Match Report vs Croesyceiliog
3rd May 2026 @ Croesyceiliog (Skipper Steveo, report
Pat)
The first game of May brought a first trip (possibly, editors
to check distant past records) for the Casuals to The Highway
ground of Croesyceiliog. Immediately notable were the ground
dimensions – very short on one side towards the car
park and road, longer on the other side but a substantial
slope – which had some impact on the game. To note at
this point as well, the score book is a little ‘inconsistent’
in the first innings / a complete mess! , so there are some
numerical gaps/best guesses in this report…
A number of Casuals were also making their first appearances
of the year, contributing to a degree of ‘rustiness’
throughout, beginning in the field. Dan opened the bowling
and was deposited first ball for six into the road, a harbinger
of the pattern to come from the opening bat for the hosts,
who missed out on some time in the middle the previous day
due to rain. This was followed by a further swift 57 runs
to leave the total at 63ish-0 after 5 overs. With the opener
departing (retired - 'not out' it later appeared), Dan and
Sanay reasserted some control on the score, but sadly the
‘rustiness’ had set in with a pattern of drops
and ‘declines’ starting and continuing through
most members of the fielding side.
Hasnat and Andy joined the attack after 10 overs, with the
first breakthrough coming in the 14th as Hasnat lit up the
flashing stumps to bowl batsman 3. Andy followed this up with
two wickets of his own, including a bowled-top-of-off, and
with a well-executed run out between Liam and Hasnat drinks
were taken at 130ish for 4.
Patrick and Sanka were next into the bowling line up, and
the slower pace brought further wickets – a misjudged
hoick by batsman 4 taken by Dan, and a stumping claimed by
Goffy, as the Cazh fielding continued to warm up. With Sanka
bowling batsman 8, Croesyceiliog were left at 180ish for 7
from maybe 28 overs.
Dan and Sanay returned to bowl the final 5 or 7 or 8 overs,
which unfortunately coincided with some late order long handle
and further fielding misses. Amid confusion over the over
count, Rob also came on to bowl, taking the last wicket to
fall (an lbw given despite no appeal from the Cazh) and bringing
back the unretired opening batsman. Clearly having not sated
his appetite for sixes, he laid into Dan again taking another
20 , 30, 40ish runs from overs 33 and 35. Or maybe overs 34
and 36, or possibly overs 35 and 37. (On count back we had
bolwed 37 overs rather than 35 - much to Dan's bemusement
as got carted for another 23 off his last over and one that
shouldn't have been bowled, against the opener'
The innings closed on what the book records as 268-9 from
35 (and also 36 and 37) overs, bowling figures approximately:
Dan 7-0-79-0
Sanay 7-0-54-1
Andy 5-1-25-2
Hasnat 6-0-29-1
Patrick 4-0-31-2
Sanka 4-0-21-1
Rob 3-0-24-1
Catches: Goff, Dan, Hasnat
Stumping: Goff
Run out: Liam/Hasnat
Drops/misfields/declines: Pretty much everyone
BYO tea was taken to some mutterings and chunterings, but
also a calculation of a competitive middle 30 overs of the
first innings.
Liam and Rob opened the batting for the Casuals to an ‘unorthodox’
8 slips, 1 leg slip array but Croesyceiliog were unable to
match the West-Indies-1985 field with the pace bowling. A
measured opening stand (plus the occasional drop from the
hosts) guided the Cazh to 46 from the first 10 and 88 for
no loss approaching drinks. Sadly the reappearance of the
starring batsman as fast/spin bowler also heralded the first
wickets, as Rob was caught for 34 and Liam unfortunately bowled
off a high full toss for 41; 88-2 at the mid innings break.
The familiar ‘1 brings 4’ of wickets came next,
skipper Stevo lasting 4 balls for his 0, Hasnat c&b for
5. Goffy joined Sanka in the middle, with an unusual period
of calm run scoring as the nominal required rate disappeared
from view. A nick off for 16 brought out Sanay for a quick
fire 10, and Patrick’s 7 ended by a fine direct hit
run out. Dan came to the crease with the score at 149-7, Sanka
finished a tidy 20 out caught, and there was just time for
a final wicket comical run out as Andy departed for a duck
– Cazh closing on 157ao.
Rob caught 34
Liam bowled 41
Hasnat c&b 5
Stevo bowled 0
Sanka caught 20
Goff caught behind 16
Sanay caught 10
Patrick run out 7
Dan not out 1
Andy run out 0
157 all out from 34.5 overs
As the heavens opened and the threatened monsoon arrived,
the Casuals retired to the bar to reflect on an interesting
and intermittently competitive game (as well as the sight
of Spurs hauling themselves out of the relegation zone).
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