The OJ and Suckling show

Highlights: Tom Garraway 43, Ollie Johnson four for 29, Matt Suckling† five dismissals

Full scorecard here

An hour before the start of play, the Meadow was lashed by a biblical storm which left deep standing water on the square. Arriving just as the rains were easing, the opposition, with a change in personnel from the first round match at Finchley, did not unload their cars and expected a swift return trip home.

However, they did not account for the club’s new super sopper, which made light work of the puddles and, in combination with the sun appearing overhead, meant that play could commence with only six overs to be lost.

Upon winning the toss, OF’s skipper H Depala elected to see what his bowlers could extract from a pitch that had been covered overnight but may have questioned his decision a few minutes later as he watched the ball sail over his head for six off his own bowling.

A characteristically high tempo Bexon-Liveing opening stand of 34 was brought to end by a change in the attack after eight overs. Liveing was the man to go, adjudged LBW to left armer and new addition to the team, Hardik Savani.

After that, problems started for Northchurch as they struggled to get a partnership going against some accurate bowling on a seaming pitch.

Bexon was not far behind Liveing as he offered a simple chance off the leading edge while trying to work a straightening ball into the leg side. When McGiffin went soon after, in almost identical fashion to Liveing, Hobley and Garraway had a little work to do to rebuild from 48 for 3.

The partnership was not to last as Hobley was beaten by a Savani jaffa which took his off stump, leaving Tim Fidler to negotiate a tricky period when the ball began to swing.

At the other end, Garraway looked determined and continued to play scoring shots but Charles Bresnan was eventually drawn into a stroke off Savani that took his outside edge and ended up safely in the keeper’s gloves.

Garraway became Savani’s fifth victim when seven shy of a fifth league half century for the season. Patel, struck down in the week with a stomach bug, was a little out of sorts and gifted the left armer a return catch which he took one-handed with some style to claim his sixth and leave Northchurch in real trouble.

The quality and depth in Northchurch’s batting line up is without question, but with the lower order having spent so little time in the middle this season, the possibility of getting bowled out cheaply was a real concern.

However, John Barry, along with Matthew Suckling, returning to the side after sustaining a fracture to the thumb just three weeks ago, took the innings deep as the pitch began to get easier.

When Barry departed to leg spinner Rachit Depala, captain Vila got off to an encouraging start with a straight drive to the boundary but soon miscued trying to go over the top and was easily caught at mid-on.

At 141 for 9, the on-looking Northchurch players were a little more confident but still felt light on runs and were eager not to surrender any of the remaining six overs to the opposition.

Any concerns, however, were misplaced and the shape of the entire match was completely changed by a last wicket and innings best partnership of 36 between Suckling and Ollie Johnson.

Taking little risk to rotate the strike and ensure that Church batted their overs, Johnson then cut loose with a magnificent cover drive to the fence. Going into the last over with six needed to secure the additional two bonus points that would at least preserve the one-game advantage in the league table, number 11 Johnson was beaten by a couple of flatter deliveries before picking the flighted ball, dancing down the track and stroking it straight back over the sight screen into the rec for a maximum.

Having been 96 for 6 at one stage, Northchurch were very pleased to go into tea with the momentum and felt that their total of 175 would be plenty with good bowling and fielding in the second half.

Success was almost instant as Johnson, fresh from his batting heroics, missed having opposition captain Depala caught by a fingertip, as a sprawling Bexon, running backwards from extra cover, just failed to make it to a skewed drive.

Vila made up for it the next over as he found some extra bounce with the new ball to have his opposite number caught behind for a single. A wicket with the very next ball sent number three and top scorer from the first round, Jethwa, back to the pavilion for a golden duck.

Johnson, in an epic 15 over spell, nibbled the ball all over the place and beat the bat more often than not to bowl seven maidens and operate at under two per over throughout. However, he had to wait until his eighth over to take his first wicket, that of opener Chirag Depala, who dragged out and was smartly stumped by the very sharp Matt Suckling who was clearly untroubled by his hand injury.

Number four, Pujara, rode his luck to survive until drinks after being dropped twice in the cordon and popping one up from a very well-directed McGiffin bouncer that landed safely between fielders.

It was a change in pace after the break that would do the trick, as Pujara could not resist the loop of Barry Barry and was brilliantly stumped for 30. Suckling on fire and impossible to keep out of the game.

At 42 for 4, Rachit Depala was joined by Savani who, in addition to bowling beautifully for his six for 30, could clearly hold a bat, and the pair laid the foundations of a partnership that might threaten the five per over required.

However, with the bowling tight and the pitch still offering some assistance, boundaries were hard to come by. The Finchleians had clearly not picked up on the importance of running hard from the Suckling-Johnson partnership.

When OJ removed both set batsmen and the number seven, Chako, in quick succession, OF’s were well behind the run rate, low on batting stocks and struggling for a plan.

Popatia and Niazi offered some late resistance and put together a partnership of 30 to take their team into three figures but with 75 needed in 9 overs, the win had surely slipped out of sight.

Finding themselves with only four points to show from the day, the pair began to swing for some bonus points and Vila soon had Popatia caught in an onside trap. Garraway, replacing an economical Fidler from the rec end, encouraged Niazi to run past one and Suckling claimed his fifth victim of the match with a third brilliant stumping.

Receiving instruction from the pavilion to throw the bat, the last two batsmen could not match the efforts of their home team counterparts and thrashed hopelessly at the sun-drenched, early evening Northchurch air until Garraway managed a straight one and ended the innings on 119 with four overs unbowled.

Northchurch’s batting display, though somewhat disappointing on paper, was laudable on a very seam-friendly pitch against a good attack, but it was the belief, patience and commitment in the field that secured a comfortable win in the end.

With second and third placed teams in the league drawing a rain affected game, Northchurch will go into the remaining four 50/50 matches needing just 52 points out of the 120 on offer to guarantee the Division III title.