Match report vs Chartered
Trust 03 May 07 @ Wenvoe (Skipper and report Paul)
The first league game of the season saw the Casuals (in
all senses of the word) face Chartered Trust, a team we have
not had much luck against in the recent past. We all arrived
promptly before the scheduled kick off and got away shortly
after 6.
I lost the toss (that’s one each so far from this season,
I will be keeping count) and they decided to bat on a pleasant
evening that promised to get a bit nippy towards the end of
the game.
Muff opened the bowling, downhill and into the wind (his
choice) which helped his out swingers and he took a wicket
with his 4th legal ball (2 wides) when the opener spooned
a catch to mid wicket off a low full toss which was easily
taken by winky Hood. I was on second uphill with the wind
(thank god I’m skipper, Richard take note) and I took
a wicket with my 4th ball as well after getting hit for a
3 past extra cover. The other opener played down the wrong
line of a straight on and I knocked his off peg out.
Muff bowled his 4 out and bowled admirably for 16 runs (one
4 and 4 wides) beating the bat on numerous occasions and at
least 3 of the wides were due to excessive swing. I also went
for 16 off 3 overs, I had problems drifting down the leg side
but it was ok, I had a few near misses, with Will putting
down a skyer at mid to long off.
Nadeem took over from me and took 2 for 23 off his allotment.
It was a curates egg of a spell, some good balls, fewer bad
balls, and if I’m honest quite a few wides (8 in the
scorebook). We did capture 3 wickets in his spell. A caught
and bowled, their number 5 for a duck. Ritchie Benaud would
have called it a catch it or wear it situation and Nadeem
sort of managed to do both, the ball hit him in the chest
and rolled down between his arm and torso and it stuck there,
a good effort. The second wicket was one of the most bizarre
I have ever seen. A lad had obviously turned up for them,
all new kit and proceeded to leap out of the way of a ball
on his leg stump knocking them all over; if it was in slow
motion it would have looked like a shit bit out of the Matrix.
The other wicket in Nadeem’s spell was a run out, two
of their best 3 batsmen were in and there was a bit of a mix
up with a ball hit to mid on and Shagger arrowed a great throw
on the bounce to the WK. Steveo who smashed out a stump running
out our Nemesis Richard Jones for 9.
At the other end Will propelled 2 overs down, a few went
down leg side but we never lost control and I think a run
a ball over 2 overs was a good effort with the outfield quick
and the 3rd man boundary short from Wills end.
After 12 overs they were on 70ish for 5, the scorebook is
not completed properly so this is an approximation. Winkey
was on next from the changing sheds end taking the wicket
of their top scorer and number 3 batsmen for a decent 32.
Dan took the wicket of their 2nd best player with a ball slanted
onto the leg stump pitched well up which he played a poor
shot to, he tried to steer it towards point off the back foot
for some reason. Another wicket for Winkey in his second over
with a ball well pitched up which hit the lower half of off
stump. Both Andy and Dan did an excellent job; only 34 were
hit off 8 overs, a great effort at the death.
We finished off with a run out in Dan’s last over,
Steve deliberately spilled a ball to entice a quick single
with the knowledge that he would recover in time and run out
the flailing batsman.
They scored 109 for 9 in 20overs, 8 byes, 20 wides, 2 no
balls. Muff 4ov 1 for 16, Pablo 3ov 1 for 16, Nadders 3ov
2 for 23, Big Willy 2ov 0 for 12, Winkey 4ov 2 for 18 and
Shagger 4ov 1 for 16. And 2 run outs. The fielding was fine
with 2 catches going down although it got a bit ragged towards
the end and Steve gave a good effort behind the timbers on
a low pitch with the occasional ball taking off.
On to the batting, Furnham and Goad opening up, all of the
bowling was decent, they had a be-deadlocked Aussie that was
a little sharper than the rest and a leg spinner who thought
he was better than he was (too many short balls and a few
over pitched as far as I could see from square leg –
(ED – though everyone who faced him said he was very
good…)). Will departed for 6 in the third with the score
on 9 playing over a straight one after some good running between
the two.
Manish was in next and played a great knock of 29 departing
in the 11th over after hitting 3 4’s and a superb straight
6 hitting the chicken wire by the club house ¾ of the
way up. A very good partnership of 49 with John in 8 overs.
Pikey was in next, I must admit the phrase run out did cross
my mind as he was walking in to bat, a premonition perhaps.
Before we get to that though he scored 8 runs and had a few
problems getting a bat on the leg spinner (Quote from Pikey
- As for the spinner! Not at my best granted - although I'm
not sure I will face a better ball this season than the one
which pitched outside leg and just missed the off stump!).
Now to the run out. I was out there and this is honestly how
I saw it. John clipped a ball off his legs straight to a fielder
and set off for a run, it was Jamie’s call and he did
call no after a slight hesitation, John meanwhile had called
yes and set off. They ended up both aiming for the non-strikers
end. If Jamie had gave a resounding NO immediately then I
think the problem would have been averted. That’s all
I can say on the matter. As for who was run out I am adamant
that I made the correct decision, I did have a few moans from
the fielding side but I was watching very intently to see
who was out, just as the stumps were broken at the strikers
end Jamie was ‘talking’ to John facing me as John
put his bat down over the bowlers crease, therefore John Had
crossed and I had to Give Jamie out. This was not tactical
in any way; it was the correct decision by the laws of cricket.
Steve came in and hit a lovely extra cover drive for 4 as
well as a slice to 3rd man for another and a 3 in his 15 not
out. John was the mainstay of our innings; he was run out
for 37 in the last over needing 2 or 3 to win at that point.
He hit 4 4’s including a lovely lofted on drive. His
runs were mainly steers and deflections square of the wicket
and behind, he put on 20 with Jamie in 4 overs and 30 with
Steve in 5, a great effort in my opinion on a low wicket.
As far as the chase is concerned our mid innings acceleration
(7, 5, 13, 4 & 12 runs coming from the 13th over onwards)
had left us with 9 to get off 3 overs. The gloom at this point
had more than gathered, it had unpacked and was settling in
for the night, and Steve did admit to me that he couldn’t
see the ball. It was about 8.45pm. We took five off the leg
spinner's over in the 18th. Steve swished at all of the 19th
over and was dropped by the keeper but got a single off the
last ball, 2 to win. After a play and miss in the dark of
the quick Aussie Eddie Grant look alike Steve got a bat on
the next and took off for a single and John was just run out
by an inch or 2 bringing the mighty Tesh to the wicket still
2 to win. Steve and Tesh then decided to run everything and
ran 2 extras off the next 2 balls to give the Casuals a deserved
if rather too close for comfort victory with 2 balls to go.
We ended on 110 for 4 off 19.4 overs. W Goad Bowled for 6,
Manish Caught at long off for 29, Pikey run out for 8, John
run out for 37. Steve’o not out 15, Tesh not out 0.
4 byes, 7 leg byes and 4 wides.
A very good game and an excellent victory against one of
our bogie sides. Apologies to Tesh who didn’t get as
much of a chance to do as much as the rest of the team apart
from some committed fielding and the mayhem right at the end,
I will see you right when you play next mate.
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