Cricket Results
04/09/2010
The Saturday Team beat Avonside by 7 wickets. Evan reports thus:
The last saturday league game of the season was a 3rd place play off. Things began well, Steve O bringing all his experience, wisdom and skill to bear in winning the toss, and in overcast muggy conditions he put the oppo into bat.
Pacemen Joe and Gary opened up and with the ball moving around in the air Avonside were under pressure from the off. Gary took out their best batsman’s middle stump, Joe bowled the perfect length and one beauty of a ball which came in a foot from outside off and hit the stumps, to the astonishment of the batsman who was leaving it. Rob replaced Gary and wickets tumbled until we had them 40 odd for 7. At this point some idiot was heard to remark there was little doubt we’d be in the pub early – will I never learn?
Their number 9 bat clearly had other ideas and set about ruining Rob and Rogers figures, which up until then had been faultless, by bludgeoning both for 20 in a single over and then informing them he couldn’t really see it. One of the sixes he hit was the biggest I’ve seen this year. He was eventually caught on 62 and they were all out for 114 in the 31st over.
Tea not being ready, we had a tricky 10 overs to see out before the break. It was essential not to lose early wickets, so bringing all his experience and wisdom to bear, Steve O opened with Iggy and Angelo. As they strode out Iggy asked “permission to slog skipper?”. He then hit the first ball of the innings for 4. Angelo on the other hand, resisting the urge to do what he does best, and batter their openers short pitched stuff which was sitting up begging to be dispatched, blocked the straight ones and left the wide ones like a test match opener, only to be run out for 2 by a great throw from the outfield. When Ben Preece played no shot at his first ball, which cut in and took his off stump it seemed for a while another classic fuck up might be on the cards. As it was Iggy, Evan and Gary brought it home comfortably after tea and we reached the target for the loss of 3 wickets in the 25th over.
3rd in the division – well done to Steve O and the boys.
MOM – Budge
Cider – Budge’s peach of a ball
05/09/2010
The Sunday 1st Team beat Lansdown by 5 wickets. TT reports thus:
‘But it’s not supposed to be like this,’ bleated a few of us who’d spent the morning perusing all the available weather forecasts, as we sat under the porch at Frenchay listening to the rain drumming on the roof. The sight of some of the opposing Lansdown team turning up with a rugby ball got a few hot under the collar, but for a while it looked like the more appropriate sport.
Eventually, the drizzle eased a bit and the covers were rolled off to reveal a reasonable, if sticky playing surface. Bolts won the toss and dithered little in his decision to have a bowl, electing Harry and Dave L to take the new ball. The young Lansdown openers started very slowly, thanks to some thumbscrew-tight bowling from Dave but it was Harry who made the breakthrough when Bolts pouched the first of his three catches.
Justin was on duty behind the stumps again and made Martin a happy man when he came on to bowl and provoked an edge that Justin eagerly snaffled. Sadat generated some pace from the other end and eventually bowled the other stubborn opener to leave Lansdown on 69-3 some time after the 20 overs drinks break.
The rain had continued to fall on and off but mercifully the ball hadn’t degenerated into a sodden sponge, although it did get a bit scuffed after being deposited for several straight boundaries off Martin, who was somewhat reluctant to let your correspondent have the ball when given the nod from the skip. Hidayat came on at the other end and broke the middle order partnership that had been steadily threatening to crescendo to a competitive final total and justice was achieved not long after, when Martin caught out his earlier tormentor.
The novice Sunday 1st XI bowler had further success when Justin took a fine, low, leg-side catch and then again, off his worst ball, to Bolt’s finest catch. He was then somewhat perplexed to discover that it was a 35 overs match and that the innings was at an end with Lansdown on 151-7.
A few sandwiches later, Justin and Bolts were off to navigate the way to the target. The first three balls hit Justin uncomfortably, the fourth he prodded behind for a catch. After the jittery start, Wilko proceeded to compile a fifty run partnership with Bolts, playing his deft, trademark, late dabs until Bolts was lbw for 20 and he was joined by Duncan. The score cruised up at a good rate to 81 before the pair went in quick succession, Duncan to a catch, Wilko stumped smartly for 33. A few runs later, Harry was adjudged lbw for a duck, leaving the Cowboys on a still healthy, but possibly crumbly underneath 86-5.
Contrary to appearances, the next man in wasn’t hiding, but sheltering amongst the conifers from the wind as the chilly autumnal evening descended. He waited and waited, as Hidayat and Dave L progressed with just the right blend of care and aggression, taking the total towards and past 100. The fielding side displayed a mixture of superlative throwing and slapstick as they tried in vain to break the partnership. Spectators arrived from the friendly match on the other pitch (big up Nelly’s 50) as the pair at the wicket calmly overhauled their target with an unbroken 69 run partnership in the 32nd over.
The pink champagne flowed, followed by a pint served for the last time by Chris and Ian, who are retiring from their voluntary running of the bar and will be hard to replace.
Man of the Match was shared between Hidayat, Dave L and Tim and the Cider Moment split between Dave being bowled off a no ball and the third of Bolt’s catches.