This season has been very sporting for batsmen and bowlers cricket-wise. A few dry, hot weeks have been combined with some very wet ones.
But nothing could not stop Norman Marine, anything but a fair-weather bowler, from almost putting himself into the history books after another demon spell.
Representing Old Cholmeleians 2nd, 'Stormin' Norman terrorised the batsmen of Potters Bar 3rd. He played the lead role, finishing with figures of 8.2-4-7-6 as Bar were dismissed for a paltry 23 in the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League.
Remarkably, Marine conceded no runs off the bat during his spell. The seven runs were all from no-balls for overstepping. He told me: "To be fair, they were a young side, there was cloud cover, and the ball was seaming, but even I was astonished to find out afterwards that I'd sent down 57 deliveries, including the illegal ones, without practically a whole cricket side getting one run off the bat." And that was off a shortened run up.
This is the same player who once took all 10 wickets for Edgware Wanderers in a Maccabi Sunday League match, in the days when there was no limit on the number of overs someone could bowl. He bowled 20 overs unchanged that day.
I captained Norman during our days at Casual Nomads. He was always one of the first name on my teamsheet, the kind of player you would want to be alongside in the bunker going into a battle and is arguably the best Jewish bowler never to have gone to a
Maccabiah.
Now well into his forties, Marine has maintained his high standards for the past 20 years. He lives and breathes the sport.
● Blizzard Storm won a four-team pre-season tournament that also featured Zig Zag, Brady Maccabi and Norstar. Simon Linden's men surprised Brady 3-1 in the semis before edging home 2-1 against Zig Zag in the final. Zig Zag had beaten Norstar on penalties. DJ Neal Cohen's men converted all five with Danny Millar firing home the decisive kick after keeper Aden Allensem had saved one. Brady finished third after beat Norstar 4-2.
● Ami Wynbourne fired a hat-trick as Southgate Harmen A came from two goals down to beat London Maccabi Lions B. Bradley Cohen, Richard Adams, Jamie Taylor were the marksmen as Montana Boca United B beat London Maccabi Lions C 3-1.
● Congratulations to Hapoel Tel Aviv for reaching the group stages of the Champions League. I just hope they fare a little better than Maccabi Haifa who last year failed to score or earn a point in six games.
Email dannycaro@thejc.com and/or follow Danny on Twitter:@dcaro
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