Looking to capitalise on last week's victory, the day started off well with captain Inzamam Ul-Jacobs finally winning a toss. It still ended up as the same result as every other week, with Belmont bowling first.
Scott Gerard opened the bowling and was quickly finding his customary lift, whilst moving the ball away from the right-hander. Debutant Eintracht, BECC's second Kolpak player, bowled a fantastic opening spell, that impressed wicketkeeper Michael Blasebalk, who was convinced that he is the fastest bowler he has ever kept to for the club. There probably hasn't been too much competition, certainly in recent years!
It was Eintract who made the breakthrough, when Peshwar's no. 2, after scratching around for a bit, turned the face on one too soon and lobbed it into the air where Joshi took a good catch. Gerard then took a well deserved wicket, finding the edge of the no. 3's bat, where Blasebalk took a nonchalant catch, sticking out a right glove to safely pouch it.
This brought Ravid to the crease. Jonny Evans replaced Gerard at the far end and was quickly into his rhythm with his new-found off-spinners. He eventually turned one up the slope catching the remaining opener Anil, plumb in front, with the umpire lifting the inevitable finger.
The scoring had by this time slowed almost to a halt, with Josh Reynolds keeping the pressure on from the Croxdale Road End. The pressure eventually led to Ravid succumbing, lifting a flighted ball from Evans straight into the safe hands of Hart at long-on.
Bension Tilley replaced Reynolds and immediately started swinging the ball around. He soon claimed a deserved wicket when he moved one back into Anand, clipping his leg stump.
The tight bowling and good fielding was really getting to Peshwar and it started to show in their running. Mayank attempted a suicidal second to Jacobs at third man. Whilst Jacobs' throw was not the best, the relay from Blasebalk was spectacular, hitting the stumps from several yards away and finding Mayank short of his ground.
A decent partnership formed between Amit and Sachin. Evans was keeping things extremely tight, finishing his spell of eight overs with figures of 2-9. In the last over of his proper spell, he enticed a leading edge from Amit, straight to Daniel Frumar, in at silly point just for this moment. But Frumar promptly dropped the ball.
Not content with one dropped catch off the over, Tilley then got in on the act, dropping a simple catch at square leg off the luckless Evans. Although Evans had already bowled eight overs, the scorers gave him another. Unfortunately the spirit of Jacobs took over his bowling and he was dispatched for three boundaries in the over, to slightly ruin what had been spectacular figures.
Tilley finished his spell with fantastic figures of 2-20 off six overs. A feature of today's bowling performance was that despite a number of changes in bowling, there was no real let-up in pressure, with each new bowler keeping it tight. Tom Hart was no exception, with his decent pace and hostile length causing the batsmen all sorts of problems. The pressure eventually told on Rahul, who attempted a single to Evans at mid-on, who collected the ball and threw down the stumps with Rahul out of his crease. This evoked memories of the 2010 Stuart Neils Cup Quarter Final against Newlands, when Evans took a crucial wicket with a direct hit from the deep.
There then followed a frustrating ninth wicket partnership, when Sachin started to play like his namesake and made some handy runs. He was ably supported by Lucky, who did not live up to his name, when Hart brought new meaning to the word 'appeal'. After trapping Lucky plumb in front, Hart pleaded with the umpire who remained unmoved. Hart continued, asking 'What is wrong with that, please?' The umpire remained unmoved. Hart, indefatigable and determined, continued, 'Please tell me why that wasn't out?', to which the umpire promptly raised his finger, claiming 'my conscience meant I had to give it out'. We're still not quite sure why it took the better part of a minute to do so, but Hart is the new umpire whisperer.
Eintract came back to finish off the innings, which he promptly did, as he was far too good for the no. 11, completing a fine debut for the club.
This left Belmont chasing an eminently gettable target of 164. Elliot Mayer and Evans opened the batting again. Mayer didn't last long, however, lobbing one in the air to Ravid.
This brought Frumar to the crease, who was his usual busy self and he engaged in some entertaining banter with the fielding side. After their opening bowler gave him some verbals, Frumar let his batting do the talking and promptly swatted him over the rope for a sweet maximum. After being given a life when gully could not hold on to a hard chance, Evans was again dispatching anything short to both boundaries and the pair's running between the wicket was very good, taking advantage of the lack of athleticism in the field.
Frumar made a well constructed 26, before perhaps unluckily being giving out LBW by Gerard. Evans continued to take apart the bowling, ably supported by Jacobs. Despite his fitness flagging, Evans brought up his 50 off just 44 balls, with a lovely lofted drive to the longest part of the ground at the cover boundary.
The duo continued a fine partnership after the drinks break to see Belmont through to a convincing win with more than 13 overs to spare. Jacobs was particularly severe on anything short on the legside, whilst Evans continued through to his highest score for the club, carrying his bat for a well played 74 not out off just 61 deliveries.
This was an even more convincing win than last week's Whisper it quietly, but this Belmont & Edgware team is becoming rather good ...
MATCH SCORECARD
PESHWA CC 169-9 (39.5 overs) (37 extras - 2nb, 21w, 12b, 2lb)
BECC BOWLING
Scott Gerard 6-0-25-1
Jonny Eintracht 6.5-0-20-2
Josh Reynolds 5-0-30-0
Jonny Evans 8.1-1-21-2
Bension Tilley 7-0-20-2
Tom Hart 6-0-15-1
Josh Chaim 2-0-21-0
BECC BATTING
Elliot Mayer 2 (caught)
Jonny Evans 74 not out (61 balls, 9x4)
Daniel Frumar 26 lbw (44 balls, 1x4, 1x6)
Adam Jacobs 39 not out (51 balls, 5x4)
DNB
Josh Chaim
Scott Gerard
Josh Reynolds
Michael Blasebalk
Bension Tilley
Tom Hart
Jonny Eintracht
166-2 (26.4 overs) (24 extras - 16w, 6b, 2lb)
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CRICKET SCOREBOARD
CHESS VALLEY LEAGUE DIVISION ONE
UCS Old Boys 141-7
London Maccabi Vale 1st 143-6 Benjamin Lederman 61
LMVCC won by 4 wickets
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London Maccabi Vale 2nd 107 Dan Talisman 26
Batchwood 93 Adam Morris 4-14, Leo Weiniger 3-27)
LMV won by 14 runs
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COLTS
UNDER-15 MATCH
Old Elizabethans 60 Leo Weineger 4-10, Joseph Sweiry 2-4, Sam Feigenbaum 2-8
London Maccabi Vale 63-6 Joseph Davidson 20 not out
LMV won by 4 wickets
