Match Report vs Barry Westend 29 May 2016 @ Barry's Island (Skipper Jesus, report Obee1)

Sunday 30th May. 40 Overs.

Weather: sunny and blue skies.

Players: 11. Just about in number. Probably not in body parts and functioning limbs.

Pitch: Foreign to us i.e. bouncy wicket, big boundaries, quick outfield.

After not tossing because Will was late, it was decided that we would be in the field.

As always, the book offers a vague guide - the fall of wicket and over by over scores aren’t correct, so I’ve tried to piece things together in some order and updated the book where I can to reflect what actually happened.

Kim decided to go for a T20 approach, with 5 bowlers bowling 2 spells each, which successfully confused the scorers but not the batsmen. Did it confuse the bowlers as well? How could we ever tell?

Goff opened from the Pavilion End, finding some bounce and pace with the batsmen having a look. Pabs, bowling off his longer run to start, opened from the Log Flume End. Both batsmen began to enjoy a bit of pace, and were breaking the field with some drives and cuts.

Goff got the first wicket in the fifth over, with a thin edge caught by the keeper (23/1). In his next over, the new batsmen was deceived by a slower ball out of the back of the hand, ducking down before realising it was a loopy pie, but he’d already been bowled (29/2). Lovely stuff.

Shakes and Foxy were on to bowl at first change, with Barry continuing to tick over nicely. Both bowlers were getting the ball up and above the eyeline, with Foxy lulling Thomas into a sweep down the legside, straight to Shakes standing at 45° who took the catch (67/3).

It looked like we might get them out for a nice total at this point. Runs and wickets coming nicely, but with the opener still out there, the runs continued. 8 overs later, with Jeff bowling, the batsmen looking a bit more confident just missed one and was bowled (120/4).

Next up to bowl was Tesh, with a consistent line of wrong ‘uns. The batsmen took him for the leg spinner Tesh isn’t, and got himself bowled trying to play one that turned towards him, rather than away. The opener finally gone with a nice 70 to his name and several partnerships (139/5)

Pabs back on to bowl, now with the shorter run up. Some nice bowling wasn’t really getting him anywhere, so the old back of the hand lollipop, with ice on, was tried. The batsmen fell for it and swung over it - bowled (158/6). As Ron Atkinson would say - “done him with a lollipop” (Source: R. Holliday. 2016.)

Jeff back on to bowl, with the batsmen now having more of a go. With such a big outfield they were getting away with a lot of aerial shots. Eventually, one went close enough to someone, with Kim taking a looping catch at mid-on, running on to it (165/7).

Pete and Goff now back on to bowl the last 5 overs. 179/7. Could the Cazh keep them under 200? Nope! Goff was easing in to give them a chance, and they duly accepted and hit a few boundaries. The batsmen were having a pop at Pete at the other end, which is just how we like ‘em. Pete getting the first batsmen with a popped up catch to Kim and then bowling one the next over with the batter having another swish.

Not a bad performance from the Cazh, just one of those days when the ball goes past fielders on a fast outfield and catches don’t go to hand as often as they always do. Worth mentioning some excellent performances in the field from Clappers, who took some punishment to his hands fielding on the drive, and to Foxy, who was a magnet but stopped pretty much everything that came his way.

Total: 210/9

Next, was tea. Will was happily eating a piece of cake when someone asked what was for second tea. A second tea?

I feel that this was the moment the match was definitely lost, assuming it wasn’t already, chasing 200+.

Cazh Batting:

Kim and Rob to open. Instantly, the fielders were a lot closer than the Cazh. A bit of local knowledge always helps. Some would call it brave. Not me.

The score was ticking over nicely for the first 7 overs, with both players chipping away, until Rob (13) had a ball that caught the shoulder of the bat. The keeper wristed it up to slip who caught it diving / slow motion falling over. Tesh then got out 2 balls later LBW playing around the ball (29/2).

This brought Will and Kim together. Surely our final hope? Possibly not, but in this case - yes.

Will was knocking the ball about. Confident in the even bounce and good recent form, and somehow chipped a shot to their best fielder at mid-off. Out for 15. Rich up next, with also some form behind him in recent weeks. Another good start, scoring 10 before he chipped one up, leaving the Cazh on 111/5 with only 13 overs left. Suffering from cramp, Kim was now swinging at everything (more so than normal) but was struggling to really do that, with everything in the air, but failing to fall to a fielder. Oram eventually had him caught, with a chipped / thick edge to mid-off.

From here the innings inevitably slowed up. West End said they were more confident with their bowling than batting, and it showed with some good bowling continuing. The leg spinner bowling from the Log Flume End looking particularly tricky, with a few varieties of deliveries and pace, with the wind helping him take 7/4 from his 5 overs.

Jeff (7) was out LBW having a drive at the leggy, and Goff (10) was out stumped at the other end by the off-spinner, also trying to push the score on. This left Pete and Pabs to have a nose about with 70+ runs needed off 4 overs. Pete was bowled by one that turned a bit by the leggy, and that brought Foxy in to bat.

Trying his very best not to get to 1000 career runs, he was stumped on the last ball. Taking guard a foot outside his crease, and a foot outside leg stump he did well to nearly get back (I thought he was back), but it’s in the book.

Casuals 143 All Out.

Barry West End won by 65 runs. England also beat Wales at Twickers to help the mood - 27-13.

Back to the West End club on the hill for DT levels of sausage, chips and beans in a tray. I bet they make a mean mild brew.

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