Match Report vs Sri Lankans
31 July 2011 @ Wenvoe (Skipper and report Ed)
Caz turned up to Wenvoe to find two pitches marked out but
those who played last Monday steered us away from the wicket
used that day. Caz and the Sri Lankans slowly trickled to
the ground with the Sri Lankans having to find some numbers
most notable Mr C Stork complimenting their ranks.
Cheese strode out to the square with the opp captain for
the toss which turned into a virtual one with the opp still
waiting on some players and with me concerned about our recent
batting displays, the cazh were to field first.
The first decision of the day was easy, by throwing Winkie
the new ball and Goff the gloves after that came the tricky
part setting the field. Now with all due respect to our more
stately members of the team, the inner ring was not one that
would strike fear into an opening bat. Shakes was anchoring
the line at square leg; Foxy at short mid-wicket; Pablo at
mid-on; DT at mid-off; Chris Durnell (CD) at short cover;
cheese at point covering the short boundary to the stream.
Tesh was down third man ready to open at the quarry end. This
left Richie and JF in the slip/gully region, now you maybe
asking why we had two accomplished fielders in such static
positions; well respectively they were nursing a hamstring
and a calf (the muscle, not a new born cow) and getting them
through the game was going to take good game management.
Right on with the cricket, Winkie first over was tight with
a single coming from a leg side tickle though this almost
resulted in a run out with shakes on to the ball quickly but
throwing to the wrong end, their bad calling would turn out
to be a feature of their innings.
Tesh opened from the other end with pretty much the same
field though with fine leg in place and cheese dropping back
to cover the massive off side boundary. A fine spell from
Tesh dropped short a couple of times and was carted to leg
but beat the bat regularly but failed to find the elusive
edge.
Winkie’s second over brought a double break through
with C Stork being bowling with one that came in the cut away
clipping the off stump this brought their diminutive wicket
keeper to the crease and never looked comfortable and edge
one behind that Goff took cleanly. Winkie finished his spell
with a couple of maidens.
Pablo took over from Tesh at the quarry end and started a
tight seven over spell that hardly need the fielders in the
deep with foxy closing down the cover region with only one
ball squirming past him and the only runs coming from flicks
and slices going behind square either side of the stumps.
Shakey replaced Winkie at the pavilion end and while shakes
was setting his field, DT came ambling over to tell me that
he need to nip home, slightly concern as DT was not forthcoming
with any details I wondered over the scorers table to enquiry
if Andy could shed any light on DT disappearance. As it turned
out DT had picked up his wife’s car keys and she need
them back as she was off to visit her mother. Now I think
we would all agree with DT’s decision, on one hand 10
piss taking cazh or 2 irritate women with one being his wife
and the other his mother-in-law. So we lost DT for 15 overs.
As a side issue strangely the message was passed on through
Dan as we all had text messages from him over the missing
keys, DT you did see a white Saab go passed you as you neared
home?!?
Anyway while this was going on Shakey had set is field and
started a tight 4 over spell. With the runs drying up their
number 4 looked to open up only to get a top edge to a Shakey
faster ball and it flew to backward point with Richie taking
a great catch over his shoulder with the ball swerving away
and spinning madly.
Shakey continued his miserly spell with the batsmen trying
to capitalise on any vaguely loose ball, their captain smashed
a cover drive at CD that was distended for the boundary but
CD got enough on it to allow cheese to clear up behind him
though the captain decided that it was too gooder shot for
a dot and called a suicide single and cheese bounced the ball
into Goff who took off the bails leaving the non striker stranded
in spite of his gallant dive. Shakes finished his spell taking
a plumb lbw.
Pablo was still whirling away at the quarry end going through
his variations keeping the batsmen guessing and flashing at
fresh air. The batsmen final connected willow on leather only
for it to lobe in the air and Shakey at mid off taking a regulation
catch.
JF took over at the pavilion end looking for some form ready
for the cup final after a couple of predominantly leg side
overs found his line and started to draw out the batsmen.
The batsmen finally lost concentration and sent one straight
back at JF only for him to get hands in the wrong position
and shell it.
Shakey changed ends replacing his brother for a quick over
spell; before the over started Richie was worried about looking
after the mid on region as his hamstring had started too tighten
so quick instruction to Shakes that Richie needed to be brought
in close and with his usual precision placed him at a silly
square leg. Needless to say the very next delivery the batsmen
popped the ball into Richie’s hands.
DT was on at the pavilion end and struggled for a good line
to their number 10 who had taken the long handled approach,
after one particular tight over a sharp single was called,
though the non striker hesitated and with a good throw from
JF and Goff took the bails. Once the umpire had raised the
finger, what followed was what amounted to a full tirade directed
towards the not out batsmen as to what constituent a call,
please note Goughy that “come” is not a call only
“Yes” or “NO”! DT picked up wicket
of his own bowling the no.9.
Foxy replaced Shakes at the quarry end and struggled with
his line in the first over although Pablo misjudged a skier
and the ball dropped over him for a four. Foxy hardly conceded
a run off his next two overs and after settling down bowled
the number ten with a beauty.
Sri lankans all out for 133, probably 20 more than they should
have got but with the run rate at just 3 an over nothing to
worry about.
Winkie; 5 overs – 3 maidens – 6 runs –
2 wickets
Tesh; 6-0-34-0
Shakey; 5-2-15-3
Pablo; 7-1-19-1
JF; 4-1-15-0
DT; 5-0-25-1
Foxy; 3.1-0-17-1
Tea was great not the curried extravaganiser was I was lead
to believe but a great selection of sandwiches, cake (in particular
the Mr Kiplin apple and blackberry mini pies) and fresh fruit.
A particular note to Muff about the egg mayo sandwiches they
were well seasoned with a special extra of spring onion which
worked well. Though surprisingly at tea the chat was more
about the cricket and to be precise the Bell dismissal than
food.
JF and CD had the responsibility of seeing off the new ball
(which was a new ball and not the one we finished with which
slightly annoyed me as they did not even bother to mention
it), the opener from the pavilion had a slingy action and
was hard to pick up out of the brick work of the pavilion.
The first ball beamer did not help settling the opening batsmen
but JF saw off the over and flicked one off his hips for four
. There were a couple of lbw shouts but both were going down
leg and JF was batting a good foot out of his crease.
The opener from the quarry end was the young lad who was
very pedantic about calling, he was lucky that we were not
pedantic about enforcing the rules as he was a chucker not
the worse we have seen. In any event CD saw him off, played
and missed a bit but got his bat in the way of the straight
ones to the bowlers’ frustration.
The opening pair continued in this manor of picking up runs
off the loose balls and defending diligently to the straight
ones. At the start of the ninth over JF lost one in the brick
work and was bowled. Bring Goff to the crease who dealt with
the best over from the opening bowler of the day playing late
and showing the makers name to the bowler.
After the 11th over there was a change in bowling at the
quarry end with the opp captain entering the fray with an
action I hate, a short angled run up and zipped it down. Again
CD and Goff were up to the challenge with CD growing more
fluid with every ball.
After a couple of overs of nudging and nurderling, the oppo
captain sent down a couple of leg side half trackers which
Goff dispatched with easy, then oppo captain over corrected
with the next ball and sending down wide on the off side which
Goff latched on to and sent hard into the gully region. Unfortunately
the gully region was not vacant and Mr Stork took an excellent
catch.
Winkie was in at four though was not able to build a partnership
with CD as he was out next for a very diligent 16 in which
he faced mainly their best two bowlers and dealt with them
very well. Also just a quick thank you to CD, for being available
to play at short notice after only getting the call on Saturday
evening.
Tesh joined Winkie in the middle or so I thought but after
a crisp drive from the new batsmen a cry of “well done
Richie” was heard from boundary, I looked around to
see Richie setting in a chair and though I had misheard but
after another shot I heard the cry again only to find that
CD was calling out the encouragement and was quite perplexed
when Richie called over to him. To be fair they are of a similar
build and both are folicly challenge (although one by choice!).
Though I would say that Tesh is more “Cole cappuccino”
with Richie a “Middleton royal mocha”, sorry my
housemate left her Heat magazine lying about.
This pair continue with a solid partnership until Tesh went
for a flick drive to a spinner and missed it was bowled, similar
to last week to be honest.
Cheese came to the crease looking to make sure that defeat
was not pulled from the jaws of victory and started very slowly
but with Winkie picking up runs while on strike one straight
drive in particular that absolutely raced to the boundary,
including a horrendous over throw from one their youngsters
shying at the wrong end and going through to the boundary
at the quarry end, the total was never likely to get away
from us.
Winkie had batted very well at this stage holding the middle
order together though in the 25th over he caught one on the
toe and was out lbw bring Richie to the middle with cheese
being reminded that he had a dodgy hamstring so quick singles
were not going to be part of the plan.
Again the run rate slowed, with both batsmen not wanting
to induce a collapse, until the boundary was found four times
in two overs with cheese ticklerling one down to the fine
leg boundary; crashing another through off side while in between
being beaten by a crawler that beat the wicket keeper as well
for byes. The boundary spate was finished by Richie picking
up half volley on the leg stump and dispatching over mid on.
The pair continue to nibble away at the total until with
only 5 to get the fielding came in close which was fairly
academic due to Richie’s injury, fortunately the slinger
did not read the script delivering a full toss a foot out
side off which the cheese creamed to the short stream boundary
and then put next delivery passed the short mid wicket to
pick up the win.
JF; 13 bowled
CD; 16 bowled
Goff; 12 caught
Winkie; 26 lbw
Tesh; 6 bowled
Cheese; 25 not out
Richie; 10 not out
Shakes, Pablo, Foxy and DT - DNB
Caz win by 4 wickets
Although no stars I felt everyone did their part especially
in the field where it would have been easy to leak 20 or 30
more runs. Good to get a win on a Sunday after a couple of
real drummings earlier in the month. Rot stopped
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