Match Report vs Uni Staff 12 August 2019 @ Llandaff Fields (Skipper and report Dan)

Catches win matches, or do they?

The Cazh turned up in dribs and drabs mainly having no clue which pitch 2 was at Llandaff fields…The oppo announced they only had 8 players, so we agreed to give them 2 fielders and game reduced to 18overs given the light issues of late. Captain Dan won the toss and chose to bat first. Beef and Rob opened up, with Maxy and Upside Dan in as sub fielders. The Staff opener was decent, helped by the new shiney pink ball, the other opener was one of the Cavs and slow/spin. The pitch was slow and sticky and in the 2nd over Rob timed one far too well straight at Maxy in cover – now we often drop catches we should take, but Maxy didn’t drop one that maybe he should have (even after the bobble)! Winkie took over from Rob. The pair struggled to get the ball away off either bowler, the slow one required a lot of waiting time before striking, Steve on more than one occasion toe ended it. In the 8th over Winkie was inadvertently run out by Steve – Steve hit a straight drive, the bowler tried to get his hand out of the way, didn’t and the ball ricocheted onto the stumps with Winkie out of his ground. 26 -2 off 8.

The Cazh needed to significantly up the rate. Super Hands joined Steve, the pair began to hit more boundaries – though it was difficult to see where the boundaries were - a thin/worn line depicted the boundary, but unless ‘on it’ you couldn’t tell from the middle (and sometimes even when past it). Both batsmen had numerous lives – but none of the following catches were taken (at least 5). The Staff skipper came on to bowl the last spell and occasionally got the ball to swing – one of which did get James as he tried to push the core along. Opener Beef was also bowled in the penultimate over. Leaving Richie and Upside Dan try and get the score to somewhere respectable off the remaining over. The Cazh finished on 89-4 off 18 overs.

Defendable but needed to take wickets and keep it tight.

Rob 0 – ct 0 (Maxy)
Steve B b 31
Andy ro 10
James b 28
Richie no 7
Dan OB no 5
Maxy; Foxy; Dan L; Mark; DT DNB

Captain Dan opened the bowling with the wind and DT from the other. First ball was almost got the wicket of the opposing skipper, but he just kept it out. Dan’s spell only conceded singles, but runs were chanced when there shouldn’t have been runs. This was apparent throughout the innings. Dave also didn’t go for many either no chances given. Dan got a wicket with the last ball of his spell, the non aggressive opener being given out lbw. 26-1 off 8. Although on top of things, with a low total the Cazh couldn’t let up. The new batman was their opening bowler and looked accomplished on both sides of the wicket. Maxy replaced Dan and Foxy replaced DT. Maxy got the wicket of the skipper in the 11th over – the ball sticking in the pitch and popped up for a caught and bowled, and he got another in the following over bowled. At this point we were still on top. 53-3 off 12. Foxy’s spell didn’t go for too many, the No3 was taking him on and scored a few boundaries. 65 off 14.

Shakey and Rob were on to see us home. During this period there were 3 run out chances, Captain Dan narrowly missed the unmanned stumps at the bowlers end, and both Maxy and Upside had attempts which if thrown with a little less force may have been successful. There were also 2 drops – to be fair, Shakey’s one although he got his hands to it was basically a boundary / face saver as it was hit with power at head height. The other Richie did very well in making up the ground in the deep to reach the ball but it popped out with the same force as it arrived. With not many chances, that might have been the game changer as the last over with Staff needing 9 off it. Unfortunately, a boundary and a couple of risky doubles brought the close to the game with one ball remaining.

Captain Dan was left frustrated, yet another game on the Cardiff Council pitches that we’ve lost in the last over, in hindsight maybe only himself to blame – maybe some more attacking fielding settings should have been applied and potentially could have followed the nature of the Casuals ethos a little less than he did. However, everyone contributed and it almost came off - the bowling was not bad at all, and neither was the batting, we did though, allow them to score too many singles to fielders. Uni Staff applied themselves well to the conditions and took their chances better than we did, on a different day the chances might not have come off.

Dan L – 4-0-10-1
DT – 4-0-14-0
Maxy 4-0-19-2
Foxy 2-0-17-0
Mark – 2.5-0-17-0
Rob – 1-0-9-0

It was then off to the Halfway (for the first time in years) for a laugh and a chat over beer and buffet. With the added bonus of finding out where Shakey’s wedding was to be held (though he wouldn’t tell us the date) and listening to the start of the quiz with an intermittent microphone!

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