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.