Match Report vs Pentrych 8 July 2010

Sometimes you look at the fixture list and think that they could be a tough few games depending on who they put out and who we have available so after Sudbrook and S Glam this fixture was quite possibly going to be a tough one too. Having a look around before we started at some of the oppo and I knew it would be that exactly but always good to challenge yourself.

Dan won the toss and we were batting with Gaz (to be confirmed) and Paul opening up. I was at square leg umpire with Gough (who had just met Goff) my fellow umpire. How good it was to see that grey head back in the whites again.

The opening bowler was athletic and quick but dropped his length too much and our boys were able to use the pace to good effect with Gaz hitting several through backward point in fine style. It was clear that anything short would probably go. At my end was the tall left arm over the guy who kept telling himself to get it up there and to be fair bowled really well but the lads were up acquitting themselves in fine style.

First to go in the fourth over was Paul who wasn't going to hang around and got caught at mid off. 27 for 1. Goff came in next and it was pretty tough at the start but dug in while Gaz continued at the other end in his usual style. This however came to an end when the opening bowler got it very right with a cracker and unlike Monday Gaz was out playing a forward defence to a good ball and he was bowled for an excellent 27 which included just one single and a two. 39 for 2.

Dallas came in next so this put Goff and JR together who before the game started were at odds over the future of Cardiff City. “I'm a money man” JR kept saying while Goff the Southampton fan kept saying “you think with your heart not your head when it comes to Cardiff”. Anyway back to the cricket and Goff had settled in and was clearly looking to open up and despite surviving from an edge behind and a stumping was starting to connect and get on with it. The keeper looked to me like he was just filling in which is just as well to be honest.

While Goff was trying to connect and succeeding somewhat at the other end JR was having less success. Eventually Goff was caught doing what he had to do for an entertaining 16 and this brought our new boy Tom Allan to the crease complete with helmet, an uncasual skinny body and even more unusually left his girlfriend to come out and bat. I did suggest after that he should bring her again with her friends and that way we might find it easier to get 11 out. 55 for 3 in the 11th.

Afterwards in the pub Dan said that he was explaining on the boundary that JR has got 3 shots. The hang out the bat to dry one and the miss were two of them and the other I assume the forward prod. To be fair a sweep can be added to the collection after tonight. However the shout of “Tavare” from the boundary might give you an idea (younger viewers look it up) of the strike rate JR was racking up. To be fair despite a change of bowling it still wasn't easy out there and like Monday not much buffet. When the third bowler from the sea end (see 1993 Glamorgan) who was an Aussie who played for St Fagans against the Wands the other week JR saw his chance. Unfortunately Jr slapped it back to him for a C and B for 2 and a partnership of 20 for a score now of 75 for 4.

Tom at the other end despite being slim is more like most of us as he was puffing and panting pretty quickly. Not quite in the same league as Steve who first ball ran a two and then a single on Sunday and in between overs had a chat to Kim just so he could have a rest. Tom did however run manfully for the cause with some decent shots in between. The reason he was running manfully for the cause was because a certain S Gough (the one and only) was “Coming One” for the first time in 2010. The pair managed to put on 23 before Tom had his first Casz dismissal and again was caught dying for the cause for a very encouraging 19.

Goughy had rode his luck a little and could have been run out and should have been stumped from a moon ball but it was just great to see and hear him once again. Eventually he was stumped and it was unfortunate he wasn't there when the pace was on as he would have found that more to his liking but anyway 15 runs in the bag again and 108 for 6.

Talking of pace or at least a lack of Mark came out to join Shandy and he also took one for the team by not being able to reach the boundary and was caught for 1 to make it 115 for 7. Shandy had time to cream a six over cover to the moon ball just before this while Dan had come in and didn't face a ball. 118 for 7 off our 20

Paul ct 11
gaz bwl 27
Goff ct 16
JR ct 2
Tom ct 19
Chesney st 15
Shand not 14
Mark ct 1
Dan not 0
A Hood dnb
A Furnham dnb

They caught well and as I looked around and saw the rugby teams training and the soccer kids playing it broughtt back memories of days gone by and Durnall having a bit of a Barney with the Sri Lankans female fan club. Memories of Paul and Will suffering in the heat and Andy H putting them out of their misery and my favourite memory of the joggers and the puppies of love bouncing on their chest as I filmed them and the fact that they didn't mind at all. Happy Days.

Andy Hood on his birthday bowled a short ball and got spanked. I turned to Mark and said if we bowl short we will get murdered but luckily Andy won't bowl short again but he did and it was a wide. Andy just struggling a touch with the run up in his first over. Gaz opened up from the rugby club end and bowled one bad ball which rocketed to the scoreboard. Andy got it right after that and Gaz continued to bowl really well but both got hit for a 6 in their three over spells. Gaz was to be fair a bad ball but Andy not so. There was no room for error out there but they stuck to it manfully with rusty keeper Goff pulling off the odd stunning stop.

The one and only Chesney Gough took over from the birthday boy and found the spot straight away, again a huge 6 was hit back over his head from a decent ball in his last over but it wasn't a bad ball. He did whisper c*nts when nobody seemed keen to find the ball. The next ball went for 4 through mid off area and his last ball almost beat the bat and Goughy shouted “ooh I got him thinking” but the ball found itself rolling along the ground to the boundary on the on side and went for 4. This prompted a cap throw on to the ground and the muttering of several expletives. Good to have you back and after a decent bat and bowl will be ready for Tuesday.

During the Gough spell though came the highlight of the evening as the athlete that is Mark Stephens launched himself to his left as the ball bounced in front of him, the quick thinking and alert Winky picked up and threw to the keeper Goff who whipped off the bails in expert style with a bit of a back hander for a sharp run out. I should add that Goff was celebrating wildly with his back to the umpire who took an age to put his finger up but did. A great piece of fielding and I had to explain to Tom that it don't happen every week just in case he was thinking that Shakes is our Jonty.

Dan off his short run had taken over from Gaz and this was when I nearly lost my wanking hand to a drop that some guy in Glammy u 17s would look easy but was a bit too quick for me. My hand was numb after and was concerned I would have to go left handed although Paul did point out if I used the right that it might feel like someone else is doing it for me!!! At the time of writing I have yet to find out.

By now it was getting very gloomy and was just a matter of time before they knocked it off but Jonty Stephens had come on to bowl for Chesney and managed with the help of Shandy at short extra to take our second and final wicket of the opener was a stylish 43. All that was left was for Tom to have a bowl and quite clearly a bit rusty but that will come as they finished with two sixes to win by 8 wickets in the 16th over.

As on Sunday and Monday we were ok and just playing better teams than us but we did ourselves justice with the added bonus of Goughy and Tom playing.
Tom did shout “Top bowling there Andy” which reminded me of Smitty. So all in all a lovely place to play but they are just a bit too good.

Andy 3-0-23-0
Gaz 3-0-18-0
Gough 3-0-22-0
Dan 3-0-20-0
Mark 2-0-13-1
Tom 1.4-0-22-0

Afterwards we sat around putting the worlds to right but the main topic was what to call Goff and Gough and Gaz as there was a previous Gaz who will always be Gaz. Gaz did suggest Lovers but that was quickly shot down while Simon became Chesney as he is the “One and Only”. Shandy was mulling what our ground would be like when he wins the lotto. Goff was telling us how much money he could make us and that we could have a yearbook.

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