Match Report: 3s vs Crouch End CC 3s (28/05/2022)

Toss: Crouch End 3s won the toss and decided to bat first.

Game 4 and a matchup against heavyweights Crouch End. With Kenton not at full strength due to the liverpool defeat later in the evening, it was clear Kenton lacked the fire power required up top. On a hot spring afternoon, crouch end won the toss and made use of an up and down track. A first wicket stand of over 100, although Ravi Patel should have had one, if not both openers back in the hut, but only for some extraordinary umpire decisions to intervene, meant crouch end looked set for a score in excess of 300. Some tight bowling tried its best to contain, and after 45 overs and 5 lost balls, into the nearby residential estate, Crouch End finished on 281. Kenton lost their skipper early to a peach of a delivery, but Rajiv Soneji set about rebuilding the innings with KP. Rajiv started to settle and looked at ease, pumping the opening bowler for back to back boundaries. However, just as Kenton were denied by the umpire in the first innings, it was a fateful and poor umpiring decision that cut Rajiv innings far too short and with it faded Kenton’s attempt at the win. Kenton batsmen would fall in clusters as the pitch began to deteriorate and take spin. Only a last wicket partnership of 50 between Mo Ali and Tushal Nath would give some respectability to the score. We came, we saw, and were easily conquered. Teas were lovely though.