Match Report vs Eclipse
19 May 2011@ Wenvoe (Skipper Ed, report Goff)
A pleasant evening at the mecca of South Walian cricket.
Sunny with a wisp of cloud, 15 degrees and a calm south-westerly.
Skipper Ed was keen as ever, there at 4.30pm taking in the
atmosphere visualising on his field placement and practising
his slice. The Wenvoe track looked long with stumps at both
ends, it didn't take him long to decide what he was going
to do once he'd lost the toss.
By 6pm both teams were ready to roll. The Casz had selected
a very diverse team. Solid performers, consistent, focussed
experience, exciting young guns, strategists, orthodox, unflappable......all
words that could never be used to describe any Casuals team
and certainly not this one.
The visitors put themselves into bat and were eyeing up a
150-160 to defend. Nadders was given the cherry to open up
with Dion from the other end. A pretty solid start, 9-0 off
2.
Nadders lost his radar a bit in the 3rd and the short balls
were dispatched and he went for 12. Dion settled things back
with an opening 4 dots and his next delivery was chipped nicely
up for Tesh at mid-on to cradle.........oh hang on, Tesh had
other ideas, 'I like this chap' he thought, 'I'm gonna let
him carry on batting for a bit' and so gallantly let the ball
drop harmlessly to the ground! 25-0 off 4.
A bowling change for the 5th with Gwion joining the attack.
A solid opening over. Dion to resume and the batsman was obviously
feeling a tad bit guilty that he wasn't back in the pavilion.
He chips another dolly up to Tesh again............ 'no, no,
no' thought Tesh, 'I know your game, it would be nice if you
went on to score at least 44' and let the ball land harmlessly
on the ground again. 38-0 off 6
Overs 7 & 8 saw only 11 runs added with a wicket for
Gwion as Ed caught comfortably at mid-wicket (or cover, I
was eating a Jaffa cake at the time). 49-1. Dion bowled out
with very respectable figures of 4-0-18-0.
Now the next 4 overs were impressive. Tesh and Gareth joined
Gwion for an over a piece and Eclipse were bogged down a bit
only managing to add another 18. It was during this spell
that the number 2 batsman had been dropped for a 3rd time
as Pablo thought it was his turn to let him off (although
I cant remember which over) 68-1 off 12 and Gwion bowled out
for an accomplished 4-0-25-1.
Now with the current run-rate holding at a manageable less
than 6 an over, Skipper Ed started to get concerned that we
wouldn't get much of a bat so he cleverly introduced Kim to
the attack. Master-stroke, Kim went for 9, game on! Pablo
came on and his 1st went for a steady 7. Ed then bought himself
on and reaped immediate success with a wicket from his 1st
ball. Pablo 2nd was to his standards very loose with a couple
of wides to boot. The score moved on to 104-2 from 16.
Batsman No. 2 was not dropped for a fourth time..... Nadders
bought back into the attack at over 17 and Ed took the catch,
Eclipse wobbling on 105-3 with only 22 balls left.
Now, 22 legal balls later, Pablo had just finished the final
over. Only 6 runs off it and a wicket! A very solid final
over, especially for a team with plenty of wickets in hand.
What happened during the preceding 16 deliveries can only
be described as deserved carnage. I will just leave it there.
Total 154-4
Nadders 4-0-52-1 (13)
Dion 4-0-18-0 (4.5)
Gwion 4-0-25-1 (6.25)
Tesh 1-0-5-0 (5)
Gareth 1-0-3-0 (3)
Kim 1-0-9-0 (9)
Ed 1-0-8-1 (8)
Pablo 4-0-34-1 (8.5)
Most of you would've got to know that I like to tell it how
it is but always give credit where credit is due. So well
done Dion, Gwion, Gareth and Tesh for bowling around or below
a run a ball. I would also like to compliment Ash for only
conceding 3 byes behind the stumps. Just as well really as
there is fuck all complimentary can be said about his batting
effort!
Which provides a nice link to the batting effort. 155 needed.
Ed's team-talk was simple, plenty of time, 6 an over to start
pushing on to 8-9 for the victory. Nothing silly, back up
and communicate clearly. This should be a walk in the park
as the Casuals had accomplished batsman right down to No.7.
Wise words, Chris and Nipun (aka Napalm) were sent in to
lay the foundation and with Ed's inspirational words ringing
fresh in his ears, Chris is castled for 0. 1-1 a dream start.
Gareth joins Napalm and is off the mark with a boundary driving
a full one for 4. He quickly adds 2 more and then another
boundary before also having the wood behind him rearranged.
Napalm at this point was dealing mainly in 1s and 2s with
a single 4 to his name. After 4 overs the score had moved
to 30-2.
No need to panic, going at 7.5 an over with plenty of wickets
in hand, Ash the no. 4 bat and he meant business, he takes
his guard and smashes a canyon into the surface, this is his
crease now and he is going to hang around for a while, probably
see us home........... apart from he then forgets to stop
the ball from hitting the stumps. Basics Ash, basics. 31-3
after 5.
Here we go, a Casuals collapse of the classic kind was on
the cards. Was the incoming Kim going to get his head down
and build a match winning innings? Or was he going to chip
the ball lamely up in the air for another dolly whilst sharing
a joke with the oppo??..............................
Well Kim did chip the ball lamely up in the air for a dolly
whilst sharing jokes with the oppo and was caught... but not
before he and Napalm had really set about the Eclipse attack
and pushed the score to 68 after 10. Kim handed his customary
gift at the start of the Eleventh and was gone for 20 including
a six and a couple of 4s, so Skipper Ed was required to guide
Napalm and the Casz home. 68-4, 10 overs left. Still time
and still wickets in hand. And they were literally in Eds
fucking hands after his first ball and everywhere else. GOLDEN!
68-5
By now Napalm is beginning to feel a bit isolated and decided
to inflict the kind of devastation the real stuff did to the
North Vietnamese, Ruskkies and Chinese during the Vietnam
War. A brutal assault ensued over the next 4 overs including
6 x 4s and 3 x 6s and flying past his 50 and losing about
3 balls. Tesh provided the support. By the time he was caught
trying another biggie, Napalm had made an excellent 71. Casuals
were back on track, 14 overs bowled, 113-6
Napalm had brought the required rate down to 7 an over. Still
4 wickets in hand and a certain Casz victory.
Gwion joined Tesh and only a couple of singles were taken
in the 15th. The 16th saw Tesh (6) skittled by one that turned
a country mile and we were faltering at 118-7. That proved
to be the decisive over. Gwion (5) went next and the Casuals
rearguard of Dion, Pablo and Nadders although a gallant effort
were unable to really trouble the scoreboard to any significance.
The Casz finished on 142-9, 13 short and defeated.
Chris bowled 0
Nipun caught 71 (9x4s 3x6s)
Gareth bowled 10 (2x4s)
Ash bowled 0
Kim caught 20 (2x4s 1x6)
Ed bowled 0
Tesh bowled 6 (1x4)
Gwion bowled 5 (1x4)
Dion bowled 8 (1x4)
Pablo not out 4
Nadders not out 3
With proficiency that can only be attributed to the likes
of Cardiff City Football Club, the Casuals manage to snatch
failure from the jaws of success.
Beaten maybe but down? definitely not. The Casz will rise
again like a phoenix from the flames and overcome all adversity.
Unlike Cardiff City who will always wallow in self pity and
perennial failure.
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