Match Report vs Usk -29
August 2016 @ Hayes Point (Skipper Kim, report Obee1)
Beautiful hot day for the last game of the seasons as the
Casuals rolled into Usk.
Two things were immediately obvious. 1. there had been some
heavy rain recently as the outfield and one end of the wicket
was a little damp. 2 Usk had a youthful side out, full of
enthusiasm. A few tiddlers, but some mid teens too and a sprinkling
of adults.
Kim elected/agree to field Making his debut was Will’s
mate Dave, but where was Luke? Turned out he’d not known
it was a bank holiday, being on hospital shifts, and assumed
it was an evening match. I would take the piss, but as he
probably inserting a catheter into some geriatric I’ll
let him do that himself. Keen not to be down to 10, we had
Darren’s little Brittons taking it in turns to fill
in.
With Luke absent, Shakes was thrown the new ball, with Rob
operating from the other end. It didn’t take long for
Rob to strike, the batsman lobbing a simple catch to startled
Richie at mid off. Rob’s line and length balls weren’t
having much luck, but the variation struck again soon after
with a small batsman inside edging on to the stumps. No such
luck for Shakes who’d bowling tightly but no wickets.
Usk had an adult at the top of the order to steady the kids,
and he was very unhappy to be given out caught behind as Rob
swung one away – everyone but him heard the edge. Paul
and Pete took over, Paul returning to action after a month
out with a wrist op. Darren took a midwicket catch off Pete,
but the next partnership was stronger. With the batsmen looking
to stay in, the rate was kept down, and at 20 overs they had
59 on the board. Paul broke it when a stinging shot was parried
into the air by Dave, then neatly caught. Rik and Dave chipped
in a couple of overs each, with no luck but plenty of air.
At drinks. Will had persuaded Kim to let him have a bowl.
The long run-up lasted 2 over before reverting to a few steps,
and he was disappointed to find that a retirement at 50 didn’t
count for his stats. At the end, Shakes got the reward he
deserved with a neat c&b, and Richie got the last wicket
to fall, caught by Rik.
They’d never really got away, but 196 was a good score
on a hot day.
Kim and Darren opened, with one of the little Brittons very
unsure about the wisdom of this plan. But they moved along
at about 3 an over before Darren was caught for 9. Will strolled
out to the middle, in what might prove to be his final Casuals
innings. A couple of lovely shots looked very promising, but
he perished giving catching practice to point. Rob was next
in and looked safe enough, but struggled to find the gaps.
Meanwhile, Kim was riding his luck (4 drops, 1 decent LBW
shout and 1 caught of a no ball) but keeping up the rate and
moving past his 50 at pace. Just as Rob started to get his
eye in, he was given LBW, bringing Richie. Some huge hitting
fom Kim followed, one six clearing the pavilion completely
and a second hitting the rear roof. Richie departed cheaply,
bringing in Shakey. Some trademark dabs kept the Causals faint
hopes alive, with Kim bring up his ton with a four. But when
he was caught at square leg for 114, the game was up and we
finished on 177-5.
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