Penn Street vs Soho Collective

Penn Street 213-5 (S. Exton 68*, D. Adams 58; Hooper 2-10, Soldier 2-54) drew with Soho Collective 100-9 (Hooper 57; D. Adams 4-16)

It is always a pleasure to welcome those ceaseless strugglers for World Revolution the Soho Collective from their cramped garrets in Dean Street and Portland Place to the bourgeois pastures of Penn St.

On a fine afternoon, captain Steve Exton won the toss and elected to bat first in a time game.

Penn Street had promoted rising star George Michel to open with Rob Sutherland, and they calmly saw off openers Buggerov and Chipmunkski, putting on an opening partnership of 57 before Rob fell to Hooper. George looked supremely unflustered in scoring 25, when a mix-up with Sam Martin worthy of the great Penn Street openers of the past led to his run-out. Sam atoned by almost knocking a man in his garden off a ladder with a massive six, but his dismissal brought Steve Exton and David Adams to the crease.

Neither was in the mood for hanging around. Steve moved his feet well to the spinners, and David pounced on anything short. Both raced to fifties, Steve for his second in successive matches, and David for his first fifty for Penn Street – a cause for a double celebration, as his wife had given birth the day before.

Penn Street finally declared just short of 4.30pm with 213-5, leaving Soho Collective a challenging but gettable score.

Penn Street took to the field quite slowly after the Tatton’s magnificent tea, but it was not long before Goody and Parag were racing in with a full head of steam. Soho’s opener Hooper was resolutely manning the barricades, but at the other end, wickets were falling steadily. When Jonty came in at no 7, he only had one thing on his mind and that was defence. However, he overlooked the necessity of getting back into his crease after playing a shot, and he was stumped by Steve Exton by rolling the ball onto his wickets whilst standing back.

Hooper was still undefeated at the other end, farming the strike, when Peter Folkard came on and tossed some tempters up high. Hooper went back watchfully – and stepped on his wicket. Into the tail, few overs left. Goody, Parag and David Adams were now giving it everything, and when David Adams took the 9th wicket in the final over it looked as if we might claim the richly deserved win – but it was not to be. Soho Collective held on for a draw having scored 100-9.

We didn’t win, but it was a great game of cricket, and shows how exciting a timed match can be. And after the match several team members and supporters from both sides repaired to the Raj for a curry, which was an excellent way to end a most enjoyable day’s cricket.

Man of the Match – David Adams, for celebrating the addition to his family with 58 runs and 4-16.