A CROWD of more than 1500 watched Reigate Priory lose a rain-shortened T20 game with the Lashings All-Stars on Friday, by 30 runs.
After the international team of former Test cricketers had made 142-6 off their 20 overs, Priory were set a target of 84 runs to win in just ten overs, using the Duckworth-Lewis method. This target of over eight runs an over was to prove beyond their capabilities on a rain-soaked pitch.
Torrential rain during lunch had put back the 3pm start by almost two hours as ground staff worked hard to make the pitch fit for cricket. Once they did get to the crease, however, Lashings soon put the Priory attack to the sword.
Opener Wasim Jaffer, who played for India between 2000 and 2008 hit four boundaries off the first two overs of Priory fast bowler Robbie Williams. Jaffer and opening partner Mohammad Wasim, who played for Pakistan between 1996 and 2000, made 49 for the first wicket. But then a lucky touch on the ball from Reigate skipper Neil Saker in the sixth over diverted the ball onto the stumps to run out Jaffer as he was backing up. Jaffer made 36 in 19 balls which turned out to be both the highest score and the highest strike rate (at 189) for the international all-star team.
Wasim and Umar Amin, the 24-year-old Pakistani with four Tests to his credit in 2010, took the score to 74 before Wasim was skilfully caught by Will Irving inches inside the boundary rope off Saker's bowling in the tenth over.
Tim McIntosh, the 34-year-old New Zealand Test batsman, who played 17 Test matches between 2008 and 2011, then joined Amin in a five over partnership which put on 36 runs as Simon King and Ben Donovan slowed down the Lashings rate of scoring. Amin was bowled by King for 21 at 110-3, which brought Lashings big-hitter Herschelle Gibbs to the crease.
The 40-year-old Gibbs has been scoring big runs of late for Lashings as befits a man with a record of 90 Test Matches and 248 One-Day Internationals over a 14-year career at the top. But Friday was not his day as Gibbs took a swipe at Donovan, Williams made a good catch in the deep and the South African departed with one run only to his name at 113-4.
McIntosh was well caught by Luke Beaven in the deep off King for 23 before cameo knocks by Phil DeFreitas, the former England all-rounder, and Brenton Parchment, the West Indian Test cricketer, pushed the final Lashings total to 142-6. DeFreitas was the last man to be out, well caught by Beaven, again, in the deep off Williams.
King at 2-24 off four overs was the pick of the bowlers with Donovan 1-21 off his four overs. Saker had figures of 1-21 off three overs and Beaven and Newbold both 0-19 off three overs. Williams was 1-35 off three overs.
More rain in between the innings delayed the Reigate response by 30 minutes, by which time the umpires had decided to shorten the innings to only 10 overs long, the time being already past 7 pm. Reigate's target to win was deemed to be 84 runs, determined by the Duckworth-Lewis method.
However openers Michael Burgess and Henry Tye were unable to make headway against Lashings's opening spin attack of Saqlain Mushtaq, the Surrey and 49-Test veteran from Pakistan and Min Patel, formerly of Kent, with two Tests to his credit with England.
After four overs both Reigate openers batsman were back in the pavilion, one caught and one stumped off Patel's bowling and at 20-2 Reigate were already far behind the challenging D/L target.
Tom Lister top scored with 15 not out off 15 balls and Ali Raja made 12 off 11 balls, before being caught off the bowling of Surrey and England fast bowler Martin Bicknell.
The Priory ended on 54-5 and were beaten by both 30 runs and the elements in this annual charity match.
Patel took 3-15 off his three overs and Bicknell 2-11 off two overs. Mushtaq had figures of 0-18 off three overs and Amin 0-9 off two overs.
