Ones win away!

Northchurch would need all of their batting depth to post a competitive score, upon being inserted on a very soft pitch. The ball misbehaving was troublesome enough so it was a shame when Louis was run out early on from an excellent direct hit. Suckling followed soon after to one that cut back, took the inside edge, bounced off the thigh pad and into the keeper's gloves. How unlucky.

Hobley and Garraway fought back but runs were hard to come by and both were eventually undone by balls that stopped in the pitch. 100/6 after 35 overs seemed ominous but Fidler and Johnson combined in the highest partnership of the day for 48, Fids the aggressor and OJ rotating the strike. The tail was relatively waggy and batting the overs out for 173 seemed like success at the way point.

By the time Enfield took the crease the pitch had dried and a couple of boundaries through the offside indicated that batting would be a little easier. Kieran Jones, one of the league's top bats, would need a score to help his side get close, so it was a nervous moment when he picked up a straight six early on. DJ was up to the challenge though and kept the ball in the right area to secure a double breakthrough, first Jones to a fine catch from Romit, then Gillman, trapped in front.

Patel then came on to bowl a brilliant controlling spell of off spin, picking up dot after dot and compounding score board pressure. His two wickets were very important, both hitters who could have taken the game away with a quick slog. Gandy went LBW early in the spell, while James was brilliantly held by Liveing at long, long, long on after a steepling drive to the longest part of the ground.

Danger man Rambo Baker struggled to get in against the moving ball, with both Patel and Vila shaping the ball away from the left hander. He eventually got going well enough with a sweetly stuck straight drive that only got as far as the bowler's rib cage. Having nearly killed a man, he seemed slightly shaken and chipped in the next over to mid off, Romit back in the game with a fantastic low, sliding catch.

The North Enfield captain dug deep with young Ebrahim to re-establish the innings but both fell in quick succession to the returning Johnson, trying to move the score along. The reintroduction of Darren wrapped the innings up quite easily, Daz finishing with a well earned 4 wickets.

The difference between the sides had been the depth in Northchurch's batting and the pressure developed by the change bowlers. A pleasing team performance to start the season, with the plan of grinding the opposition down being effectively delivered. We look forward to hosting Bishop Stortford 2s at home next week.