Skipper of Crouch End-based club looking for team to bounce back at home to Eastcote this weekend

Islington Gazette: Hussain Shabbir top scored for North London at the weekend against Barnes (pic: North London CC).Hussain Shabbir top scored for North London at the weekend against Barnes (pic: North London CC). (Image: Archant)

North London captain Sam Bardon feels his team are making life difficult for themselves in the Middlesex League Division Two right now.

The Crouch End-based club have started 2017 with three defeats, but dropped catches proved costly last weekend.

Barnes beat North London by six wickets with James Alder scoring an unbeaten 117 to help his team chase down 198.

“James batted well, but we were disappointed because we dropped him five times,” said Bardon.

“Last week the guy from Osterley called Don Manuwelge got a hundred and that was virtually chanceless and the difference between the two sides.

“But as well as James batted, we let him off the hook a few times and he was the difference, but only because we let him be, which was disappointing.”

Bardon’s team were put into bat first on a tricky wicket at Barnes, but managed to score 197-6 off 37 overs.

Rain saw the loss of 16 overs overall, but 59 from Hussain Shabbir put North London in a good position at halfway.

Milo Jennings (35) and Bardon (38) also made significant scores, but they failed to defend the total.

It was a case of déjà vu for the North London captain in the field, however, as they were not able to take their chances.

Bardon added: “It was a difficult wicket because of the amount of rain we have had, so whoever won the toss was going to bowl first.

“Having been put in, we were pleased with the way it started and given the conditions we were very happy to make 197.

“It was reduced to 37 overs from the usual 45, so we thought it was a really good score given the circumstances, but we didn’t bowl or field well enough to defend it.

“We felt it was as much us beating ourselves as Barnes and that was the same thing at Twickenham a couple of weeks before.

“Even though we lost again, we came out thinking that it is us beating ourselves rather than anybody externally.”

Despite a poor start to the season, Bardon is confident North London can get back on track soon.

After earning promotion to Division Two in 2016, the local club have a great chance to get off the mark this weekend.

Eastcote visit North London with two defeats from their first three games and Bardon is confident.

He said: “The way our last few seasons have been, we start slowly and once we got on a roll we rattle off quite a few victories in a row.

“It is just about getting that momentum started and at the moment we are really focusing on getting the right formula and getting everybody onto the same page to start competing.”