The Club Cricket Conference Yearbook 2020

- 25 - Stortford CC) won the toss and knowing the local conditions so well as club captain, he elected to bat first on a sunny day in a 50 overs game. Scoring was never easy as the wicket offered a bit and the bowling was of a high quality. Chapman led from the front with 55 at the top of the order. He was backed up by 40s from Alan Jones (Harlow CC) and Baber Choudhury as the Conference closed its innings on 238-8, perhaps below par against strong opposition. However, an outstanding bowling performance from the CCC ensured that World Select X1 never got any impetus into their reply. Andrew Westphal (East Molesey CC) provided the dream opening spell, bowling fast and straight to claim the first two wickets to fall with just 6 runs on the board. No batsman managed 50 as wickets fell in a timely manner and the Conference secured the win in the 49th over, bowling WSX1 out for 205, winning by 33 runs. All Conference bowlers chipped in with wickets, led by Darren Ironside (3-40). Middlesex 2 were the CCC’s next opponents. A bright warm day met us at Southgate CC as both squads arrived, ready for a day that as it unfurled, provided some outstanding batting highlights. As with Kent 2, our fixture against Middlesex has in more recent times become a T20 double header. Game 1 saw the Conference bat first against a varied Middlesex attack led by the outright pace of Tom Barber (3-27). Then Conference scored 162-5 from its 20 overs, Jaahid Ali (West Herts CC) scoring a fine 53 and Simon Webster (Totteridge Millhillians CC) adding 43 on his debut. Despite the efforts of Lesbourne Edwards (Hornsey CC) and Matt Grant (Welwyn Garden CC) who both picked up a couple of wickets, Middlesex claimed victory by 4 wickets, chasing down the total in the 18th over. Middlesex batted first in Game 2 and the day was lit up by one of the best innings I’ve ever witnessed in the T20 format at any level. Dan Lincoln - who plays his club cricket for Finchampstead CC - scored a brutal but sublime 118 in helping Middlesex to 251- 3. The Conference bowlers had no answer to Dan’s incredible range of shots as he repeated his feats of the year before in scoring a ton that helped him to his debut appearance for the full county side in the T20 competition a couple of weeks later. In reply and to their eternal credit, Conference batters were not cowed by the huge score. Hamza Ahmed - who has it in him to be devastating - and Jaahid Ali again batted with power and grace as the CCC made it past the 200 mark. It was never quite enough as an outstanding game was wrested by Middlesex late on, the Conference closing on 205-7. Yet again, the CCC bounced back from a County defeat in the best possible way with an emphatic victory over The Army at Aldershot in mid July. Rain had left the ground wet and the start was delayed . The Conference skipper Andrew Westphal had no hesitation in putting The Army in on winning the toss and his decision was vindicated by a near perfect bowling display by him (4-6) and spinner Jasdev Bassan (4-10) that saw the opposition skittled for 92 in the 33rd over. The reply was equally Bexley's Adam Ball batting