Match Report vs Eclipse
6 August 2014 @ St Fagans(Skipper and report Shakey)
Chris Harris, somewhat uncomfortably lumbered with the moniker
'Rolf', can bat a bit. He'd shown that in a number of previous
games but you can't just become an all-rounder in this team
in your first season you know. But it was time to test him
up the order and Kim and 'Rolf' walked out to open the innings
which got off to a great start. Kim smashed a boundary second
ball of the innings and followed it up with a clean swish
to the deep midwicket boundary for six next ball. Great stuff.
Chris (I can't keep up this 'Rolf' thing its just not right
guys) hit a lovely four through mid-off in the second over
but then tried to repeat it against a shorter and slower ball
and smacked it straight back to the bowler to leave us 20-1
off 2 with Will now at the wicket. But disaster struck soon
after when Kim also hit the ball back to the bowler so now
it was up to Darren to keep Will company. To be fair he did
as, after a slow start, the runs began to flow - 10 runs off
the 6th, two off the 7th but then 10 runs and 13 runs off
the next two overs to leave us 66-2 off 9 and in a great position
to push on.
It was then that Darren had his Coldplay moment. He hit the
ball hard to mid-on, I'd almost say sweetly. So sweetly in
fact that he must have thought that sounded and felt good
and yes I'm going to run. So he did. That rush of blood to
the head was his undoing as mid-on reacted quickly, gathered
it cleanly and threw down the stumps from 10 yards to leave
Darren comfortably numb (oh that's the Floyd). Will was joined
by Gareth as we reached 70 off 10, needing another 70-odd
to set a defendable total. Will batted with some class, and
now and again a little luck as we made hay for the next few
overs. But Gareth struggled to get the ball away at times
and although we made progress it was clear that we might end
up short. Will was bowled for 62 in the last over having hit
two sixes and 4 boundaries as we settled on what we felt was
a disappointing 128-5, some 20 short.
Eclipse got off to a flyer hitting four boundaries off the
first seven balls before Paul induced a caught and bowled
and Dan claimed one taken by Will behind. Eclipse accumulated
the runs but they didn't run away with it thanks to some good
fielding and bowling with Dan and Paul bowling through (1-30
and 1-20 respectively). Andy and shakes took over and kept
up the pressure before shakes got the third wicket with a
pie-ball to leave them 75-3 off 12. Two balls later Williams
hit the ball from shakes agonisingly short of cover and our
chance seemed to disappear. Andy and shakes bowled out (0-23
and 1-26) to leave 28 required off four overs. But it was
then that Williams cut loose and the pressure on Eclipse eased
ball by ball however hard bowlers and fielders alike tried.
Eclipse hit the winning runs with 9 balls to spare. A closer
game than it sounds and a good effort considering we were
short of runs and it proved we can be competitive at St Fagans.
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