Jeffer’s 1st Victory
01/06/2013
The Saturday 2nd Team won thier first game of the season beating Bath Exiles by 5 wickets. Exiles socred. Andy B bowled 7 overs 4 for 25 and Hoops bowled 8 overs for 26. The Cowboys knocked them off in the 35th over with Boults getting 57. Duane and Moham ammed both got 22. Scorecard.
The Saturady 1st Team lost to Old Park by 3 runs. Old Park hit 153 all out. RT1 bowled 5 overs 3 for 23 Garnier bowled 8 overs 3 for 21. The Cowboys were all out for 150 in the last over. Ev got 34 and Budge got 26. Scorecard.
02/06/2013
The Sunday Team beat Grendel Exiles but 4 Wickets. Matt D bowled 8 overs 1 for 36. Wilko Bowled 8 overs 1 for 27 and at Boy bowled 4 overs 2 for 12. The Cowboys got the runs in the 39th over. Tom T got 59 and his brother RT2 got 38. Scorecard.
DC 1 reported the Sat 2s vicotry thus:
Completing the winning run in the 35th over gave Jeff Otterbeck a champagne moment as he nailed down his first win as Saturday 2 skipper. C’mon Cowboys!
Some of Jeff’s team were a little surprised at his choosing to field on a bright sunny afternoon, and as Exiles nudged and nurdled their way to 50 without loss in the first dozen overs it looked like it might be a long afternoon. Cowboys needed a wicket, and it came in debutant Duane Allen’s first over, as an attempt at a slower ball looped high in the air before landing on the stumps and the Exiles opener was gone, having left what he imagined was a no ball. CIDER MOMENT! It didn’t take vintage maestro Wayne Kelly long to work out, work over and entrap Exiles number 3 with a neat catch by DC2 sending him back to the pavilion. Exiles dug in to negotiate a miserly spell from Kelly, but in surviving Wayne they placed themselves under pressure and it was attempts to force the scoring against Andy Bowen that led to further wickets – DC1 snatching a catch from nowhere at short midwicket and Grant Forrester clinging on to 2 sharp chances in an over at short mid-off. With Alex Hooper using the middle of the pitch to great effect Exiles had slumped from 56 for 1 to 106 for 6. Once Andy B had finished his spell with 4 for 25 and Alex his with 2 for 26 it was left to opening bowler Mohammed Asad to return to mop up the tail, leaving Cowboys to score 147 to win.
The revival of an old-school cowboys opening partnership of DC1 and Neil Boulton looked to have the measure of the Exiles bowling until DC1 offered an edge to slip with the score on 34. Then followed a 67 run partnership between Neil and Duane, before a controversial LBW saw Duane walking off for an alarm-free and solid 22 runs. Matt Caven thrashed 2 scorching fours in his 9 run cameo, but there were some muttering of Kilmersdon when Bolts was caught for 57, leaving new at the crease Grant and Mohammed at the wicket. Mohammed combined some solid textbook defense with some spectacular boundary shots before he perished to an excellent catch attempting to finish the game with a 6 – leaving it to Skipper Jeff and Vice-skipper Grant to bring home the win. Saturday 2s on their way. C’mon COWBOYS!
Andy BOWEN was Man of the Match for his 4fer (and the skipper might ponder if he maybe shouldn’t have kept him bowling for a 5fer), with votes also for Neil, Mohammed and Duane.
The Cider Moment was the dismissal of the Exiles young opener by Duane’s ‘mystery ball’, with nominations for the Exiles opening batsman setting the field for Jeff, Grant’s first catch (taken very close to his crown jewels), DC2’s catch off of Wayne, and Andy Bowen’s ‘mind games’.
This was just about a perfect win, with no single ‘superstar’ performance, and everybody making an important contribution to the effort and the result. Also, in Alex Hooper’s 3rd season with the Cowboys this was the first time he’s been on the winning side. C’MON COWBOYS! C’MON EASTON!e
Fat Bot reported the Sundays’ win thus:
….. from my prediction of 3 Cowboy league victories on the same weekend for the first time in 3 years. Bloody 2nd team I hear you moan, but no don’t blame Jeff’s Otters, tis with the Iguanas where the fault lies. As I predicted it was a close game against Old Park with the Saturday 1sts being pipped by a measly 3 runs with one more ball remaining. Hopefully the Landlord can provide some gory details in due course.
Meanwhile the Saturday 2s, Jeff’s Otters, were away at Bath Exiles recording their first victory of the season. Boltstered (see what I did there?) by the late inclusion of the Sunday captain they chased down the 147 required for the loss of only 5 wickets, with 5 overs remaining. However Bolts doesn’t take all the credit, more pleasing for me is that everybody seems to have played a part, including 3 Cowboys I don’t think I’ve even met yet, Mohammed, Duane and Andy. Read DC1s excellent report elsewhere.
So to Sunday where Bolts’ boys took on Grendel at Bristol West Indies in front of a fair few Cowfolk during the course of day. Many thanks to the supporters, and for those of you who didn’t stay to the end you missed an exciting finish. Grendel batted first and a mixture of a lot of tight bowling, and some hefty blows from the batsmen when given the opportunity made for an innings of contrasts. The skipper surprised everyone by opening the bowling with the Wizard Wilko’s spin, little used this season. His 1-27 in 8 overs shows he’s still got the touch, unfortunately not a heavy enough touch with one ball which rolled gently onto the stumps but refused to dislodge the bails for a 2nd wicket. Rob T and the Heavy Roller did take 2 wickets apiece, as did run outs after excellent work by Justin and Matt D and keeper Tom, who capped a fine performance behind the stumps with an excellent stumping off Matt D late on. Any wannabee keepers come and watch this lad behind the stumps. Dean had earlier bowled a competetent looking opener, which left Grendel on 173-9 after 40 overs.
After a splendid tea prepared by the Wizard, the Cowboys seemed confident of reaching their total, however some very tight bowling by Grendel’s opening pair, particularly Shah who removed the skipper, left us scoring at a slow rate of 2 an over. Regular readers will recall my call for pateince in a previous instalment, Justin and young Tom continued to accumulate runs slowly until Justin fell lbw for 21. Angelo went in with instruction to up the run rate and after a quick cameo trying to do just that departed for 7. The required run rate was now over 6 an over, and so Rob T entered the cagey contest, and in his own inimitable way set about reducing it. The contrast between the 2 brothers batting is great to watch, Rob all aerial bombardment and powerful ground strokes (occasionally), Tom all elegance and Justinesque patience, one for the cricket purists to watch. The Taylor partnership added 65 runs, taking the score to 121-4, before Rob perished skying one to a fielder who probably only caught the ball due to the ice on it freezing it to his hand! Dave F strode out to play his first league game in yonks, and far from being phased by the return of the previously excellent opening bowler contributed a crucial 12 off only 15 balls, and with Tom had taken the score to 150-5. 7 runs later Tom departed playing his first shot that wasn’t along the ground, nervous times for the assembled Cowfolk. Matt D and Wilko at the crease and the bowling got tighter again, however you can’t beat old heads in a tight situation. Mark’s streaky 4 off an inside edge was met with roars of relief from the supporters, and the pair won the game with an over to spare. Young Tom won MoM for his patient 59 and excellence behind the timbers, there were many nominations for Cider but I think Mark’s streaky 4 won it.
This result leaves the Sundays 3rd on 14 points, 6 behind unbeaten Blagdon, and only beaten by us Peasedown. Next week is an away fixture at Purnells who have won 2 lost 4. It looks like they strengthened their batting for the victory against Carsons at the weekend so could be tricky opposition on their home patch, however I’m going to be carefree and predict another win for the Sundays.
Jeff’s Otters travel away to Grendel 2s, and could maybe do with a chat to the Sundays as a couple of players appear to play for both of Grendels teams we will face this season. Grendel are 2nd in the league with only 1 defeat to unpalatable table toppers Lansdown. Their young team will be quite a challenge foer the newly confident Otters, and I predict a close defeat for our boys but the confidence gained from another creditable perormance will lead to at least 4 vicotries this season (400% better than any Cowboys 2s for at least 3 years I believe).
The Iguanas are at the Farm entertaining Stratton on Fosse 2s. My firm prediction is that the Cowboys will be doing all the entertaining, SoF have yet to win a a game, and Iggy will breathe some fire into the bellies of his players needing a win to climb into the top half of their division. Although SoF’s bowling has been laudable their batting has left a lot to be desired. Onwards and upwards!
Buenas noches tout le monde
DL1