Club de Cricket

Rhone CC v CERN CC at Parc de Parilly, Lyon on Sunday 11th September 2011

CERN travelled to Lyon to play our old friends Rhone at their new ground in the pretty and busy Parilly Parc. With no traffic problems CERN were at the ground in good time and even had time for a pre game kick around before skipper Elvin won the toss and decided to bowl. Onions and Chaudhuri opened the bowling and were penalized by some strict wide calling from the Rhone umpires. Onions finally made the breakthrough with the help of a brilliant running catch from the athletic Price. Chaudhuri then picked up 2 more Rhone wickets in a fiery opening spell as CERN took control. Rhone then rallied and Shiva made 50 before S. Ahmed had him trapped LBW. Skipper Elvin then turned to McFayden and the evergreen I. Ahmed to try and wrestle control back and McFayden was unlucky not to have Bala caught behind when the only person who did not think he had edged it was the umpire! Price again took another stunning catch in the deep to give I. Ahmed his first wicket and the Saturday catching practice paid off as McNaught took a skier in the deep under pressure from an on rushing Elvin who was also going for the catch. I. Ahmed finished with figures of 5-0-14-4 including a fine stumping from Muzaffar. McFayden finally had Bala caught behind and Elvin picked up the final Rhone wicket after a flurry of runs from the tail-enders. Rhone finishing on 181 with extras 2nd highest scorer on 32!

After an excellent and plentiful tea Elvin and McNaught opened the batting for the CERN reply and both looked in good touch, punishing the bad balls before a mix up saw McNaught run the skipper out (a brave move as they were travelling in the same car back to Geneva!) McNaught went onto to make a fine 23 and Chaudhuri made 21, both players looking untroubled by the Rhone attack and both getting out to soft catches. Hallem and I. Ahmed went without making too many inroads in the score sheet and it was again left to Muzaffar to play the definitive innings (shades of a year ago). Ably assisted by Onions they pushed the score along before Onions was caught for 11. Muzaffar continued to hit the ball to all parts of the ground but finally edged one to the keeper for a fine 47. D. Ahmed showed his continuing improvement with a fine 12 and McFayden kept up his not outs with an unbeaten 4. CERN were finally dismissed for 156 some 26 runs short of victory. Many thanks to those players who travelled to Lyon and made the day such fun and for our hosts Rhone who provided a great game and great food and beer.

More details on the Cricket Club can be found on the web site at
http:// cern.ch/Club-Cricket/

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