Match Report vs Wick
9th June 2024 @ Wick (Skipper Jim, Report Jesus)
Cobbles Kitchen & Deli – Beach-side Shack that
Packs the Snacks!
On your next visit to Ogmore, skip the chippy and stop at
Cobbles Kitchen & Deli https://cobbleskitchen.myshopify.com/,
home of some truly impressive bread-and-filling based delights.
When John Montagu first slapped two slices round his roast
beef to keep him at the card table (#begambleaware) he couldn’t
possibly have known what he’d started, but from humble
beginnings, at Cobbles, sandwich making is reaching a raucous
crescendo. If sandwich making was an art form, Cobbles would
be at its more maximalist end. Given the scale of Cobbles
offerings, however, it’s probably better to think of
what they're doing as architecture, and brutalist architecture
at that.
Cobbles splits its menu into Sandos (massive sandwiches)
and Brons (based on that favourite of the American South,
"biscuits", i.e. savoury scones, equally massive).
On my first visit I plumped for the Texas BBQ Sando, packed
with overnight smoked brisket, melted cheese, pickles, jalapenos
and slaw, with a Twirl-topped extra thick chocolate cookie
for afters. Waiting for the sandwich to be prepared, I enjoyed
a lamb and mint pasty – lovely minty taste encased in
flaky golden puff, but slightly cold on the inside as it hadn’t
been fully reheated. After a few minutes my Sando arrived
and boy did it have some heft – a fist-thick slab the
size of a side plate, no doubt intimidating to any but the
most ravenous, insatiable gluttons…
At which point, I should probably mention the Cardiff Casuals
Cricket Club, and their match against Wick, which happened
to be taking place on the day of my visit to Cobbles Kitchen
& Deli (for those uninterested in cricket, I suggest you
skip down a few paragraphs, where I’ll return to the
sandwich in more detail).
40 minutes at a standstill on the A4232, and the small sandwich-based
diversion mentioned above, meant I arrived as the game was
just beginning. Slate grey skies and a keen wind were unfamiliar
conditions at Wick, so a few Casuals were very happy to see
that some of the long-awaited new kit had turned up, as it
offered much needed additional layers. Talking of additional
layers, Skipper Jim opened up, along with Kevyn, now settled
in at the top of the order. Some good early bowling produced
a number of dots (more on this later Jim) and a smattering
of runs, before Kevyn was well caught at square leg trying
to latch onto a shorter one in the 8th over, 25-1.
I’d managed to get my pads on at this point, much to
Steve O’s disappointment, and strode out to join the
skipper, fresh from a fairly horrendous first-baller in mid-week
(see Steve B's report vs NOW). My week could have gotten worse,
if their skipper, bowling some half-decent spin, had managed
to cling on to a caught and bowled chance I slapped back at
him. Fortunately it wasn’t to be, and after this let
off Jim and I started to build a partnership, albeit not very
rapidly, taking the casuals to 67-1 at drinks. During this
time Jim survived a number appeals for caught behind down
the leg-side. Dan, umpiring at the time, had pointed out to
Jim that his pads were on the wrong legs and that his straps
kept getting hit, and that it might be a good idea to change
them to eliminate any confusion. Jim refrained, and after
failing to raise his bat in acknowledgement of his 50 (dot
balls), he was, much to his a surprise, given out caught behind
down the leg side by new umpire Kevyn. This was not before
scoring a handy 39 in a partnership of 87, taking the casuals
to 115-2 from 26.
Hollywood was in at number 4, which also happened to be his
top score for the season prior to the game (I was as surprised
as anybody). It didn’t show however, as Jack quickly
got going in his trademark languid style. The scoring really
picked up at this point, both Jack and I finding the boundaries
regularly and losing a few balls in the hedgerows of Wick
via some big maximums. The 36th over went for 22, with 3 sixes,
1 from Jack and 2 from me, and in the 37th I went to 100 with
a 6 over long off. Jack was out in the next over, caught at
cover going for another big one, ending a partnership of 103
that had come in just under 12 overs. This brought the ever-patient
Steve O to the crease, who’d spent the previous 37 and
a half overs padded up, calmly and quietly waiting his turn
to bat. Alas, this turn lasted two balls, one clipped to mid-wicket,
one slapped back to the bowler who juggled it but clung on.
Liam in next and after a couple of nice shots including one
over mid-wicket for 4 a mix-up in the middle/me wanting to
protect my average saw Liam run out. Dan faced the last couple
and we ended 216-5, a pretty decent total we thought.
To return to the meat of this report, my Cobbles creation
had held up extremely well in the car for a couple of hours,
and was everything I was hoping for and more – proper
hunks of smoked brisket, rich BBQ sauce, tangy pickles, spice
from the jalapeños and crunch from the slaw. It took
some eating, but fortunately I’d worked up an appetite
– 10/10 would definitely recommend to any hungry Casual!
Dan and Goff opened the bowling against a left-right combo,
with it very quickly becoming apparent who would be the bigger
threat, the left-hander looking very classy and scoring around
the wicket off the front and back foot. The right-hander was
a bit more stolid in approach, mostly shovelling things to
the leg-side or missing it completely. Goff and Dan kept things
tight, going for just 27 off their combined 11 overs. Jim
brought Ed Stagg and DT on as first change, but the breakthrough
didn’t follow, and instead the left-hander quickly got
into full flow. After bringing up their 50 stand in the 12th,
the Wick openers powered on, reaching 128-0 at drinks. The
lefty had given a couple of chances, one hard to Steve O at
mid off, and one harder to me diving at extra-cover, but neither
could hold on, and the game looked like Wick’s to lose.
A bowling change did finally bring a wicket, Steve O inducing
a mix up to leave the right-hander stranded half-way down
and run out (it doesn’t say by who in the book) for
44 (I’d like to see the wagon wheel #onespoke). A few
overs later Steve picked up the other opener, finally dismissed
for a fluent 114, stumped by Hollywood. The damage, however,
had been done with Wick needing only 30 to win from 11 overs.
They did it in 5, reaching 217-2 in the 35th.
A disappointing day in the field for the casuals, but at
least the slightly early finish meant we got out of the cold
and wind that bit quicker. We headed to the lamb and flag
for post-match pints, and best of all roast chicken sandwiches
(to read the full review, subscribe here!)
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