WG v Crowhurst – Sunday 31/8/09

What a ‘Humdinger’ of a match! WG win the toss and bat first on a track that looks great but as soon as the toss is won the Skipper is informed by the Director of Cricket to bat second as it will play better later? He was not wrong and the fact I had spent a good hour conversing with him before the game, he failed to mention that little gem of knowledge?

So with 10 men we proceed to bat.
Newham and Brinky to open: facing quick accurate bouncy bowling, the ball moving both ways very lively.
Brinky gets one spitting off a good length and catches the gloves, gone for 0. Bailey at three paddles a few then middles a beauty through the covers to be caught by an excellent catch. Bailey remains glued to the spot for some minutes in shock, not sure because he middled one or it was unexpectedly caught?

N. Buckle in at four, returning from his long distant travels attempts to play his shots to some nice bouncy bowling! Then the expression we used to use as children springs to mind ‘Daisy Cutter’ yes he steps back to cut and the ball shoots and clean bowls him.

In the meantime, Newham had made every effort to make contact with the ball which was zipping about in both directions, after a couple of nice pulls to leg reaching the boundary he fell for 12. Crowhurst could certainly take their catches!!   

Hall and Steph at the crease, Hall swung and missed a great deal with his new flashy bat but was soon gone. The Skipper entered, one boundary and played all round a straight one!

So with score at about 40 for 6 it looked like an early tea. (That’s another whole report altogether?) 

Then Steph and Buckle Junior produced a match winning partnership of 39 lasting for 52 minutes (Buckle Junior counted every single one as he has never batted so long!!)
Steph smashed an excellent 41 with some classy big hits and Buckle Junior with a well crafted 4. A master class in defensive strokes.

H. Williams in at nine with Fantom at ten.
(Fantom was working until 3pm and H. Williams did not arrive until 2pm he had to visit ‘Toys R Us ‘in Brighton something about a new outfit had arrived for his Action man, or so I heard?

However, another big partnership, H. Williams went berserk, smashing 6’s all round the ground, Fantom swinging from the hip, with one over to go H. Williams fell for a very entertaining 65.

But it is not over, David Williams (The Director of Cricket) who has dashed home for his kit walks to the crease as our number eleven.  I would like to point out at this stage we had argued for at least 2 hours?? After the wicket fell of H. Williams whether he should bat as he might get hurt? The team agreed he should bat and face the bloody demons he had put in the pitch like the rest of us? Walk like a man?

So he did, nothing popped or spat at him and we finished on 172 for 9, Fantom 19 not out and D. Williams 5 not out. 

A respectable score and a challenging target for Crowhurst to chase.

Tea was taken, now considering Newham had put this tea together at the last minute as discussed with the Skipper and Bailey the night before, due to sad excuses by players who think the Club is there to serve them and not the other way round!!
It was a real treat, not like a Brinky Special which has a great deal of effort but tasty and well thought out! Well done Club Captain.

As we took the field we believed Crowhurst may have given us a few runs to make a game of it, was this going to be a mistake?

Fantom and Buckle opened a long spell for each. Fantom found some good rhythm and controlled his pace to get accuracy. Buckle senior his normal canny self.
But the Crowhurst batsmen set their stall out early for the run chase and hammered anything loose, however we were very unlucky at the start as many shots just falling short of fielders or in between?

It was decided that Steph would keep wicket and take the gloves as he had broken a nail, or scratched his nail varnish or something and therefore could not bowl?? He could certainly wield a bat. It was nice to see him get some of his own medicine and dive about trying to stop those balls flying down the leg side!!!! Excellent effort!

N. Buckle finally got the breakthrough but they had 50+ plus on the board. So we slowed it down and brought on Hall with his leggies and H. Buckle for accuracy.
Hall gave up after a couple of overs and returned to medium pace which was better but alas no wickets.  Harvey Buckle however was tight and consistent and took an excellent caught and bowled from a ball that took the leading edge after he had let it rip from the back of his hand.

Crowhurst were still in the hunt and required 50 or so with overs to spare. But with some interesting bowling changes and alternating the skills at hand it was taken to the wire.

H. Williams bowled a few tight, economical overs from one end whilst Skipper Tasker and Newham tried the other.
The Skipper picked up a wicket with his first over, Crowhurst started to panic, the light was fading, mad runs were attempted both Brinky and H. Williams with run outs. Wickets tumbling, the Skipper back on now in tandem with D. Williams. Yes he bowled as well, excellent tight lines. Newham had tempted them but came off.
Finally, the last over, Skipper to bowl, pressure!!! 13 to win.

2 more wickets, H. Williams a skier in the covers and N. Buckle a running catch on the mid-on boundary, The Skipper finishing with 3 wickets and a fantastic draw played against a fantastic side – Crowhurst.
 

Stats   

NEWHAM 12
BRINKY 0
BAILEY 7
N. BUCKLE 0
S. HALSEY 41
HALL 3
TASKER 5
H. BUCKLE 4
H. WILLIAMS 65
FANTOM 19 Not Out
D. WILLIAMS 5 Not Out

Total 172 for 9

FANTOM   8 1 25 0
N. BUCKLE  10 2 31 1
HALL   6 0 20 0
H. BUCKLE   4 1 12 1
H. WILLIAMS   3 0 7 0
TASKER   5 0 22 3
NEWHAM 2 0 20 0
D. WILLIAMS 2 0 4 0

Catches – H. BUCKLE, N. BUCKLE, H. WILLIAMS, S. NEWHAM

Run Outs – BRINKY, H. WILLIAMS