Match Report vs Whitchurch
Heath 02 August 2020 @ Whitchurch Hospital (Skipper
and report)
The Casuals arrived at the Hospital Ground on a glorious
early August afternoon. They were greeted with a picture.
Improvements to the ground since our last visit in 2017 were
obvious, with the outfield a bowling green and the pitch a
straw coloured wonder that screamed bat first and bat big.
Calling tails finally paid off for the Skipper (0-3 at the
toss to date) and with an ‘on paper’ decent looking
batting line-up (that most dangerous of things) Will didn’t
hesitate to stick us in.
The Casuals innings started brightly, with 3 dot balls bowled
before we lost a wicket, Luvvers the victim, nicking the sharpish
left-arm over opening bowler through to the keeper for 0.
Casuals 1-1 after 1. 1-1 became 4-2 from 2, Darren this time
being cleaned up by a beauty from the other opener, bowling
accurate right arm round and swinging one in before seaming
it away to clip the top of off-stump. Richie joined Will at
the crease and these two put on 9 before Richie got another
beauty, this one from the left-armer, trimming the off bail
to leave the Casuals 10-3 after 6 and in a spot of bother.
Patrick was in next at number 5, playing his first game as
a Casual (and at that point probably thinking it would be
better if it were also his last). The talk on the boundary
edge was of getting home in time to catch the start of the
Grand Prix, but Will and Patrick had other ideas. Playing
watchfully the pair saw off the openers (or their skipper
took them off to give us a bit of a chance) and the first
change bowlers posed less of a threat. Will and Patrick took
the score on to 49-3 from 14 before Patrick was bowled by
one that kept very low. Next in was Steve O, playing in his
usual unique style. He was able to find the gaps in the field
(the ones just over the fielders’ heads mostly) to score
4 before being bowled just after drinks to leave the Casuals
77-5 from 21. Jim was in next, and he and the skipper set
about building a partnership. Whitchurch rotated through their
bowlers, with the first teamer coming on to bowl some off-breaks,
only to be dispatched by Will over square-leg for 6 –
he didn’t like this very much and came off his longer
run and bowled accurately but with no reward.
Will and Jim kept the score moving, Jim hitting some powerful
blows through mid-wicket and extra cover and Will putting
the bad balls away when they came. The score moved past 150
and in the 35th over the Skipper went to 100, dabbing one
into the gully before raising the bat. This was to be his
last contribution, however, taking a very large and fairly
exhausted swipe at the next delivery he faced – from
their skipper, another accurate pace bowler – which
cleaned him up, leaving the Cazh 154-6 from 36. George was
in next, and he and Jim added 8 together before Jim was out
caught and bowled (I can’t quite remember what happened
here so Jim can update in the comments I’m sure). Dan
and George batted to the close, taking us to 171 before Dan,
doing as expected by heaving towards the short leg-side boundary,
was bowled by the last ball of the innings. The Cazh 171-9
from 40.
Cazh Batting
Luvvers - caught behind, 0
Darren - bowled, 0
Will M-W - bowled, 100 (4s x 14, 6s x 2)
Richie – bowled, 1
Patrick – bowled, 5
Steve O – bowled, 4
Jim – c&b, 34
George – stumped, 2
Dan – bowled, 5
Rob O – not out, 0
Dave W – DNB
Batsmen’s total: 151
Extras: 20 (b7, lb1, w7, nb5)
Total 171-9
Dan and Dave ‘Barry’ White opened the bowling
against the previously mentioned first teamer and another
first/second teamer, Dan with his normal accurate seam, and
Barry wobbling it about (and also bowling…). Both batsmen,
however, looked the part, batting very correctly and with
very little risk, hitting in the V, running hard and doing
all the stuff you’re meant to do if you’re good
at batting and looking pretty smug about it. Dan did manage
to create one chance, with the ‘other’ opener
flashing one to Luvvers at cover who couldn’t hold the
chance. After 15 overs Whitchurch were 74-0 and coasting to
victory. A change of bowling had seen Rob O and new casual
George brought on, and it was George who finally made the
breakthrough in the 16th over, removing the ‘other’
opener, who after complaining to the umpire about the lack
of pace on the ball duly skied one to Luvvers who took a good
catch coming in off the boundary at cow. Shortly afterwards
the first team opener retired for a well-made 50. The two
new batsmen were of a more Casual calibre, and the scoring
rate dipped noticeably. With the ball looping around off the
number 3s bat particularly, we had a quintessential Casuals
champagne moment from George whilst bowling, inducing a top
edge from the number 3, back-pedalling in his spikeless bright
blue trainers, only to lose his footing and end up flat on
his back as the ball landed safely behind him.
After 25 overs Whitchurch had crept up to 113-1, requiring
only another 58 from 15. In the 26th over Richie struck, removing
the number 3 bowled. Unfortunately for us this bought in a
somewhat more competent batsmen, who over the next 4 overs
took the score to 147, leaving 24 to win from 11. Sensing
the end was near, the Skipper brought himself on for one over
to make his maths easier, but in doing so he facilitated the
second champagne moment of the day. Will bowled a full ball
to the now set number four, who struck it low and powerfully
through mid-wicket, being patrolled by the creaking figure
of Steve O – miraculously however, Steve plunged (fell?)
to his right and clung on one handed, to the general amazement
of everyone at the ground. Steve was predictably understated
in his celebrations - “THAT’S HOW YOU CATCH A
FUCKING BALL BOYS!!!” was, I think, roughly what the
people on Whitchurch High Street will have heard him yell.
150-3 from 31 became 152-5 from 32, Luvvers in his first over,
bowling with all the pent up frustration of an opening bat
who had nicked off for a 4-ball duck, first bowled the new
number 6 for 1 before finding a thin edge from the number
7, which Jim snaffled behind the sticks. Dan followed Luvver’s
over with a maiden, and in his second Luvvers struck again,
clean bowling the number 8 (amazing what happens when you
pitch the ball up, hey Luvvers?!?) and just maybe giving the
Cazh a sniff at an unlikely victory. Things were looking even
better after a wicket maiden from Dan, nicking off the set
number 5 batsmen and putting the Casuals firmly in the game
with Whitchurch 157-7. 3 runs but no wickets came from Luvvers
next over, and in the 37th Dan managed to take another wicket,
this time bowling the number 9 for 2, but conceding 6 runs
in the process, leaving Whitchurch requiring just 6 with 2
wickets in hand.
By this point, Cazh heads had begun turning to the boundary
edge to work out if the retired opener was intending to come
back in, with talk that he’d be well into the beers
by this point, but with his side 8 down we saw him wearily
strap his pads back on. As it turned out, he wasn’t
needed, the 9th wicket partnership getting the job done for
Whitchurch in the 38th over, with the young number 11 carving
a short ball from Luvvers to the boundary behind square for
his first, and the winning runs. Whitchurch 172-8 from 38.3,
Cazh lose by 2 wickets.
A good effort from the Casuals to get close in game which
pretty much from the first over we never really looked like
winning, but which we made them work for in the end. Post-game
Kronenbourgs were provided by Dan and enjoyed by all - or
at least by those that didn’t check the best before
date…
Casuals Bowling
D Lewis: 7 – 2 – 25 – 2
D White: 6 – 1 – 19 – 0
R Owens: 5 – 0 – 28 – 0
G Phillips: 5 – 0 – 27 – 1
S O’Reilly: 4 – 0 – 15 – 0
R Holliday: 3 – 0 – 20 – 1
P Dean: 3 – 1 – 13 – 0
W Mason-Wilkes: 1 – 0 – 3 – 1
G Loveridge: 3.3 – 0 – 15 – 3
Extras: b6, lb1, w3
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