Match Report vs Monkswood 29 May 2011

With the grey skies and showers turning into downpours it was with a certain amount of intreperdation that the team made there way to the ground from Monmouth, Baltonsborough, Abergavenny, Swansea and even of few from Cardiff. On arrival the cazh were to find an oasis within the torrent weather with only slightest amount drizzle. Ed won the toss and elected to bowl first partly because of the overcast condition and partly due to the collapse last week.

Dan and Paul opened the bowling with Dan coming up the slight slope at the road end; his opening spell was brisk and accurate with neither opener looking to attack just nurdling down to third man. Due to the lack of attacking verve it was decided to spell Dan in the hopes of picking up some wickets late on.

Paul was on at the pavilion end and bowled well for the first 4 overs then tried too much in the last of over of the spell and got sprayed around a bit.

Mr. Harry Harris made is his first appearance of the season and really attacked the stumps though probably a bit too straight though the batsmen rarely put leather on willow and when they did only to find Tommo (Goff’s nephew) and Dan up to the task at square leg and short fine leg.

Shakey took over from Dan at the road end and bowled a good off side line with the batsmen regularly finding fielders due to Shakey immaculate field placing. After a couple of overs Shakey decided to mix it up move to leg side field though still bowled a off stump line or so it looked from deep square leg.

At drinks Monkswood were at 87 for no loss though no break through yet, I felt that the cazh had held on to the reins well with good fielding backing up the bowlers.

After dinks Tommo took over the bowling at the pavilion end with a brisk medium pace, started with a maiden and continued from there. He was driven a couple times though the covers but bowled his extended spell well.

Shakey continued his spell and finally got the break though with the number two batsmen chopping on and as they say one brings two with the other opener tickling one behind well caught by Ash, though so faintly that only the young ears of Tommo at cover picking up the nick. The batsmen walked though later confined in Dan that he was not so sure, bad luck mate as the umpire was not about to give it!

The bowling continued to plug away though strangely the batsmen never really attacked and singles where given where maybe we could have strangled harder.

Both Ed and Nipun bowled a couple of overs nothing given away though no real chances until a mix up between the batsmen saw the number 4 run out by miles with a good throw from Tommo and Ash taking off the bails this time rather than obliterating the stumps.

Dan and Paul came on to finish the innings and while again the batsmen where stuck just trying to keep Dan out they went after Paul and lazy fielding took the gloss off his figures though he did bamboozle the number 5 and clipped his off stump for a deserved wicket.

Monkswood finishing on slightly more than par 182-5

D. Lewis; 7overs – 1 maiden – 16 runs – 0 wickets
P. Stephens; 8 -2 –43 –1
M. Stephens; 8 –0 –52 -2
H. Harris; 6 -0 -23 -0
T. Nichols; 6 -2 -22 -0
E Stewart; 3 -0-12-0
N. Lal; 2 -1- 5 -0

Tea was ok; not enough cake or variety in the sandwiches though the spring rolls and samosas were a welcome change of pace.

Cazh started their reply with Britpop and Easy against a couple youngsters who kept a good line with both batsmen trying to find their feet; this did not make for fluid start to the run chase and culminated with Easy not getting enough on a back foot shot and the ball rolling back on to his stumps. Ash walked out and pretty much walked straight back after an ungainly heave to leg and was bowled.

Goff was next out of the hutch and picked up where Easy and Britpop had left off, prodding and probing but not finding the gap. After a couple of overs Goff decided he was not going to die wondering and started to go after the bowling, a couple of play and misses later he caught one on the toe end of his bat and was out caught in the covers. After 10 overs the cazh were struggling on 9 for 3.

Napalm joined Britpop, who was still struggling but kept on plugging away. Napalm got the pace of the pitch from the off and started putting the bad ball to the boundary and getting that all important single at the end of over. I must say that I think that Napalm has the ability to find a single from any where though strangely not two’s!
The opening bowlers finished their spell and the first change came on with Britpop looked to lose the shackles of the first 15 overs unfortunately his first expansion shot was miss-timed and was caught.

This left the cazh on 30 for 4 off 15 overs, and although I did not think that we would bowled out, I though that the run chase was a forlorn hope. Out came Tommo for his debut with the bat, to a raucous fan fare of East Londoners who it would seem came down early for the harvest (as it turned out it was the Day family).

The next four overs wandered past with the cazh moving to 54 for 4 off 19 overs with Napalm picking off the bad ball and Tommo quietly accumulating. Then I don’t know what happen either Napalm wanted to get home for Britain’s Got Talent or the drinks were not to his liking as in the next 7 overs went for 77 runs. I do not think that I can do Napalm’s batting justice just to say it was an awesome attack on the bowling, one of his 5 sixes hitting a tree on the edge of good sized boundary about 40 foot up with at least 3 ricochets around the woods, this culminated in three lost balls! I thought that some of his best shots where the clips off this legs that raced away to the boundary, even up the slope. Not to forget Tommo’s contribution to this partnership hitting a six himself and rotating Napalm back on strike when the ball did not reach boundary.

The partnership was broken when the ball finally found Napalm’s top edge and looped up to the keeper, if he had calm down he would have cantered to a maiden hundred but it’s just not in him. The fall of the wicket left cazh on 143 for 5 off 26 overs with the partnership between Napalm and Tommo finishing on 113 off 12 overs.
This left just enough time for Tommo to reach his fifty and as it turns out his maiden fifty (as he has to retire at 30 at his age group); great knock well paced and complimented Napalm brilliantly.
Shakey smashed the forth ball of the 33rd over for 4 over the midwicket boundary and the cazh won by 4 wickets with 7 overs to spare.

C.Ryde; bowled 1
D. Britton; caught 7
A. Akbari; bowled 0
G. Day; caught 1
N. Lal; caught 83
T. Nichols; Not Out 52
E. Stewart; bowled 13
M. Stephens; Not Out
D. Lewis; P. Stephens; H. Harris - DNB

The day finished with the Stephen’s discussing how they would redevelop the Monkswood ground if they won the lottery and recognition that Mr.Lewis had a certain resemblance to Uncle Brin.

Great effort from the team with everyone playing their part though it was hard to overlook look Napalm’s knock, superb.

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