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Match Report vs Barry Wanderers 4 May 2014 @ Hayes Point (Skipper and report Richie)


The Nestlé Carnation Milk Game

The first (weather permissible) game of the season awaited the Casz ensemble who had gathered to face our olde foes Barry Wanderers at Hayes Point. A warm sunny day with a light breeze and the best hint yet that summer may soon be upon us.

With the club captain ruled out through injury and the vice captain away on a jolly Richie (to everyone’s amazement) was asked to take the reigns for the day.

Everything seemed to be running smoothly and the game plan was falling into place right up until the moment he won the toss . panic ensued … despite captaining the side for two years a decade ago this occurrence had never previously manifested itself. In a moment of utter confusion and complete uncertainly he calmly gestured to his oppo that we’d have a bat and wished him all the best for the afternoon. Their skipper smiled, shook my hand, turned and no doubt laughed all the way back to the pavilion.

And so the season began …..

Our opening pair of Britpop and Tickle took to the crease with the instructions of ‘be out there until at least the drinks break’ ringing in their ears …. Now obviously there was either some confusion with the specifics of my instructions or only one of the pair heard me as Tesh was sent back in the third over with only six on the board after being bowled. In Tesh’s favour he had scored two thirds of both the runs on the scoreboard and of the opening partnership so it wasn’t all bad.

6 for 1 in the third over (not a great start)

Next in at number three was Jesus. Big things expected following his debut season with the Casz and with a new bat to boot the scene was set. Things started well for the watchful Will, some big elaborate defensive shots and a sumptuous stroke for 4 … then it all came crashing down with an attempted late cut onto his stumps - bowled for 5.

12 for 2 in the seventh over (that’s made it interesting)

Ash was Will’s replacement at the crease but sadly he perished with just two more runs added to the scoreboard - bowled for a quack.

14 for 3 in the eighth over (from bad to worse)

Pete was the name down at number 5 on the team list and so it transpired that he passed Ash on making his was to the wicket - prospects?

The partnership developed gradually through the next few overs until the 13th over which saw a rapid increase to the score with nine runs coming via two boundaries one of which was a no-ball. Things were on the turn, the run rate was on the up, the future was looking rosy … the run rate subsequently fell again and the inevitable wicket was taken. The fourth batsman to be bowled in the innings, by a fourth different bowler, was Pete for a solid 14 which included three fours.

39 for 4 in the sixteenth over (work to be done)

Drinks were still four overs away as Matt Hard (The Don) strode out on debut for the Casz - no pressure Don just enjoy yourself was the message. From the first ball the Don looked comfortable, playing very correctly (especially for a Casz) and looked to be set for a watchful innings having seen the demise of numbers two to five.

At the 20 over mark when drinks arrived the score had almost reached the half century - Britpop received some helpful advice from his colleagues on the boundary as well as congratulations on the number of dot balls he was amassing - not an easy thing to do on this pitch as most of the top order had proved - it should be noted he’d also followed the orders of still being around at the drinks break.

Into the second half of the innings and Darren & the Don set about a revival of the Casuals efforts.

At the thirty over point the score had almost doubled since drinks - helped in the main by the thirtieth over which went for 14. Unfortunately this over also saw the removal of Darren, again bowled, for a stubborn and gritty 33. His innings only included two fours but it has been said before and no doubt it’ll be said again every game needs someone to stay around at one end during the game - and Britpop’s your man ….. as proven by 11 overs of dot balls.

90 for 5 in the thirtieth over (a work in progress)

Cheese had been maturing nicely in the sunshine waiting for his chance to take to the stage and with the Don impressing with the bat things looked a tad rosier than it had earlier on.

The scoreboard had been on a sure and steady upward trend until this point but during the next nine overs the incline steepened somewhat with both the Don and Cheese taking a liking to ever changing bowling attack.

The charge was only halted in the final and fortieth over with first Cheese falling (bowled) for a gallant 36 which included five fours and a six, followed swiftly by Paul (bowled) for a duck trying to selflessly add to the score and finally the Don who equally altruistically perished for the cause (run out) off the last ball of the innings for an excellent debut 54 incorporating five fours and a pair of sixes … and Shakes told me he was a bowler !!! … the last three wickets falling for the addition of no runs.

170 for 8 after forty (a good recovery and an equally good target to protect)

Cardiff Casuals innings

D Britton bowled 33 2 x 4 (66 dot balls)
M Hirani bowled 4 1 x 4
W Mason-Wilkes bowled 5 1 x 4
A Akbari bowled 0
P Obee bowled 14 3 x 4
M Hard run out 54 5 x 4 ; 2 x 6
E Stewart bowled 36 5 x 4 ; 1 x 6
P Stephens bowled 0
G Day not out 0
R Holliday DNB
D Thomas DNB

extras

Wides 16
No Balls 2
Byes 1
Leg Byes 3

The somewhat astute and more arithmetically minded of you will have observed that this does not add up to the score which is indicated in the book - that of which is 170 - but that is what the book said and as I have been previously informed - the book does not lie … unless Dave’s scoring !!

I will leave the judgement of tea to those of the Casuals better qualified by girth than myself - except to say, in my opinion, that the Wanderers did not let themselves down on their usual high standard of tea provision.

And so the Casz were put out to grass ….

Opening up were Pablo, from the wood end, and the Quiet Man from the smoke appropriately enough from the asylum (well former hospital anyway) end. Pabs bowling a tight opening spell of five overs which conceded only 12 runs and Goff taking advantage of the tight bowling, at both ends, taking a wicket (bowling the opening batsman) in his fourth over of an opening spell of five overs for a miserly 8 runs which included two maidens and plenty of movement.

29 for 1 in the tenth over (a good restrictive opening spell)

First change saw the Cheese take over from the wood end and Dave ‘Treacle Toes’ Thomas take over at the hospital end. And it was Treacle Toes Thomas who made the next breakthrough with his flight, guile, wisdom, cunning, dip and more than a little luck bowling Wanderers’ #3 in the 14th over with the score on 44.

At the other end Cheese was thundering in letting fly with good movement off both the seam and pitch and was rewarded in his fourth over, and the innings’ 17th over removing #4 and #5 both bowled.

88 for 4 at drinks (compared to the Casz the Wanderers were flying)

Second change saw the Don taking his bowling bow from the woods end and Obee1 at the hospital end.

Remembering Shakes’ advice that the Don’s a bowler and recalling the Don’s indoor flair for the short pitched delivery I began to think this could be an interesting point in the afternoon for all concerned.

The Don was indeed a bowler as his first over showed with six dots and one solitary cross, the first runs off the bat, a single, came from his eighth legal delivery in his second over. Shakes had called it correctly.

Pete had started well at the other end and took a wicket in his second over with Tesh taking a good steepling catch in the deep to remove batsman #2. The Don responded in his third over by taking the wicket (bowled) of #7 for a duck.

104 for 6 in the twenty fifth over (in the balance)

The Wanderers #6 Fenton had, by now, played himself in and was looking to increase the pace, unfortunately for Pete he decided the twenty sixth over, and Pete’s third, was the time to do it. With 20 runs, which essentially were from the final three deliveries of the over, the game had shifted back in the favour of the Wanderers. Pete had, until the final three deliveries, bowled a good spell taking one for 11 from 2½ overs but a change was needed and so the ball was tossed to Tesh.

The next four overs were shared between the Don and Mr Tickle, a four over spell which conceded only five runs - four singles and a bye.

The Don ended his debut spell for the Casz with the excellent figures of 1 for 10 off 5,

129 for 6 after thirty overs (had the tide been stemmed ?)

Cheese replaced the Don at the wood end for his second spell.

Tesh struck next, in the 32nd over, with the support of a good catch from Pete ‘safe hands’ Obee to send their #8 back to the pavilion having contributed 5 singles. Cheese continued with his line and length from the first spell and was unlucky beating the bat regularly without reward.

Tesh, after a excellent stint, gave way to Goff at the hospital end and Paul replaced Cheese for his final spell.

154 for 7 after thirty five overs (the balls to runs ratio favoured the Wanderers)

Goff’s opening over of his 2nd spell was just what the doctor ordered conceding just two runs and with the added benefit of two wickets (both bowled) and a hat-trick ball thrown in (so to speak).

156 for 9 after thirty six overs (back in the balance with only 1 wicket remaining?)

With the field back to allow Fenton an easy single to bring the #11 into the game they were being refused but with the occasional lusty blow the Wanderers got over the line … just…. the winnings runs coming off the penultimate over with a single from Paul’s firth ball.

171 for 9 off 38.5 overs (so near and yet so far)

Barry Wanderers innings

1 12 bowled (G Day)
2 19 caught (M Hirani) bowled (P Obee)
3 6 bowled (DG Thomas)
4 13 bowled (E Stewart)
5 4 bowled (E Stewart)
6 72 not out
7 0 bowled (M Hard)
8 5 caught (P Obee) bowled (M Hirani)
9 2 bowled (G Day)
10 0 bowled (G Day)
11 1 not out

extras

Wides 14
No Balls 2
Byes 18
Leg Byes 3

Cardiff Casuals bowling stats

Bowler overs / maidens / runs / wickets
P Stephens 6.5 0 27 0
G Day 7 2 11 3
E Stewart 8 1 32 2
DG Thomas 5 0 35 1
M Hard 5 0 10 1
P Obee 3 0 29 1
M Hirani 4 1 7 1

A terrific game that almost went right to the wire, full of ‘what ifs’ and ‘if onlys’, but an excellent game all the same and as usual played, on the hole, in the right spirit. A one wicket win for the Wanderers.

An exceptional debut from the Don with both bat and ball and notable contributions from Cheese, Goff & Tesh.

Our unbeaten start to the season had, like Nestlé’s Carnation Milk, evaporated.
Rich Posts: 2313Joined: 23 Apr 2004 04:11 pmLocation: around the tea table or the pub



 

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