Match Report vs Eclipse
29 April 2021 @ Wenvoe (Skipper Rob, report Paul)
The 2021 season commenced at Wenvoe on Thursday the 29th
of April, this was the team selected to pay this pre-season
friendly
Paul Stephens
Richard Holiday
Will Mason-Wilkes (wkt)
George Phillips
Jared Morgan (debut)
Steve O’Reilly
Rob Owens (capt)
Dan Lewis
Goff Day
Mark Stephens
David Thomas
The Wenvoe microclimate saw us home again and the rain kept
away and Captain Rob won the toss and chose to bat opening
with Paul and Ritchie.
Stunningly, since neither of us had picked up a bat since
last September we survived the first six overs. The ball moved
around a bit, it swung and nipped from the pavilion end but
the quicker youngster at the other end had radar and run up
issues and gave us a few extras along the way.26-0 after 6
overs.
I went first ball of the 7th over for 6, bowled by a straight
ball off my pads that didn’t move much (crap shot to
be fair) and Will joined the fun. Will was next to go top
edging a full toss to mid wicket on the boundary for 11, one
4 and a 3! 46-2 off 10.
George quickly followed bowled ushering the debutant Jared
who hadn’t played since school. I think Rich went next
for a well made 21which included three 4’s, it was a
very good knock and a good start and he was bowled by a grubber
to be fair, 56-3.
Captain Rob joined Jared who went caught at cover for a duck
57-3, leaving Steve to join Captain Rob; the bets were in
on the sideline I am sure. Steve and Rob increased the run
rate and had a good partnership of 35 before Steve ran himself
out on a kamikaze mission that emperor Hirohito would have
been proud of. Steve played well with two 4’s, run out
for 16.
Captain Rob played our best innings of the day I think; he
looked fluent and played excellently for 22 not out with two
4’s and the Casuals first 6 of the season towards the
football ground. Dan was not out 0 and we managed 100 for
6 off our 18 overs.
They bowled 24 extras and I think we were perhaps 10 to 15
runs short of a good total but 101 to win made it a game.
Innings number two, had I mentioned that it was really cold
and Covid had definitely had an impact on the Casuals fitness.
Dan is a little rounder, as is Steve, Ritchie and Goffy (good
luck with the half marathon mate). Dave looks less mobile
(I know), and the running between the wickets really took
a toll on quite a few of us.
Dan and Goff opened up for us both going for 6 an over even
though the book says they were on 33 after the 6th over. Goff
managed to strangle one of the openers out caught by Rob on
the mid wicker boundary in the 4th over.
The other opener and an old adversary Niluka played very
well and both retired on 30 each after the first wicket. Mark
replaced Dan at the pavilion end and after 3 deliveries pulled
a hamstring and was relegated to short cover for the rest
of the game and I had to replace him. At the other end an
increasingly immobile Dave was having problems finding a good
length and went for 27 off his 3 overs, poor old Goff doing
much of the fetching carrying chasing and throwing, running
from long off to cover on the boundary.
I bowled ok to be fair, I haven’t bowled for two years
because of shoulder problems and I still am not 100% but I
landed everything and the scorebook says I bowled my three
overs for 10 runs.
With Mark only bowling one over for 6 runs this left Steve
and Rob to bowl the last 5 overs of our innings. They were
76-1 at this point and Niluka and Tim the other opener had
either retired or were about to retire. Rob got the next wicket,
caught by me at shortish mid wicket much to my surprise as
it barely touched my hands and nestled in the midriff area.
Rob bowled well going for 6 off his two overs and Steve also
bowled well enough until the 18th over where a filthy full
toss was dispatched to the tennis court side for 4.
Will kept very well and had a stumping not given off Rob
that the umpire later apologised for. We looked a little toothless
with bat and ball and I don’t think during the second
innings that the result was in doubt but we did make them
go to the last over.
We played ok considering the circumstances I think, it was
nice to get out there and do something and see people again
and we stayed to have a beer or two at the ground after the
game provided by Chris Stork.
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