Match Report vs Barry
Wanderers 21 April 2013 @ Hayes Point (Skipper and
report Shakey)
Somehow the match against Barry Wanderers should always be
our opening fixture - at least that's the way it feels to
me anyway. So we trooped down to Sully Hospital for our 50th
fixture against our erstwhile foes hoping that the weather
forecast was wrong and that we'd get more than an hour of
cricket in to start the 2013 season.
Captain for the day Shakey dutifully lost the toss and the
Cazh were asked to bowl. Choice of ends and the honour of
first ball of the season went to a slightly surprised Goff
but he started well with a maiden and even better when he
bowled the opener in the third over to leave Wdrs 6-1. Bowesy
opened from the other end and, well, shall we say he struggled
a little with his line. The odd threatening ball was thrown
in and Goff maintained good pressure but they had no joy so
Paul was brought on after 8 overs. He bowled well enough to
get through his allotted 8 on the bounce with three maidens
in a row at one point but it just wasn't his day. But 25 runs
off 8 overs helped the Cazh control the game from one end
while it all happened at the other.
Saj looked quick and low and slingy from the off when he
replaced Bowesy. But their captain played some lovely lofted
drives including two sixes to use the extra pace Saj was generating.
Just before drinks Saj finally got their skipper with Kim
taking a good catch at cover - one drive too many (49-2).
A good start from the debutant so Shakes decided to bring
another into the attack.
Viewers will understand that Will is a wicket-keeper who
can bat a bit (certainly looks like he can) so it came as
no surprise that on debut you should do the exact opposite
and have a bowl. In his first over Will induced a catch to
short cover where the surprised/delighted/relieved Roachy
calmly stuck his hands up to pouch a drive. The rest of the
team were surprised/delighted/relieved too and JR grinned
as if he did this sort of thing all the time!
Will picked up an lbw with his slowly flighty off spin while
his third wicket owed more to the misfortune of the Wdrs batsman
who lost his footing trying to hit to leg but also his bat
which then careered into his stumps - out hit wicket. Marvellous
and priceless statto porn. Wdrs were 69-5 in the 23rd over.
Blundell and Fenton rallied well for the Wdrs against a
returning Goff (who bowled well with no luck) and Pete Obee.
Their stand was helped by a bout of ball dropping in the deep
but it couldn't last forever. In his 4th over Pete claimed
Fenton caught at long-on where Goff calmly stepped out of
play to judge where the line was and then back in to take
what appeared to be a comfortable catch when the earlier misses
had shown it wasn't (124-6).
Shakes picked up two wickets as Blundell moved reached fifty
batting with the tail. Saj was brought back to ruffle the
tail up and he did just that - yorking two to bowl Wdrs out
for 171 with four balls left in the innings.
Maybe 20 runs too many but we have done much worse in our
first game and everyone had contributed so far including Ash
who had a good game behind the stumps apart from one error.
After a full but dull tea Jam and Kim walked out amid the
gathering clouds and increasingly heavy drizzle which had
been overhead for half an hour. Jam faced the first ball and
let it go. The second was wide of off stump and he decided
to guide it down to third man and get his season off the mark.
But it bounced a bit and went straight to third slip - well
it would if third slip had been there. Four to Jam. But then
the rain started to come down and we all trooped off knowing
that was the end of the days fun. A heavy downpour ensured
that our first game of the season was abandoned as a draw.
Goff 8-1-32-1
Bowes 4-0-11-0
Paul 8-3-25-0
Saj 6.2-0-33-3
Will 5-1-9-3
Pete 4-0-41-1
shakes 4-1-11-2
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