Cup final: Redbourn 137 for 4, Colts 138 for 5

So, to the final game of the season and our only chance of silverware to keep up our enviable record of winning a trophy every year. I am pleased to say we managed to keep this up, but as you can see from the scores above, it was only just. Indeed, Graeme felt we had snatched victory from the wide-open jaws of defeat.

We started well by winning the toss and securing the safer option of bowling first. Redbourn’s openers started solidly if not spectacularly against an accurate opening attack of Dave and I. In the fourth over, we managed our first break through, when my team mates managed to confuse the non striker by yelling for me to throw at the bowlers end, I failed to listen and launched the ball to Graeme, who speedily removed the bails at the batsman sauntered into his ground. He was less than pleased! The total slowly built but never at much more than 10 an over, sometimes helped by somewhat over enthusiastic fielding as dashed in helped the ball into the sidewall for an extra over throw. We had numerous close run out appeals that were not given, but given the quantity some had to stick. Mike ran out there number 3 and I followed with another, this time an underarm throw. Mike picked up the last wicket with his flight off-breaks via a successful LBW shout. Tim bowled impressively at the close making sure they did not convert their spare wickets into extra runs. In fact we did not concede a single rear wall strike all innings. So they finished on 137, a total they seemed more than happy with, but we felt was clearly gettable.

I had some challenges trying to decide the batting order, given the talent available. But finally we went with Graeme and Mike opening. The got off to an excellent start taking 17 off the first over, but over the next couple of overs, scoring slowed up a little. Mike was first to go playing a delicate leg glance from somewhere outside off, sadly this only deflected the ball into his stumps. Don went in next and but we starting to slip behind their score. Graeme as usual batted really well and when on 22, smacked a thunderous mid-wicket drive that would have scorched across the turf out side for 4, however, indoor it just went rapidly back to the bowler who completed an easy run-out. Graeme at this point couldn’t quite except that he had played such a good shot and go out and he disappeared off in a strop! Don was then joined by Tim but this partnership did not last long with Tim being cruelly run out, from a very dubious decision. When Don was then well caught, we were 70 for 4 off 7 overs with only Dave and I left. So we were clearly staring down the barrel of defeat. The first ball of the 8th over was to prove a turning point, a juicy slow full toss, that Dave smashed to the back wall for 10, the next 5 balls were all worked into the sidewalls for singles: 25 off the over, but still 40 short of our target. Things then took another dip as Dave clipped airily off his legs and was well caught off the side wall. This left me, last man standing, with over 40 to get. However, we need less than 10 an over and I managed to work the next couple of overs well to take us ever closer to our target. With two overs remaining, we need only 15 and with the final over remaining we need only 4. With a three off the first ball, I happily concluded things with an easy push into the side wall. So, not for the first time, the number 6 had turned good for The Colts, with 47 not out, (not quite as many as Tim M got the last time).

Colts: 129 for 5, Crabtree Dads 115 all out

Sadly this game was an irrelevance, as the league had been wrapped up the week before when Long Marston won their final game. Even if we won this last game and finished on level points, the title went to Long Marston as we lost to them in our game. Also Crabtree only had 5 players and picked a useful ringer to give us a game.

However, we were successful in our last game, but made hard work of it. We won the toss and for practice reasons, I decided to bat. Dave and I opened and got off to a slowish start with Dave again struggling to locate the side wall. I faced fours ball scoring 9 and then when Dave did hit the side wall with a firm push to midwicket, somehow it flicked a fielder’s finger off the side and then hit the bowlers stumps, leaving me stranded. Neil then joined Dave and the run rate again was rather slow, before Dave holed out off the side wall. Trevor then joined Neil and the run rate briefly climbed when Neil started to located the back wall. Neil retired and Trevor was joined by John Cowan, but only briefly, when a calling mix up left John stranded at the strikers end with Trevor still in his crease. John Callendar was next in and received a few good overs so the run rate started to slow. Trevor then fell caught leaving Neil to return for the final two overs. These were quite productive, but Neil fell on the last ball going for a second run (somewhat encouraged by me), which would have meant 6 runs, however the rules mean that indoors completed runs don’t count, which I didn’t realise this(;-(. This left the final total on 129 for 5.

Dave opened the bowling and was immediately successful, a straight ball which the opener played all around. I returned to my leg spin and immediately found a good length, hitting Trevor nastily in the teeth with a climbing top spinner, but this bye was the only run conceded in the cover. Dave produced a second good over and they lost another wicket to a suicidal run. My next two overs were good too and they lost another two wickets, to a good stumping from Trevor and a fine catch by Neil at silly mid on. However given our low total, they were still 50 odd after the first 6 overs and still in without a shout. As the overs went by, they kept just in touch and when their 5th wicket fell, this let in their opener who had retired and had looked good. We were down to the final over with 20 required to win: difficult but only two or three shots from victory. However, with three balls to go, we took the final wicket, a fine catch by Dave off the side wall to leave them 115 all out.

Played: Simon, Dave, Neil, John Ca, John Co, Trevor

Colts: 165 for 1, Frogmore: 109 all out

The good news is we are back to our winning ways. The bad news is Redbourn have now lost two more games, leaving just ourselves and Long Marston with only two defeats. As we lost to them, they only have to win their last game against Bamville to win the title. Therefore our only chance for silverware this year is in the cup.

We batted very well last night. Graeme opened and again retired on 25 after only 4 overs. Andy struggled for the first time this year and was finally was out for only 7 in the 6th over. After one poor over, Neil and I finally started to motor. I enjoyed a little luck with a couple of run out decisions not being given and we both retired with Neil hitting an 8 and me a 6 with our final strokes. Hugh and Tim then kept the tempo going to allow us to reach a good total of 165 for the loss of just one wicket.

Hugh and I opened the bowling and whilst the first couple of overs were not poor their openers worked the ball around well. I then had a nightmare fourth over at the end of which were 70; well ahead of the run rate. In the 5th over though they did lose two quick wickets, one to a rare family combination of Stumped and Bowled Sprowson (not the first we were told though). By the time Tim and Neil took over the bowling the run rate had dropped a little but they were just up with the required rate. Their opener had now retired, but the replacement quickly departed to a catch and then there was another good run out by Neil. This unfortunately let in the opener again but he did not last long either after another runout. The game was finally wrapped up soon after with, you guessed it, yet another run out. This left Frogmore 109 all out with still three overs to go.

Team: Graeme, Tim M, Neil, Andy, Hugh and Simon

Lost! Colts 114 for 4, Long Marsden 115 for 3

Well it was a wet dull Sunday with a performance to match and a few of us had clearly been suffering from a rather too enjoyable Saturday night. So I put our first defeat down to a hangover!

I lost the toss and we were asked to bat. Graeme and Dave got off to a reasonable but not electric start, with Graeme retiring after the 5th over. I came in but we them lost both Dave and Trevor relatively cheaply with catches off the roof. John joined me, but sadly the scoring rate never got going against some slow accurate bowling. John also failed to make a mark as did Tim, but that left just a few balls with Graeme and I returning to take us to a woeful 114. I was never going to be enough.

We had to bowl really tightly and take wickets early to have any chance. Whilst the bowling wasn’t terrible, we only took one wicket early on and they reached 60 odd after only 5 overs. Tim and I took the last 6 overs and when there opener retired, the runs started to dry up, but they only need the odd single and wide to keep them on track. They reached our total in the 11th over.

Colts 180-4 v Totternhoe 119-5

The Colts were celebrities and Totternhoe got out of there in a hurry last night in a match that featured some excellent batting from The Colts. Regular captain Simon Williams had been voted off for the evening in a Bushtucker Trial and so the new camp leader for the night was Graeme S. ably supported by Mike H., Hugh S., Dave W., Murph & Spence. The toss was lost and The Colts were sent in to bat first in the cricket equivalent of trying to hit the various private parts of a kangaroo to the back wall whilst trying not to be run out by a witchetty grub.

Graeme (63*) and Mike (18) got their teeth in to matters quickly with 16 taken off the 2nd over and 21 taken off the 4th. 43 off 3 overs was a great start from the opening Ant & Dec. However, by the end of the 5th over the score had settled to 58-2 with Dave W. out caught trying to smack the ball straight as if it was a rogue fruitbat and Mike H. finally missing a good one to have his camp fire knocked over. From this point though the innings got away from Totternhoe as the 6th over went for 20, the 10th for 21 and the final one for a monster 30. Spence (31) batted like a man who had only had beans and rice for a week and was suddenly confronted with a cold buffet whilst Hugh (49*) started quietly but then opened his shoulders to smack several 5's, a 6 and an 8. To have failed to secure the public vote with 180-4 on the board would have been very surprising.

Spence and Murph took the early chores with the ball and the first ball produced a wicket - Spence fizzed down an in-swinger and Graeme moved down the leg-side like a young Jan Leeming to fumble the ball on to the stumps. What made the dismissal even more amusing was that the batsman was unable to work out in exactly what method he had been dismissed. He went in to the cage quietly shaking his head and muttering about 'phoning his agent. The bowling was tight without being exceptional and Mike H. won the immunity vote and the gold star by taking 2 calm wickets and completing a run out at the bowler's end. Hugh bowled some testing twirlers that spun like an outraged funnel-web spider and only Dave struggled a bit with his line and length. Even a last ball 10 by the laconic "Woody" failed to make much of a dent in The Colts' total as Totternhoe closed on 119-5. The Colts retired to the bar for a "Tooheys" or two with Don. F. who had arrived to lead the cheerleading whilst having thankfully left his cheerleader's outfit at home.

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Result: Final CC 122 for 5, Colts 123 for 2: Thurs 9 Nov 2100

It was another relatively comfortable win last night, as we passed their score with nearly 3 overs to go. It could have been so much shorter if I hadn’t had a nightmare bowling spell, at least I did one thing right last night in winning the toss for the 5th time out of 6.

We were a little short on bowling last night to the extent that Graeme opened the bowling, but he did well and bowled their opener in the first over. John Cowan opened from the same end and bowled very accurately conceding just 1 run from his first over. Graeme took a 2nd wicket caught and bowled and John completed a smart run out at the bowlers end. So, by the end of the 6th over, they were only 50 for 3 but with their best batsman retired. Mike and I then took over the bowling and my first over was not too bad (only 1 wide), then my 2nd and 3rd overs cost us 20 in extras. However again, another team conspired to lose a wicket on a free hit with a ridiculous run out. On the basis of the 4 no balls so far this season (and two run outs), these seems like a reasonable wicket taking tactic. Mike’s last over was also taken to task with one delivery going for a 10, with their opener just short of 50. This left them rather better positioned than they should have been on 122 for 5.

Graeme and Andy opened and both did well, particularly Andy. For once, the running between the wickets went well. Andy retired on 25 after only 4 overs and Graeme an over later as we reached 80 odd for no wicket after the first 6 overs. This left Don and I to continue, but my nightmare evening continued when I was out with a straight forward catch off the roof for 9, then Mike also fell to a good catch. However we were only 15 short of the target which Don and Andy completed rather easily.

Team: John Cowan, Don Farenheim, Mike Hughes, Graeme Sprowson, Andy Lynes, Simon Williams.

Semi-final result: Totternhoe 85 all out, Colts 86 for 1

An rather easy win last night against an underperforming Totternhoe, particularly their batting. I won the toss again, 4 out of 5, and inserted. John Callender opened the bowling and started well taking two wickets, one bowled and one stumped and conceding only 7 off his first two overs. My first over was a bit of disaster with 17 coming off it. They then had a longish, but unproductive partnership, reaching only 40 odd off the first 6 overs. The start of their final collapse started in the 8th over, when Dave took 2 wickets in 2 balls, the first with a low long hop, the 2nd with a good straight low delivery resulting in a plumb LBW. However, this was not a spell that Dave will remember fondly when in his next over when he delivered three low beamers resulting in free hits, but one of which ended up with the batsman doing the only thing he could do to get himself out, namely run out, so oddly the deliveries did not cost us too much. Mike complete the demolition with fine turning delivery bowling their final batsman, with two overs to go: 85 all out.

Our innings was a bit of procession, we didn’t try to run too many singles and they also gave us a fair number of extras, including a sequence of three balls that gave us 14 runs, going no ball, wide (off the first attempt of the free hit), then a 6 off the final fair free hit. Our progress was slow but safe reaching 50 odd after 6 overs, losing no wickets. Finally Graeme reached 25 and retired and shortly after Don was out to steeply bouncing delivery. That left Dave and I to complete the innings with 3 overs to go.

So we are in the final again, well played all.

Played: John Callendar, Don Farenheim, Mike Hughes, Graeme Sprowson, Dave Whitely, Simon Williams.

Result: Colts 116 all out, Outlaws 56 all out

The score line might suggest an easy win, but having lost the toss for the first time, 116 was a well below par score, due to some excellent bowling from the Outlaws. Our total was also only as high as it was thanks to an excellent 49 from Mike, who was heading for his 50 off the final ball of the innings with an 8 when it was cruelly caught right next to the back wall.

Our innings did not start well, with Don falling early again, this time to a somewhat dubious LBW, putting Dave in. Dave and Andy made steady progress before Dave fell to a good catch somewhat frustratedly thrashing a slow ball straight to their short mid off. Andy was making his usual good progress and retired on 25 after only the 4th over, leaving Neil and I to build a decent partnership. However, neither of us could really get after the bowling, both trying too hard to hit straight, given their undefended back wall. Neil finally succumbed as did I; both caught trying to hit their slower bowling to the back wall. Our inability to hit the back wall, had led to a poor run rate at this point, but this did leave Andy to return with Mike. Given our attempts to hit straight, we had failed to take the sensible approach of hitting the side wall, which finally Mike and Andy tried. Sadly this did not last long before Andy was run out after a mix up. This left Mike with 3 overs to bat on this own but he did this sensibly mixing some fine attacking shots coming down the track with some deft deflections. So we moved from 80 odd for 5 to 116 all out off the last ball of the innings.

Having not done well with bat, we all felt the pressure of defending a low score, which clearly pushed up our level of competitiveness. Dave opened the bowling with a very aggressive and accurate spell (must be something in the genes of small people ;-), dismissing their opener off the 2nd ball of the match and conceding just 1 off the first over. I bowled the 2nd over and again kept the runs down. Their 2nd wicket fell in the 4th over, from a steeply bouncing top spinner with Mike taking a fine catch off the side wall. Dave completed his fine spell with an LBW decision which he richly deserved after several earlier close calls. After the first 6 overs they were really struggling on 33 for 3, leaving a steep target of 83 off the last 6 overs. This quickly went to 33 for 5 in the 7th over when first Don completed an easy run out off a leg glance that neatly returned to him and then Mike bowled their incoming batsman first ball. The over then took a turn for worse with 22 coming off the next three balls. However, this aggression did not last long, when in the next over a firm straight drive to me on the back wall and a fast flat return to Don ran out their final batsman.

A first class performance in the field last night in thrashing the team Gary felt would be our closest rivals, well done all.


Played: Neil Berry, Don Farenheim, Mike Hughes, Andy Lynes, Dave Whitely, Simon Williams

Q-final result: Outlaws 74 all out, Colts 75 for 0

A very easy win last night, which was a somewhat of a surprise given that the Outlaws had put out a strong squad. The win, this time, was really the product of some excellent fielding particularly from Mr Callendar, whom the opposition accused of drug-taking as this was clearly the only explanation for his remarkable performance.

We won the toss and put the Outlaws in and in the 2nd over they quickly lost a couple of wickets, the first when their opener played on, the second a run out when their number three hit a hard square cut neatly back to Graeme who had little difficulty in removing the bails. They then built a small partnership for the third wicket, but their scoring was very slow, mainly due to a contribution from wides, their scoring shots seemed almost exclusively to be driven hard at John who made several miraculous stops. Graeme also contributed rather well behind the stumps with a lightening fast stumping from a leg side take and then an equally impressive catch down the leg side when the ball bounced back off the side wall. Having bowled far too many wides, I finally contributed by collecting a hard hit drive and running out the facing batsman with swift throw back to Graeme. The final wicket fell with nearly two overs remaining leaving them at 74 all out, a well below par total.

Given the low total, we had the potential to embarrass ourselves but this time we had exactly the sort of steady start we required from Don and Graeme. Graeme reached 25 and with score already on 50, then Dave joined Don to complete the job, leaving Don on 24 and Dave 20. The final dénouement was when we went past their total with a wide.
Let’s hope we can produce the same performance against the Outlaws again next week, well done all.

Team: John Callendar, Don Farenheim, Graeme Sprowson, Tim Murphy, Dave Whitley, Simon Williams.

Result: Redbourn 132 All out, Colts 133 for 4

We ran out winners again last night, but not before we stared down the barrel of defeat. I won the toss and inserted as normal and threw the ball to debutant Dave Whitely. Whilst not quite as expensive a first over as from JC on Tuesday, it still went for 20. Their openers continued to bat steadily with their skipper nurdling the ball into the cage door or gently into the side wall on a regular basis and somehow we just didn’t manage to pick up the ball cleanly. Some of our attempted earlier run outs were comical, fumbling pick ups, poor throws and Trevor flapping around like a sealion. During this period we really didn’t put any pressure on them, so at 70 odd for no wicket, things were not looking good. Mike finally made a break through with an LBW, which was to be the only bowlers’ wicket in our haul. Gradually their running became more erratic, their scoring rate declined leaving the last man in with score only just past 110, all the others being run out. As on Tuesday we then missed another easy opportunity to close the innings out with another run out, before finally we achieved this was an excellent throw from Mike from the back wall to the strikers stumps. This left Redbourn 132 all out, a much lower figure than looked possible half-way through their overs.

Mike and Don opened and not for the first time, Mr Hughes was in the cage without facing after the first ball of the match, 0 for 1, two balls later Don managed to run himself out, leaving us at 0 for 2. The final ball of the first over led to another very tight run out decision, but Mike (as umpire in the cage) wisely gave us the benefit of the doubt to save us the ignominy of 0 for 3. At this point things did not look good. Slowly we started to rebuild the innings with Neil leading the way taking apart Redbourn’s opener with three 6’s in one over. By the half way point, Neil and Dave had brought us back to just behind the required rate, before Neil retired on a well earned 25. Dave was playing very well, but fell shortly after Trevor’s arrival after a good pull bisected the sidewall and neatly returned the ball to the bowler who ran out Dave as he backed up. So again we had two new batsman, 3 wickets down and some work to do. Sadly for Redbourn their later bowlers could not quite keep up the pressure, Trevor smashed a short ball for 6 and I added two drives one for 6 and another for 8, missing the 10 zone by a whisker. This suddenly had put us well ahead of the required rate. Trevor then retired on 25 but he had only a couple of balls rest before he returned when I then lost my head and charged their off spinner and was stumped. This left Trevor and Neil with 20 odd to win with 3 overs remaining which they easily completed with an over to spare. So a good batting performance by the lower order in the end.

Team: Neil Berry, Trevor Bridger, Don Farenheim, Mike Hughes, Dave Whitely, Simon Williams.

Result: Bamville 141 all out Colts 141 for 3

A good win but a game that was closer than the score line suggests. We won the toss and as usual chose to bowl. Bamvile have strengthened their squad this year via an Antipodean import who knocked over 20 of John Callendar’s first over and was retired before the end of the 2nd. Thankfully the remainder of the batting was not so strong. We kept this pair quiet for the next few overs which included a maiden, but not no runs as there were a few byes conceded via Mr Lynes’ teflon gloves (even if he got his hands to them! (;-).

There was then a steady fall of wickets, leaving them on 80 odd for 4 meaning the dreaded Aussie returned with plenty of overs remaining. The final pair then started to bat well before Neil produced a fine delivery to have our convict friend caught off the leading edge, leaving them on just over a 100 for 5. We hoped to wrap things up quickly and we missed a good stumping chance when they were only 109. However, Andy missed this (perhaps his luck would change when we batted) and we finally wrapped up the innings at 141 all out in the last over.

Our new boy Hugh opened the innings (the just younger brother of Graham) with Andy and got us off to a solid start somewhat helped by the Aussie who seemed to think he was at the Gabba and tried to bounce us every ball, resulting in 4 no balls and 4 free hits, which sadly Andy only converted to 1 run. Hugh was first to go well run out. Andy then reached what the scoreboard said was 25 and he started to walk for the door, this was then corrected to 24 and he returned only to be run out 2 balls later by a remarkable volley off the side wall, still on 24. It really wasn't his night! I then joined Neil and we put on nearly 50 before, during which time we should have been run out 4 times, before Neil finally failing to make his ground whilst also on 24. Soon after I reached 25, which left Tim and John with 20 odd to score which they duly did with 5 balls to go.

Team: Neil Berry, John Callender, Andy Lynes, Tim Murphy, Hugh Sprowson, Simon Williams.