BECC resumed league cricket after a hiatus of seven years with a home game against Crouch End CC. In bright and sunny conditions, BECC lost the toss and were put into bat on what was still a slightly damp and green surface, with plenty of assistance offered for both medium and slow bowlers.
New opening pair of Steven Altmann-Richer and Joshua Chaim made steady if unspectacular progress, carefully seeing off the new ball, before the former, who was looking to play more expansively, sliced an attempted cover drive straight down point's throat to leave the score 18-1.
Daniel Frumar, playing his first game after returning from a trip to his native Australia, looked slightly scratchy and was only able to add two to the score before being adjudged LBW to a ball that swung in to him.
Belmont's predicament worsened after the captain Adam Jacobs was run-out following a mix-up with Chaim for just 8, to leave the score at 39-3. From there, BECC looked to dig in, but lost wickets at regular intervals. Chaim middled the ball straight to midwicket when well set on 22 and no. 5, Scott Gerard, perished when he could only sky an attempted maximum to the same fielder.
Eli Rosen was then pinned LBW shortly afterwards by what was probably Crouch End's best delivery of the day to leave BECC reeling. However, BECC had a long batting line-up, and were able to somewhat salvage the situation. Bension Tilley played sensibly with first, Tom Hart and then Josh Reynolds to score 18 and keep the strike ticking over.
Reynolds, though, played the key innings, restoring some much needed momentum with his aggressive batting. By the time he was out, for 26, including one big six to the long boundary over cow corner, BECC had wrestled some initiative back and were 122-8 having previously been teetering at 87-7.
Tilley was out shortly afterwards, when he tried to work the ball to the legside but only succeeded in scooping a leading edge to mid-wicket. Nonetheless, the last wicket partnership of Sam Goldman and David Kaplan - neither of whom could really be described as tail-enders- managed to put on a crucial extra 28 runs, to leave Belmont all out for 153 off 39 overs. This was still some margin short of what Belmont should have posted given their depth of batting, but at least meant that the bowlers had a total to work with.
Crouch End's reply got off to a similarly slow start, as opening bowlers Tilley and Rosen produced tight spells to restrict scoring opportunities. Belmont made the breakthrough when Hemant drove Rosen aerially to mid-off, where Hart clung on to a superb diving catch to his right.
The visitors then tried to consolidate, with their other, left-handed, opener Kester particularly intent on occupying the crease. As such, Kaplan was brought into the attack and his bowling proved particularly miserly on the Old Haberdashers' surface.
With Jacobs introducing himself at the other end and finding some away movement, the runs dried up and the pressure built. Eventually this told when Kaplan bowled Kester, to leave the score at 36-2. Jacobs had no trouble removing the no. 4, before Kaplan managed to trap the no.5 LBW, to leave Crouch End in all sorts of trouble at 41-4.
Jacobs made a further breakthrough, bowling the no. 3 through the gate with a slower ball a few overs later, at which point the match had seemingly swung decisively towards BECC.
This proved to be the case as Belmont made short work of Crouch End's lower order. Jacobs and Kaplan shared a further wicket each before Chaim, bowling his first spell for the club, struck twice. First he removed the no. 6, who had looked the most dangerous batsman, by deceiving him with a flighted delivery, before he induced an edge off the no. 11, which was excellently pouched by a diving Altmann-Richer at slip.
In between Scott Gerard joined the party, having the no. 9, Sohael, caught by Tilley at square leg. That meant that Crouch End were all out for 87 after a disciplined performance by BECC in the field.
CRICKET SCOREBOARD
CHESS VALLEY LEAGUE DIVISION SEVEN
London Maccabi Vale 196 Adam Brand 79
Brondesbury Eagles 198-6
LMV lost by 4 wickets
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DIVISION FIVE
Belmont & Edgware 153
Crouch End 87 David Kaplan 3-15, Adam Jacobs 3-23
Belmont won by 66 runs
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FRIENDLY MATCH
Hatfield Hyde 156 Jack Davis 4-5, Anthony Wise 3-29
London Maccabi Vale 2nd 130
LMV lost by 26 runs
