The Ramblas were back at Ex Blues following last week’s win over Petts Wood, but this time they would be occupying the away dressing room as they took on landlords Ex Blues CC. While it may not be one of the more regular derby matches the club plays, players and fans alike were buzzing in the build up. Captain Michael Cooper refused to confirm or deny rumours that he had installed a curfew to make sure everyone was fresh for the game.
Returning to the lineup were Ajit Kulkarni and Ben Sheridan, both making their second appearance of the season, as well as old guards Chris Thomas and Laurie Stocks. After the captains agreed on a 40 over contest, Cooper won the toss and elected to bowl first.
More pre match practice
James Dilley and Thomas were the pair asked to open the bowling for the Ramblas, and while they were unlucky not to pick up a wicket they made sure that the hosts never ran away with proceedings.
As has been the case throughout the season, the pacy outfield meant that any loose ball would often be dispatched to the boundary but the duo kept bad balls to a minimum to keep pressure on Ex Blues’ openers.
James opens the bowling
Keen to keep his bowlers fresh, Geoff Parrett and Kulkarni came on in place of Dilley and Thomas respectively. The new bowlers carried on the good work of the openers and helped to keep the run rate in check.
While Kulkarni was bringing an extra bit of zip up the hill, cramping the batsmen for room, Parrett was utilising all his guile to bambozzle the openers. And it was Parrett who made the breakthrough, dismissing Keith Dolby for 39 thanks to a smart catch from Rehan Qureshi at deep extra cover.
Players celebrate Geoff’s wicket
Former Ramblas stalwart Sam Ford was the next man in for the hosts and the Ramblas knew his was a key wicket. After an excellent six over burst, Kulkarni was replaced by Thomas who came on for his second spell.
And the veteran bowlers combined beautifully to restrict the runs and make sure the hosts couldn’t accelerate as quickly as they’d have liked. Parrett wrapped up his eight over spell with tidy figures of 8-0-30-1 and was replaced by Ben Sheridan.
The young seamer bowled beautifully in his five over spell, picking up a well deserved wicket when he clean bowled Ford for 41.
Ben running in
Dilley and Cooper were the bowlers tasked with bowling at the death and it was Dilley who grabbed the third wicket of the day when he dismantled Shepherd’s stumps to leave the host’s opener six runs short of his century.
And Dilley’s day got better when some confused calls from the batsmen saw him run out Michael Dolby for a duck.
The death bowlers performed their task well but an expensive final over for Cooper saw Ex Blues post 250-4 off their 40 overs. But such is the confidence in the Ramblas camp that they beleived they had every chance of chasing it down.
The Ramblas refuelled ahead of their run chase thanks to a delicious tea laid on by the hosts and as the weather began to cool, John Loughlin and Qureshi headed out to the middle to kickstart the Ramblas run chase.
The openers carried on their good partnership from the previous week, giving the opening bowling attack no time to settle into their rhythm. Boundaries were being peppered with some clean hitting from the pair as they kept above the required run rate.
Rehan in full swing
Alas, Qureshi was out on the final ball of the seventh over, caught at long on by Ford. His 29 ball 35 had given the chase the perfect early momentum and Luke Sheridan replaced him at the crease.
As ever with a Loughlin/Sheridan partnership, quick singles were the order of the day as they kept the scoreboard ticking along nicely. The pair took the score to 80 before Loughlin was caught at mid wicket for 29.
Stocks was the man in at four and he batted well in tandem with Sheridan, ensuring that he didn’t give his wicket away and looked to give Sheridan the strike. They successfully navigated the Ramblas through to the drinks break at 110-2.
Ramblas past and present catch up at the crease
The Ramblas needed 141 runs off the final twenty overs and knew they were in the drivers seat. Alas, it was never going to be that simple for the visitors as Stocks was out in the first over after drinks, caught behind for 4.
Rudgyard came to the crease and was attacking from the offset. However a loose shot saw him clean bowled for 7 and the Ramblas had gone from 110-2 to 124-4 in the space of four overs.
Kulkarni was the next cab off the rank and combined well with Sheridan as the pair rebuilt the innings thanks to a combo of strong defence and some blistering boundaries. Sheridan brought up yet another fifty for the season and was batting superbly.
Ramblas sideline look on
The duo were near faultless in their batting as they continued to plunder boundaries with increasing regularity. Sheridan raced through the nervous nineties only to be stuck on 99 for what seemed like an eternity on the sidelines. But they needn’t have worried and he brought up his first century with a scampered single.
Shortly after Sheridan brought up his century, he and Kulkarni brought up their hundred partnership before Kulkarni was bowled for 32. The duo had all but steered the Ramblas over the line but they visitors knew there was still work to do.
Luke raises his bat after his first century
Parrett came in at seven and announced his arrival at the crease, smashing a huge six down the ground off just his second ball. Sheridan was in no mood to take the game to the final over, smashing fourteen runs from the 38th over to seal a five wicket win for the Ramblas.
In another absorbing contest, an excellent team performance saw the Ramblas claim their fifth win of a fantastic season. With the Ramblas heading to Petts Wood next week, all eyes are on a fourth straight win.
Ramblas MVP: There can only be one choice this week. For his maiden century and leading the Ramblas to their highest run chase, this week’s MVP has to be Luke Sheridan.