Tues 4 Dec v Crabtree Dads: Match report

So to the penultimate game, we needed another win to keep up the chase with Redbourn. From their table position, this looked like a rejuvenated and improved Crabtree Dads. However, we could not have been more wrong, this was a depressingly short demolition job, some of which could only be described as self destruction from Crabtree. So given how poor this was, here is how the game should be played (we would have no problem knocking this lot over too)!



They won the toss and decided to bat which sadly left us with no option even for a bit of batting practice. Dave opened and produced a tidy first over. They produced 13 runs before the last ball that was pushed to Murph at short mid off, who demonstrated he had lost none of his old football skills by side-footing it back to Graeme who completed a close call run out. Crabtree’s positioned worsened immediately with the first ball of the second over, when Mike of the Glen produced a fine delivery bowling their other opener. Mike was on fire last night and produced a fine spell of hostile bowling and only a few rather hurried strokes inducing inside edges avoided further wickets falling. So, against this background of a fine opening spell, Redbourn did not need to compound the problem with some ill-judged running. Dave picked up a fine run out with a good underarm throw, to add to a wicket in his second over when he bowled their number three. This left them on 17 for 4 after 4 overs. The square root of JC squared then bowled a tidy 5th over, when their 5th wicket fell. This was another silly run out, where both batsman ended up at the keepers end. This left JC with the simple task of removing a single bail from the bowler’s stumps. This to our astonishment, from a distance of only a few inches, he managed to miss. I repeat for those that remain incredulous, that John, with the ball safely in his hand, managed to miss a single bail for a distance of 3 inches, clearly he needs reading glasses! Thankfully further embarrassment was saved as there was time for him to repeat his attempt which he managed successfully. The final wicket fell in the 7th over when John had their last batsman LBW. This left Crabtree all out for an embarrassing 33.

Given that Tim or I had not had a bowl, we opened the batting. I nearly went first ball when I got an inside edge on to those ancient Gavaskar pads which ballooned up into the air fortunately just out of reach of their two leg-side fielders. Two balls later and we were underway when I produced my only rear wall strike of the season. Tim played his usual nurdling role, when I gave him any strike, and in the third over it was all over.

I don’t think I can award a man of the match award for such an easy win, it almost felt like we were robbed of our match fee. This now leaves us with one game to play and requiring 1 point to claim the league title.