Vale continue unbeaten start to season

LMV continued their unbeaten start to the 2015 Chess Valley League season with a thumping victory at the picturesque North Mymms CC.

Chess Valley League Division Four:
London Maccabi Vale 324-5 (Adam Brand 133, Mark Landau 108)
North Mymms 212 (Steven Allweis 4-68)
Sunday, 28 June, 2015
London Maccabi Vale won by 112 runs

After some late morning rain had juiced up the pitch, North Mymms opted to bowl having won the toss.

A couple of early short balls were put away by Danny Caro, as the openers survived some testing bowling to take the score to 27 before Caro nicked Stiffin behind for 17.

Mark Landau joined Adam Spooner and the pair had few alarms taking the score to 56 before Spooner tried to clear mid off and was caught from the bowling of Millard for 24.

Landau and Adam Brand batted solidly up until drinks with few risks taken, and little sign of the carnage to come. What followed was a partnership of 227 in 24 overs, with the North Mymms bowling dispatched to all parts. Both men were severe on any error in length, and both enjoyed the short boundary to the neighbouring cow field. Though Landau was first through to 50, Brand caught up and overtook as he took particular toll on young seamer Millard. The reintroduction of North Mymms two quicker bowlers didn’t help stem the flow with both batsmen set,and they rushed through to their hundreds. Landau was first to be dismissed, for 108 from 98 balls with 14 x 4s, and 2 x 6s. Brand followed shortly afterwards for a fantastic 133 from 79 balls, with 19 x 4s, and 5 x 6s. There was time for a cameo at the end of the innings from Daniel Becker with 23 from 18 balls, as the innings closed on 324/5.

A true pitch, some short boundaries and some aggressive North Mymms batsmen meant that even such an imposing total wasn’t completely out of sight, and the openers attacked hard from the off, climbing into anything short or wide. With 50 off 5 overs on the board, there was a danger that North Mymms would be quickly back into the game, but Qayyum was caught at mid off by Adam Spooner off Joe Nyma’s bowling and shortly after cracking Steven Allweis for a huge six, Dan Millard was caught low down at midwicket by Neil Lederman off Allweis. Watson came and went first ball, shouldering arms to a big inswinger from Allweis, but the pattern was set. North Mymms batsmen would come in, play aggressively, generally be given a life or two by some profligate LMV fielding, before getting themselves out.

Allweis was impressive, taking 4-68 in testing circumstances with good batsmen coming hard at him. Adam Spooner was the most unlucky of the LMV bowlers, his leg spin deserving more than the solitary wicket he picked up, that of Stiffin for 26. Chavda rode his luck and struck the ball well in his 45, but he was eventually caught at slip by Danny Caro off Allweis. The North Mymms youngsters showed impressive heart towards the end of the innings, enjoying themselves as Lederman rotated the bowling. The tail was wrapped up fairly quickly with Brand taking two wickets, Danny Caro one, and an unfortunate Gaeton run out whilst backing up off the trouser leg of Danny Caro.

Another terrific win for LMV which leaves them top of their division in the Chess Valley League, with an away fixture at St John’s Wood next week.