Match Report vs Lisvane
18 August 2019 @ St Mellons (Skipper Dan, report Tim)
Heavy overnight and early morning rain had put this fixture
in doubt, but the mid-morning news from Captain Dan was positive
(if not 100% definite) - the game was likely to be on, provided
there was no more rain, albeit with a slightly delayed start
time. The later commencement appeared to create some confusion
within the Cazh ranks and, as the clock ticked beyond the
scheduled 2.15 meet time Dan was still nowhere to be seen
and, with the Lisvane skipper keen to get going, it was left
to Vice Captain Will to lose the toss and relay the news that
we’d be fielding.
With the omnipresent threat of rain, Dan opened up from the
golf club end, and Goff, refreshed following a couple of weeks
in the sun, taking the score box end. Chances were at a premium
during the early exchanges – Dan getting a hand to one
from his own bowling and Tim doing the same at point off Dan.
Scoring was however slow (which was lucky as the left hand
right hand combination appeared to be causing confusion for
certain fielders, with Pete swapping gulley for leg gulley
whenever his team mates allowed him to) and by the ten over
mark and, following a break for rain, Lisvane had crawled
to 28 without loss. In fact the Cazh were going to have to
wait until the 16th over to claim their first wicket –
Ed running the right hander out for 10 – with the score
on 50.
All change after the 16th over, with Pete replacing Dan,
and Luvvers replacing Goff, and with the opener doing his
best to keep hold of the strike from the new guy, who didn’t
look entirely comfortable, scoring remained on the slow side
– in fact it took until the 20th over for the new guy
to face Luvvers with the inevitable result, a full ball clipping
the inside of his pad on its’ way to the stumps (although
the guy needed some convincing that the laws of the game dictated
that his time was up). Luckily for Lisvane, the new bat at
least looked like she knew what she was doing, giving the
opener a chance to press on. Their partnership of 36 was finally
broken by Pete in his fifth over – the opener providing
a sharp caught and bowled chance that Pete took exceptionally
well.
With the dominant force (76 from a total of 95) gone, and
with Lisvane needing to rebuild, but with wickets in hand,
the innings could, at this point, have gone either way, but
some tight bowling from Ed and Dave and some excellent work
in the field (in particular from Upside Dan) restricted Lisvane
to 47 off the last ten, (which was actually eight and a half,
as the innings closed with nine balls to spare), losing six
wickets in the process.
Dan 8-1-20-0
Goff 8-0-28-0
Pete 7-2-29-2
Luvvers 4-0-20-1
Ed 4-0-13-1
Dave 4.3-0-16-2
Dan O’B 2-0-18-0
Tim 1-0-2-0
Catches - DT, Pete O, Jesus, Dan OB
Run outs - Ed, Goffy(dh), Dan OB
The Cazh chasing 153 for victory.
Two relatively quick yet accurate opening bowlers had the
Cazh on the back foot early on, with Upside Dan going in the
third with the score on five, and Luvvers following shortly
after, bowled for 13. Cazh 18 for two, time to start rebuilding,
but with Will going for 10 and Ed for eight, all of a sudden
the visitors looked in all sorts of trouble at 37 for four.
Four became five, and five became six - the opening bowlers
had their tails up and Lisvane were sensing a finish inside
twenty overs.
Someone was going to have to steady the ship. Enter Pete
and Tim donning their sailor hats, seeing off the quicks remaining
overs and eking out a few runs from the new bowlers. The score
moved past 50 in the 21st. Still a long way to go, and at
least The Cazh were still in the game, but they needed to
press on - unfortunately in attempting to do so, Tim fell
– miscuing a drive in the rain to mid on – 60
for seven.
After a second rain break Captain Dan joined Pete.
Dan had a determined air about him, but the rain was making
timing difficult and boundaries were at a premium, nevertheless
he managed to keep the scoreboard, and Pete, moving. Past
the hundred mark in the 32nd over – 50 required off
8.
Was an unlikely victory on the cards after all?
The drama out in the middle was reflected in the tension
on the sidelines…..Goffy prowling and talking religion,
Richie confusing Electric Light Orchestra with Fleetwood Mac,
and Dave seemingly incapable of recounting anything from the
scoreboard other than the question he was being directly asked
(four separate visits to tell us the total, the batsmens’
individual scores and the number of overs bowled). Elsewhere
someone broke out into a rendition of ‘Brimful of Asha’
for no apparent reason.
Pete’s 18 over stay at the crease ended with the score
on 107. He and Dan had put on 47 for the eighth wicket. Dan
was still there on 29, but with only Dave to come, a lot now
rested on Goffy’s shoulders. With 46 still required
off the final seven overs he at the very least needed to stick
around.
Goffy and Dan rode their luck, but crucially the runs kept
coming, mainly in singles but with enough boundaries to stay
in the hunt – 35 from five became 29 from four, then
two big overs – an 11 and a 10 left eight from two.
The Cazh surely in the box seat now? Then a further twist,
only two from the 39th so six required off the last.
One, dot, one, dot, one – three off the last, two to
tie – unfortunately for The Cazh Goff could only manage
a single.
So The Cazh fall agonisingly short in a highly dramatic encounter.
A sterling performance from the lower order in particular
Captain Dan who finished up unbeaten on 58.
Luvvers bowled 13
Dan O’B caught 0
Will caught 10
Ed bowled 8
Richie LBW 2
James LBW 0
Tim caught 9
Pete bowled 19
Dan not out 58
Goff run out 14
Dave DNB
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