Isambard vs. Fives (A) - Friendly

3rd August, 2008

Damp ending to Fives effort

 
Isambard 178 all out (35 overs) (S.Chadwick 31, N.Parbhu 30, R.Gardiner 29, S.Munn 21, R.Robinson 20).  Fives 98-4 (20 overs) (Robinson 2-25).  Match abandoned (rain).  (35-over game)

A potentially interesting ending to the most recent of Isambard's many games with Fives was spoiled by a dose of the Great British Summer.

Isambard batted first, with Richie Gardiner and Adam Malin opening.  Gardiner cemented his reputation as a Volvo cricketer - reliable, but not necessarily exciting "“ as he scored 29.  Malin, alas, was more of a Skoda Estelle, not troubling the man with the scorebook and pint of weak Aussie lager when facing his old team-mates on this occasion.

The middle-order of Richie Robinson, Simon Chadwick and Sunny Munn each produced performances which reflected their relative youth: lots of enthusiasm, and a good thrusting start with powerful strokes, but ultimately slightly unfulfilling.  All reached the twenty mark, but none went on to build a really substantial innings.

It was good to see the return of Nat Parbhu for his first Isambard match in two years, following reconstructive knee surgery (perhaps not so much the Six Million Dollar Man as the NZ$9 Million Man) and a spell amongst the Saffers.  Nat produced a useful knock at No.7, and "˜kept as tidily as ever.  Isambard's total, at a rate just above the magic five an over, was down to a good team effort.

After tea, hopes that Isambard might post their first win against Fives since WG Grace was a lad were fuelled by four early wickets "“ two to Robinson, and one apiece for Munn and Paul McConville.  However, Fives number, er, five, started to take a liking to Isambard's slightly below-par attack, rattling his way to an unbeaten 65.  At this point, said batsmen decided he was fed up with the incessant drizzle, and he and his partner walked off.

Post-match, Malin jnr. made an ultimately fruitless attempt to prove that this was really an Isambard win under the Duckworth-Lewis Method.  Applying my Grade E in A-level Mathematics and Statistics to D-L's incredibly complicated website suggests that Fives needed to score 98 in twenty overs, which conveniently enough they did, thus winning by one run.  However, using the "˜simple' D-L table suggested a 14-run Isambard win.  Isn't mathematics marvellous?

Perhaps sensibly, all parties decided to call it match abandoned, and retired to the pub.  Let's hope for a more worthwhile fixture next season.

Allan Smithee
 
 
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