SCORECARD V GOODMAYES

Fields Batting

R Friend bowled 0
R Astley lbw 8
Ben run out 0
W Issac not out 62
S Proud bowled 11
T Graham run out 2
Extras 34
Total 107

Goodmayes Batting

Saqib not out 39
Raja-Khan ct Issac bl Ty 0
Imran ct Friend bl Ben 16
Omar-Raja ct Friend bl Astley 47
Kamran not out 6
Exras 10
Total 108


Fields bowling

Tyrone 3 . 0 . 16 . 1
Ben 3 . 0 . 25 . 1
Will 2 . 0 . 27 . 0
Stefan 2.2 . 0 . 24 . 0
Robin A 1 . 0 . 8 . 1

FIELDS STRUGGLE ON

Still no match report or scores from Birdcage, so here's the result from the following game:

GRITTY FIELDS PUSH GOODMAYES TO THE DEATH

Everyone involved in this valiant display can hold their head up high after a six man London Fields fought tooth and nail to win pride if not overall victory in a match which probably should have been called off. The recent foul weather was to be seen in abundance and despite entreaties to halve the match Goodmayes insisted on play. Unless the match was to be forfeited before a ball was bowled the Fields had to play. And at 6;40 play started in the most disastrous fashion. Absent men who'd not managed to get to the game meant steady starts were needed but Robin Friend, who'd had a good run with the bat, was bowled third ball. Then in the same opening over Ben, keen to get a run on the board set of on a suicidal run and was sent back but could not make his ground.

If ever a captain's innings was needed it was now and Will Issac did not disappoint. The tidy bowling was fended of at one end by Robin Astley in reprise of his Slovenian Anchor role as Will set about anything loose and gained another mid week 50 retired, returning at the death to hit another twelve runs. Will made their fielders pay for dropping him with some clean hitting all over the park. In comparison the sluggish Robin was finally out plumb hitting across the line, which brought Stefan to the crease scoring 11. And with Ty (2) and the returning Will, the score was pushed up to 107 off 12 overs.

In one of the middle overs a bizarre set of loose deliveries saw to full tosses end up at square leg! Unfortunately for the Fields the bowler did not return after an expensive effort.

Confident of victory Goodmayes set about their task knowing that with effectively only four fielders to beat the work should not have been taxing. But oh how the Fields fought, harried and threw themselves at every shot. Will snaffled the sodden ball at mid off from Tyrone's first over and returning one for sixteen off three, Ty was the pick of the bowling. He also induced two edges and on another day could have had three wickets but with the rain slanting down the ball became a slippery bar of soap. Ben at the other end coaxed their dangerous number three to pull poorly and Robin Friend took the swirler. All the bowlers battled manfully to bowl to a Three/one field and Robin Friend was energetic behind the stumps but Goodmayes steadied their ship with a few boundaries. Will and Stefan then gave it all they had but It was impossible to defend the total even if ever fielder did the job of two men, and despite Robin Astley Taking a late wicket,
Goodmayes got to the finishing post with four balls to spare.
Who knows how the scorebook would have read had the team fielded eight men as committed to the cause as all the six that took part

RESULTS

We've lost a few games recently. Reports to come once Birdcage sorts himself out.