Collapse at Kew as season end with narrow defeat

Kew 191 all out (Mumby 4-40)

Jesters CC 176 all out (Mitesh 34, Sachin Rawson 33)

Lost by 15 runs

Our last match of the season was at the picturesque Kew CC just south of the river. An XI brimming with Jesters veterans piled over Kew Bridge (past an array of drum n bass festival goers) to don the whites for the final time of the year. Kew won the toss, with their skipper hesitating for a few seconds before eventually opting to bat first. As it turned out, it would be a tricky surface for batting throughout the match, offering prodigious turn and low bounce.

The enduringly dependable Dan Hayes opened up from the Cricketers pub end whilst skipper Sachin Rawson selected the off breaks of Achal Varma from the church end. It was slow going for the Kew top order and Achal was borderline unplayable against their left handers. Phil Berman spelled Achal and kept up the pressure whilst Dan bowled out his full allocation. It was an excellent start from the Jesters which had Kew teetering at 47-4 off 18 overs.

The game turned on its head however, as Kew’s star player Kidron, (who would later be decisive with the ball), came in at 6 an played a superb innings. To make matters worse, emboldened by the stroke play at the other end, the previously becalmed Tindall started to open up before falling to Rowan Clapp’s offies for a crucial 43.

The Jesters bowling line up were still chipping away from one end, with Nick Mumby in particular impressing with 4 wickets. However, the dangerous Kidron was still there, and he punished a dropped chance by smashing a string of late boundaries to push Kew’s total above par. He was eventually dismissed by Adnan Mohammed for 70, but the damage he and Tindall had wreaked proved critical. The rest of the wickets tumbled fairly swiftly as Kew were bowled out for 191.

Despite Kew’s late surge with the bat, a perfectly cromulent looking Jesters batting line up still backed themselves to chase down the total. Shorbo Nag and recent centurion Mitesh started excellently with the blade, dispatching anything over-pitched form the Kew openers with aplomb. The Jesters passed 60-0 off just 9 overs, with progress appearing suspiciously serene. Alas, the awfully familiar double strike reared its painful head, with both openers falling with the score on 64. When Adnan and Rowan followed shortly after, the Jesters were now in a bit of trouble at 89-4.

Skipper Sachin Rawson gradually rebuilt with Rob Harrison against the slow drifty Kew attack, who proved naggingly effective on a familiar surface for them. Perhaps inspired by a guest appearance from the visiting Ponniah Vijendran (below) on the sideline, the Jesters began to take control of the chase. After Rob fell for a valuable 28, Nick Mumby joined Sachin and also equipped himself well. Having played very conservatively, Sach suddenly latched on to a slightly short ball from their tall quick and deposited him way over midwicket towards the entrance of Kew Gardens. It was a good thing it hadn't been the other way or it would have sailed onto the South Circular!

With the score upped to 164-5, the Jesters now needed just 28 more runs with 5 wickets in hand. The game looked like it was only heading in one direction. However, a rash shot from the skipper saw him hole out to long on, before that man again Kidron returned to dismantle the lower order. The pace and accuracy of the West Indian came in at the clutch for Kew as he blew the pads and stumps off the Jesters tail.

The Jesters lost their last 5 wickets for a lowly 12 runs as they were bundled out for 176, handing Kew what at one point seemed an unlikely victory. Kidron deserved the plaudits from a Kew perspective, as he took 5-32 to go alongside his 70 from earlier. The Jesters batsmen will feel like at least one of them should have kicked on, with five of them falling between 17 and 34.

Despite the result, it was a nice way to finish off the season with plenty of familiar Jesters faces and a welcome visit from Bob. Thank you to Kew CC for their hospitality who we hope to see again next year.