Garforth PC vs Tong: Saturday 11^th June 05

Tong beat Garforth by 38 runs

This would certainly go down as the game of the season so far as these two evenly matched teams arrived on level points, with Garforth PC having not lost a single game all season – it was up to Tong to put an end to that! Tong won the toss and chose to bat first on a good-looking wicket and, after a shaky start as openers Shaun and Mick fell cheaply, set about building a healthy total.

The key partnership came between Raj ‘the run machine’ and Chris ‘the stubborn copper’, who proved to be a well balanced pair – Chris digging in with excellent concentration whilst Raj batted with his usual flourish and finesse. Although he’s had other big innings already this season, Raj’s 128no here would definitely go down as his best performance for the club as he took apart a competent bowling attack and hardly gave away a chance. Tong were looking for maximum batting points and, after a mini-collapse in the middle order, made sure they got them as the innings accelerated to a thrilling finale in the last 10 overs. First Nick Dee, and then James provided good support for Raj, lifting the score to an excellent 236.

In reply, Garforth PC got off to a steady start as Tong’s bowlers and fielders kept things tight. Duncan ran in with aggression and good pace to remove both the opening pair to catches at 1^st slip and behind the wicket, before M Williams (55) and D Matthews (30) formed the partnership that looked dangerous enough to make this a close game. However, 236 was always going to be difficult to chase and eventually the pressure of scoring at 8 an over became too much for Garforth’s batsmen.

One by one they fell to catches in the outfield and Nick Sowerby made sure Tong were home and dry with a sharp stumping of Williams off the bowling of DB, who picked up 4 crucial wickets. Garforth’s innings eventually fizzled out at 198-9, the win lifting Tong to 2^nd in the division.