FRIENDLY MATCH
REGALS 174 Jack Mendel 3-28
BELMONT & EDGWARE 147 Philip Mayer 47 n.o., Adam Jacobs 47
Belmont and Edgware lost by 27 runs

Belmont and Edgware (BECC) went down by 27 runs in a friendly against Regals in a performance which featured some determined batting, sharp fielding and excellent spell from leg-spinner Jack Mendel.

BECC lost the toss and were asked to field on a pitch which, although hard and true, was still exhibiting moisture from drizzle that had fallen in the morning.

Joe Saleh opened the bowling and displayed no signs of rustiness after an exam-induced break from cricket. Sticking to good lines and lengths and moving the ball into the right-handed batsman, he induced two or three edges before gaining his reward in his second over when Vinod skied the ball to mid off, where Matt Wetton snaffled a fine, running catch.

Greg Mayer plugged away economically at the other end, but after that early breakthrough, Regals enjoyed a long second-wicket partnership, with Regals' no 3, in particular, threatening to take the game away from Belmont.

However, the introduction of the slower bowlers heralded a change in fortunes, with David Kaplan enjoying a running battle with both batsmen. After several near-misses he finally made the key breakthrough when he bowled the other opener.

At this point, Mendel joined the attack and immediately troubled Regals with his accurate leg-breaks. Finding plenty of turn, he picked up a deserved wicket when the dangerous no. 4 was caught at deep mid-wicket by the ever-reliable Noam Attar.

From then on, Belmont ruthlessly reeled in the remaining batsmen. Kaplan castled the no. 5, before Mendel took two further scalps, one with a clever straighter ball which skidded into the timbers with a resounding crash.

Mayer, returning after Kaplan finished his spell, got in on the act, before Jacobs, aided by some smart keeping by Blasebalk, ran out the no.9. The captain then brought himself back on after an indifferent first spell to polish off the innings, with some assistance from a superb, diving effort at long on by Kaplan.

Overall, after some initial difficulties, Belmont had dragged themselves back into the game and were optimistic of chasing down the 174 that Regals had posted. That recovery was marked by a sharp fielding performance which had featured several good catches.

In reply, Michael Blasebalk and Phil Mayer opened the innings for BECC. Keen to protect the middle order from the new ball, they batted cautiously and had reached 27-0 after 10 overs. However, Blasebalk was caught at first slip soon after, which brought Jonathan Field to the crease.

At this point, remarkably, Belmont scored their third five of the season when the ball held up just short of the long off-side boundary and Regals struggled to reclaim it. Field perished shortly after when he nicked to the keeper and was replaced by Jacobs. He looked to pressure the bowlers from the off and quickly cracked several boundaries.

Although Belmont had made a slow start, as Mayer and Jacobs' partnership developed, the runs began to flow and things were looking ominous for Regals.

Aided by regular rotation of the strike, Belmont reached the point where they needed just 45 from the final six overs, a highly attainable target. Nonetheless, just as Belmont were on the cusp, they pressed the self-destruct button. Jacobs called Mayer through for a quick single but was surprised, after a few seconds, to find himself at the same end as his partner. The upshot was that Jacobs was run out, and Belmont finished 27 runs shorts of their target. Despite this, Phil had carried his bat and performed very well in the anchor role.

This was a frustrating game in the sense that it was one that Belmont could and should have won. However, there were positives to take out of this defeat. The fielding was of a high standard, the batting was determined and Jack Mendel's leg-spin proved a revelation. All now looks set for a successful season.