Clinical Griffins muscled out KCWA

 A fine all round performance led by Dileep helped Griffins to register 28 runs win against KCWA at John Rusking Park and collected all 20 points in the first of the UKMCL. The talismanic all-rounder scored a scratchy 25 down the orders and made vital blow with the ball returned with the maiden five wicket haul in the League.

The scores (Grififns CC 191/7 (35), Shaan 34, Stanley 33, Thomas 3/19 beat KVWA 161(30.3) Sajeev 53, Goutham 26, Dileep 6/18 by 28 runs)

It was Dileep incisive spell of swing bowling with match haul of 6/18 in a helpful condition that made the difference at the end. At the half way of the second innings KCWA was cruising to the victory as they were 94 for the loss of two wickets though Jimmy made crucial break on the stroke of the drinks break. The breakthrough opened the match evenly poised yet KCWA had an advantage of well settled Sajeev at the crease. But it was another game after the drink break as the reinvigorated Griffins pushed the match led by a wonderful piece of swing bowling spells from both the end by Dileep and Jimmy. 

First Jimmy got rid of Hari bowled through the gate for 9 with beautiful in swinger that castled the off stump. Immediately the game swung in to Griffins favor as both the bowlers found rhythm and used the popping crease very well. It was Dileep who made the biggest the break thought with a pitched out swinger that lured Sajeev for the drive but only ended up in the safe hands of Stanley behind the stump. By the end of their spell the match was well and truly over as KCWA slipped from a strong position of 94 for the one wicket to 132 for nine. The last wicket pair played for some pride with slogs on both sides of the wicket which only reduced the margin of defeat and added one bonus point. It was a fitting end to the match as the recalled Dileep for his second spell got his sixth wicket of the match and eventually ended the entertaining innings of Goutham who scored 26 at the tail. The winners have warmed the match very well and prepared for the next match away to MCC on Saturday 30 April who made an easy victory at Hainault earlier in the day.

In the morning the KCWA captain called the coin correctly earlier in the day invited Griffins to bat first under the heavy overcast expected to utilize the wet pitch and heavy outfield. But Griffins openers had another plan in their mind especially Shan who played an entertaining quick fired 34 from just 20 deliveries. The inning constituted two towering sixes over the long on and four hits to the fence including an exquisite square cut, the shot of the match. At the other end Anooj was taking his time to adjust with slow and low pitch which offered assistance to the blowers. The first wicket scored run a ball fifty whereas Shaan fell in a miscued tap over the long resulted in leading edge to mid-off.

The wicket of Shan stopped the free flow of runs as the both the batsmen struggled to tickle the scoreboard but were more cautious at the shot selection. At Other end KCWA bowlers found the rhythm as the pitch was taking the pace off the ball due to the overnight rain. Though the pair worked hard to move the scorecard with single the next 9.4 overs added only 28 runs to the total. The pair tried to cut to loose immediately after the drinks break. This resulted the end of Staley’s innings who scored a well worked 33 from 41 deliveries including a mighty hit over the long off plus another one down the grass. The wicket of Stanley pegged KCWA in to the match as the managed to control the scalp three wickets in the space of four overs for 22 runs. The collapse from 99 for one to 122 for three forced Griffiins CC to recheck their target, at one point they were eying for a total of beyond 225.

Dileep led the rearguard action with lower down the order by holding one end where at though he was witnessing running themselves out at the other end. The useful contribution from Jimmy 16 off seven deliveries and some late cameo by Shamjad helped to get the innings some momentum at the end. Dileep made fighting 25 not out with the help of the tail and led the team to fighting total of 191 for the loss seven wickets in the allocated quota of 35 overs. KCWA used 9 bowlers but Thomas was pick of the bowlers with return of 3 wickets for 19 runs whereas Varun bowled given away only 17 runs in his 7 overs including two maiden overs.

Report by A Gafoor.