Match Report vs Barry West End 9th July 2023 @ Wenvoe (Skipper Luvvers, report Cheese)

After a bit of back & forth with start times and players, which unfortunately for the skip seems to have come a little synonymous with the season, the cazh turned up to the island. This was not the island from earlier in the season though, there was a tinge of green on the wicket and the boundary was about as far out as possible. The only thing that persuaded me we were in the right place was the boarded-up window from Rob’s batting earlier in the season.

I am assuming the virtual toss was taken with the cazh batting & burger barring. Alex and Bryn were sent out under gloomy skies and green wicket to face the ever young Thomo, never easy to face even on a baked wicket.

The first 4 overs were a game of cat and mouse with the ball unsurprisingly beating the bat but then the bad ball being pushed to the boundary where even the outfield was slow. After a string of 10 dot balls finally something had to give and Bryn lobbed one to point off a top edge, to be honest not the likest of ways a wicket was to fall.

Now I have batted at the Island at least 10 times and it is usual a batsmen paradise, the next 20 overs almost washed away that good feeling.
The wicket that had started with a little variable bounce continued and seemed to become more frequent but once you get past the openers normally the buffet starts. As Alex and I embarked on our fledgling partnership the dots increased and the boundaries dried up with the talk at the end of over was one of surprise that we were meeting again and hope that the engine room can get the runs!
What was worst that BWE had seen our game and we were threading the ball, when we could, past two gullys; a backward point and deep cover point.

At this point its only right to thank BWE for keeping the game on and then doing everything possible to keep the game going. There were three rain breaks through the innings with most of the discussion over the seemly doomed England chase, who won the still running grand prix & how to become a member of the coffee club.

The breaks did nothing for either sides rhythm & after the last break, Alex recognised the need to up the run rate but only managed to top full toss into cover hands and end the partnership that had managed 81 runs in 18 overs (it felt a lot less in a lot more!!).

Steve-o bounded out to the wicket after running a lap of the boundary and performing a downward dog for the spectators (don’t worry readers he was fined this this). After I had passed the encouraging words of “Hi Steve-o, there is definitely a ball out here with your name on it so just see ball hit ball”. In fairness Steve-o did exactly this and the rate kept at a steady 4 an over.
No fireworks from the cazh batting innings but there didn’t need to be as the weather was providing it all with rumbles of thunder coming in from the estuary and what I though was a canoe floating down the Barry town hill. Neither of these came across the ground and cricket continue serenely on.

Steve-o & I were still prodding and pushing until Murali came on, I can only explain the amount of turn he manged from the pitch as like Tesh when indoors. After the first one nearly cut steve-o in half, everyone but Steve-o could see that that the straight drive might not be the shot for this bowler. Unperturbed Steve-o persisted with the shot that he had scored 98% of his career runs with and was somewhat perplexed when it whistled through the gate and he was bowled. To be fair it was the only one from the lad’s spell that was going to hit the wickets and like a boar snuffling truffles Steve-o found it.

With the innings petering out and some quick runs needed, Rob and Luuvers played the same innings laying bat on ball as regularly as possible and maximising the runs through running which although needed was less than desirable for me.
Both left the stage, to great pieces of BWE work, Rob played down the line to one that just nibble away brushed his glove and was caught behind. Then Luuvers smacked what was a certain boundary only for a young BWE fielder to slide in from nowhere and take a great catch.

After Luuvers was out, there were only 9 balls left in the innings just enough time for me to aimlessly wander past a straight one and get stumped but not enough time for Jimmy or Paul to make their mark with the bat.
To be fair we finished on 190-6, without a massive change in the strike rate but now it was over to BWE to brave the conditions.

Alex; 43 ct
Byrn: 5 ct
Cheese; 79 stmp
Steve-o; 16 bwld
Rob; 8 ct
Luuvers; 13 ct
Jimmy; 2*
Paul; 1*

During one of the rain breaks it was agreed that we would turn and burn to get straight back out there, not quick enough for a certain short person, as the rest of the cazh ambled out.

Once the BWE innings started it was a completely different day, the sun was out baking the pitch and the boundaries suddenly felt a lot closer. After the first over going 8, I must admit that the I though we were in a little trouble and was considering if we (me) had scored fast enough.

Though I need not had worried as Goffy started to find his line and length, with the first ball of his second over he castled the bat with one that jagged in taking the top of off. In the next over he repeated the trick again with his first ball though this one was chipped to Bryn at cover which resembled the way that he had had got out 3 hours earlier. Goff had saved the best til last, the outswinger took the edge for Luuvers to take another great catch at 1st slip. Great effort Goff and like all great Cazh bowlers was then rested so the game didn’t finish too quickly!!

While the mayhem was happening at the other end Luuvers had been bowling beautifully going past the edge and the keepers’ gloves effortlessly for no reward. This changed in this last over (possibly coz he got a wicket!) with Bryn snaffling another catch in the covers. Leaving BWE on 22-4 after 8 overs.

Paul & Pat took over for the next 11 overs, although not as productive on the wicket front didn’t allow BWE get away. Pat had a little trouble getting his line right and wasn’t helped by some poor fielding in the covers from me (sorry for firing the next one back Jimmy). Paul started tight and never let up with the chase getting away from them the batsmen tried to get going only to be bamboozled and skip past one and was stumped by Jimmy with some fast hands behind the stumps.

BWE finally got a partnership going with 34 runs coming in the next 8 overs with drinks approaching Paul stamped out this last piece of resistance ripped one through the gate leaving BWE 72 for 6.

Now Ross has earned his nickname through his forum handle of Sticky wicket unfortunately sometimes Sticky tries to emulate his name. During his spell the ball was not released exactly when he wanted leading to some interesting signals from the umpire but he kept pushing the ball through and was unlucky not to take a wicket.

Rob was Ross’s bowling partner and looked to mop up the tail. Rob started by bowling the only BWE batsmen that had found any rhythm, this started the rot which then allowed Alex to make up for some near misses earlier in the innings and catching the no.8. The last of the three was a clip off the pads that ballooned to cheese at square leg and then Rob was given the shepherd’s crock to allow Steve-o back in the game.

For the previous 4 overs had to be sulking after dropping a dolly at mid-on that would have started the dominoes 2 overs earlier. It did prompt a question/statement “how is he the club top catcher?” I won’t embarrass the cazh that said it, I think we have all heard cheese say worst!

So, on came Steve-o all vim & vigour looking for redemption, then he shelled a caught & bowled and out came the usual visceral expletives (x3) only to be lightened the next ball with Alex showing how to do it taking the catch in the covers.
BWE all out for 115 in the 32over

Unfortunately, this wasn’t the last time that Steve-o impacted on the day of the cazh with many of them searching for a credit card that was safely in the kit bag. The only saving grace to this was that Steve-o has heavily fined by BWE in the pub after the game.

Goff; 5 overs-1 maiden-16 runs-3 wickets
Luuvers: 4-2-4-1
Paul; 6-2-9-2
Pat; 5-0-37-0
Ross; 4-0-28-0
Rob; 5-0-8-3
Byrn; 2-0-9-0
Steve-o; 1-0-4-0

Another win for the cazh, I hope that every enjoyed the day. As it has been with a couple of Sundays Luuvers biggest worry was everyone getting a game. Well done, Skip.

back