Picture the scene: we're almost down and out. Cae Glas Ladies, thanks to an onslaught by somebody looking suspiciously like a man, are ten runs from victory with 14 balls remaining. Surely there's no way back. Is there? Just like Mr Stallone in the Rocky movies, there was.
Step forward our heroes, Rory Jones and Dave Ryder, with honourable mentions to Geraint Jones, Rory's elder brother, Matt Daulby, and our stand-in wicket keeper (again) Brian Cole. Thanks to this quintet, we somehow snatched victory - by five runs.
After batting first, we struggled to 83 all out. That represented something of a recovery after we had been reduced to 2-2 off four overs, then 20-odd for four. Only a handful of our batters made double figures - Dave Ryder, Mike Stokes and Steve Daulby, I think - and we were probably 20 runs short of a good score on another flat Whittington pitch.
Our innings certainly didn't lack drama, though, and one fielder needed the first aid kit for a split finger after one diving stop, while Huw Jones gloved a ball on to his own face.
I went in at number seven or eight and ended not out on two or three, Jamal being the last man to fall LBW in the final over. Jamal's innings was notable for the fact that it was the first time I had seen one of our adult players wearing a helmet. I think he'd seen the Huw incident and decided he didn't fancy a trip to the dentist.
Anyway, our reply started well even if we didn't take wickets. I was grateful to Brian's agility behind the stumps as I struggled to find a decent line opening the bowling, but I didn't go for many runs and even induced a couple of edges that almost carried.
Mike Stokes produced a miserly spell, and after 10 overs, Cae Glas had only made 33. It was the skipper Justin Evans (who's asked me to point out there's a lot more to him than a pair of expensive Puma pads) who made the breakthrough, bowling their Kiwi opener (another male) with his increasingly effective leg spin.
However, their number three (another male) was an accomplished player, who proceeded to play with a great deal of authority. Our total looked worryingly low.
We took a couple more wickets - courtesy of Steve Daulbly, who also opted to bowl slow left arm rather than his usual pace - to leave Cae Glas with 14 balls to make 10 runs, with seven wickets in hand.
And that's when it all happened. Rory bowled the penultimate over, removing the number three courtesy of a smart catch by Matt Daulby. Two balls later there was a run out - courtesy of a brilliant throw by Matt and smart work by Brian to whip the bails off - followed by another wicket for Rory, this time clean bowling the hapless batswoman.
This left the game poised on a knife edge going into the final over. Dave Ryder was bowling with Cae Glas now needing six to win. His first ball produced a wicket, clean bowled. Crucially, it was also a dot ball. Next up, a dot ball, followed by a scrambled single. Then another run out - this time Geraint Jones throwing down the stumps from eight or nine yards. It's a good job his throw hit - they probably would have won it off the overthrows, the ball was travelling so quickly.
Another dot and a run out off the final ball - this time courtesy of Brian behind the stumps - saw us to victory. With hindsight it was an enjoyable. At the time, things were pretty tense, particularly after I managed a couple of inexcusable misfields. I'm just glad they didn't cost us victory...
Wednesday 25 June 2008
An apology
Before I post on the most important subject - our match with Cae Glas Ladies last night - I have been asked to apologise to our stalwart statistician and swing bowler extraordinaire, Jamal Penrose.
I've actually referred to him as Jamahl for the entire existence of this blog - so I'm now happy to put the record straight. One question, though: why haven't you read the blog sooner?
I've actually referred to him as Jamahl for the entire existence of this blog - so I'm now happy to put the record straight. One question, though: why haven't you read the blog sooner?
Wednesday 11 June 2008
A humbling defeat
Well, I was back in action this week when we took on a team made up of youngsters and fringe players from Frankton Cricket Club at Whittington. I rather wished I stayed in Zakynthos.
Not only did we lose - we were all out for 112 in the 18th over chasing 143 to win - I ended the game wicketless and with a golden duck for my efforts. Brilliant. In fact, my main contribution was retrieving a ball that went through the hedge and ended up floating in a brook the other side of the boundary fence.
North West Water skipper Justin won the toss and decided to bowl first, although the decision did prompt one or two dissenting comments from some members of the team.
I was handed the new ball and proceeded to spray the ball either side of the stumps, leaving our unfortunate wicketkeeper Pete Danby with an impossible task. I went for 11 off my two overs.
It was the first time we had played the Frankton side and although we expected one or two to be pretty handy, we weren't quite prepared for the onslaught from the opening pair.
After eight overs, they were 82-0 - including a succession of brutally dispatched boundaries. Thankfully, their team-mates took pity on us and called them off before they could inflict any further damage on our battered egos.
Thereafter, we retained more control - Huw continued his fine form with the ball, picking up one wicket and just missing out on a sharp caught and bowled chance. Gareth and Jamahl also struck, while Justin opted to bowl leg spin and picked up two wickets in a superb spell (he might have had three if I had been able to take a catch on the boundary; instead I did a pretty convincing impression of a headless chicken).
Two run outs also helped our cause - one courtesy of a searing throw from Brian Cole from fully 20 yards, the other from the consistently accurate arm of Ian Lloyd.
Bowling at the death, Brian went on to produce a hostile spell that went for only a couple of runs and included a wicket courtesy of great catch from Mike Stokes at slip.
In reply, we started brightly enough, with father and son pair, Gareth and Brian, picking up a number of boundaries as they put on 30-odd for the first wicket in the face of some useful bowling. But when Gareth then Pete Danby departed, we were tottering, having fallen well behind the required rate.
Brian continued to score quickly until he was dismissed after reaching the mid-20s. Steve Daulby reached six before sportingly walking after gloving a delivery to the keeper, before Rory Jones and Justin launched a counter attack that saw both of them score a succession of boundaries. I should mention that Steve ran another three - his second of the season - which we believe is a new record.
Unlike most of our team, who spent the winter months getting a little bit older and slower, Rory is rapidly developing into a very promising bowler and an attacking batsman. His 18 also included a leg side six - the only maximum in our innings.
Unfortunately, Rory's dismissal brought me to the wicket. I played all around a straight delivery and umpire Merv Hughes (that's his real name, honest) raised his finger.
Justin's 26 was full of aggressive intent, and included one textbook cover drive. But when he was dismissed, our innings crumbled to 112 all out, with Jamahl the last man out. Against very talented opponents, it wasn't a terrible effort; it's just a shame we weren't a bit more competitive in the first half of their innings.
Next week, we're without a fixture. However, a practice match is on the cards. I certainly need it.
Not only did we lose - we were all out for 112 in the 18th over chasing 143 to win - I ended the game wicketless and with a golden duck for my efforts. Brilliant. In fact, my main contribution was retrieving a ball that went through the hedge and ended up floating in a brook the other side of the boundary fence.
North West Water skipper Justin won the toss and decided to bowl first, although the decision did prompt one or two dissenting comments from some members of the team.
I was handed the new ball and proceeded to spray the ball either side of the stumps, leaving our unfortunate wicketkeeper Pete Danby with an impossible task. I went for 11 off my two overs.
It was the first time we had played the Frankton side and although we expected one or two to be pretty handy, we weren't quite prepared for the onslaught from the opening pair.
After eight overs, they were 82-0 - including a succession of brutally dispatched boundaries. Thankfully, their team-mates took pity on us and called them off before they could inflict any further damage on our battered egos.
Thereafter, we retained more control - Huw continued his fine form with the ball, picking up one wicket and just missing out on a sharp caught and bowled chance. Gareth and Jamahl also struck, while Justin opted to bowl leg spin and picked up two wickets in a superb spell (he might have had three if I had been able to take a catch on the boundary; instead I did a pretty convincing impression of a headless chicken).
Two run outs also helped our cause - one courtesy of a searing throw from Brian Cole from fully 20 yards, the other from the consistently accurate arm of Ian Lloyd.
Bowling at the death, Brian went on to produce a hostile spell that went for only a couple of runs and included a wicket courtesy of great catch from Mike Stokes at slip.
In reply, we started brightly enough, with father and son pair, Gareth and Brian, picking up a number of boundaries as they put on 30-odd for the first wicket in the face of some useful bowling. But when Gareth then Pete Danby departed, we were tottering, having fallen well behind the required rate.
Brian continued to score quickly until he was dismissed after reaching the mid-20s. Steve Daulby reached six before sportingly walking after gloving a delivery to the keeper, before Rory Jones and Justin launched a counter attack that saw both of them score a succession of boundaries. I should mention that Steve ran another three - his second of the season - which we believe is a new record.
Unlike most of our team, who spent the winter months getting a little bit older and slower, Rory is rapidly developing into a very promising bowler and an attacking batsman. His 18 also included a leg side six - the only maximum in our innings.
Unfortunately, Rory's dismissal brought me to the wicket. I played all around a straight delivery and umpire Merv Hughes (that's his real name, honest) raised his finger.
Justin's 26 was full of aggressive intent, and included one textbook cover drive. But when he was dismissed, our innings crumbled to 112 all out, with Jamahl the last man out. Against very talented opponents, it wasn't a terrible effort; it's just a shame we weren't a bit more competitive in the first half of their innings.
Next week, we're without a fixture. However, a practice match is on the cards. I certainly need it.
Tuesday 10 June 2008
We won... and I wasn't even there to see it
As regular readers of this blog will know, it's not often we win.
Therefore, I was gutted to miss out on our victory last week owing to my week's holiday in Zakynthos.
I'd like to provide full details of our victory over JT Hughes but, unfortunately, the only info I've got to go on is sketchy, having been provided by our left arm fast bowler and prolific batsman, Steve Daulby.
I'll leave Steve to sum up the performance:
"Thrashed em last week!
They had 2 x innings and still didn’t reach our total of 122.
Batting a lot better – off the mark at last. A magnificent seven before being clean bowled by Greg or was it Ryan. It would still be rising now if I’d connected though – two overs to go so start hitting out I said!"
Therefore, I was gutted to miss out on our victory last week owing to my week's holiday in Zakynthos.
I'd like to provide full details of our victory over JT Hughes but, unfortunately, the only info I've got to go on is sketchy, having been provided by our left arm fast bowler and prolific batsman, Steve Daulby.
I'll leave Steve to sum up the performance:
"Thrashed em last week!
They had 2 x innings and still didn’t reach our total of 122.
Batting a lot better – off the mark at last. A magnificent seven before being clean bowled by Greg or was it Ryan. It would still be rising now if I’d connected though – two overs to go so start hitting out I said!"
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