Match Report vs Tredegar
8 August 2010@ Tredegar (Skipper and report Captain
Dan)
As Barry Strollers had folded, the fixture bureau presented
us with this fixture against Tredegar. Captain Dan muscled
his way back into the team (with dodgy finger) so he could
meet up with relatives in the area (Andy F happily taking
on the scoring role once again). As with 90 percent of the
tossing this year, Captain Dan lost the toss and was inserted
(into bat).
Cheese and Britpop opened up and were both put down in their
respective 1st overs by what only can be described as ‘casual’
drops. With this on their minds the pair then began to treat
the bowling with the utmost respect…The bowler from
the valley end certainly deserved respect as he whipped it
in swing away, the young left armer from the hillside end
put in a few good deliveries though waivered with his line.
The pair battled on and had ‘raced’ to 32 off
13overs. The 14th over saw Cheese loft a 6 and 4 to increase
the run rate dramatically, before the rate dropped once again.
Ed then had a reprieve getting caught of a no ball.
The following over, Britpop top edged a full bunger (no ball)
into the face of the keeper who was standing up, and after
a blood stop the keeper left the field to stem the flow of
the cut beneath his right eye. The pair could not capitalise
on the one less fielder until the 20th over with went for
14. 79 off 20overs. Drinks were taken, and the pair returned
looking to capitalise on their solid start. However, Darren
lofted the first ball after drinks straight to mid off and
was caught for a battling 21. An excellent opening partnership
of 79. Lovers (or Riebeck as Ed is trying to introduce –
the chef off the Steven Segal movie – Under Siege…not
sure it’s going to cut it…) , strode to the middle
fresh off the back of his first century the previous day.
Captain Dan tried to encourage him to get past the first 2
deliveries before ‘letting lose’…The two
deliveries were blocked, the 3rd was smashed to the boundary!
Two overs later, Ed’s innings came to an end with a
lbw appeal upheld by JB, out for a well persevered 40. 91-2
off 23overs. Mahesh joined Gazza.
The pair looked at ease against a varying attack, the bowler
from the valley end continuing to swing it away, the hillside
bowler not really doing much. Lovers enjoyed pulling the hillside
bowler to backward square repeatedly, but on his fourth identical
swipe stepped too far across and was bowled ‘behind
his legs’ for 21 (off just 12 balls – Darren was
looking a bit sick as it had taken him 71 balls to reach the
same score). 113-3-26overs. Shakey Shakey joined Mahesh, and
Mahesh looked to repeat his innings the previous Sunday –
looking very comfortable with anything on his pads. He hit
a beautiful on drive for 4, before he got too much middle
on a ball that found its way to the mid on fielder who took
a very good low catch (17). 126-4-29overs.
Coming in a number 6 was the start of the ‘tail’,
well I say tail – as we know the Cazh bowlers can all
bat…maybe with the exception of 1….but that one
is not Winkie, who joined Shakey (who for the purposes of
this report is an all ‘rounder’...in more ways
than one!). Anyway, all rounder Shakey wasn’t around
too long, as he was also caught trying to up the pace (3).130-5-31overs.
Shag was next in, and tried to up the pace against a mediocre
bowler…blocked the first, went for it on the second
– went nowhere, but hurt, and third got hold of it and
was caught to a low catch by the keeper who had rejoined the
action at cover (0). Harry Harris in at 8 last one ball less,
but out in identical fashion also caught at cover (0). The
Cazh collapse looked imminent at 130-7-31overs.
Digger joined Winkie and didn’t do anything stupid,
played the good balls with respect and hit the bad. After
35overs the score was on 142. The next over, Digger thrashed
an almighty 6 to cow followed by a four, Winkie also play
a lovely cover drive which stopped just short of the boundary.
162 off 36. JB fell in the next over trying to slap another,
bowled (14). Richie next in, slapped a boundary off his first
ball and he an Andy looked to run as much as they could. By
now the quick opener was back on. Richie’s innings came
to an end in the 39th over, a quick fire 13 off just 6 balls.
184-9. The ‘exceptional one’ came in at 11, DB,
would you know it his first ball connected and Dave managed
to double his seasons runs with a 2. Winkie faced the last
over from the quick, but was unable to turn down a single,
leaving DB facing the quickie, to which he clouted for another
single. Andy cracked a super cover four off the last ball
of the innings to bring the 200 up for the Cazh and for the
first time in ages on a Sunday, the Cazh were not all out!
Winkie and Dave finishing on 22 and 3 not out respectively.
An excellent display throughout the innings even if at times
it seemed slow, but 70 runs came off the last 9 overs.
Ed – 40 lbw
Darren – 21ct
Gazza – 21b
Mahesh – 17ct
Mark – 3ct
Andy H – 22no
Dan – 0ct
Harry – 0ct
JB – 14b
Richie – 13ct
Dave – 3no
46 extras.
Tea was taken, and finished off, with the Cazh resorting
to reading the jokes off the back of the penguin wrappers
and swapping Christmas cracker jokes. Shag was shocked that
no one had heard the ‘what’s the difference between
jam and marmalade’ joke, so proceeded to share it to
the grimaces from around the table (you can’t marmalade
your c*ck up a girls ar$e…)
On that note, the Cazh returned to the field, with Shag and
Harry opening up the bowling. Both batsmen looked very capable
and tall one looking exceptionally comfortable from the off
hitting Shag through mid off twice in the first over. Harry
struggled with his line in the first over, but regained it
in his second. In his 3rd over, the shorter opener, lofted
2 consecutive off drives over the head of Winkie for boundaries,
so the 3rd delivery Winkie dropped all the way, only to see
the batsman try exactly the same shot and put it right down
Winkie’s throat for a well taken catch. 39-1-6overs.
Harry was replaced by Digger after 4overs, and Shag continued
to plug away. He was rewarded in his 6th over getting one
to eventually cut back in taking the No3’s leg stump
out. 65-2-11overs. Shag completed his overs and was replaced
by Winkie. Meanwhile Digger bowled 4 very accurate overs and
stemmed the flow of runs the No1 could take, going for 11
off his opening 4 overs. 76-2-16overs. DB replaced JB after
4 overs and bowled very well going mainly for singles. Winkie
was the same – bowling a very good line and length,
frustrating both batsmen.
In the 23rd over, Winkie got his reward with a lovely cutting
delivery. 105-3. In the 26th over however, Dave lost his line,
sending a wide legside delivery, which turned making it even
wider, the No1 who had been completely composed up until this
point went for it…missed it, and sharp work from Gazza
behind the stumps, collected and whipped the bails off with
the No1 stranded out of his crease and out for 53! Superb
work, suddenly it looked like the Cazh had a chance. 123-4-26overs.
In Dave’s last over, the batsmen nudged it to mid on,
and called a very sharp single, Shag ran in and tried for
the direct hit with an under arm throw, missing by a whisker…Dave
waiting behind the stumps somehow managed to collect the low
ball off once bounce and in one motion flicked it back onto
the stumps, the batsman not running his bat in was given out
by a fraction. An excellent bit of fielding from the Cazh.
130-5-28overs.
In the 30th over Harry was brought back and started well,
Winkie, continued his spell and in his last over made the
double breakthrough, the first, the batsman hit out, connected
and saw the ball sail towards the mid off boundary, however,
Richie was tracked it all the way and took an excellent catch
on the boundary edge. The following ball, Winkie clean bowled
the new batsman. On his hat trick the batsman managed to get
a pad on it but the lbw shout was turned down. 147-7-31overs.
Harry got his reward the following over, with Shag catching
what was thought to be the last batsman who could potentially
score the runs at mid on. 149-8.
The young left armer was now in with another youth. The oppo
skipper had had a word with Shag after the No1 had gone, asking
if it was alright if a substitute batsman could bat at 11
as the wicket keeper had been sent home from his injury. In
a bit of a mix up, Shag thought it was ‘last man stand’
instead it was actually a man that was ‘coming back
from injury’…With the two lads at the crease,
it was discussed between shag and Ed that it would be best
to keep these two in until the end as Andy F was giving some
worrying suggestions from the side lines…Darren tried
to adhere to this by dropping the young lad with a relatively
simple catch at cover, but JB bowled him next ball. 158-9-35overs.
The ‘injured lad’ who didn’t look that
injured, strode to the middle and took a single off the last
ball. It was at this point that the umpire exclaimed that
this lad used to play for Tredegar firsts but had stepped
up and was now playing for Panteg 1sts, and the week previous
had hit a century off 10overs ….the Cazh scattered to
the boundary. Harry’s first delivery was clouted towards
the long off boundary and fielded well by Mahesh. Next ball
he did the same but was lofted….Mahesh seeing it like
a glowing light (like a comet) coming towards him took what
looked to be a nonchalant catch on the boundary to win the
game! Fantastic!! Tredegar finishing on 159all out.
Dan – 8-1-38-1
Harry – 7.3-0-40-3
JB – 6-2-13-1
Andy H – 8-0-32-3
Dave – 6-0-27-1
It was the best catching display for quite some time…only
one catch going down, which was probably the easiest of the
lot. From being 118-2- off 25overs, Tredegar slumped to a
Casual style batting collapse 159 ao.
The Cazh made their way of to the pub, and then the some
followed Captain Dan to find his uncle’s pub via Gazza’s
sat nav for a cheeky quick one, which turned out to be a busy
and a hive of talent…some of the cazh not knowing where
to look first!
An excellent game, against friendly opposition and most importantly
at the moment – a win!
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