Jesters v. Ashtead, Sunday 8th June - the match manager’s account

On a beautiful sunny day Jesters lost the toss and were inserted by
Ashtead in a 45 over game. A good looking new pitch was changed for a previously used one after the toss and with one of the strongest
Jesters' batting line-ups for some years, confidence was high

Following a lively start one man of Jesus ran out another; the victim Robbie Hudson, the executioner Matt Williamson who proceeded without further ado to take the score to 117 with new candidate Abeed Janmohammad making his debut with a fluent 51. (Abeed was in the Kenya Under 19 World Cup squad and played 4 1st class games for Oxford UCCE).

Then with the ball starting to swing in cooler, windier conditions we subsided to 159-8 with Williamson dismissed for 43 and Roger Greenslade for 22. At this point, with three swing bowlers in their side and more than 15 overs left, Adnan Mohammad hit a rapid 46 not out ably supported by Patrick Allen and Simon Rawson. We reached 223 before being bowled out in th 45th over.

Ashtead attacked from the start - their left handed opener savaging a
rapid 78 (I think) whilst their New Zealand pro nursing a big hangover supported him well without too much running between wickets. With some excellent leg breaks from Janmohammad and hostile left arm bowling from Adnan Mohammad we were very much in the fight with three wickets going down and Ashtead needing 117 from the last 20 overs.

However two expensive overs costing 36 and seven dropped catches saw Ashtead worthy winners in the 44th over - a good containing effort but we should have made 300 with such batting riches.