Detail: 20-09-2020 - Malden Wanderers


Result: W by 102 runs
Malden Wanderers v Blues, 20 Sept 2020

On a glorious late September afternoon Blues, a wandering side, visited Malden Wanderers, who aren't a wandering side. The oddities didn't end there as Blues won by more than 100 runs, quite a turnaround after last week's 'blip' when our heroes were dismissed for less than 100.

Blues had assembled in south west London's leafy suburbia to face opponents who were new, but at a venue that used to stage an annual Blues match against a local school. Glenn, skippering, won the toss and elected to bat on a good track. Offered a 40-over match he had demurred, recalling last week's disastrous innings at Dulwich, and also fearing losing the toss and fielding 40 overs in the sun.

New recruit Matt 'Gatts' Gatward, a former Indie colleague of Glenn and Clarky, was entrusted with the openers' role alongside 'AB', as Ali Barrigan is now known. However, before you could say 'hello campers' AB was LB to Butlin. Triggered, he felt, but none of the four batsmen given out LBW during the day believed they were out (they never do - writes a bowler).

Jack came to the crease, spent a long time having a look, hit a sumptuous four, decided he was now 'in', tried to repeat the shot, and was bowled. Harry Tawney may have been absent, but was clearly there in spirit.

Enter Das, who has spent most of the season searching for form but finding it more elusive than a Covid test. An early couple of fours and, like another wickie-batsman Jos Butler, he was back in nick. With Gatward hitting a series of boundaries at the other end Blues started going through the gears, so much so that, at a sanitizing break, with Blues 81-2 after 20, Glenn persuaded the oppo skipper to upgrade the match to 40 overs.

The partnership took Blues to three figures before Gatward was LBW for a well-made 45. Harry J injected some pace to the innings with a swift 14 but when he and Das (38) fell in quick succession Blues were 134-5 with ten overs remaining.

On the boundary Mo and Glenn headed for the nets, confident they would soon be needed, but Nick Clark and Hamish had other ideas. Clarky, in his annual outing, at a venue he last played at when captain of the school U12 B's, showed what Blues had been missing all season as he smote two sixes. Fyfe, in a ferocious display of clean hitting, also hit two maximums as the pair added an unbroken 105 in 61 balls. Clark finished unbeaten on 33, Fyfe 66 not out as Blues reached 239-5 off 40 overs. Negotiating an extra five overs had garnered 63 runs.

However, the outfield was lighting fast, the wicket true and the new ball, bought off the internet from a Russian spiv by Harry J, soon falling apart at the seams, literally. So 240 looked gettable.

Fortunately, Malden Wanderers approached the match as if it was a T20. One opener swished away until he skied the 11th ball of the innings into the stratosphere. Every Blues player had time to get under it, but wisely it was left to the man with the gloves and Harry J collected. Glenn (3-19) picked up two more, one nicely caught by Hamish, and with Will (2-20) hitting the timbers twice in a rapid opening spell Wanderers were 40-5 after nine.

When Mo reduced them further to 47-7 a very early finish, too early, seemed very much in prospect. However, two of Malden's many youngsters then put up stern resistance, more than doubling the score and even putting the replacement ball (Jenks' one having fallen apart) into the stream. The replacement had a fine seam, too good to waste, so Mo clambered down into the undergrowth to fish it out.

With Blues enjoying the rare pleasure of having plenty of runs to play with attacking fields were set, Rory tearing in to an array of slips, albeit without luck, and a range of bowlers given a chance to showcase their talents.

AB responded by finding the edge, Jack pouching a neat catch. Jack then ended the No.9's stern resistance with a grubber. Clarky's bowling proved rustier than his batting but Hamish, buoyed by his batting exploits, bowled fast and straight before Mo (3-25) returned to end the innings and earn Blues victory by 102 runs.

This was celebrated in the sunshine with a few cans, hurriedly purchased from the local Tesco Express by Malden's barmaid. A fixture to keep, not least as it is 15 minutes from my house.

The Blues juggernaut is back on track and, second lockdown permitting, rolls through the Badlands of south London to Streatham & Marlborough next week for the final match of an unusual but memorable season.

[updated 02 12 2020]