Friendly Match vs Captain's Select, 7th August 2005, London Fields

Captains Select 146 all out, London Fields 152-4 (22.5 overs)
by Dave Hickey, "Darwin's Surprise" and Captain for the day

London Fields won the toss and elected to make use of the new ball on a pleasantly clement Sunday afternoon. Opening bowlers Rick 'Rack' Derons and Matt 'I will appeal for anything that hits the pads' Cowie controlled proceedings from the start, limiting Captain's Select to 34 for 3 off the first 14 overs.

Andy Wyatt, who strode onto the pitch 32 minutes late, took a superb diving catch at cover. He wasn't due to play but like Kasprowicz for Australia, he filled in when the Fields went down to 10 men earlier in the day.

The Captain's Select middle order managed to keep the score ticking over at around 4 an over, but thanks to some accurate bowling from Mark Nuttall (3 wickets) and Paul Dodd (2 wickets), they never really got any partnerships going. Donny Mahmood bowling at the end of the Captain's Select innings showed good control and was rewarded with the final two wickets.

London Fields' overall fielding display was about as good as there has been on the fields this season. Grant Straghan and Dave Hickey both clung on to difficult opportunities. I don't know if the standard of fielding was anything to do with the average age of the team or the fact that England had 'thrashed' the Aussies a couple of hours before.

The Fields were set a target of 147 to win in 35 overs. Openers Sumit Chakravarty and Rhodri Evans got off to a flying start, until Sumit was caught in short off a rising delivery from the Paul Turley end. Andy 'Safe Hands' Wyatt then came to the crease and put on the largest partnership of the day with Rhodri.

Ex-player Dave Muskett, watching the Fields' impressive display, made the schoolboy error of praising Andy Wyatt for his improved consistency with the bat this season. Guess what happened next...**

Mark Nuttall was the next man in and from the word go was able to carry on where Wyatt had left off. Rhodri passed his maiden fifty for the Fields with an almost chanceless innings - hopefully he can continue in this vein for the rest of the season. By now the Fields' run rate was up to nearly 7, so it was more a case of when, rather than if, the Fields would win.

Nuttall was out with 8 runs still required, and this saw Gordon Fleming into the middle to knock off the small target. However he was bowled first ball, so it was left to Rhodri, who finished on 66*, to see London Fields home.

After the game both teams retired to the pub for several beers, and to try to work out how Ian Charlton got home the night before...***

** Wyatt, bowled McDonald 34

*** Last seen walking down platform 6 at London Paddington station (12.03am)