Fresh from a day’s rain-enforced rest, Awali Camels faced a stiff test at Hanford Cricket Club whose specialist midweek TA XI boasts an array of hard-hitting batsmen and curmudgeonly bowlers.
Not least of Camels skipper Matt Rees’s problems was the loss of six front line players - Martin Saunders to injury and Charles Forward, David and George Axtell, Graham Hoar and Tom Wooding to urgent off-field commitments. However, the team was joined by Huw Caffrey, Ryan Davis, Dave Mason and Chris Butt, all willing, able and competent, and, as it proved, vital to proceedings.
First it was Caffrey, winging the ball past the ears of openers Rauf and Usman and blunting their aggression, removing Usman, smartly caught behind by Mason.
Matt Rees replaced Dave Starkie and immediately trapped Rauf LBW. Enter Faisal and Nazakat – both batsmen who disdain running and settle for boundary hits at every opportunity.
To stem the flow of fours and sixes required the pace of Davis at one end and Guy Parker’s donkey drops at the other.
The combination proved effective as Davis clean bowled Nazakat and then took a routine cow-corner boundary catch to remove Faisal off Parker.
If the Camels thought the onslaught had eased, they were mistaken.
Every new batsman threw the bat at the ball in a frenzy of boundaries. Skipper Rees tried 9 bowlers in all and there were wickets for Dave Hilton and Chris Butt – a smart stumping by Mason, but TA Xi’s runs kept coming – 54 of them in the last four overs.
Facing a target of 212 Camels needed a strong start.
In this, openers Parker and Mason were encouraged by the sizeable Bahrain contingent in the appreciative crowd and the almost regal arrival of Camels legend Keith Veryard.
The opening partnership of 44 runs came in a series of slog and reverse sweeps from Parker, and cultured drives from Mason, who also smote the biggest six of the day, losing the ball in a distant garden.
Caffrey upped the run rate in a highly entertaining innings of 51 retired, including three sixes straight from the Pontypridd slog manual.
At the other end, anchoring the innings was Hilton whose 35 run spurt was curtailed when he drove a return catch to a grateful Nazakat.
With the Camels losing Matt Rees(10) and John Rees (4), both trying to accelerate against tight bowling, some magic was now needed if an outright victory was to be attempted.
Enter the wizard! Ryan Davis, making his Camels debut, immediately set about the bowling with some spectacular shots all around the ground. His 24 ball 47 included two sixes and four exquisite boundaries. With his demise, LBW to Faisal, it was left to Butt and Starkie to keep the voracious bowling out and see the Camels home to an honourable draw – falling just 9 runs short of what would have been a most remarkable victory.
Result: Hanford TA XI: 211 for 6 wickets in 30 overs
Bahrain Camels: 202 for 7 wickets in 30 overs
Camel of the match was Caffrey for his all-round performance with bat and ball. Steve Turner received the Golden Finger - the umpire’s BAFTA - for outstanding umpiring.
Camels face Blythe CC in the final tour game.