Comeback thwarted as Strollers slip to Interlopers
posted: May 5, 2025

The Strollers staged a valiant comeback to oh-so-nearly clinch victory in our second match of the season against the Interlopers yesterday.

Blessed with the rare privilege of playing on the main pitch at NLCC, upon winning the toss, the visitors chose to make first use of the track. Perhaps it was the chilly conditions, or the setback of finding ourselves down to 10 men (after a late withdrawal that morning) but we didn’t start well.

Some abject fielding including a spilled regulation slip catch – courtesy of your crestfallen writer – and numerous leaked boundaries allowed the oppo to pile on the runs. Spencer and Amir managed to pick up a couple of wickets – with catches mercifally taken by Nidhish and débutant Rehan respectively – but, after an expensive over from Rohit just before drinks, the Interlopers found themselves on a menacing 166-2 and we collectively kicked ourselves after a sloppy start.

Somehow, we pulled ourselves together and what followed was nothing short of a comeback for the ages as the oppo began to crumble with the introduction of Rehan who, albeit with a somewhat suspect action, managed to pick up a trio of quick wickets. Interlopers’ opener Marshall stoically ploughed on regardless and, despite a few overs in the nervous nineties, managed to notch up a well-deserved ton before holing out to cow corner where Abhik took a trademark catch in the deep to see off the dangerman.

From there on the runs dried up as Harry returned to clean out the tail and, with his first ball of the final over, he brought the curtain down on the Interlopers’ innings, who closed on 224 …the final 8 wickets falling for just 58 – a remarkable turnaround offering us a chase-able total.

After tea Gav opened up with Rehan and, with a flurry of boundaries, we managed to quickly lock into the required rate until Stewart managed to get one to nip back to snick the big man’s off stump. Nidhish unfortunately found himself triggered LBW without scoring but Abhik, next in, managed to get things going nicely again with Rehan.

We progressed well, notching up our hundred without further incident, until just before drinks when Abhik didn’t quite connect and skied one to mid off where he was well caught. Amir sadly couldn’t repeat last weekend’s fireworks and was skittled for 3 and George, in at six, got somewhat hemmed in by some tight stuff from the Interlopers’ spinners until, having nurdled his way to 10, he unfortunately snicked behind.

Nonetheless Rehan powered on with some lusty blows that took him close to three figures in his first game, only to hole out to D’Sousa at deep long off who took a spectacular catch – denying the débutant what surely would have been a match winning hundred, as the opposition clearly knew judging by their ecstatic celebrations.

This left Harry and Spencer to try to get us home but a concerted effort from the oppo’s bowlers, who continually found a good line stifled our efforts and, as we crawled towards the 200 mark, the asking rate rose exponentially. Eventually Harry, in a last-ditch effort to swing for glory, found himself caught in the deep and Spencer, also chancing his arm, swung and missed to depart cheaply. With some punchy last ditch hitting from Ali and Rohit, we made it past 200, but with 23 needed from the final over, we closed agonisingly short of the target.

A great effort nonetheless and we reflected on what ultimately ended as a close contest that ebbed and flowed back and forth. Yes, we rued our lacklustre fielding early on and the gaps caused by being one short but we closed with our heads held high with the kind thanks from the Interlopers for an exciting game. Plently of positives then for us to take to our trip to Porto in a fortnight as we Stroll On to Portugal!

Gavin Richardson
05.05.2025