Match Report vs Rogerstone
15 April 2012@ Rogerstone (Skipper and report Ed)
The team arrived at the ground hoping for a break in the
inclement weather; this being a distinct change from the sunny
weather that we have become accustom to in April over the
last couple seasons.
The game was to go ahead but on the artificial with a lush
and as it turned slow outfield. Cheese lost the toss and Rogerstone
decided to bat first. Gareth Davies was in for his debut game
and a late change meant Junior heroically stepped down to
allow Luvers in at late notice.
Dan opened up from the pavilion with a massive off side boundary
and consequently a short leg side one. Started with a maiden
and kept it tight with the only boundaries off his bowling
coming from glances that could not be cut off at the fine
leg rope. Dan bowled his 8 overs through but built pressure
that others would benefit from
Luvers opened from the tree end and made the first breakthrough
extracting some extra bounce from the artificial and JF pouching
a ballooning ball off the splice at point.
The first opening 11 overs of the season saw some competent
fielding with no miss fields to speak off with the only chance
taken leaving Rogerstone on 27 – 1. Then JF stepped
up the standard with a great catch in the covers from a ball
that looked destined for the rope. There was a hint that he
fell into the catch but it was well held and the nod from
the batsmen was testimony to how hard the ball was travelling.
This was at the end of Steve-o’s second over, this was
the zenith of his spell that dropped away sharply (like Massa’s
tyres, hope you have watched the grand prix now Dan) with
a couple full toss going for four without many dots in his
last two overs.
Pete had a couple of overs but with the artificial giving
a consistent bounce the batsmen started picking him off at
will. Though this meant that he could continue his great work
in the covers stopping everything that came is way and some
that he had no right to stop. Pete was backed up on the other
side by Gareth who went with the more unconvectional approach
using ankle and shin though directed Winkie and Dan to where
the ball was when ot got passed him, which had Dan blowing
after finishing his spell.
Pablo had a couple of overs between Steve-o and Pete before
changing to the pavilion end having 5 overs contending with
the short leg side boundary which meant balling a 5th stump
line and milked through the off side, though its fair to say
that as always the variations had the batsmen in bother at
times.
Muff took over from Dan at the pavilion end and apart from
one leg side delivery dealt with the short boundary well.
Muff changed ends half way through his spell and his first
over from the tree end induced a lofted drive into the covers
with the ball sailing over Pete’s head who was tight
saving the single, cheese made an ambitious call for the ball
and started a vain dash with his little legs pumping he somehow
manage to get there and took a catch, that was more about
saving face than glory.
This broke a partnership that had put on 103 and left Rogerstone
on 136 – 3 with 12 over’s to go it looked like
the caz would be chasing over 200.
Muff continued with his spell and had a chance put down in
the covers though Luvers made up for this at the end of the
over by running out the new batsmen with the help of Ash behind
the stumps. In the next over Muff employed his patterned hover
ball inducing a skier from the batsmen that dollied to cheese
and the flurry of wickets continued.
Luvers took over from Muff for the last 3 overs from the
tree end hoping to continue the good work from earlier in
the day, though pitched too short and was hammered through
the leg side (on Tuesday he blamed me for this as he strained
his back due to the two spells).
Winkie had taken over from Pablo at the pavilion end and
would have up rooted the off stump if it was not attached
to the base in his first over claiming their number 6 who
looked like to could put it around the park. Winkie continued
his spell being straight and allowing the batsmen no room
swing their arms. Eventually one of the batsmen heaved one
off middle with a bit of leading edge and looked like it was
going to drop inside the boundary but a bit of wind and mis
judgement by cheese, the ball and cheese ended up in a heap
just inside the rope but managed to hold on to give Winkie
a deserved second wicket.
The late flurry of wickets had curtailed the Rogerstone innings
just below the 200 mark. Rogerstone had put the bad ball away
but cas had kept hold of the wagging tail and end up with
a positive caught to drop ratio!
Shagger: 8 overs - 1 maidens - 25 runs - 0 wickets
Luvers: 7-1-37-1
Steve-o: 4-0-33-1
Muff: 8-0-31-2
Pablo: 8-0-36-0
Pete: 2-0-16-0
Winkie: 3-0-8-2
With the caz finishing well it was off to deliver a performance
in our best innings, Tea, it was a pleasant surprise that
the tea lady had remembered that we were coming though the
tea was functional at best and at least added a sideline to
the clamour for the number 11th berth which Muff won.
JF and Cheese opened up hoping to rediscover their form from
a couple season ago nothing amazing but solid. As some of
you might have read on twitter (yes we are now on twitter)
the top order collapsed contributing a combined 14 to the
score leaving the score on 27 – 5 after 13 overs. Though
Gareth our debutant took charge in the 11th over intimidating
the bowler into 3 wides one of which went for four, though
the legal balls had him flashing at thin air.
With the top order failing it brought the unpredictable combination
for Steve-o and Luvers together, who started to rebuild the
innings with controlled aggression, Steve-o’s off drive
being one of the shots of the day. Though to say there was
a change in concentration when the attack turned from pace
to spin would be saying Francis Maudes’ advice was slightly
wayward. The left arm off spinner (that means the ball moves
from leg to off for the right handed batsmen, Luvers!) did
for Steve-o, swinging across the line to the dreaded straight
one, this partnership had brought the casuals back into the
game with a run ball 60.
Pete came in and looked to be aggressive flashing the timber
around and getting bottom edge that flew away to the boundary
though it could not last long and was bowled playing inside
one that moved away.
Luvers was still going well though the field had been set
slightly deeper cutting off the boundary chances. Pablo came
in looking to anchor his end and allow Luvers to continue
the charge. This worked well until Luvers mistimed a cover
drive and spooned the ball up for an easy chance.
With 10 overs still left it was a good chance for 9, 10 and
11 to have time in the middle. Dan and Muff felt differently
with both playing immaculate defensive shots but failing in
the most important area; hitting the ball and were both bowled.
Though Muff felt this was coming as his last words were “see
you in a minute.”
JF: 2 caught
Cheese: 11 (4x1) caught
Ash: 0 bowled
Gareth D: 1 bowled
Winkie: 0 bowled
Steve-o: 38 (4x5) bowled
Luvers: 32 (4x2) caught
Pete: 5 (4x1) bowled
Pablo: 12 (4x1) NOT OUT
Shagger: 1 bowled
Muff: 0 bowled
Although we lost by 71 runs, I felt this gave us something
to build for the reason of the season, though this does start
the fielding at high standard.
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