Quokkas 371-7 (Rashid 103, Irfan 85, Umair 49, Marcus 42, Ali 30no) beat Coldharbour 165 all out (Irfan 2-16, Prof 2-30ish Seagull 2-48)
The sun shone on the highest cricket ground in the southeast of England. Yep. You have read that score correctly. We scored three hundred and seventy-one runs from 210 balls. My first thought is, should we have declared? Mr second, will we be invited back next year? I bloody hope so as the teas here seem to get better every year (Ed: Looking at the photo of you with sandwiches piled six high, looks like you made sure I didn’t miss out).
I’m writing this report in October, so I can’t really remember what happened, although the scorecard tells you pretty much everything you need to know. We scored runs at an astonishing rate. We consumed cake at an astonishing rate. And we took wickets at a rate just good enough to win with five overs to spare.
I found some a couple of notes. The first says we hit eight sixes before anyone played a good shot. I think I may have been a little over critical, but on a ground where you can edge it through slips for six, it’s entirely possible. My second note says: “the opposition were amazing at finding balls…they needed too”. I count 23 sixes and God knows how many fours. The hitting from the likes of Rashid, Irfan Marcus and Ali was relentless, right to the end. All the plaudits should go to Rashid who scored his first Quokkas hundred, but I should also give a shout to Umair who scored his maiden fifty before immediately getting out, then learning on his return that the scorer had miscalculated, and he had fallen a run short.
Tea. I’ve mentioned that already, so let’s move swiftly on to the bowling. Ali and Evil opened. Evil got the opening bat out. Ali went for just eleven runs from his five overs. Marcos and Irfan were even more frugal, taking a further three wickets. Prof continued the theme of high quality tight bowling and claimed two wickets. Seagull did offer the hosts some rest bite, but even he grabbed a brace. Radio then wrapped up the innings in his first over. As Prof said afterwards, Seagull never took his foot off their throat.
Seagull
Regretting position of said foot