HAVERFORD, Pa. - Haverford Cricket opened the fall season with a doubleheader against a club team from the University of Pennsylvania. The back-to-back games saw Haverford fall in the first 20-over game before bouncing back to claim a win in the second 15-over game. Haverford lost the toss on a bright and sunny day and was put in to bat first by the University of Pennsylvania. While the Opening Batsman Nathaniel Rolfe got off to a bright start, Haverford lost a pair of wickets in quick succession.
Junior Rolfe charged ahead, with a square drive sending the ball deep enough onto the off-side that Rolfe and Junior Cornell managed to run a four, a rare feat in the game of cricket. With the fall of Junior Captain Andrew Cornell shortly followed by Rolfe's departure from the crease, Haverford's batting found itself in dire straits. Sophomore Ethan Flicker and Senior Isfar Munir put on a low-scoring but steely partnership that saw off nearly five overs of lightning quick bowling from Penn's bowlers.
Both made judicious use of the front foot block but stole runs where they could. Flicker drilled the ball past mid-off multiple times with a straight drive while Munir bisected fielders with well-timed cut shots. Just as the partnership steadied Haverford's fall, Munir was caught out to a ball that bounced unexpectedly and was caught mere inches from the ground. First year Malcolm Thompson strode out to the middle in his inaugural game and provided some late firepower to move Haverford to a more defendable total. Thompson made a full show of his brute strength, muscling the ball through midwicket for 4 with a pull shot to bring Haverford's first boundary of the season. Despite this, Haverford's batting could not make it to the end of the innings. Despite some judicious and careful bowling, Haverford was unable to stop the flow of runs and Penn made the target.
With still a game to play, Haverford looked to put together a better performance in the shorter 15-over game. Haverford won the toss on this occasion and this time was put in the field first. Learning from the mistakes made in the prior game, Haverford's bowling unit put on a disciplined performance that was well backed up by the fielders. The new ball was given to the slower bowlers first, a tactic that bore fruit when first year Kaito Nakatani struck in his very first with a peach of a delivery outside the off-stump. The batsman drove hard on the ball only for it to be sharply caught at point by Flicker. Nakatani found himself in action again the very next over, only this time on the catching end of business. Cornell bowled a quick, flat delivery on the middle stump that was ballooned into the air by the batsman.
Nakatani completed a regulation catch at mid-on. A third wicket fell in short order when Nakatani bowled a quicker ball on the batsman's pad in his next over; the ball was flicked straight into the hands of Cornell at midwicket. After the fall of the third wicker, Penn's top order settled down and steadily accumulated runs. Tight fielding restricted boundaries though, and Raghav Bali and Rolfe, introduced as change bowlers in this game, kept a lid on the scoring rate.
With dots accumulating, a change in the attack was introduced with Munir being handed the red ball. Munir found some assistance on the pitch, getting late movement into the batsmen off the seam. The bowling change worked, with a full length delivery on middle stump being pulled high towards long on. Nakatani made an incredible 20-yard run from midwicket to complete the screamer, taking the catch while still running. With Penn's tail exposed, Haverford's quicks pressed their advantage.
Bali produced a toe-shattering Yorker to castle the batsman to complement his unplayable good length deliveries. A masterclass of death bowling was then produced by Jake Kutchins, who trapped a batsman leg-before-wicket before bowling a bouncer that was hooked straight to Cornell at wide midwicket. This brought Penn's total to 62.
Haverford's batting effort in the chase got off to a poor start as two quick wickets fell in the first five overs. However, not about to lose hope yet, Kutchins put together a gritty performance to anchor Haverford's innings. Supported by Cornell, Kutchins settled deep into his crease for a 30-ball stay that yielded 22 runs. Initially the duo traded singles and doubles, but with momentum shifting to Haverford's side Kutchins' unfurled his arms to demonstrate his power. Kutchins' first four of the day came off a powerful pull shot that rocketed the ball through the midwicket boundary.
This was shortly followed up by a well-muscled slog sweep that shot the ball over the roof of the cricket pavilion through fine leg; it was Haverford's first 6 of the season. Kutchins was undone the next ball by a remarkable feat of fielding that saw a leaping fielder at cover somehow cling to a ball hit over his head by a full-blooded cover drive. Haverford had a moment of discomfort here as a couple of wickets fell shortly after, but the ship was steadied by a smart partnership between Munir and Thompson. Both played the ball along the ground and allowed Penn's bowlers to gift extras. The duo successfully saw the Haverford innings through and an the winning runs with a couple of overs to spare.