Match Report vs Welsh
Government 19th July 2023 @ Llandaff Fields (Skipper
Luvvers, report Finchy)
Apologies in advance for the tardiness of this match report.
What follows is hopefully at least a semi-truthful account
of a midweek friendly that won’t live long in the annals
of Casuals legends.
Through nobody’s fault but my own, I also feel a bit
like the old gal at the start of Titanic trying to write this:
“It’s been 84 years….”
Anyways, I digress, back to the matter at hand.
10 Casuals (more on that later) gathered at Llandaff fields
for a friendly against Welsh Gov. or, as they called themselves
in the book “Sam’s sexy spunky Spartans”
– each to their own.
A coin was tossed, the result of which is not remembered
but the outcome was the Cazh into bat first. Which suited
us as we were one short having been “ghosted”
by a new player. (Perhaps one of the single/unattached members
can confirm if that is the correct use of the term).
Opening pair Derek Acorah (Jim) and Alex started well for
us, both getting starts and navigating us to 47 off 7 before
both being bowled in consecutive overs for 27 and 17 respectively.
Nishchay collected a first baller caught and bowled, leaving
skipper Luvvers and Liam in to progress matters. Luvvers quickly
set about reaching 30 from 23 balls and retiring (as it was
a midweek friendly). Liam also playing well to finish 27n.o.
alongside Max with a quick fire 17n.o. and some energetic
diving to make his ground on a quick run or two.
Casuals 131-4 off 20 with seventeen 4’s and two 6’s.
J.Hopkinson – 27
A. Heath – 17
G. Loveridge – 32 rtd.
N. Bhatt – 0
L. Warren – 27*
M. Cullen – 17
DNB:
R.Owens, T. Bluff-Higgins, D.White, G.Finch, D.Thomas
Those of you who can count (a minority no doubt), will have
spotted that there are 11 names above, not 10. DT, who had
innocently turned up to spectate, found himself roped in for
a game – thanks Dave.
So, with DT as part of the fielding outfit defending a reasonable
total, what could possibly go wrong I hear you ask? Well…
What followed was a fielding performance from the Casuals
that was so casual that even the Casuals who were part of
it thought, this is too casual. Overall, I think, we racked
up 4 missed run outs and 4 dropped catches.
This, with a combination of their skipper forgetting/ignoring
the friendly aspect of the evening, having watched Luvvers
retire at 30 and the Cazh bowl 2 overs each, allowed a reasonably
strong opening pair to score 87 between them at a good lick
and put us firmly on the back foot. Only DT and Nishchay avoiding
any real punishment each returning 1-7 from their 2 overs
each.
Special mentions here though for Max and Tim.
Max, with his whites already not so white, and his pulse
barely below 180, continued to throw himself around in the
field, diving around like a possessed Tom Daley – not
for any significant return I might add from memory, but the
effort was applauded.
Tim, who never fares well whenever I am on match report duties,
dropped 2 caught and bowled in his first 2 deliveries. In
fairness, neither was an easy chance and the first in particular,
was leathered back at him, so much so that a broken finger
was confirmed later that week.
I too will fess up, as the run out I missed was so bad, that
I missed the stumps by a greater distance than I was actually
standing from them, in the process clocking Luvvers straight
in the shins. (Some of you may call that a victory as the
game was sure as shit lost by then).
Liam also collected a wicket before the end but it wasn’t
enough to stop us being soundly defeated in the 18th over.
Welsh Gov. won by 7 wickets 135-3 in 18 overs.
R. Owens: 2-0-13-0
D. White: 2-0-19-0
M. Cullen: 2-0-21-0
D. Thomas: 2-0-7-1
N. Bhatt: 2-0-7-1
T. Bluff-Higgins: 2-0-18-0
G. Finch: 2-0-17-0
A. Heath: 2-0-12-0
L. Warren: 1-0-9-1
G. Loveridge: 1-0-7-0
Thankfully, the Teflon we all applied to our hands seemed
to wear off in time as nobody dropped their pint in the pub.
Small mercies.
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