The Bails 31 augustus 2007

Ladies and gentleman,

It's the end of August again. This year we've played almost 50 matches and we now look back at our 59th year of Cricket at De Kieviten.

Perhaps not an easy season regarding weather conditions and players availability. Still there was plenty of fun and thrilling moments to look back at. We've managed to stay in the Eerste Klasse once more. In fact we even got close to promotion which makes you wonder whether it's possible for Kieviten the reach the Hoofdklasse once again. Last Saturday the first's lost their final match against promovendus Sparta. After the match our boys kept their chin up, congratulated Sparta on their success and left Capelle a/d IJssel for a curry at Lasanie in Rijswijk.

Second team got promoted early this year but will instantly be send back as we ended up second last in the league. Unfortunately two teams go down and therefore we will get relegated next year to 3A. Suppose we have only ourselves to blame. It was not the level that proved to be difficult. Struggling to get a regular strong team out every week was the main cause that wasted our chances. As some of our members work Saturdays it was tough to get a decent team out every week. Playing 40 overs again next year we intend to prepare better and bring success back in the team.

Next year Sully has invited us to come down South East Asia and offered us to organise the annual cricket tour there. It being our 60th anniversary it would be an extraordinary start of that season. We will keep you posted on developments. Anyone interested in coming along please contact us.

A final end of season do or dinner is still to be organised. Probably first or second week in September we intend to do something. Further information on this will be communicated through the website. Feel free to join in! Thanks all for supporting us this year. Hopefully see you next year again in our 60th cricket season at De Kieviten.

Forza Kieviten!

JW  

Jinnah 317-9 50 overs (Peter 3 -70, Chaudry 2-41, Nasir 2-49, Martin, 2-48). 

Kieviten 2 175 all out 45 overs (JW 55, Peter 21, Adrian 20)

Kieviten 2^nd XI lost to Punjab on Sunday in the final match of the season making relegation the most likely outcome. 

Chaudhry (10-1-41-2) and Martin (8-3-48-2) then bowled together in our best section of play.  Chaudhry took a wicket with his first ball & good wicket keeping from Stinchy brought him a catch and a stumping.  Punjab were 159-5 after 31 overs and some of the key batsmen were already out.

However our poor catching continued (with the exception of Martin with two good catches) and more drops let their batsmen take risks and get away with it.  Without bowling particularly badly, Peter (9-0-70-3) and Adrian were hit for seven an over and despite wickets falling regularly (and one guy strangely choosing to start batting left handed after have reached fifty batting right handed) Punjab kept up the run rate.

In the end, Punjab made 317.  A good score, but considering the short boundaries, something a powerful Kieviten batting line up had a shot at. The target could have been 50-100 less if we had held our catches.  

However, when Kieviten batted, things weren’t as easy. Mark departed early and after Nilesh & JW pushed the score to 33 in the 9^th over, the wheels fell off again.  Our powerhouse middle order of Nasir, Stinchy and Martin all got out for ducks.  Martin was particularly unlucky - a ball clipped his pad and, while he and the fielders tried to find where it had gone, it looped up and landed on top of the bails.

It was left to Peter and JW to rebuild through a steady partnership of 57 against some good spin bowling.  Peter (21) pushed singles and hit a nice straight six into the neighbouring baseball game before sky-ing to long on and JW (55) defending solidly as well as hitting some nice fours off his legs. 

Moshin (11) continued, hitting a six into the forest before being bowled by their tricky spinner and, after a nice partnership with Adrian (20), JW once again managed to drag a slow, wide delivery on to his stumps. This time even Adnan (6) wasn’t able to win the match for us and with Chaudry unbeaten, the innings folded quietly for 175 and an easy win for Punjab. 

The game was played in good spirit.  It was a nice location to play cricket with additional entertainment from a gangsta rapper baseball match & teenage motorcycle racing in the car park. 

Man of the Match - JW for 55 runs glueing the innings together as he has all season.

And so the season is over for the 2nds.  Three wins against the weaker sides of the league, two or three close matches, and too many matches where Kieviten 2s were easily beaten by a better side.  

Solid batting through the season by JW top scoring by some way with more than 400 runs (and playing approximately 2,500 forward defensive strokes through the season - perhaps a club record?), with good supporting performances from Nasir "elegant" Alam , Mark "Slasher" Yates, and Peter "Mr Fixit" Arnfield.... and who could forget the high class slogging of Moshin, Karn and Adenaan.

(approximate averages!)

See you next season - Forza Kieviten! 

Below: Some of the pictures that Robert Heezen took during Kieviten II's match aganst Punjab last Sunday.