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A hot and sunny day at Haydons Road - Old Manhattans have turned up a man short and Laurence is seconded to play for them. Praba loses the toss (again) - but we are not unhappy to be inserted.
Jey soon falls to a superb diving catch back to the bowler, mis-timing a full toss. 7-1 - but Danish is already looking assured. Things progress well until with the score on 39 Danish attempts to work a straight one and is bowled. Praba and Robert soon depart to the spinner Johnson and at 56-4 we look a little troubled.
The spinners are difficult to get away, but then Khalid and Raheel put on 43 for the next wicket, and with Khalid passing fifty for the fourth time this season we seem to be better set. With the score on 99 Khalid departs bowled Johnson for 58 (two sixes, six fours, fifty-two balls - taking his tally for the season to 297 - three short of becoming our first player since 1988 to top 300 runs in a season - Danish failed by just one run last year and is hot on Khalid's heels this time round). Raheel follows immediately - bowled Ishmail. And at 99-6 with over twenty overs gone we start to have doubts once more.
The two new batsmen, Tanzeel and Prakash, settle in, play sensibly, and as the Old Manhattans begin to run out of bowling options they start to cash in. Tanzeel takes a particular delight in taking quick singles to Laurence at mid-off - it's an uneven contest - in fact it's no contest at all. The score mounts - and mounts. At thirty overs it's 172-6 - and a splendid partnership of 124 for the seventh wicket only comes to an end in the very last over when Prakash becomes the third caught-and-bowled victim of the innings - a mighty drive that skipper Layton does miraculously well to hold on to. Prakash in a welcome return to form has made 62 (one six, ten fours, thirty-seven balls). Tanzeel remains undefeated to the last on 55 (one six, seven fours, thirty-six balls). It's an impressive 224-7 at the close.
It's a stylish tea from Ravi (beware those spicy mutton rolls). The talk is of when the Presidents last had three fifty-makers in an innings - indeed had it ever happened before? (In fact it happened a fortnight ago up in York when we made what appears to be our highest-ever score - so much for our short-term memory).
Old Manhattans make a racing start - sixteen off the first over. But Praba nips out Blowers - and a sharp run-out accounts for Ishmail. It's 30-2 after five overs. Another fatal mix-up and Macfarlane is also run out. It's 39-3. Khalid replaces Prakash and opens with a maiden. Then Ravi comes into play. He removes the dangerous looking begoggled Aziz with his first ball - good catch at slip by Khalid. And then he has Granger caught behind of bat and pad. It's a double-wicket maiden and the Old Manhattans reel on 48-5.
Beamish and Layton stage a partial recovery - and both reach double figures. But Khalid accounts for one - a fine stooping, stumbling catch from Tanzeel who damages his hand in the process - and Raheel the other - another good catch behind from Danish.
And Ravi's not done yet. Johnson Senior stumped with yet more smart work from Danish. Brewer taken with another good catch at slip from Khalid. Just what the doctor ordered - his second four-for of the season.
It remains only for Laurence to make a quick cameo twelve before becoming the last man out trying a smear a double-dobber from Tony. It's all over and the Presidents have won by over 100 runs. Well-played the fifty-makers. Well done bowlers - especially Ravi. And well-done wicket-keeper and slip.
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