Tues 30 Oct v Long Marston: Match report

The words of that hideous song “Things can only get better” used by New Labour during their first election victory sprung to mind after last week’s loss (and the gut wrenching image of “two jags” Prescott trying to ‘dance’ and the embarrassed face of marmite masher Mandelson who no doubt would have preferred a shirt-lifter like Schubert to Chumba Wumba).

Well what a difference a weekend makes. Clearly after some soul searching, of a depth only equalled by our failed English rugby team following their thrashing by SA, we returned in a much stronger frame of mind. This time I lost the toss and batting- wise we started almost as badly as we did in the Q-final. Graeme and Dave opened and had an excellent first over of 17, including a lovely straight drive for 5 by Dave. However, Dave quickly departed run out to a close call in the second over. Tim S joined Graeme and as usual looked all grace and timing, dancing down the wicket to several of his first few deliveries. Sadly he missed what would have been a leg side wide during one of these sorties, but the keeper didn’t and completed a smart stumping. Enter new boy Mike who started well, but sadly as Graeme approached 25 he hit an uppish drive and was smartly caught off the side wall. I then joined Mike and we had moved the score on only a little before Mike hit what probably would have been six outdoors, but sadly it hit the roof before returning conveniently to the bowler. This left us at 80 odd for 4 with just Tim M and myself and 5 overs remaining. As ever, Tim delivered as only he can, frustrating the bowlers by consistently dabbing the ball into inaccessible places. The number of mid wicket conferences increased as we increased the number of singles, Tim gradually going a deeper shade of red. We approached the 2nd bonus point when I ran Tim out with 4 balls to go and 9 still required for the final bonus point, but this we managed off the last ball. So 140 for 5, a good result from 80 odd for 4, with Tim on 26 and me on 38.

We were still on the upward curve, well most of us, as we came out to bowl. Dave opened and with his first ball caught their opener plumb in front as he walked across his stumps, what a start! Well, new boy Mike soon brought us back to earth mixing unplayable deliveries with mix of wides and no balls (some a tad unfair IMHO), so from 7 for 1 after the first over, they went to 25 for 1. Dave continued to bowl well as did Tim S. They lost their second wicket to a run out but had kept their run rate up at around the asking rate. After a great spell from Dave, I started with immediate results courtesy of a great stumping from Graeme. I then bowled their captain having dropped him shortly before. Graeme then produced a lightening legside stumping, but I can’t remember who off. At this point they were really struggling behind the run rate and 5 wickets down. Tim M finished the game off bowling their final batsman, all out for just 74. I fine victory against last year’s league champions.


Ooo, and dropping that catch looks like it has broken my thumb.

Thurs 25 Oct Q-final: match report

Well the trophy that my wife has kindly let me display in our downstair’s loo will have to be returned. This was an abject performance, unworthy of a long report. Winning the toss was to be the only upside of the evening. We bowled well to start and kept the scoring down, but failed to take early wickets. We finally broke through getting rid of one of their openers just shy of 25. We kept them down to under 10 an over until the last three overs when things fell apart, summed up by the last ball of the innings which went for 9 due to overthrows and three actually run singles.

Our running between the wickets ultimately led to our downfall, but Andy fell LBW early on, which was unfortunate as we felt he got his leg outside the line, then new boy Mike Howard strolled in and smashed his first ball for 6 via the top net, but sadly did not last long falling to the first of our run outs. Mike Hughes batted well and retired on 25, leaving Trevor and I to lead a recovery. In three balls we were both gone, me run out, when Trevor hammered a drive back to the bowler. Trevor was then out a caught. This left Mike and John to try and score 60 for the last pair, which was too much. Mike Hughes stuck around until there were 2 overs to go making 50, but we were all out 111.

Tues 16 Oct v Outlaws: match report

We had another relatively easy win last night against potentially strong opponents in the Outlaws. I won the toss again and asked them to bat. They started very slowly with a great opening over from Dave that went for only 2. John Callender opened with Dave and between the two of them kept the scoring down under 10 an over initially. The opening pair lasted until the 5th over when we finally got rid of Jeremy who was starting to look dangerous, John ran him out with ease in the end after a well timed pull ended up straight back at the bowler. Mike, Trevor and Andy both played their first games, with Mike hobbling around after completing his first half marathon at the weekend (in 1:57, well done). So Mike was not looking forward to running of any form, but when asked to bowl, he did well. We completed another couple of run outs, another easy chance straight back to the bowler (Mike) and a good under arm through from Dave at short mid wicket for the other. All these wickets fell at steady intervals slowing the run rate to well under 10. Dave took a wicket with a good straight delivery achieving another rare LBW in this form of cricket (must be something to do with delivering the ball from such a low height (;-) John cleaned up another with a slower ball and I finished off the innings in the last over with a caught and bowled off the roof of the netting. This left Outlaws on a well below par 113 all out.

Andy and Dave opened and did very well, 19 off the first over was a great start which they continued both retiring on 25, Dave first with the score nearing 50. Mike went in three and kept the score ticking over, before losing his off stump. I scratched around and was joined by Trevor who blocked out a maiden then, somewhat out of frustration I imagine, nicely timed a lofted drive and was brilliantly caught at short mid wicket. This left John and I to try and finish things off, sadly I ran out John with around 20 required. Dave returned and continued his excellent form taking his score up to 36 and we finished the innings off rather cautiously with around 2 overs to go. Another win and full bonus points clearly demonstrated that batting second is better when trying to achieve a maximum.

Thurs 4 Oct v Frogmore: match report

An easy win last night, against the whipping boys, Frogmore, who finished bottom of the league with just one win last year. On the basis of last night, their batting might mean they stay there again but their bowling shows some hope for them.

I won the toss and inserted. We had an interesting debate on who should keep, with Dave and Tim S initially being too polite as to who minded least taking the gloves. This was resolved in the end by Tim M being decisive and donning the glove and pads for the first time indoors. Dave opened the bowling and started swinging the ball immediately mixing some excellent deliveries that would have had the slips licking their fingers with others causing the umpire to stretch his arms. Tim S took the second over bowling straight and getting some bounce then completed the over with a lovely slower ball which hit their opener plumb in front. There were then several run outs, mostly down to poor calling from the opposition, at least two at the bowlers end that didn’t even require throws to complete the dismissal. John Cowan came and produced two excellent overs aside from one short delivery that as often happens was hit beautifully towards cover but quickly ended up back in the bowler hands to complete an easy run out. Neil and I completed the bowling and as I might have expected, it was a complete reversal of form for me from Tuesday, bowling to a left hander I simply couldn’t get the line right and conceded a horrendous number of wides. However, Neil fortunately finished off their innings with a lovely caught and bowled off the side wall in the 9th over, leaving them 76 all out.

The two Tims opened the innings. Tim M started well working the ball around but Tim S fell early dancing down the track and turning an inswinging good length delivery into a yorker and lost his off stump. Dave went in next and played well again, but their bowling was not as bad as their batting. More than one of their bowlers made good use of the swinging conditions, which accounted for Dave with another rare LBW decision to a ball that just shaped away. Neil went in next and Tim M retired having reaching 25, leaving me hopefully to play out the final 10 runs for victory. However I lasted only two balls missing a straight one going for a duck to complete a wretched evening (;-(. John Cowan then came out and hit some lusty blows square of the wicket, almost hitting one straight back to the keeper, not quite and these were enough to complete the win reaching 77 for 3 after only 7 overs. This gave us full bonus points, which seems odd, given that I think we played much better on Tuesday night and yet only failed to get the last bonus point.

Tues 2 Oct v Redbourn, match report

So the first game of the new season was a repeat of our last game from last season against Redbourn. I think they had their full strength squad out intending to reap revenge.

They started well by winning the toss and inserting us but that is about as good as it got. Tim S opened with Graeme and got off to a flying start, Tim retiring sometime during the third over with the score already over 50. Dave then joined Graeme and started as though he hadn't learned anything from last year. Well this was Graeme’s view anyway, who only gave him 3 balls before making this judgement and perhaps was feeling a little sore as he was run out for 22 when Dave finally went for his first run. As though to prove a point though, Dave then started angling his bat and finding the side wall and along with John Callender started to build a small partnership. John then fell foul to the first of two rather dubious run outs. I then joined Dave and we put on another 30 before I fell victim to the second dodgy run out decision. Tim M then came in did what he does best, consistently nurdlingly the ball around. Dave retired and Tim S returned and started to time the ball beautifully, sadly one shot was hit so hard Tim M could not get out of the way and the ball cruelly ricocheted off the side wall back to the bowler’s stumps and Tim was run out. Dave rejoined Tim M but fell to yet another run out in the final over. Tim M finished things off with a final individual total of 20 odd. An excellent final score of 170 for 5 (all run out) and full batting points. I also think this is the first game I can remember where we have scored so many and not hit the back wall (I think that is accurate), solid evidence that running singles and hitting the side walls is the most consistent way to build good totals.

Redbourn's openers started solidly, against good bowling from Tim S and John but they fell continuously behind the required run rate and were only 50 after 5 overs before we took our first wicket to yet another run out. With a climbing required rate, we kept chipping away at the wickets with another few run outs and a good stumping from Graeme (in only his second game of any form of cricket since the final last year). They needed 100 off the last 5 overs and more or less gave up, they didn't seem interested in trying to reach 140 that would have go them to another bonus point. They were keener to ensure they did not give their last wicket away to give us full bonus points. The new points system certainly changed behaviours as we had all our fielders around the bat for the last two overs trying in vain to claim the final wicket. They finished on 114 for 5. Final points: 13 to us, 2 to Redbourn, a really good consistent performance from everyone.