Category: Match Reports

Greenwood Park too Strong for Potten End by a (Social) Distance

Leave a comment

Whilst they fall a little short with the bat on Sunday vs Chalfont St Peters.

Greenwood Park started their shortened league campaign off with an 8 wicket win against Potten End this Saturday.

After losing the toss, Potten End elected to bat first and Greenwood Park started off really well with the ball. They kept it tight early, making it difficult for Potten End’s openers to score and after good consistent pressure Greenwood found the breakthough and took a few quick wickets.

Greenwood Park continued to bowl well which was backed up by some great fielding and they managed to reduce Potten End to 112-9. However some wayward bowling as well as some great ball striking from Potten End’s number 10 and 11 helped to lift Potten End’s total to 181.

After losing Gray early on in their response, Greenwood looked to gain back control. Naveed (85*) was in great touch from the start and he consistently found the the middle of the bat and then continued to find the boundary; he was however lucky to survive after hitting an easy chance to mid-on early on and then to survive couple more difficult chances later in his innings.

Naveed was supported well by Capitan Kent (70), a great partnership which was worth 168 before Chris was caught with 13 runs needed to win, trying to clear the boundary as he had done with a lovely shot a few overs before.

Naveed then proceeded to punish a couple of no balls and a loose delivery which mean he hit 15 runs of 1 legal delivery to finish the game in the following over, taking Greenwood to a 8 wicket win with 11 overs to spare.

A great win and good confidence to be taken for next week when Greenwood Park host Cheshunt Rosedale II’s.

On Sunday Greenwood Park unfortunately lost to Chalfont St Peters in a friendly game arranged on the back of the Chess Valley League fixture being cancelled for 2020.

Greenwood Park won the toss and decided to bat first, however they struggled with the bat on what was a spicy wicket – Only posting a modest total of 132.

They then put in a good effort in with the ball to make it a close contest, however Chalfont managed to chase the total down with some intelligent batting and with 3 wickets remaining.

Played in good spirts and it was great to see some new faces as well as some old ones that we hadn’t seen for over 5 years.

Next Sunday we host Mayfield CC in another friendly match.

A socially distanced beer after the win on Saturday

Ajmal Hussain Takes Extraordinary Eight Wickets

Leave a comment

Ajmal Hussain produced career best figures for Greenwood Park of 8-17 as his side beat Datchworth II’s.

In a rain-affected game, Park posted 234-10 from 45 overs and then reduced their visitors to 46-8 before rain stopped play at 20.3 overs.

Hussain was exceptional with the ball, as he tore through the Datchworth line-up with an excellent display of swing and seam bowling.

The opening bowler was supported well by Vishal Pujari, who finished with figures of 0-13 from seven and was unlucky not to claim any wickets of his own.

With rain threatening, Greenwood had to race through their overs to get to the crucial 20 over mark that would constitute a game.

Although there was a nervous delay when the heavens opened, Park eventually made their target before another downpour cut the game short.

Earlier with the bat, Park set a very strong 234 on a damp, tricky wicket.

Openers Ed Gray and Jimmy Otter put on 47 for the first wicket before Arslan Khan continued his superb form with the bat.

Khan struck a brilliant 62, including nine fours, as he excelled in difficult conditions.

There were also solid contributions from Naveed Ahmed (29), Ajmal Hussain (21) and Azhar Rashid (21) as Greenwood set an imposing total at the halfway mark.

Park’s total would prove more than enough as they climbed to second in the league, largely thanks to a sensational display of bowling from Ajmal Hussain.

Park Suffer Third Loss

Leave a comment

Greenwood Park fell to a disappointing 54-run defeat away at Datchworth II’s.

The hosts got off to a flying start, finding themselves 91-0 after just 15 overs.

Park’s bowling struggled for control and, without being able to find a breakthrough, Datchworth continued to pile on the runs.

Ajmal Hussain and Shafaat Hussain returned solid figures of 0-25 from nine and 1-25 from seven respectively, as Park began to wrestle back some momentum after the initial onslaught.

But it was Azhar Rashid who produced a crucial 2-27 from nine, which gave Greenwood a decent chance at the halfway stage as Datchworth posted 231-5.

Giving chase, Park lost the in-form Ed Gray for three and S. Hussain went for the same score shortly after.

Jimmy Otter and Chris Kent rebuilt with a 50 run partnership but then the former was out caught for 30.

Kent was later dismissed for a resolute 42 and although another late order charge from Ajmal Hussain (36), including three sixes, gave Greenwood hope the chase was on, it wasn’t to be.

Park were eventually bowled out for 177 in 43.4 overs, as they were handed their third defeat of the season.

Park Pick Up Maximum Points

Leave a comment

Greenwood Park produced a fine display to beat St Margaretsbury II’s by 90 runs last weekend.

An excellent 81 from Ed Gray put Greenwood in a strong position, after choosing to bat, as the visitors look to accumulate a competitive first innings total.

Gray’s effort was complimented well by a late order flourish from Ajmal Hussain and Vinil Palai.

The pair put on 63 for the eighth wicket, with the former hitting a quick-fire 40 and Palai smashing a rapid 29.

Greenwood would go on to score 101 runs from the last ten overs as they totalled 272-9 from 45 overs.

With the ball Shafaat Hussain excelled, collecting 4-37 from his nine.

There were also strong displays again from A. Hussain (2-34) and Palai (1-22), as Greenwood bowled out their opposition for 182 in 37.1 overs.

It was a good win for Park as they look to build momentum in Division 7A after promotion last season.

Park Well Beaten

Leave a comment

Greenwood Park were resoundingly beaten by 117 runs at Northwood II’s.

Park were second best at all three disciplines as their hosts claimed 30 points with relative ease.

Keith Watson was in excellent form for Northwood, notching a chanceless 162*, as he took his side to an imperious 276-5 from 45 overs.

Greenwood’s bowlers took a lot of punishment but Azhar Rashid managed to collect himself 4-32 from six late on to gain some slight momentum at the halfway stage.

But with the bat Park failed to fair any better, as they could only manage 139-10 from 33.2 overs.

Ed Gray top scored with a less than fluent 49 – there were also brief cameos from Shafaat Hussain (20), Arslan Khan (23) and Azhar Rashid (22) – but it was far from enough as Greenwood came up well short.

It was a very disappointing display from Greenwood who will have to up their game if they are to compete with the best sides in the Saracens Hertfordshire Cricket League Division 7A.