Keith Graham: an impressive victory
"As good as it gets" was how skipper Gavin Hamilton described his side’s comprehensive nine-wicket victory over the Kent Spitfires. We can at last hail the conquering heroes in what was, palpably, by far the most impressive win over a professional county in recent history, even if rain and Messrs Duckworth and Lewis made significant contributions.
Nevertheless, Kent knew from the outset that this was going to be a shortened game. A delayed start meant that the game was reduced to one of 39 overs right from the start and, with menacing clouds gathering, the likelihood was always that it would be further shortened. Lady Luck smiled when Hammy won the toss and without hesitation invited the visitors to bat. However, Lady Luck had deserted him with the absence of both Craig Wright and Gordon Drummond bringing further involuntary changes, Shaun Weereratna and Majid Haq coming in.
In fact it was Weereratna who gave the Scots the perfect start, comprehensively bowling Joe Denly with his first ball. He then had Robert Key caught at square leg off a no-ball and sent his leg stump flying with the free-hit ball. There was a sense that the game was going the Saltires’ way, a feeling further underlined when the same bowler, attempting a yorker, induced Martin Van Jaarsveld to scoop the ball off the bottom of the bat, into Hammy’s hands at mid-on to have the Spitfires reeling on 15 for 2.
Both Weereratna and Nel bowled wicket-to-wicket, allowing few liberties and restricting the Spitfires to singles. But a further interruption of little more than ten minutes again reduced the overs, to 37. Jan Stander took over from Weereratna and in his second over found enough movement to find the inside edge of Key’s bat for the England player to play on for 14.
Hammy now brought spin into the attack with the introduction of Majid Haq. Haq has always had the ability to vary his flight and pace and in his third over, held one back sufficiently to lure Gareth Jones from his crease, Simon Smith, for the second time in this competition, doing the needful in whipping off the bails and sending the former England keeper back to the pavilion for 18 at 54 for 4.
Ryan Watson had by now joined an all-spin attack but, with only one run added, rain again sent the players scampering off. This time the rain was seriously prolonged, enough for the Kent innings to be closed at 65 for 4 after 19.5 overs. By the magic formula that is D/L – incomprehensible to this simple soul – the Saltires, should they have the opportunity, would be required to score 77 from 18 overs.
After a long delay the clouds swept on and, eventually, the covers were removed and the game recommenced. In the past couple of games, Fraser Watts has started with a boundary and he was not to disappoint again, albeit that this time it was a thick edge that brought reward. However, in the next over, bowled by Robbie Joseph, the Carlton opener was more convincing, blasting a quick delivery to the mid-wicket boundary.
But it was Simon Cook who was to be targeted by Fraggle. Bowling the sixth over of the innings, he went for two sixes down the ground and two fours, a pull and an edge with 21 coming from the over. Next up was Joseph, changing ends but still going for a cover driven four and a pull to the boundary, before Watts skied one - only for Denly to spill the chance in what was becoming a thoroughly bad day for the men from the Garden of England.
Luck ran out for Watts, however, in the 11th over when he pulled Cook into Hockley’s hands just in front of square for a whirlwind 45 from just 38 balls, including two sixes and six boundaries. It was a performance that merited his Man-of-the-Match award and which took the Saltires to the brink of victory.
Now Ryan Watson joined in the fun, sweeping Tredwell’s off-spin for four and then taking Hammy’s men to their target by lifting Parnell to the mid-wicket boundary. The Saltires achieved a nine-wicket win in just 15.5 overs, with 19 balls therefore in hand. Mastermind Hammy was unbeaten on 18 at the end, in a performance that saw the Saltires bowl and field well and bat with absolute aplomb.
It really doesn’t get any better than this!
