RNVR Cricket Club

Scorecard

RNVR Cricket Club v St Albans CC on Sun 01 Jun 2025 at 1.30pm
Match was Drawn

Match report
Captain: C Crichton
Wicket Keeper: D Clarkson
Toss: Lost
Maiden century for C Crichton run out for 119 in his 377th game for the club!

The omens were not good. Trains on the blink, and an 8:00am email from Ed Knight to say that he’d badly injured his finger playing on Saturday so was not able to play, didn’t bode well.

The wind at St Albans was gusty, blowing from the pavilion end, and having lost the toss skipper Crichton turned to “I can only bowl one spell” Buckland to open the bowling. The wind assistance pushing his medium pace up to medium fast(ish), given the height that the ball was being delivered from. On a decent batting track (Fordy’s proverbial “road” Fergie reassured me), the St Albans openers, skipper Manny of Tavah, their curry house shirt sponsor, and keeper batsman Hingston, went about their business in a controlled and busy fashion. Yogesh joined William, bowling a very tidy opening spell into the wind, but unfortunately to no avail.

Tom graced us with his presence five overs into the game to give us our full quota of fielders, as Manny had kindly lent us a St Albans sub fielder.

Our specialist into the wind bowler, Tex replaced Yogesh and almost immediately made an impact, but two dropped catches meant we had to wait a little while longer before he broke the deadlock. But break it he did, with a proper wicket, Manny nicking off to Fergs for 31. As Hingston moved toward his fifty, Tex then had the number 3 caught behind by keeper Clarkson and soon afterwards a third wicket snaffled by Fergs again. Three proper wickets, all caught behind the stumps – Tex was quick to text Alex at drinks!

After his initial ten overs, and having told the captain “I can bowl as long as you want me to, but only one spell!” Buckland continued to tie up the top end. The young number 5 proved a decent companion for Hingston who was still accumulating runs on a wicket that was doing little to aid the bowlers. William finally finished his twelve over spell, wicketless but only conceding a respectable 53 runs. Ben replaced Tex and Yogesh found it far harder to control the ball with the wind than it was bowling into it, the St Albans number 5 taking advantage and Yogesh then reverting to off breaks.

Hingston reached a creditable maiden century before holing out to Yogesh off Nevin’s bowling for 112. The incoming batsman was adjudged LBW first ball on the last ball of the over, to leave the team on a team hattrick. Neither Yogesh nor Nevin could deliver final blow though. Yogesh then repeated Nevin’s feat taking wickets on consecutive balls at the end of his over, but again the hattrick failed to materialise and tea was taken.

Tea was much enjoyed and consisted of Manny’s naan rolls. The RNVR to a player all took the field with sauce dribbled down the fronts of their shirts as St Albans batted on post tea. Nisar reached his fifty, and after 44 overs, St Albans declared on 264-7 which seemed like a big ask for RNVR on a St Albans track that traditionally has not been high scoring.

Despite asking numerous players, there was not a great deal of enthusiasm for opening the batting, so the captain took it upon himself to open with Tim. Having ridden his luck, dropped twice in the third over, he begun to warm to the task and under Fergs’ tutelage from square leg begun to try and hit the ball under his nose rather than reaching for it. This approach seemed to work and boundaries started to flow. Tim unfortunately dragged on and Nevin came to the crease with customary confidence, smiting balls to all corners of the ground. By drinks, skipper Crichton had moved on to fifty and a solid partnership was building. Buckland’s words of wisdom to captain “it’s there for the taking, keep playing your shots, don’t go into yourself.” Were left ringing in the captain’s ears.

A bowling change and St Albans’ Maroof did for Nevin who was caught for a respectable 40 before BD joined Charlie at the crease and they too began to build a partnership. The total still looked large but not insurmountable and these two kept chipping away at it, agreeing to review every five overs or so. After trading in singles and twos for a little rather than boundaries, William’s prophecy finally game true and, much to his delight, for the first time the skipper passed three figures!

The left arm Shaw, who’d bowled tightly into the wind finally found a way through Dale’s defence. Clarkson ran athletically between the wickets to keep the scoreboard ticking over and hope alive, before being bowled by opening bowler Samad. The same fate was to befall Yogesh who’d had little time to get his eye in in an attempt to chase down a rising run rate. The skipper was run out mishearing Fergs call. Tom’s rich vein of form came to an abrupt end, pinned on his back foot second ball and it was left to Tex and Fergs to see the draw out.

Honour was served. The RNVR 35 runs short in four less overs equally backed up Manny’s decision to give his youngster his fifty and bat on after tea. The new clubhouse unfortunately did not quite live up to expectations as cold showers and a closed bar meant that we had to depart to the Crown for a post mortem and parable time!

St Albans CC Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 7 wickets
0
264 (44.0 overs)		     
Manny ct  Ferguson b Warnes 31
Hingston ct  Yogesh b Lobo 112
PD ct  Clarkson b Warnes 21
Wright ct  Ferguson b Warnes 12
Nisar Not Out  52
Abid lbw  Lobo 0
Maroof b  Yogesh 17
Snow lbw  Yogesh 0
Bishop Not Out  5
Jon Shaw  
Samad  

RNVR Cricket Club RNVR CC Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
William Buckland12.005300.004.42
Yogesh Bhanushali11.0073236.506.64
Tex Warnes8.0032310.674.00
Ben Dale5.004100.008.20
Nevin Lobo8.0053226.506.63

RNVR Cricket Club RNVR CC Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 7 wickets
0
230		        
Tim Hardman b  PD 2
Charlie Crichton Run out  119 19
Nevin Lobo ct  Maroof 40 5 3
Ben Dale b  Shaw 33 5
David Clarkson b  Shamad 8 1 1
Yogesh Bhanushali b  Shamad 4 1
Steve Ferguson Not Out  4 1 2
Thomas Hillman Lbw  0
Tex Warnes Not Out  1
William Buckland  
A.N. Other  

St Albans CC Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Samad10.0048316.004.80
Bishop3.001900.006.33
PD9.0047147.005.22
Nisar5.003500.007.00
Maroof5.0033133.006.60
Shaw6.0019119.003.17
Tom 1.002300.0023.00