Roydon's View - by Paul Johnson (RCC)

http://roydon.play-cricket.com/

Two Centurions dominate run feast.
Jeff Pond came off the field at the end of a comprehensive 7 wicket defeat by long standing rivals Myddelton House able to both laugh and cry. He could laugh at the fact he had produced a wonderful straw coloured track which produced 460 runs but cry at the way his side succumbed to an easy defeat as his bowlers were battered by David Ludlam's superb century, undoing all the good work done by Mark Brooks with his equally brilliant 140.Dave Strain received a surprise eleventh hour call up and Alex Gulravani made his first appearance of the season with a trip down from Liverpool.With Roydon put into bat, Pond was worried about the whereabouts of his numbers 3 and 4 who eventually turned up late at the ground being held up on the other side of the Roydon level crossing. Shammy Patel ripped into the Roydon top order with numbers 1,2 and 3 all back in the pavilion, all caught behind by the keeper. Thankfully his no. 4 came up trumps with a tremendous innings which once again embarrassed the top of the Roydon scorecard. Brooks immediately set about Terry Bateman from the Allotment End, Bateman having bowled 5 very tight opening overs. Patel visibly tired and took himself off after a tremendous opening spell but Myddelton were destraught when Williams missed Westley at second slip, a relatively easy chance. Once replaced Brooks hit the ball to all corners of the ground riding his luck on several occasions. He should have been caught by either Mottram or Ludlam when he had just past 50 but both fielders left the ball to each other as it landed harmlessly between the two of them.Brooks found able support in both Westley and Sanderson as Brooks hammered Roydon towards a respectable total. Nelson , Williams and Lenihan all bowled tidily but none were able to contain Brooks who completed his hundred with an upper cut through the vacant gully region.Brooks eventually departed for 140 made out of a 193 runs scored in his time at the crease. Mann and Gulravani batted sensibly to take the score up to 228 for 7 at tea with Patel picking up the wicket of Chalk to finish with figures of 4 for 43. R Patel was soon snared by Mann to a smart catch from Sanderson but there sadly ended Roydon's joy as Williams and Ludlam laid into Roydon's bowling. Both Mann and Chalk bowled tidily. Jeff Pond failed to cling on to a lofted drive from Williams and with that heads visibly dropped. Ludlam was particularly severe on anything just slightly short and whipped many a boundary down to the garage region. Pond felt helpless being unable to turn to Strain or Westley, the latter carrying a secret injury that was secretly kept secret from the opposition. Pond tried his hardest but was too loose down the legside and was poorly let down by his infielders who allowed the batsmen to take too many ridiculous singles. Ludlam was dropped by Gulravani as Roydon wilted. Ludlam hit a six to the pavilion that came down with ice on as it went up so high.Ludlam completed his excellent hundred. Both he and Williams departed in quick succession to the improving Gooch but there was to be no further success as Patel and Mark Bateman added salt to the wound by quickly taking Myddelton to victory in only 36 overs, winning by 7 wickets.