Jack cracks 96 not out as King’s Road Orange Caps squeeze weak OJ side until their pips squeak

JACK Caesar was imperious as King’s Road overpowered a weak nine-man OJ Wanderers side to rack up their second win this season.

The big-hitting King’s Roader narrowly missed out on a century hitting 96 not out with Jon Malsingh stroking an unbeaten 42.

Jon’s innings wasn’t just his best score for the club – it included a bizarre early contender for the Champagne Moment of the Year award.

Chasing a half-century, the newboy middled a ball bowled way down leg-side by casually sending his bat behind his legs Roger Federer-style.

The players on the sidelines collapsed in laughter – and so did the umpires – as Jon ran a single from a ball that, had he not managed to hit it, would definitely have been called wide.

By the end the pair had put on 146 for the third wicket, the fifth highest partnership in King’s Road history, before the Orange Caps skittled OJ to win by a massive 121 runs.

Means business ... Jack to face
Means business … Jack to face
Back home ... Jack's arse in the air
Back home … Jack’s arse in the air

The Road had got off to a solid start on a slow Wandsworth Common wicket after being put in to bat with Sham de Silva and captain Matt Cocken opening before Matt went caught and bowled for 8 with the score on 37.

Dan Sherman followed with the score on 57, also chipping a ball back to the bowler for 5 bringing Jon in at number 4.

With OJ lacking bowlers, Sham was in the mood to take full advantage hitting six fours in a chanceless innings.

Pow ... JPow ... Jack leathers onePow ... Jack leathers oneack leathers one
Pow … Jack leathers one
Crack ... nice follow-through
Crack … nice follow-through
Pies ... Jack lines one up
Pies … Jack lines one up

It took a bizarre dismissal to get him out when Sham swept a wide ball down leg and agonisingly hit own wicket four short of a half century.

That merely brought Jack to the crease and, after a slow start, along with Jon he started to get a taste of the bowling. What he tasted was pies, and 96 runs later he had almost had his fill.

But unfortunately for Jack, his time ran out and The Road’s 35 overs finished with him stranded four short of a century.

Gone ... another boundary
Gone … another boundary
Smack ... Jon hits one to leg
Smack … Jon hits one to leg
Nice swivel ... Jon goes after the bowling
Nice swivel … Jon goes after the bowling

With the loss of just three wickets, The Road had racked up 215 on a pitch with a very slow outfield and with OJ two batsmen short they had a mountain to climb.

It didn’t take long for The Road to strike.

Moments after seeing King’s Road regular Raju Mazumder, who was making up the numbers for OJ, dropped by Matt C at mid off, Shailesh made the breakthrough. A ball was lobbed up to Leon Watson at mid on to leave Raju gone for a duck.

Loopy ... that went high in the air
Loopy … that went high in the air
Victorious ... The Road Vs OJ Wanderers
Victorious … The Road Vs OJ Wanderers

Next up, de Silva snaffled a sharp catch at slip to give paceman Matt Small his first wicket of the season before a mini-revival was ended when Dan Howard rattled the stumps to claim his third scalp in 2013.

Then Matt C, who took the first over the innings, came to the party in the second of his tight three-over second spell by grabbing two wickets to end with 2 for 11 off 4.

And then Leon cleaned up the tail taking three wickets in three overs to finish with 3 for 18.

It was as easy a win as The Road will get this season with the result never in doubt from the moment the first ball was bowled.

Next up, The Road take on Corridor CC in the second of their LPL encounters this season.