News

20.4.25

Byfleet

Gents won toss

Cloudy, 15C

Byfleet 185-8 (35.0) (Coutts 37, Hansom 36, San Jose 32, Chatharaju 3-19, H. Patel 3-29)

Gents 189-6 (34.1) (Kota 47, Chatharaju 32, Sudireddy 30, Pingili 26)

Won by 4 wickets

The weather had turned and made the Gents’ second match of the season a chilly one full of theatre, writes Raj Patel. Gents won the toss and elected to field first on an uneven wicket with skewed boundaries. A slight miscommunication meant that there were 12 players, one acting as sub which was handy later in the day. 

Dubey opened from the M25 end and after going for 11 in the first over managed to find some rhythm in his bowling. From the other end, Chatharaju, as always, was excellent going for just 19 in his seven overs with two maidens and three wickets. Byfleet’s opening pair Clarke and Hansom started well but after Chatharaju clipped the top of his off stump Gents had their tails up. Hansom had found a groove by this point and a partnership started to form. 

Gents’ bowling became leaky. S. Patel bore the brunt of this, however the scalp of the dangerous Hansom was his. Inkollu looked to be edging back to his previous best delivering some serious zippers. His two overs were pure entertainment. The next change was a family affair. H. Patel and R. Patel managed to stem the flow of runs, keeping Croall and San Jose quiet with brilliant economies. 

The frustration may have got to Croall who charged down the wicket to straight drive a loopy off-spinner off H. Patel. What followed was not good viewing. The bowler geared up to take a straightforward caught and bowled, but his reactions were too slow, the ball brushed through his hands onto his face. A short delay and he was back on his feet to bowl the rest of his seven overs, taking three wickets in the process. One of these was great cricket all round. San Jose charging down to a flatter delivery, missing completely followed by a Dhoniesque stumping from keeper Sudireddy. Textbook. 

Croall fell to a seaming delivery from R. Patel, caught by long off Kota and now the destructive batsman had departed. Or so the Gents thought. The next three batsmen scored 26 between them but in came overseas player Riley Coutts. He bore the responsibility of getting a respectable total by scoring 37 off just 15, 30 coming from one over off poor Kota who spent a lot of time searching for the ball. Even the previously brilliant fielding of Nagpal and Joshi could not stop this man. Eventually, Chatharaju struck with the help of S. Patel’s catching on the boundary. Byfleet ended on 185 from their 35: a steep chase for the Gents. 

Opening pair Puli and R. Patel had to get their eye in on an unevenly bouncing wicket. Opening bowler Akram emulated Chatharaju’s inswingers, striking Patel on the inner thigh with a beauty. Both batsmen looked to be finding a groove but after a top edge from Patel, Puli seemed too eager for a second run. Patel running to the danger end could see his fate from halfway up the pitch and trudged off after being run out. 

Kota with his usual style and finesse found the gaps and ran for every available run, notching up 47 before his dismissal. He’d offset his last over at this point. The middle order of Sudireddy, Chatharaju and Pingli brought Gents slowly but surely closer to the 186 they needed. The combination of beautiful stroke-play from Sudireddy and Chatharaju and power hitting from Pingili was amazing to watch. 

The Gents needed 53 from 50 and these middle-order batsmen brought that required run rate down. The match went down to the last over with Inkollu top edging Coutts for four to end the game, a truly thrilling end to an enjoyable day. 

12.4.25

Marble Hill Park

Gents won toss

Sunny, 23C

Gents 141 all out (31.0) (R. Patel 46, Nagpal 24, A. Skinner 4-17)

Crossbats 145-4 (27.4) (Clare 60, Carter 37)

Lost by 6 wickets

The season is underway and the Gents were up against familiar foe Crossbats for the opening game, writes Raj Patel. Gents had originally won the toss and skipper had elected to field. However, heavy traffic and train delays meant that he was forced to agree with the oppo skipper a change of decision, so Crossbats started the first innings in the field. 

With restricted players in attendance before play began, a makeshift batting order was created with Sudireddy and H. Patel 1. and 2. respectively. Both looked to be starting to settle with Patel playing some lovely shots in the V and Sudireddy playing diligently until he jabbed early at a cover drive, popping the ball up to short cover. In walked Krishna at 3. to weigh anchor. After Patel had a rush of blood to the head and was bowled, new skipper R. Patel walked to the crease. Diligent calling and beautifully timed shots saw him and Krishna put on a brilliant second wicket partnership. After Krishna’s dismissal to Khan, R. Patel went on to score 46 in his first innings as captain. The next six wickets fell for 46 runs with a helpful 24 off the bat off Nagpal and some beautiful shots from Joshi. Gents ended their innings on 141 all out in 31 overs. 

The first game of the season always comes with a warm up period for bowlers. Not for Chatharaju who struck in the opening over of the innings, beautifully catching the top of Smith’s off stump, a textbook delivery. Cobwebs were shaken off of Dubey after his hefty first over but he soon found his groove. Unfortunately no wickets as reward, but narrowly missing edges and the stumps multiple times. Ross was next to depart after an absolutely terrific one-handed catch by mid-wicket S. Patel off the Chatharaju insinger. Almost no one could believe it.

Opener Clarke and 4. A.Carter then recreated the second wicket partnership of the first innings: and then some. If a wagon wheel were to be drawn on this partnership almost all shots were to the leg side, but by picking the gaps they were able to chip away at the target. Arikatla and Inkollu bowled well, however they were unable to break the partnership. Once Clarke was dismissed on 60 by a loopy off-spinner from H. Patel, Gents were keen to keep the momentum up. Carter had different ideas. His ability to play almost any line delivery to the leg side was both commendable and frustrating for the fielding side. Only the experience of S. Patel was of a high enough calibre to dismiss him by a brilliant delivery knocking into his stumps. By this point the target was well in sight for the home side who completed the chase in under 28 overs.

3.3.24

The following 2025 fixtures are confirmed. Hook and Southborough have cancelled as their ground will not be ready on time. We will have four games at Wycombe House.

Sat 12.4 Crossbats A

Sun 20.4 Byfleet A

Sun 27.4 Merton Hawks H (Dundonald RG)

Sun 4.5 Putney H (Dundonald RG)

Sun 11.5 Canary Wharf H (Dundonald RG)             

Sun 18.5 Northfields A

Sun 25.5 Fighting Stars H (Dundonald RG)

Sun 1.6  Putney A

Sun 8.6 Teddington Town A

Sun 15.6 Salix A

Sun 22.6 Phoenix H (Dundonald RG)                 

Sun 29.6 Sheen Park A

Sun 6.7 London Itinerants H (Wycombe House)                 

Sun 13.7 St Anne's Allstars H (Dundonald RG)                          

Sun 20.7 Chaddleworth A

Sun 27.7 Whalers A

Sun 3.8 Northfields H (Nursery Road RG)

Sun 10.8 Clapham In H (Dundonald RG)                      

Sun 17.8 TBA H (Wycombe House)                

Sun 24.8 Plastics H (Dundonald RG)                           

Sun 31.8 Millfields H (Wycombe House)

Sun 7.9 John Buckner XI H (Wycombe House) 

Sun 14.9 Salix H (Dundonald RG)       

13.12.24

Steve Bignell

It is with much regret that Winchmore Hill CC have to report the sad, and unexpected, passing of Stephen Bignell this week at the age of 76.

Steve grew up in Palmers Green and spent many summer afternoons watching cricket at the Paulin Ground as a young lad. However, it was later in life through social cricket (firstly with the West XI and then the Judd St Tigers) that Steve eventually made his journey back home to Winchmore Hill CC.

Still an integral part of the rebranded Winchmore Hill Tigers, Steve went on to become the Hill's 2nd XI scorer and a much-valued member of the cricket committee.

Steve loved being part of WHCC in recent years, wrote countless match reports, attended many a quiz, made a host of friends and was elected Clubman of the Year in 2023.

He will be hugely missed by all those who knew him.

Funeral Tuesday 11am 4.2.25 at New Southgate Crematorium, London N11 1JJ

23.11.24

There being a quorum, the 2024 AGM went ahead. Congratulations to new captain Raj Patel and new vice-captain Pavan Kota. All other committee positions are unchanged. Thanks are due to Ratnakar Sudireddy after a splendid committee stint comprising treasurer, vice-captain and captain. We wish him and his family all the best. 

Minutes may be found under The Gent, reviews and records > AGM Minutes.

Batsman of 2024 was Vinitesh Gulati with 591 runs including a century against St Anne’s Allstars and four fifties. He was only the eighth batsman to score 500 in a season after Hubbocks (514 in 1994), Ashton (503 in 1995), Wright (756 in 2000), Husain (586 in 2005 and 680 in 2007), Namilikonda (597 in 2019 and 808 in 2022) and Kota (562 in 2018, 674 in 2019, 581 in 2021, 1,185 in 2022 and 792 in 2023). He also won All-rounder, his runs supplemented by 18 wickets, 8 catches and a run out.

Bowler of 2024 was Hemin Patel who took 31 wickets with his flight and guile including 6-23 against Phoenix, his best return for the club, and 5-31 against St Anne’s Allstars. This was a close-run contest with Vamsee Krishna and Sanjay Patel.

Chandra Puli won Fielder of 2024. Despite painful injury he put in a tremendous shift and pouched 12 catches.

Abhinav Parvathaneni doubled his run tally to 446 and snaffled Most Improved Player of 2024. Voters were mindful not only of his runs but also his impervious catching.

16.10.24

Club records updated and stored under 'The Gent, reviews and records'.

1.10.24.

Diary dates

Friday 4 October 7.30pm

Bulstrode, 55 Lampton Road, Hounslow TW3 1JG – Vamsee’s leaving do

Friday 23 November 7.00pm

Déjà Vu, 182-184 Preston Road, Wembley HA9 8PA - AGM

16.10.24

Club records updated and stored under 'The Gent, reviews and records'.

1.10.24.

Diary dates

Friday 4 October 7.30pm

Bulstrode, 55 Lampton Road, Hounslow TW3 1JG – Vamsee’s leaving do

Friday 23 November 7.00pm

Déjà Vu, 182-184 Preston Road, Wembley HA9 8PA - AGM

15.9.24.

Aggregates

Runs

Gulati 591

Kota 458

Parvathaneni 446

A. Ahmed 340

Dubey 258

Chatharaju 244

R. Patel 227

S. Patel 113

Puli 109

Sudireddy 103

Nagpal 100

Wickets

H. Patel 31

S. Patel 24

Krishna 22

Gulati 18

Chatharaju 17

R. Patel 15

Caught/stumped

Puli 12

Sudireddy 11/6

Gulati 8

Parvathaneni 8

S. Patel 8

R. Patel 7

Kota 5/1

Dubey 5