we set about the work in the field. Early signs were good and we made two early breakthroughs, with the home side reeling on 24/2. Alas, batsmen 3 and 4 seemed early on to be highly talented. A telling sign was a ball outside off played nonchalantly through the vacant 3rd man boundary. Worse was to come, as the two young talented started to pick apart our bowling. It seemed every time we bowled a tight over, the next would be brutalised. Every gap that was closed exposed a new gap. What started off looking impossible started to appear possible, then likely, and finally inevitable. A partnership built and built between the young batsmen Wilsher and O’Driscoll, until Aftab took up the challenge and started to rein them in with straight and full bowling. The run rate required started to climb. Meanwhile Mitchell came back from the other end, off a short run having run out of gas. Finally, a wicket came – breaking the partnership one short of 250 - then another. Glimmers of hope, run rate required rising, the Washington was coming back. Final over, 19 required, new lad at the crease (Tim Marshall, son of aforementioned Andy)... boff, a huge six; boff, four; boff, another four; [can we stop this???], a dot!!; two; a single; then another single... scores tied! The game was over – 311/5 plays 311/4.

 

This was one of the most remarkable days of cricket in Washington history. The Wash batted brilliantly, with six batsmen getting significant scores. In reply, two of Ickenham’s young players brought real class to the game, and another nearly pushed them over the line with just a couple of balls to get his eye in. The game generated a great deal of respect between the sides, and we had no hesitation in accepting an invitation to play at Ickenham in 2015.

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Batting
Player Runs How out
Tom Harper 32 Caught
Mike Turner 45 LBW
Pete Demetri 42 Run Out
Aftab Akram 66 Caught
Leo Lang 2 Bowled
Shawn Hill 63 Stumped
Tony Harris 45* 
Peter Kloss 2* 
Did Not Bat
Stuart Marsh
Luke Mitchell
Russell Pendry
Partnerships
Wkt Runs Batsmen
1 43 Tom Harper  &  Mike Turner
2 57 Mike Turner  &  Pete Demetri
3 49 Pete Demetri  &  Aftab Akram
4 4 Aftab Akram  &  Leo Lang
5 100 Aftab Akram  &  Shawn Hill
6 54 Shawn Hill  &  Tony Harris
7 4 * Tony Harris  &  Peter Kloss



Fielding
Player Cts Wkt Cts Stmps
Tom Harper 1 - -
Tony Harris 1 - -
Bowling
Player Overs Mdns Runs Wkts
Russell Pendry 3.0 0 34 0
Peter Kloss 6.0 1 51 1
Shawn Hill 4.0 0 15 0
Luke Mitchell 13.0 1 81 3
Stuart Marsh 7.0 0 58 0
Aftab Akram 7.0 0 62 0
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