Friday 18 January 2008
The Lord's Taverners XI versus Emirates Airline XI, Dubai
Match Report
EMIRATES TROPHY 2007-08
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A brace of matches played on a pitch of damp clay, rolled to a cracked sheen, produced two closely fought 35-over matches but sadly left the Silver Dhow in the Emirate Airline’s trophy room after the Taverners lost the second encounter.
With Sharjah’s international ground unavailable, the games were generously hosted by Dubai Aluminium on the only ground currently remaining in their emirate, six others having been recently demolished to make way for housing.
A year’s rain in two days just before our visit gave groundsman Bruno Pereira some major problems. Hours of heavy rolling, both down and across the three-pitch square, produced a fairly level but cracked crust over damp dark soil. Its negligible but uneven bounce gave an unfair advantage to dwarves and a major challenge to wicket-keepers.
Bowlers reigned supreme in the first game, which produced 10 maidens in 69.5 overs and just eight boundaries. The hosts’ skipper, the left-handed Khuram Khan, is an established UAE all-rounder and his six-wicket haul restricted the visitors to a meagre total of 97 for 9. A comfortable home win seemed inevitable but they were halted by three successive Darren Maddy maidens before, at 70 for 5, Mike Gatting played his master card and introduced Devon Malcolm from the darker end under tentative floodlights. The Taverners played in black pyjamas and, unless he grinned, the ferocious Malcolm would have appeared virtually invisible to the facing batsman until the white ball left his hand – at considerable pace. The drama ended with eight runs needed off the final over bowled by Andrew McGrath. Just two singles were squeezed from the first four balls before the last man perished attempting an heroic slog. The last five wickets had fallen for 18 runs in eight overs and the Tavs had regained the Emirates Trophy, albeit briefly. Earlier their cuboid captain had held a stunning low catch as he shuddered to the ground at short mid-wicket. The vast depression caused by his fall has been named Gatting’s Hollow.
Two days later the hosts again chose to bat in much easier conditions. An earlier start and reduced lunch interval dispelled the need for floodlights, while the dark clay had dried into a slightly bouncier and quicker surface. John Batty and Darren Maddy shared an opening stand of 58 in 18.2 overs to provide McGrath with a base for a splendid 45-ball innings of 51 that included three sixes and four fours. An above-par total of 154 seemed insurmountable when James Kirtley and Malcolm, who castled the timbers twice in three balls, reduced the Emirates to 20 for 4. A stunning right-handed tumbling catch by Chris Adams appeared to have clinched matters but, in limited-overs cricket, it takes only one major partnership to turn a match and the two unrelated Fernandes virtually decided the match, and regained the Dhow, with a seventh-wicket stand of 71. The diminutive Saby deservedly won the Dwarf of the Tournament award for his two innings of 30 and 58, while the left-handed Nigel ended the contest with a handsome cover drive.
It was good to see Andrew Caddick sharing the umpiring duties with John Price after undergoing five hours of surgery on his back earlier in the month.
The Fly Emirates fully deserved their victory and it should have ensured that their generous employers will invite us back next year. They now lead the results table 8-3 and both teams will be eager to resume battle at Windsor on 15 June.
Bill Frindall
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