Match Report vs Lisvane 28 August 2022 @ St Mellons (Skipper Luvvers, report Steve B)

Casuals back at Lisvane for another Sunday friendly. Our previous visit this season was a good demonstration of why cricket isn’t played in wet weather, but today we were met with a warm day and a decent looking pitch. A few casuals picked up their new shirts from the kit bag and although there were some question marks over the kit man’s ironing, the shirts were pulled on and the casuals took to the field in good spirits. Actually, most of us did – Steveo spent the first over in the changing room, presumably getting rid of some last-minute nerves in the bathroom or psyching himself up in the mirror.

Cap’n Luvvers and Rob opened the bowling and the batsmen seemed to struggle with Luvvers’ pace, producing a few unconvincing shots in the air through backward point but nothing going to hand. The openers seemed to quite enjoy Rob’s bowling despite him not doing a lot wrong. DT replaced Rob after a few overs and quickly had the opener LBW. Pabs replaced Luvvers and bowled a good line and length. The remaining opener and no.3 were getting into their stride however and both were looking increasingly comfortable. A brief chat between some of the casuals’ thinking men saw Will come into a shortish mid-off for the start of DT’s next over. The handy looking opener immediately slapped one straight at Will’s bread basket and he took a very sharp catch to remove the danger man.

I can’t exactly remember the order of the next few wickets (and perhaps the previous) but Jim stumped no.3 for DT’s 3rd and caught the next man to complete DT’s demolition of the top order – finishing on 8-0-46-4. Jim took another catch from Pabs bowling to cap an excellent performance behind the stumps.

Pete bowled very well taking 2-23 and Steveo could only watch on in dismay as Will took another catch to tighten things up at the top of the all-time-catches table. Steveo, Tim and Biggs bowled a few overs each with Steveo and Biggs taking wickets to wrap up the innings. The Casuals did a good job of restricting Lisvane after a strong start and they finished on 225 all out.

Oh and Rob slipped on a ball and broke his wrist on a white picket fence. He still fielded until the end though. Good man.

Luvvers 5-1-22-0
Rob 3-0-21-0
DT 8-0-46-4
Pabs 8-1-42-1
Pete 5-1-23-2
Tim 4-0-31-0
Biggs 3.5-0-16-2
Steveo 3-0-19-1

Tea was BYO – I remember mini sausage rolls, sandwiches and I think Pete might have had Caviar on crackers.

226 to win and Jim and Biggs opening for the Cazh. The pair got off to a steady start with the opening bowler giving a few wides and both batsmen finding the boundary. Jim played and missed a few on the off side before starting to connect with some solid leg side stuff. The pair managed to run a 4 which could have probably been a 5 or 6 if they could have been bothered. Biggs felt the pressure of some tight bowling from the other opener and sent a leading edge to mid-off. Out for 16.

Biggs was too pissed off with his dismissal to take in what happened over the next few overs but for the purposes of this report: Will joined Jim and they both smacked it around a bit. At the start of the day, Will was in with a slim chance of breaking the long-standing (probably) record for most runs in a season and an even slimmer chance of becoming the first casual with a kilorun to his name. Jim was by now connecting regularly with some big hits and got his first 50 for the Cazh. The pair brought up a 100 partnership before Jim was eventually stumped on 57. Casuals 149-2 from 25 overs.

Will had by now broken the runs-in-a-season record and reached 50. With a sniff of breaking his second record of the day, he went full Akabusi, hitting some great straight sixes and making sure Luvvers didn’t gobble up too many of the remaining runs. Luvvers played a good supporting role helping Will to finish on 107 not out with Casuals winning with overs and wickets to spare. Credit to Steveo too for keeping a pair of pads warm for 15 overs.

Congratulations to Jim for his first Cazh 50 and Will for scoring more runs in season than most of us have in our lives.

Jim 57
Biggs 16
Will 107 not out
Luvvers 16 not out
Steveo DNB

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