Match Report vs Barry
Wanderers 27 April 2025 @ Hayes Point (Skipper Steveo,
report Cheese)
We arrived at the ground in the balmy glow partly of the
late April sunshine and the partly of the wonderful Palace
semi-final win. The Captain full of vim and uncertainly decide
to bat first, mainly due the pressure of ‘10 donut’
Jesus.
Liam F & Cheese were the elected two to deal with the
new ball, as the senior partner Cheese elected Liam to take
the honours. The first ball was no surprise low ‘n’
slow making timing very difficult, Liam never had the chance
get used to it and was out chipping one up to Mid on.
The first 10 overs were slow going only punctuated by the
occasional boundary; 31-1.
With Jesus and Cheese at the crease the slow accumulation
started, at 61 off 15 overs the innings was going along well.
Then Jesus popped one up to mid-wicket and was gone.
Joel came out for his first taste of Sully point wicket and
was soon jamming his bat down on the pea-rollers. With the
change of bowling, came a boundary ball every over with cheese
adding a couple of sixes.
At drinks the talk was all about getting through the next
5 overs and seeing where we were. What actually happened was
Joel, Cheese and Steve-o all being bowled in the space of
23 balls with not much added to the total.
At 121-5, the good start was evaporating like the clouds in
the sapphire sky. Though surely the remaining 6 batters (I
use that term loosely 9,10,11!!) could add 60 runs in 98 balls
to get us to 180 and a competitive total.
The pitch claimed Pat and Pablo with the leather rattling
the timber. As the Pylon strode out to the wicket whatever
was going to happen was going to happen quick, a couple of
slaps to the midwicket boundary and the total was moving again.
After a couple of fours, the bowler up the pace which allowed
for some guided singles down to 3rd man. Pylon enjoying the
quick singles took on one too many and was run out by a mile.
Down to nine, ten & Jack to get the runs. Unfortunately,
they had different plans Dan patting one back to the bowler
and Goff after watching 9 other batters struggling decided
the best plan was run down the wicket and smack the ball down
the ground, 50% success ain’t bad, the run down the
wicket was perfectly executed.
All out for 157 off 37.3 overs.
Liam F, caught, 2
Cheese, bowled, 63 (2x6)
Jesus, caught, 24
Joel L, bowled, 9
Steve-o, bowled, 4
Pat, bowled, 7
Nylon Pylon, run out, 22
Pablo, bowled, 3
Goffy, STUMPED, 11
Dan, c & b, 1
DT, Not out, 2
Tea was the usual fare of meal deals and what was reduced
in the chill section. The light relief came from Dan and his
verbose story about he came about slapping a bridesmaid in
the face at Jims wedding.
As the story finished, a stunned silence descended on the
group, the clubhouse bell chimed breaking the silence and
the cazh heaved themselves to their feet and into the field.
Our two premier fast bowlers opened the innings and with
Goffy’s rhetoric over the bowlers bailing out the batsmen
ringing in every ears, we were all expecting fireworks.
At the end of their opening spell of 13 overs with the batsmen
well settled and hitting the loose ball to the boundary the
captain had a tough job getting the cazh back in the match.
To be fair there was a lot of playing and missing, both were
very unlucky not to get the breakthrough.
The skipper looked to his 2nd change; the claw and the nylon
pylon. After DT’s first two balls drifted; veered; speared;
throwed down leg it was looking like an early shower was on
the cards.
As DT found the off stump, the oppo looked to hit the accelerator
with a lobbed 6 by way of cheese’s fingers, horrible
drop. Normally the first drop opens the flood gates for a
veritable smorgasbord board of fielding howlers.
Pat stopped the rot straight away as nylon found his range
then sent down a tempting wide half volley that sped off the
bat through point until it reached Pat who took a brilliant
shin high diving catch.
Before this DT had spared Cheese’s blushes by bowling
the charging bat that had been dropped the previous over.
At 72-2 off 18, the game was on if only Dan could stop allowing
the ball to creep past him at Mid Mid on. After a talking
to by the skipper Dan picked himself up & swooped on the
next ball that ambled towards him and threw down the stumps
for a great run out. Sensing the moment shift the Pylon buoyed
by his breakthrough sent down a probing over against the left
hander and at the end had one jag back down the hill to take
the leg stump with Pylon appealing for an LBW. Suddenly the
Cash were drinks with the score at 77-4.
The talk at drinks was all about 2 quick wickets and the
game was on, the first didn’t take long at all with
Goffy imploring DT try is magic ball. DT duly obliged and
the Wanderers had lost their fifth wicket with more than half
the runs still to get.
The run rate was not the issue but would wanderers have enough
batsmen to complete the job. With DT coming to end of his
spell the batsman were swinging widely hoping that one big
over would push the game in their favour. On his third attempt
the batsmen hit the screws and sent one hurtling towards the
boundary, towards an unsuspecting spectator with the rest
of the casuals anticipating the brutality of the impact. Dan
had different ideas and with all the chivalry that he had
misplaced at the wedding earlier in the month plucked the
ball out of the air cradling the lucky ball in cleavage/elbow/forearm.
To be fair it was a great catch to a ball that was going like
missile.
6 down and the causal were sensing blood with the wicket
still giving no pace to the batsmen, the skipper made the
astute decision for Pat to join the attack. With Joel bowling
immaculate line and length, the overs were breezing by with
the game in a brief lull.
The wanderers sensed the game drifting away and looked to
up the run rate. They tried to achieve this by going under,
over and around Jesus. Finally, they decided to go through
and Jesus took a great catch at mid wicket. 7 down; 33 runs
to get. Game on.
With Joel still whirling away at the wood end with no reward,
Dan came back for his remaining overs. As I write I still
cant quite comprehend how the ball missed the stumps twice
from Dan, one missing the leg stump by a layer of varnish
and the other bouncing over the middle stump from the popping
crease.
But then like that with 4 boundaries in 8 balls the match
was over. The Cazh lost by 3 wickets but played a great game
and there are at least 3 champagne moments already logged.
Dan; 7 overs, 1 maidens, 19 runs, 0 wickets
Goffy; 8-2-23-0
DT; 8-1-37-3
Nylon Pylon; 5-0-19-2
Pat; 3-0-21-1
Joel; 5-1-23-0
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