Match Report vs Usk 31 August 2020 @ Usk (Skipper Rob, report Paul)

So, my first game since August last year. That was also my only game of 2019 due to a hole in my right foot. I wasn’t expecting much out of myself and I met my own expectations I must say.

It was a nice enough day, not hot, not cold and a good trip to Usk with Goffy who delighted in showing me his Lexus drove itself on the motorway (kept taking his hands off the wheel, not sure if I felt safer with them off or on to be honest).
We all arrived on time, or did we, more of this later. They won the toss I think or it was decided they bat first to at least make the game last more than two hours.

DT and Goff opened up, the first wicket wasn’t long in coming after our virgin wicket keeper dropped a catch off Goff but Dave got him soon after with a filthy knee high full toss that the opener of lesser ability (not that he was crap) swung at like a rusty gate and missed. Dave looked embarrassed and rightly so. Also it wasn’t his last full toss of the day.

Talking of Day, he wasn’t at his best either. He was consistently inconsistent with his length similar but not quite as terrible as Thomas. Dave finished with 1 for 45 off his 8 overs with 2 maidens and Goff went for 60 off his 8 taking 2 wickets. One was bowled, their number 6, he was a young un with a decent eye who had a penchant for swiping across the line which he finally did to a straight one that he missed. The other was a slapped catch to extra cover off a short ball caught by our substitute fielder.

Why did we have a substitute fielder do you ask? Good question, Stevo didn’t turn up that’s why. Some of us were a bit worried, some a bit pissed off, some didn’t care much (Dave). It just goes to show that over reliance on 1 form of communication isn’t good. His phone was knackered, and he didn’t think to access the forum or had no way of accessing the forum to check if he was playing.

Our sub did a great job actually catching another one off Rob in a similar position very easily. Fielding wise we dropped about 6 catches, 2 of which were catchable at our level and the others a little more difficult.

As for the other bowling figures

Rob, 8 overs, 2 maidens 1 for 61
Luvvers, 8 overs, 1 maiden, for 53
Rich, 4 overs, 0 for 21
G. Peacock (guest) 1 for 22 off 4 overs.

Our guest bowled one of the lesser players and bowled ok, as did Luvvers, he got smashed a bit off his last few overs but bowled quite well in my opinion. So in between our 5 wickets taken they had 3 players retired on us. Their Captain, who opened retired on 68. The numbers 7 and eight retired on 61 and 51 as well.

The final total was 282 for 5 off 40 overs, 19 byes, 11 wides and 2 no balls.

Usk wanted to carry on straight away but the Casuals had a packed a lunch and had been on our feet for two and a half hours, so we sat and eat and slagged each other off for half an hour as is our want. Discussing Richard’s great catch over the boundary off Rob which was almost a carbon copy of a previous game at Usk but mostly things totally unrelated to cricket.

Our batting. I won’t go into great depth as mostly it was not a great display. Keith was caught behind for 1. I was stumped by a good keeper but a child bowler for a duck having hit precisely 1 ball.

Shine and Biggs then put on a bit of a stand, Martin went for 21 and Steve 19. Martin was caught in the covers after getting a bit frustrated and Steve was given out LBW after getting quite far down the track.

At this point they put on a rather good leg spinner, and Gazza took a liking to him and smashed him for a few 6’s on the leg side and looked our best batter before holing out to the same guy on the leg side boundary for 38.

Prior, Holiday and Peacock (guest) were all bowled off deliveries of varying description for 2, 1 and 0 respectively. JP did last quite a while for his 2, not bad for a 200-year-old.

Goff scored 13 including a boundary and got caught and bowled by a 16-year-old that could have killed the boy if he hadn’t got his hands to it and held on. Skipper Rob was not out 15 and Dave lasted longer than usual for 1.

We ended up 111 all out off 34.4 overs with 7 wides and 2 no balls.

It was not a bad day despite the drubbing. They were fine with us, just much better and I think we mostly enjoyed ourselves and we could have won if Steve had turned up.
It was all Steve’s fault.

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