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Match Reports for the Saturday Sixth ElevenSaturday 5th May 2007 at home to Barnes 3rd X1 Barnes 250 for 7 declared (Sassi Nadar 3-63) Dulwich 143 all out (Alex Reeve 32 not out, Chris Richman 24) Dulwich lost by 107 runs
Dulwich’s 7th XI took on the might of Barnes C.C. There is some dispute over whether the team are, in fact, the 6th’s or the 7th’s, but the fact remains that this team is the 7th to be picked by the Selection Committee and no amount of word play and re-titling can disguise this fact. In the same way, that Sainsbury’s Supermarket were obliged to re-label their Parmesan cheese as “Italian” cheese, a few years ago, to conform with EC regulations and the old 3rd Division of the Football League is now known as “League 1” so this team is known as the 6th XI. However, your correspondent believes in calling a spade a spade! Something which I am sure the 7th’s Yorkshire born straight speaking captain, John Smith, would agree, is a “good thing”. The best efforts of spin doctors Mandelson or Campbell would not disguise the fact that there are 66 players deemed superior in ability in Dulwich’s overflowing apple barrel of choice cricketers, before this jolly bunch of Cox’s Orange Pippins are selected to take the field together. That is not to say that the team was without talents in many departments of the game. It is unfortunate to report that the sum of these talents could not manufacture anything other than a substantial defeat on this occasion. Captain (and President) John Smith won the toss and elected to field. It is a moot point whether this decision was made on the basis of confidence in his bowlers or trepidation and fear in his batting. Smith can be an enigmatic captain at times: his decisions sometimes remind your correspondent of the porcine character Napoleon in George Orwell’s celebrated critique of Stalinism : “Animal Farm”. Smith has always been the proud wearer of a Stalin-like moustache, one hesitates to suggest that he is an admirer of the Soviet tyrant and comparisons are odious. Nevertheless, Smith insists on running a pretty “tight ship” in the field. It is in the nature of things, that a 7th XI will usually contain a heady mixture of youth and experience: this 7th team was no exception. Even when Napoleon turned to Gibson, the redoubtable off-spinner, (who with some justification, could claim to be rechristened Snowball, or Trotsky, for the purposes of this story,) it was still Napoleon who unilaterally set the field and brooked no argument from Snowball or any of the other animals. Nadar and Reeves, his opening bowlers toiled without complaint in the hot sun and indeed, met with some early success against Barnes’ early batting. “Young” Nick Rochford has entered his fourth decade as a trainee keeper and with the benefit of much advice from team mates, was able to garner another victim – a sharp chance catch off the pacy opener, Alex Reeve. With the score 83 for 4, spin was introduced and initially, it appeared that Snowball may well be proving that indeed, 4 legs were good 2 legs were bad as the Barnes batsman struggled against his flight and guile, but then, tragedy struck Snowball after just seven balls. In courageously attempting to catch a sharp “caught and bowled” chance he split a finger on his right hand and was forced to leave the farm to get help. Resisting the temptation to squeal like a stuck pig, the resilient Snowball returned to the field of play but by this time Napoleon had consolidated his power base and was utilising the abilities of P.D. Amin as an honest, hard-working stock bowler (cf. “Boxer” the carthorse) and the youthful Ben Romans-Hopcraft. Medium pace was replaced by Chris Wilson’s spin who conceded 38 before Reeve pocketed a skier. The Barnes batsmen had proved more than a handful for Dulwich with the Aussie Brock reaching 100 after being spilled a few times. Vice Captain and European commentator Pan Pylas was to rue one dropped catch to his co-worker! The visitors eventually declared on 250 for 7. Dulwich’s reply was not without spirit after being reduced to 16-4 despite a lusty blow or two from the bionic Wilson. Old timer Gibson’s first ball duck left Dulwich on the ropes at 28 for five wickets. There were some encouraging signs from newcomers Chris Richman (24), Hanish Nanda (20) and Alex Reeve (32) who got Dulwich to 95 for 9 when Napoleon returned to the scene as a non-bowling Number 11. But he was walking on 2 legs and despite his best efforts, neither he nor Reeve could ultimately halt a Barnes victory by 107 runs. Smith and Reeve pushed Dulwich into the final twenty overs and with just nine overs to go, the opening bowler removed Smith for 13. As for Snowball, he has sought solace away from Animal Farm to heal his wounds and it is a matter of conjecture and speculation as to whether we shall see his like again.
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