Match Report

OCCC v Bamville - 8 May 2009

This week, we were playing at another of our home grounds - this time in St Albans, but unfortunately, i was half an hour late. I could go into detail about how my sat nav took me to an open air amphitheatre instead of the train station Jacob was waiting at but i won't. I know from hearing many of Ringer's stories how difficult they are to concentrate on and you dont need it!

So, at 2.30, I tossed it up with the oppo skipper, lost and was asked to bat. We were playing on an astroturf pitch (which I hate) and it looked a good batting surface so I wasn't unduly concerned. It did in fact play like the new M1 at Luton - flat, regular bounce and not a great deal of pace! Anyway, Jack and Mike Knight opened up, and some short bowling at one end was given the treatment by Jack with some lovely pulls through mid wicket.

At the other end, Mike was much more reserved and after a deliciously timed back foot drive played the wrong line to the next one and lost his off stump. He was replaced by debutant Gajan and with Jack in fine form at the other end taking advantage of the short bowling the score raced to 51 before Gajan was out for 3.

Steve then joined Jack, and some of the most ferocious hitting ensued. Steve pounced on anything full and put it over the long-on / cow boundary, and anything short was despatched in a more square direction. Jack also managed to batter a few balls around and before we knew it, both he and Steve had completed their 50's. Unfortunately, after adding one run to his score, Steve got himself out for 51 and was replaced by Jacob.

Seemingly in the same form he was in last year, Jacob and Jack continued to score freely with some sloppy fielding helping. Jack then managed to bring his fine knock to an end for 84 - his 2nd fifty for the club in less than 10 appearances, bringing Rich Millet to the crease. He's been in good touch this year, and this week was no different. With his own style of calling "come on" instead of "yes" and "get back" instead of "no", he and Jacob added the runs.

With only a few overs left, Jacob was out and replaced by Suhail, and he and Rich then managed to score over 7 and over for the last few to bring our total to 264 / 5 after our full 40 over allowance - certainly one of the highest scores we've scored since I've been playing for the Old Cits, and we went off for tea proud of ourselves (well, those who batted did - the rest of us grateful we weren't needed).

Tea was a quiet affair in a nice clubhouse - with a selection of sambo's, pasta and potato salad. Luckily, those of us who got to the table last managed to get more than crumbs as Junky wasn't about with his "doggy hankie" he carries everywhere with him.

So, a quick tea and we were in the field. Suhail had to leave early, so he and I opened up. I was a bit erratic to start with, and when he pitched it, Suhail was tough to face, but the score raced to 40 / 0 off the first 6 overs. Already thinking about making changes, I managed to get the more aggressive bat to loop one to extra cover where Mike Knight held on to a good catch - running backwards and taking it above his head.

The wicket meant the run rate slowed a little and we began to claw it back a bit. After 5 overs a piece, Mike Knight came on for Suhail, and Jacob for me. but 2 balls into his spell, Jacob managed to slip on the false surface and tore his calf muscle. In stepped Gajan to finish the over who bowled a good line - albeit, not a great length! However, they both bowled very well, but the wicket eluded us for the time being, and runs started to flow.

With a fast outfield and short boundary, it was the 4's that were hurting as opposed to cheeky singles at this point and we soon had a spread field. Then, I replaced gajan with Rich Millett and he got a breakthrough bowling the opener, and shortly after Jacob took a great catch at long on off Mike. Rich continued to bowl wicket to wicket and was duly rewarded with two more wickets - both bowled.

Crucially, the aggressive No. 3 was one of these and things started to swing our way again. Tony came on for Mike and after a customary wide to start things off, was on the spot and bowled very well, rewarded with a wicket when I took a sharp catch at point, above my head and behind me (only as I was late to react!!) leaving them 170 ish for 6 with only 15 overs left. Rich decided that he was beginning to stiffen up (I did check, but no young ladies were watching) so John Harris got in on the act too with some tight (ish) overs. 

He and Tony continued to bowl well at an aggressive player and young kid - obviously we were giving the fella the single and trying to keep it tight for the kid. But, with a short boundary, things were never really tight enough for comfort and the score ticked along at pretty much the required 7 an over. After a fine 6 overs, I came back to replace Tony and got a wicket when the dangerous player lofted one to Jack at long off who held on superbly.

Rich came back to replace John and things tightened up a little - backed up by some superb fielding. So much so, I was convinced John Harris (yes, that's not a typo) had effected a run out when he threw the ball to me at the bowlers end at bail height and I whipped them off, only for it not be given. FYI, he was at least a yard out and I was a little disappointed with the decision as you can imagine. Still, it proved a moot point when I bowled the same player in my next over without him adding many in the meantime. And so, with one over left, they needed 29 to win with one wicket remaining so I threw the ball to John (brave you might think) to finish things off and he managed to only concede 15 runs meaning they ended on 250 / 9 and we won by 14 runs!

So, a high scoring game with over 500 runs scored in just 80 overs and a good win for us (we don't often beat this lot) and good payback for them only just sneaking a victory against our 9 players this time last year. Some fine performances throughout the team, with Steve and Jacob scoring valuable runs, another fine all round performance from Rich Millet, wickets for myself and Tony, but the MOM award has to go to Jack for a great knock of 84 opening up, which really allowed us to go on and accelerate in the last 15 overs and to post a big score we could defend, as well as being good in the field and taking a good catch to boot. Well played!

See you all at Ignations next week - we murdered them in the rain last year (I won the self awarded MOM btw that game!!) and I have high hopes for a repeat - but without the rain would be nice!

Alex Bennett