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2s Report June 28th
jurgo writes "Opening point of order:
Now that Bash has deserted, obviously the mantle of ‘Keeper of The Blue Stripe” passes to the new first team vice, sic Monica.
Match Report:
Sloth has it so easy. All the 1s had to do today was turn up and they got 30 points. Park 2s played their hearts out. Super fielding from everybody and special mentions deserved for Jon Tempest in the covers who was sheer class and Shibi at mid on who tolied selflessly for the team.
Modassir and Arunn open the bowling, Mushy hitting the gloves hard (doesn’t hurt though, I’m on pain killers, hah!). The Blairy offspring come on both ends at first and second change and a fumble behind the wickets off Matt is quickly made up for as the Purley skip is caught behind off Captain Pants (Super Hero). 34-1. A direct hit from cover by Jon dispatches the Purley no.3. 41-2.
Another double change around drinks. Mike Harrison replaces Matt and Mod returns and takes out the remaining opener. 77-3. Patel at no.4 for Purley looks the danger man. Mike beats him in the flight and a Jurgo swipe at the bails just beats his retreat. 107-4.
Whilst Modassir and Nick again switch the bowling from the Shefford end, Mike is still looking dangerous, flighting it into the wind, and another caught behind makes it 137-5. There’s more excitement as he lures the Purley no.7 into a faint toe-ended cut into gloves and I’m thinking that when Gazza has finished gesticulating how big the fish was that he caught last week he’ll raise the finger but, “oh bollox!”, he’s only signalling a feckin wide.
Nick soon has him caught at square leg by ‘safe hands’ Arunn and, after another stumps demolishment from Modassir, Purley finish on 182-7.
Tea is supplied by Arunn but it’s not as good as Marc’s Mum’s (which has set the standard for the season).
Jurgo and Bruce open and I reckon that if we start off at around three an over we can set things up for our big hitters. On that basis 37-0 off 13 is looking good until a super wrong ‘un that also happens to keep low is just too good for your skip. It soon looks a lot worse as Tempest goes first ball, Modassir holes out to a great catch after a couple of big 4s and then Bruce is bowled for 23.37-0 has become 55-4.
The 49 run partnership for the 5th wicket is one of contrasting styles. The Caped Crusader’s contribution is chanceless whereas Lokesh lives dangerously; he’s dropped twice and there’s a huge appeal for caught behind not given. However, as Lokesh has contributed 41 of the 49, I s’pose that’s fair enough really.
By the time Lokesh is out we need over 8 an over. Arunn is sent in to hit out or get out and duly obeys. Next ball Nick Blair is sent in with slightly revised instructions. He doesn’t last much longer though. Another collapse has seen 104-4 become 108-7. Matt and the Boy Wonder shut up shop and we finish on 119-7. Match drawn. Good effort Park but time to start winning now!
Epilogue:
I suppose I should enlighten you on that comment in the first paragraph as to just quite why Slothy has it so easy. Well, when I switched my phone back on, returning to the pavilion after that deceitful wrong ‘un, there’s a text from Herro exclaiming “30 point win!”.
“Well done 1s,” thinks I, “but there’s no mention about Herro pulling further away from Monica’s run aggregate. Can Herro possibly have been out for nought?”.
Well that’s not it. The opposition ground has been double booked and, although the teams do get on a couple of hours late for a friendly, with confirmation from the League committee the 1st XI game was awarded the game to Welford but Herro offered the use of the late rule to try to get an approved League game in.
Now, human beings would have sent a text saying “Game cancelled!” or perhaps “Game cancelled but at least we get 30 points.” To the Automatic Spin Machine, it’s quite simply “30 point win!”. Under what category do we award this nailed-on Blue Stripe? Is this a 1s Blue Stripe as the cause was at Soning or a 2s Blue Stripe as the effect (text received) was at The Park? Is it possible for a 1s player to receive a Blue Stripe in the 2s category? Is it possible to award a 1s Blue Stripe on game that didn’t happen? Perhaps it’s possible to award a double Blue Stripe covering both teams simultaneously.Thank goodness I appointed Monica as “Keeper Of The Blue Stripe” at the start of this match report!
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Posted by IanBotham on Monday, June 30, 2008 @ 10:35:47 BST (7 reads)
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Warfield Annihilated
slothy writes " Those that were at the game will know why the Skipper is still smiling after the game on Saturday.
It had been a traumatic week in all, as the line-up for both teams changed many times. It did seem that the odds of winning the lottery were better than either team having a full quota.
It even ended with Sloth pinching two of the 2nds at the last moment. Well, Liam was in Jurgo’s car as he passed Newbury train station and Manoj had to bring Pradeep into Newbury anyway? Still the 1sts only ended up with 10 men (that is, of course, if they could find out what had happened to John as he wasn’t picking up his phone!)
The Skipper got to the Warfield ground with only 15 minutes to spare. Pradeep and Manoj turned up as Sloth tossed up, Welford to bat. This was a good thing as it gave us time to ‘find John’ throughout the first innings.
First out, Ben & Pradeep took to the wicket. It was looking slightly damp, as was the outfield. Pradeep was first to fall with a ball that stayed low. He drove it straight back at the bowler at an amazing speed, however the bowler plucked the ball from his ankles for a ‘caught & bowled’. (0-1). "
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Posted by IanBotham on Monday, June 23, 2008 @ 17:17:23 BST (20 reads)
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Park Spirit Not Quite Enough
jurgo writes "Well it was never impossible but it was always going to be easier for eight men to mow a meadow (or move a Park sight screen) than to win a cricket match. Nonetheless Park played with great spirit, epitomised by Winders’ opening spell, bowling with pace and swinging it both ways he deserves more than two wickets for his first eight overs.
Opposite Winders, Greeno opens from the Welford End. This season, when batting, Greeno can blame only stupidity, but when bowling he’s had the wost luck ever and must win the FNG Berkshire League end of season award for most dropped catches off his bowling. It’s not his fault that his first five overs are fruitless.
The wicket is drying and Waheed is given an over “to see if it turns big”. He relishes the opportunity and starts a geat partnership with his skip; if you want to stay on all day then presenting two caught behinds and a stumping is second only to offering free beer for the night and a lift home (I mean that most sincerely folks!).
At 15 overs against eight men Knowl Hill are 47-3. Not bad, but we can’t quite get that fourth wicket as the false shots go wide of the field and it’s 101-3 when the emergency call to the Bat Phone is finally answered and The Boy Wonder and then Rob Higgs fill some of the gaps in the field at drinks.
To give Winders a break, Lokesh and then Lester have a go from the Top End but can’t penetrate. Winders then comes back and thwarts the oppo acceleration. Meantime, from the Welford end, Waheed has bowled intelligently, mixing his spin with some seam up, taking four wickets in a 15 over spell. Then Greeno returns for a well deserved wicket as the urge to accelerate lures the oppo bat down the wicket for another Jurgo stumping. The Jurgo jug is denied by the declaration at 198-7 off 42 overs.
Tea is the best ever. Home baked by Greeno. His Mum had no involvement whatsoever. We tuck in heartily thinking that just maybe the oppo have declared too soon.
Waheed holds up an end as Jurgo dominates the opening partnership until being given out LBW, hit on the little toe of the front foot with a leg stump guard to an inswinging yorker. It is to Jurgo’s great credit that he calmly accepts the pint of Thatcher’s Gold from Gazza at the end of the game. 25-1 after 12.
Jurgo and Waheed having raced along at over two runs per over, the Boy Wonder brings some sanity and there’s a more sedate 8 runs scored in the next 6 overs until Waheed is caught at 33-2.
Welford Park welcomes back Rob Higgs to the batting line up as the rest of the team are deployed to keep an eye on 18 month old Aidan. Mum thinks that Dad is supervising Aidan’s afternoon nap. Will she discover where he’s been? Will Aidan let the cat out the bag by casually mimicing his Dad’s comment “Daddy says you can’t be bloody LBW if you hit it!”. Tune in for the rest of the season’s match reports and if you don’t see Rob’s name mentioned again the answer is probably “yes”. 47-3
When Winders and Lester come and go quickly it’s 58-5. The Boy Wonder is still holding on and Lokesh plays some big shots, top scoring with 31 before coming down the track, missing it and hearing the death rattle behind him. 97-6. Uncharacteristically The Boy Wonder reaches for one and chips it to gully. 97-7.
Majid Farhan and Ed Armishaw have a brief flourish but when Majid and then Greeno are caught Ed, playing cricket for the second time ever, is stranded on 9 and we’re all out for 117. We’ve lost by 81 but heads are high. "
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Posted by IanBotham on Sunday, June 22, 2008 @ 20:02:09 BST (19 reads)
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Welford Park vs Puxley XI
Well what a game this was! Welford’s top order had been ripped out during the week prior to the match and then with Libin getting injured on Saturday and unable to play, things did not look good on the bowling front either. Cometh the hour cometh the boys…but we’ll get to that later.
 Having lost the toss, Herro was able to get the Puxley Xl to bat much to the disgust of Alexander’s team mates. In walked Keith Davies for his last innings in this match and moments later walked back to the pavilion thanks to an unusually straight ball from the “tree” end from Carl which actually bowled the opener. Those of you who have seen Carl bowl this year on a Wednesday night know what I’m taking about here. Jake Bridge opened from the “spire” end and suffered some no ball difficulty but when the openers were taken off after 8 overs the rep side had reached 25-1. Herro came on and immediately had Heald struggling against the spin but in stepped Lewis the following over to bowl him with a ball the speared back into the stumps. More movement followed from Herro in the next over but again sideways movement off the seem from Lewis bowled Cole and in the next over he bowled Fisher (3-4). Catling then decided the best form of defence was attack as he cross batted Herro for two boundaries and with Lewis not taking a wicket in his next over the rep side had moved onto 52-4 from 16 overs. The bowling attack was now to become even younger as Joe Brown (15) was brought into the attack and 3rd bowl he bowled Owen. Lewis seemed to take offensive at this and promptly bowled Tozzi in the next over. Joe continued his good work and off his 3rd ball the death rattle was heard all the way round the ground…but what was this….the bails had not come off so Catling had a life. This only lasted 2 balls as a massive top edge saw the ball soaring to 3rd man as Lewis came racing round from fine leg to take a great catch. Again Lewis could not let young Joe get away with this so immediate bowled Barrow (also allegedly playing in his last match). Joe then bowled Robin Davies (who we look forward to rejoining the club when he moves back into the area in September which brought in skipper Alexander Puxley. A quick 6 runs was followed by an uprooted leg stump as Lewis finished with figures of 6.3-2-10-6 matched by Joe’s figures of 3-0-8-3. Now not even stato Herro could tell you the last time Welford took 9 wickets in a match that were all bowled or when 9 wickets were taken by two players who’s average age was only 17.
Now came the tricky bit…the batting order. Mike Brook went out to open with instructions to dead bat it and take his time accumulating runs. Thoughts went back to Gary Masons famous, or infamous innings against Reading Civil Service, where he batted for 47 overs scoring a total of 9, six of which came off edges during the last two overs…but none of this for Mike. The 2nd ball went flying to the boundary, yes it was an edge between 2nd and 3rd slip but is still says 4 in the score book. Majid however was done by a quick 2nd ball in the second over as his middle stump went cart wheeling backwards into the slip cordon. Against the pace of Fisher and Tozzi, Mike and Lester played brilliantly as they picked up the runs when they could and Mike hit another boundary……yes OK through the slips again! Nine overs gone and time for a double bowling change and it was skipper Puxley who made the break through, as the quickest LWB decision you will ever see, saw Lester returning to the pavilion, despite the big red cherry mark on his bat. Mike (15) was then bowled in the next over by Cole as the rep. side started to smell blood. Two overs later Bala was back in the pavilion & 26-1 had been turned into 37-4 after 13 overs……..enter the Sloth. What would his batting plan be today? Two boundaries in his first 4 deliveries seemed to answer that question. The club were now 52-4 off of 16 overs just like the rep side…would there again be fireworks? Well first ball Kartic was bowled, so in came Lewis & 3 singles were picked up from the balance of the over. Catling, having only conceded 1 run from his first over, was then “slothed” as first, a straight six, losing the ball in the cow field, was immediately followed by a second clubbed straight four.
A couple of singles saw the scores level and it was left to bowling hero Lewis to hit the winning boundary over mid off off the first ball of the next over.
A really quick game this year as only 41 overs were bowled but it was revenge over the Oxford Uni boys for the stuffing we were given last year…..better watch out next year lads!! Oh yes, Keith and Mr Barrow will both be back next year, if selected as they said they could not leave this fixture on a performance like that. See you both next year boys…….OK old men….like me!
Full Scoresheet
More pictures have been posted in the Photo Gallery
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Posted by IanBotham on Monday, June 16, 2008 @ 13:52:17 BST (28 reads)
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Old Articles
| Sunday, May 11, 2008 | | · | Park Run Out Of Time | | Tuesday, May 06, 2008 | | · | Straight to the top of Division3 | | · | Stats are here | | · | Bucknell Buckle Robs Bruce | | Sunday, April 27, 2008 | | · | 1st Game of the Season | | Monday, April 14, 2008 | | · | More pictures of The Park at play | | Friday, April 11, 2008 | | · | Match Availability | | Monday, February 18, 2008 | | · | Welcome to the New Welford Park Cricket Club website |
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