Match Report vs Huntley
- Tour match 2 11 September 2022 @ Huntley, nr Cheltenham
(Skipper Alex, report Cheese)
The Sunday of tour started with the usual roll call at Breakfast,
there was an early shout from Shakey that he would be unavailable
for the game but perhaps a little more surprising that he
was skipping breakfast (hope your ok, Shakes). The rest of
the casuals assembled at the cosy club with some returning
to the Bankhouse for the morning repast.
The usual stories were regaled at the table and the usual
culprit being the main antagonist, Goff spilling a table of
drinks over Dan at the early hours creche and then abusing
the night porter while getting a late morning kebab. A calm
descended on the table as the food was brought out and as
the mastication started to slow Tesh took his opportunity
to tell his anecdote about his cut on the elbow from the shower
soap holder. As the story continued the intensity of the ensemble
caz gaze increased and Tickled warmed to the task of story
telling, as he finished with the audience in the palm of his
hand, the thought of following up with his tale of how he
got a splinter from a complimentary M&S fork started form.
Before he started he looked around to bring more people under
his thrall only to be met by a rather buxom young lady awaiting
to take the empty plates. At that point the penny dropped
that the audience were concentrating on the cheddar gorge
of cleavage on display rather that his shower related injury.
As you can imagine for the rest of the time, the conversation
was rather myopic and then we all dispersed to get ourselves
to the ground.
No losses on the transfer from Hotel to ground just Foxy
taking a tour of his old hunting grounds from his youth, as
we arrived the oppo were clearing away the carnage of their
awards night before. A warm welcome was given and an invitation
to bat first was extended, normally a recipe of disaster for
the club but looking around his assembled team captain for
the day Alex decided that an extra couple of hours rest might
be advantageous.
Both teams walked out to the middle for a minutes silence
for the Queen, which was impeccably observed apart from the
sound of gargling caz stomachs. Tesh who was rested the day
before was left at the crease with Quasimodo (Rhys) to open
the innings. It was quite clear from the start that the pitch
was like Wenvoe low and slow though with the added benefit
of at times prodigious turn. A solid start from the opening
pair with only one chance given, a drop from Tesh's bat at
mid on. The only area of concern was the silent calling between
the two but none of the opportunities were taken. After ten
overs we were 39 for 0. Quasi trying to get on the attack
with the change of bowlers but walked pass one that turned
down the slope and was bowled. Alex strode out to the middle
looking make up for the day before.
The ball started to hit the rope more often and both started
to hit their stride, Tesh using his on side flick and Alex
pulling thought mid-wicket. We both teams nursing a couple
of players from the day before drinks were taken at 15 overs,
unfortunately this took the flow out of the game for the batsmen
and this was the undoing for Tesh as he tried to get going
again and was bowled.
Cheese joined Alex and tried to pass on the strike as much
as he could as with Alex getting in the grove and missing
the fielders no matter where they were put. Alex bought up
his 50 just after bring up the cazh hundred and looked set
for a big score. Cheese exited stage left swiping at a ball
down leg side and being caught at gully.
This brought the big show to the crease, Steve-o. A feature
of batting on tour was going out to the middle with a varying
degree of chorus to the phrase "Duck chip"; "Duck
chip"; "Duck chip". Steve-o faced three balls
one missed; one cut through this legs to a waiting fielder
and one hit the pads through all he was vehemently supported
from the pavilion by the rest of the caz. Then it was time
for drinks again and the wait continued for Steve-o's first
run. After drinks Alex wilked the strike and the first run
wait continued, Alex's innings had running steadily all through
the drama and had reached the nineties where he had been missing
the fielders for the first 80 runs, he had now started finding
them with alarming regularity.
A fielder took a knock and there was a delay while treatment
was given, Steve-0 had been out in the middle for 19 minutes
and faced 7 balls. The opposition captain brought himself
on to bowl with caz innings at 179 -3. Alex took one off the
first second ball of the over and then Steve-o had 4 balls
to get off a duck, first ball swing and miss, second ball
cut through his legs but straight to fielder, third ball it
happened.... missed a straight one and was bowled, the supporting
caz erupted in cheers and a chant of 'duck chip' much to the
bemusement of the supporting oppo. Steve-o walk from the crease
has been brilliantly caught
on video by Rhys and should be required viewing
for any new Cazh.
Alex had been calmly waiting through the celebrations to
get on with his innings, he started to hunt the for his last
ten runs for a ton. This also coincided with the openers coming
back on, unfortunately Alex got the dreaded low ball and was
cleaned up for a brilliant 93.
The next three battters started to play what I have started
to call 'duck chip' batting, all the effort to get off the
duck no matter the cost. Jim got his single and then swiped
at a straight one. Dan lobbed one into the covers just short
of the fielder and charged off for the single required with
a little fumble Dan managed to get the other end with the
ball hitting the stumps after he was in which meant the anchors
were engaged to get back to the other end for a 2, were the
ball never left the square. Next ball trying to consolidate
his score Dan was undone by his defense and was bowled. Pat
was in next but with the bowler with his tail up was prised
out for a second ball duck.
Luuvers had been stranded off strike watching the carnage
down the other end but with Goffy and Foxy the last two partners,
he looked to get on with the job. That was a difficult task
on this wicket and skewed a single to bring Goffy on strike
against the bowler that had taken 3 wickets in his last over.
What happen next was one of the most heinous acts, I have
seen on caz cricket pitch. After bowling at a decent pace
the bowler seemed to try a slower ball but on closer inspection
a prearranged moon ball had been delivered with Goff knocking
the ball to mid-on and scuttling down to other end. This had
been accomplished by Goff by bribing the oppo captain with
two drinks. After that the rest of the innings was a bit a
daze and quite frankly tea could not come quick enough to
get the sour taste out of my mouth.
R Davies - 12
M Hirani - 30
A Heath - 93
E Stewart - 25
S O'reilly - 0!
G Loveridge - 9
J Hodkinson - 1
D Lewis - 2
P Dean - 0
G Day - 5
J Prior - 0
The innings were separated by a blast from the past, homemade
tea. It would have been brilliant no matter what, there need
ain't been and concern; 6 different types sandwich, cocktail
sausages, pork pies, crisps, quiche and pizza slices. Then
homemade chocolate cake & Victoria Sponge with the half
scones. Also a great cup of tea. The only thing that was not
at the usual standard was the caz tea plate building with
many sparse plates brought to the table at first though the
return trips were calmly familiar.
On to the bowling with a decent total defend, the entered
the field with more concern about not picking on the dropped
catch and mis-field token.
With Dan and Goff opening the bowling the oppo were never
going to get away to flyer, the first 6 overs went on without
much going on. Then goff made the break after taking a little
punishment to shorter mid-wicket boundary, managed to produce
a surprise straight one and bowled the more aggressive batter.
Dan was still plugging away beating the outside edge and
the batter only just getting an inside edge. Then to the surprise
of everyone the outside edge was taken and we all got ready
to commiserate with him. Then the second surprise was Super-hands
clinging on to the chance and within 10 over the caz were
into the middle order.
Pat replaced Goff and start with nagging line with the odd
one moving up the slope with the Dan still running through
his spell the runs drier up. This started a game of chicken
between the batters for riskiest run, this finally end with
Cheese managing to pick one cleanly but then lobbing it straight
at Jim's head but still managed to take the bails before the
batter got in.
With Dan's spelling ending with the oppo just trying to
keep him out for the last two overs, the oppo sensed the opportunity
to open up. This also coincided with Luuvers starting to bowl
his leg spin as some of the young batters had entered the
fray. Pat was still going up the hill dragging the oppo forward
and forcing the false shot. In the end Pat had to do it all
himself for his wicket taking a sharp caught and bowled with
an extra Tiger fist pump.
Luuvers looking for some reward for his leg spin, which he
had been his own hype man for, bowled a little faster and
sneaked one through the penultimate batter above 5'5".
This brought the oppo captain to the crease who reignited
the fading match, Steve-o had to deal with the initial onslaught
by allowing a boundary and single off the first two balls
and then bowling at the younger batters. Luuvers still ripping
his leg-spin was peddling the same tactic as Steve-o then
as his spell came to an end looking to get show that his new
found action had some legs, was unrestrained with his appeal
for a lbw against the young batter. Not to be keep out of
the game when not bowling Luuvers pulled off a great catch
in the covers to give Steve-o some solace in a tough match.
Foxy's taking over from Luuvers walked straight into the
captain trying to bring down the run rate to keep the game
interesting and was pummeled in his first over but came back
with real spirit to keep his length and line to keep the run
rate down and effectively end the match.
With the opposition needing 75 runs off the last 12overs,
Cheese & Tesh were allowed to have a bowl. This last 6
overs was the story of three catches, firstly Steve-o had
a ball toe ended to him at midwicket off a Tesh moon ball,
with the joint catch record holder steadying himself this
looked like a gimmie, only for him to shell the catch. Que
the normal verbal diarrhea from the bearded wonder but only
to restrain himself with a number little ones around.
The next catch fell to Tesh off the long hop from cheese;
the ball was hammered at him but was dropping sharply. Tesh
managed to get his hands under the ball but not quite in the
right place and ball smacked into his thumb jumped and up
and grasped at the second chance, with that the oppo captain
gone the game was done.
The last catch fell to steve-o a dolly drop straight at
home, as it came down he could feel Dan breathing down his
neck ready to jump in. The ball was successfully caught what
then followed was a Imran Tahir type celebration but at a
gentler pace, as he was out on his own in top spot on the
catchers chart.
And with that Tour was over for another year and the tired
but sated casuals drove off in the Gloucester levels on their
various way homes.
D Lewis - 8.2.13.1
G Day - 4.0.28.1
P Dean - 5.0.20.1
G Loveridge - 5.0.32.2
S O'reilly - 5.0.19.1
J Prior - 3.0.29.0
E Stewart - 4.2.5.2
M Hirani - 3.1.3.1
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