tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88043058641580890012024-03-12T19:10:10.313-07:00Right arm over the wicketUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-44417486678235099512019-08-04T12:09:00.000-07:002019-08-05T12:15:59.258-07:00Batcombe 8s Tournament<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Losing finalists self-immolated.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-30455832694768624612019-08-03T12:01:00.000-07:002019-08-05T12:07:34.893-07:00Win at Winford<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/website/results/3815653" target="_blank"> SCORECARD</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-63265682323084665112019-06-29T10:15:00.000-07:002019-07-04T10:17:18.933-07:00If you can't stand the heat ..<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/website/results/3815627" target="_blank">SCORECARD</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-84717092077545776642019-06-08T12:46:00.000-07:002019-06-21T12:48:36.582-07:00Failand enjoy the view<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b><a href="http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/website/results/3815611" target="_blank">Scorecard</a></b></span></h2>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-20363061173134030332019-05-04T12:18:00.000-07:002019-08-05T12:29:55.641-07:00And finally ...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The last home game to be played at Farmborough.<br />
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<a href="http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/website/results/3815587" target="_blank">SCORECARD</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-75926928648952541922016-08-27T05:05:00.000-07:002016-08-29T05:13:35.967-07:00Taking the chill outta ComptonAnd so to Farmborough, for the final home match of the season against the gentlemen of Chilcompton. Presently, our good Captain Iggy did wager upon the toss of a coin, but lost the call and was invited by the Captain of Chilcompton to take to the bat beneath an angry sky, though we with some confidence were in hopes of having some fair weather.<br /><br />Brother Angelo and Prince Raj took armour and walked forth to the wicket, which they found to be much green, with not a little wet hay lying within the boundary's edge. Proceeding with caution, the former was the first to fall when the bowler fiendishly broke his wicket before he had established himself. Hither came Dr Avery to staunch the wound, making good sport with the ball, in the not inconsiderable humidity and forging with Prince Raj a slow but bountiful partnership, broken by the good arm of an opposition man and apparent slumber or weariness of the batmen. <br /><br />Following Dr Avery's departure for 26, Sir Ahad joined his companion, who was playing most prettily, and proceeded in an exceedingly thrilling manner, smiting the leather into the air, to and indeed over the boundary line, on two occasions for a most gratifying 7 runs. Both men made most merry in acquiring half centuries, running swiftly betwixt the wickets and accelerating the progress, until Prince Raj lost a stump for 62 and Sir Ahad played a ball into the opposition's hands for 58.<br /><br />Mr Robert was unfortunate, but magnanimous and not overly vexed to be dismissed for a golden duckling, as his valiant attempt to continue the team's progress resulted in the propulsion of his first ball straight up into the sky towards the orbs and down again into safe hands. Professor Adam and Captain Iggy added a few more valuable runs until the culmination of the allotted 40 overs, at which point we were much pleased to have amassed 219-6.<br /><br />And so to tea, which we had very finely and in great plenty thanks to Mr CBS, who delighted us with both traditional and exotic Mediterranean fayre.<br /><br />Thence to field, bowl and defend out total: The Landlord and Mr Robert were entrusted with the the new leather and so it was with some dismay that the first ball of the innings was struck firmly above the bowler's outstretched arms for a boundary. Mr Robert bowled admirably well and true with much pace from the bottom end and soon after The Landlord had bowled one opener for a duckling, Mr Oliver displayed much agility in catching an edge from Mr Robert's bowling to remove the other.<br /><br />The Landlord hit the timbers again to dismiss another duckling, but in so doing dislodged the bail with much force into Master Oliver's chest, whose inky hieroglyphics were revealed in full glory as he disrobed to inspect the damage. It was then a goodly sight when Mr Robert shortly afterwards did also break the wicket, leaving the gentlemen of Chilcompton anguished and deflated at 40-4. Mr Robert then displayed splendid trickery in the propulsion of the ball at a lesser velocity than was expected by another batter, whose stumps were hitherto broken by said deadly cunning.<br /><br />Master Oliver did execute a second catch when the batter struck a ball delivered by Mr CBS high aloft, whence converged no less than four gentlemen with a mind to taking the ball for his own, yet Master Oliver heartily proclaimed aloud that it was his, hitherto safely pouching the ball. Mr CBS did proceed thence to deliver further deceitful balls, some floated airily, others most directly and was hitherto fruitful with a further two wickets, thanks in part to a collusive catch by Dr Avery. Prince Raj was as deft with ball as with bat and most crucially did prevent the Chilcomptonians from advancing in a threatening manner.<br /><br />Father Ray, having not been required to yield the willow, was called upon to bowl, whereupon he deigned not to be parted from his hat, which did remain atop his head with much adherence. Before the passing of many grains of sand in the hour glass, did he thereupon trick the batter to tap the ball unwisely into the capable hands of Mr CBS. In the meantime, some of our number did heartily chuckle, calling to mind pots and black kettles, on hearing Professor Adam admonish an umpire for the use of coarse language.<br /><br />And finally did the Captain himself take the leather in the 28th over and on the 2nd ball thereupon did pierce the waftings of an inadequately yielded willow, to hit the ash and end the proceedings, with the good men of Easton victorious by the margin of 108 runs.<br /><br />And so all being done did most of us retire to the nearby hostelry at The Butcher's Arms for ale with some of the vanquished Chilcomptonians, where little of good nor evil was exchanged betwixt the two parties. On the departure of the latter, did we heartily thank Dame Erika and peruse her meticulous tally book, casting votes for the Gentleman of the Match and the Apple Cider Moment, which were thereto adjudged to be Sir Ahad, for his might with the willow, and Master Oliver, for his deftness with the gloves.<br /><br />And on again to The Plough for more ale, where Brother Angelo had kindly provided us with well cooked potatoes and a most pleasing red sauce.<br />
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<a href="http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/website/results/2635445" target="_blank">Scorecard</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-20966653466353636122016-08-13T11:51:00.000-07:002016-08-18T11:51:47.156-07:00Bolts Bats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-21565781832497586212016-08-06T11:46:00.000-07:002016-08-18T11:49:42.321-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-74160339688921427492016-07-23T07:37:00.000-07:002016-07-25T07:42:13.585-07:00Monster<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Sat XI v Grendel (H)<br /><br />"Grendel is one of three antagonists in the Anglo-Saxon epic poem Beowulf (AD 700–1000) usually depicted as a monster or a giant. Grendel is feared by all but Beowulf." (Wikipedia)<br /><br />Late July and the hogweed is high around the lanes of Farmborough where the Cowboys take on the monster. RT1 wins the toss and opens the bowling with Iggy on a flat, sun-baked track offering little help to the bowler. The opening batsmen are solid and hard hitting and manage to accumulate at about four an over, aided by a fast outfield and some inflexible Cowboy spines. RT1's unlucky not to cling on to a sharp return catch but eventually breaks the partnership in his penultimate over. Iggy sends down a couple of maidens and has a few fruitless shouts but remains wicketless.<br /><br />Michael replaces RT1 from the top end with his parabolic run up and your correspondent shuffles in from the other. Having knocked last week's scab off his knee, he's now bleeding from a shaving related injury and there's more blood around than at the BRI Haematology department. Happily, he bowls 'a dirty grubber' in his first over to remove the other opener and gets his trumpet out to announce his 100th league wicket, then puts it away quickly when demands for a jug are voiced.<br /><br />Pokemons are becoming easier to catch than a ball off Michael's bowling and the big man is unlucky and disheartened not to claim a scalp during his tidy spell, although later earns a Cider nomination for his 'Oscar-worthy strop'. Iggy gets in on the Cider too, with his should-have-gone-to-Specsavers moment, adjusting his sunglasses while the ball plopped to ground nearby. Ollie also sips from the Cider cup, with some stumping-related aggro after the umpire was too slow to notice the batsman's raised foot.<br /><br />The monster's getting away a bit, cruising past 150 for the loss of two wickets, but then Westy gets his darts throw out to execute a run out and Ollie takes a stumping, the first of three, in Ev's first over. The monster has several heads however and keeps thrashing about until the final over, knocking the usually economical Raj for a few and despite Ev taking four wickets from his first three overs with some floaty, flighted guile. Still, the Cowboys do well to restrict Grendel to 192 and take all ten wickets, with another couple of run outs and the aforementioned stumpings.<br /><br />With a wholesome tea, Iggy shows everyone how to feed the five thousand with a trip to Lidl and still turn a profit.<br /><br />Adam and Raj pad up and go out to bat while everyone else ponders the scariness of the monster's seven foot opening bowler. Fortunately, his height is more impressive than his speed and the batsmen negotiate the first few overs while keeping up with the run rate until Adam goes, caught behind. Westy joins Raj and looks solid and comfortable until he's bowled in the 12th over with the total approaching 50.<br /><br />AJ, playing his first innings at Farmborough, helps Raj add 81 for the next wicket as the pair seem unruffled by the Grendel attack, which is leaking some helpful extras. Ev meanwhile shows that he's no Beowulf, cowering with his pads on and bleating about the fiery monster as the scorer unwisely tries to multitask and join in with Westy's now obligatory Torygraph quiz. When AJ departs LBW in the 27th over, the Cowboys have reached 128-3 and Raj has accumulated another assured, elegant half-century. Happy takes a different approach, flailing his sword at the monster and occasionally connecting, smiting three boundaries until he loses his stumps: 150-4 in the 30th. Ev has by now conquered his demons and even Michael is smiling, fortified by some red stripes.<br /><br />It now seems entirely likely that the Cowboys will overhaul their target and it's even possible that Raj will reach his ton, but selfishly Ev scores 9 runs and leaves his partner on 93 not out. The monster is dead and Grendel is feared by none, especially Man of the Match Raj.<br />
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<a href="http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/website/results/2635424" target="_blank">http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/website/results/2635424</a><br /><br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-65371102211054167502016-07-17T12:02:00.000-07:002016-08-01T12:07:59.695-07:00View From The Grand Stand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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1st Test Day 4, before the wheels came off: Yasir Shah to Alex Hales.<br />
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<a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-pakistan-2016/engine/match/913641.html" target="_blank">Scorecard</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-56461103202653283702016-06-25T09:05:00.000-07:002016-06-27T09:09:43.507-07:00The numbers game<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
E.C.C.C. Sat XI v Chilcompton 2nd XI<br />
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Right, turn over your papers. If a= the angle of rain, b= Gareth Bale c= a cheese bap and d=the distance to Glastonbury, when's the correct time to come off the pitch for rain?<br />
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Arriving at Chilcompton to find the opposition engaged in some kind of weird rope twisting ritual, which Ev had been watching with fascination for half an hour, instead of unblocking the toilet like any good Polish plumber would have done, it was decided that what with the recent drizzle and forecast for worse, the match would comprise 30 overs a side.<br />
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RT1 and Ev opened the bowling and supported by some tidy fielding, gave away little to trouble the krypton factor scoreboard as the match trundled along at a 0-0 draw. Conceding a miserly five runs from his five overs, RT1's mathematics were binary and easily understood, while Ev fared almost as well in a great spell, with the runs, if not the pitch, drying up. The opposition skipper had said that the pitch was 'dry as a bone', although it appeared to some that the bone might have belonged to a prehistoric bog man buried in peat for several millennia.<br />
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The drizzle had become a bit of a pain by the time Iggy and your correspondent took over, liberally mulching the bowling crease with sawdust in an effort to stay upright in the delivery stride. RT1, whose whites had failed the Daz challenge before the match, further tested the efficacy of Proctor & Gamble's formula while executing some brilliantly spirited chases and stops on the mid-off boundary, while fearless Phil blocked some mighty thwacks at extra cover. <br />
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Iggy mixed it up and made the breakthrough, hitting the top of off stump with a pearler. Chancing a back of the hand slower ball, your correspondent duped the new batsmen into a lofted drive to mid on, where Bolts hared in, aquaplaned and gobbled a fine catch. (Another slower delivery on the last ball of his spell duped nobody and the batsman gleefully launched it over mid wicket for six) From the other end, a fine mess ensued when the batsman hoiked a ball from Iggy high into the covers, where three converging fielders each waited for someone else to call for the ball, which eventually plopped to earth between them. How Iggy chuckled.<br />
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Spav had a couple of overs from the pavilion end, the best balls of which beat or tied the batsmen up, the remainder blasted towards the boundary as the opposition attempted to bolster their meagre total. Michael passed the edge a few times, inducing a couple of snicks behind, one of which was expertly snaffled by Ollie to great jubilation and relief (the other, flying at an uncomfortable height to Iggy at slip was not). The next ball he trapped the incoming batsman with a dubious LBW and on his hat trick ball "only missed the stumps by that much", as he reminded the batsman later. Bolts nearly took another great catch near the deep mid-on boundary, but having done almost all the work, clocked off early before the ball was safely in his hands. Happy did very well to keep the runs down in the final overs of the innings as the opposition accelerated to 118-4 after 30 overs.<br />
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Tea was taken in the swanky new pavilion, if swanky is having four flat screen tellys but no working toilet in the changing room and tea is a noun encompassing grated cheese in a white bap, interchangeable with a bag of sawdust. Nice cake though.<br />
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Phil and Bolts opened the Cowboys' innings and set about chasing what in ordinary circumstances would have been a straight four an over, but with rain around it was looking unlikely that all the overs would be completed and some sought clarification of the revised target. Bolts was looking good until tickling one down leg which the keeper was as surprised as anyone to snaffle as it came back down the slope into his glove.<br />
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Ev batted with determination - determination not to miss any of Wales' progress in the footy against Northern Ireland. He succeeded, heading off to put his feet up infront of the telly with the score on 0-0. Iggy was bowled for not many, Phil fell after a patient innings for quite a few more but after 19 overs the intensity of the rain forced the players from the field, the covers were fetched and wheeled into place and most eyes turned to the footy. Eventually it stopped, the rain too, with a promising patch of clear sky to the south-west, conjured up by the mystics of Glastonbury, who weren't about to let it drift away towards us. Play resumed under leaden skies and in no time the drizzle started again, becoming heavier, vibes cyclonic. Happy played straight, but down the wrong line of a ball he was attempting to wallop into the pavilion.<br />
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It was by now vaguely decreed and generally understood that having passed the 20 overs mark, all that the Cowboys had to do, should the game not reach its full conclusion, was to keep ahead of the opposition's run rate in the corresponding over of their innings. We'd been handed the wrong examination paper. Adam and Spav carried things along, looking like they had things covered, knocking off four or five an over with some thumping shots off the bad balls and correct, unpenetrable defence to the better ones. So much of the match had been played in the rain and both batsmen were apparently coping so well that it seemed quite possible that the opposition's total would be overhauled, After 24 overs, in heavy drizzle, as the scorebook began to liquify to a pulp and the scoreboard attempted to read 91-5, RT1 called the players from the field, albeit under the impression that the Cowboys were ahead of the required run rate and victorious, but also because it was just too wet to play cricket.<br />
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The atmosphere in the fetid, heated, windowless changing room worsened and aside from the gurgling of a malfunctioning toilet, an uncomfortable silence descended as the Cowboys discovered that although they'd got their sums right, they were doing the wrong sums. It turned out that they had left the field three runs short of the required total at 24 overs, which was not the same as the opposition's score at the same point. Several opposition players had known this all along and although hardly racing through their overs they were surprised by the off field call to abandon the match. At least this will NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN ever, now that we're all aware of the rules, have access to a digital abacus and are de-evolving into amphibious creatures.<br />
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Adam was nominated Man of the Match for an assured knock of 30 in testing conditions and Bolts may have won the Cider Moment for the catch which he caught.<br />
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<a href="http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/website/results/2635409">http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/website/results/2635409</a><br />
<br />
Hi mate,<br />
<br />
Iggy opened the Cowboys innings with Phil. Apart from that, wicked mate.<br />
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Cheers<br />
<br />
Bolts<br />
_____________________________________Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-6071021818535313512016-06-11T12:08:00.000-07:002016-06-14T12:09:20.178-07:00View From The Mound Stand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-sri-lanka-2016/engine/match/913617.html" target="_blank">Scorecard</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-31200987653942099672016-05-28T12:10:00.000-07:002016-06-14T12:34:08.607-07:00Migrant Labour<br />
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Thanks to the free migration of European labour, Señor Iggy joined the Saturday team at Farmborough for their duel with Bath Exiles, one of whom had presumably been exiled a bit too far away, leaving them a man short.<br />
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RT1 won the toss and opted to bowl in muggy conditions under an overcast sky, with a full armoury of bowlers up his sleeve. While he took the new ball down the hill and bowled a customary tidy spell, Max (no headroom) wheeled and sprang from the bottom end and explored the batsmen's corridor, finding swing and bounce and passing the bat or finding edges on numerous occasions, one of which Pete was unlucky not to cling on to at slip. Both runs and a breakthrough were hard to come by as the score ever so slowly crept along. Talking of which, at one point, Exile opener Ozzie Brian removed hs gloves and appeared to dig in the crease behind him and remove a worm, or perhaps a witchetty grub to augment his tea later, placing it several feet behind him. As he resumed his stance, Westy remarked that it was on its way back.<br />
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Iggy replaced Max, with his new 2-step run up, conceding a few runs at first until he received a knock on the head and improved considerably, taking a sharp return catch to remove one opener and then conspiring with Ollie, keen as mustard with horseradish and chilli sauce, to have the other one stumped. It was about the twelfth appeal for a stumping that Ollie had uttered, at least a couple of which should have been referred upstairs, if such a thing had existed.<br />
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Meanwhile, once he'd wrenched the ball from Michael's hands, your correspondent had started a spell down the hill and seemed to be getting away with it, though it was Iggy who claimed the scalps of the two new batsmen with successive balls, bowling one with a peach and trapping the other plumb lbw first ball with a pomegranate. With all that fruit around, a crumble was on the cards : Exiles plummeted from 60-0 to 67-4 which soon became 72-7 after Max took a smart catch above his head at mid-off, Raj swooped to pouch one in the covers and a 79 year old batsman played his stumps instead of the ball. Iggy finished with 4-20, the other one 3-11.<br />
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With both bowlers completing full spells, Michael was by now salivating to be given the chance to bowl and not best pleased that Ollie put a snick to ground in his first over, having caught and stopped pretty much everything else all day. Raj came on from the other end and wrapped it all up in five balls, thanks to an astonishing catch by Happy in the covers, where he leaped to his left and somehow curled an outstretched paw around the ball to make it stick. Like his T-shirt said, 'Top Boy' and naturally the Cider Moment. Two balls later Raj bowled the last man and Exiles had lost 9 wickets for 20 runs to be all out for 80.<br />
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Thanks to Ollie and cooperative scurrying about, we had tea. There was enough to feed the spectators, comprising two men and a dog.<br />
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Raj and Iggy opened the batting as Cliff the visiting scorer, still eating tea from a china plate that he'd brought with him, confessed that their bowling wasn't up to much either. Two boundaries from the first over suggested that he could be right. Westy insisted on conducting another Torygraph quiz and for a while everyone lost a portion of their brains to trivia and shouted out random words<br />
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The batting was exemplary, both openers determined to play balls on merit, work the ball around for singles and blast boundaries from the loose stuff. Iggy thundered a ball into the chest of the aforementioned soon-to-be octogenarian, fielding at square leg, which would have startled anyone's ticker, but the old boy looked unruffled and had saved a certain boundary. There may have been a drop and a half chance or two, but it was mostly straight bats, high elbows and wrists and a pleasure to watch. It was a bit of a shame when the total was surpassed in the 15th over with Raj undefeated for a stylish 35 and Iggy on a dangerously-close-to-a-double-jug avoiding 43 as the Cowboys won by 10 wickets. The Malaga migrant unanimously won the Man of the Match vote, while 'Top Boy' Happy's catch will be hard to beat all summer.<br />
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<a href="http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/website/results/2635397" target="_blank">Scorecard</a><br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-32545931775955258612016-05-07T13:32:00.000-07:002016-05-13T13:44:44.643-07:00Stanton Drew (A)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span id="goog_1075319927"></span><span id="goog_1075319928"></span><br />
<span id="goog_1075319927">As your correspondent and Evan were responsibly rehydrating out the back of the Plough at blah o'clock on Saturday/Sunday, a divine being approached with a crystal ball, slightly heavier than the regulation 5 3/4 ounces, on which she proceeded to work wonders with her fingers. Sadly, she didn't seem that enamoured with the art of spin bowling nor, oddly, interested in the folk lore of the Stanton Drew Stone Circle, although her mate did show a keen interest in football. Anyway, she was a bit late. We'd definitely ordered the crystal ball to be delivered in the morning of our return match with Stanton Drew.<br /><br />Not that we didn't know what to expect; the Bailey Bros. circus in their own back yard. And what a back yard, nestled at the edge of the Mendips, a stone's throw from the Iron Age fort at Maes Knoll, the sweet aroma of silage, dung and Easy Jet fuel permeating the atmosphere.<br /><br />With RT1 out injured but very present, Raj took the helm, lost the toss and was asked to bat. Happy and Ev opened, but after taking a brisk six runs from the first over, runs were hard to find on a pitch that didn't always play true and both were bowled with the total barely in double figures.<br /><br />New batsmen Raj and Phil played watchfully, some deliveries climbing alarmingly, others keeping low, but when Phil was caught and Angelo strode to whe wicket the Cowboys were in trouble at 12-3. Still the runs wouldn't come, but now it was good shots that by chance found fielders and the damp outfield which slowed the ball up. Unable to settle in and repeat his form from the previous week's encounter, Ange was caught behind with the score on 25 and plucky Ollie – I think that's what I heard – joined Raj.<br /><br />Slowly the pair started to forge a partnership, the meagre run rate causing some spectators to seek alternative entertainment, namely the infamous playboy and Murdoch scribe Westy, who conducted a quiz from the pages of the Torygraph and Michael, who enlightened us with his recent knowledge acquired from watching a documentary about 'Animals What Fly'.<br /><br />Meanwhile, Raj was batting assuredly and superbly, finding threes and fours in the deep outfield, ably assisted by Ollie who was also starting to find gaps in the field. After the slow start, the total didn't reach 50 until after the drinks break, but thereafter it picked up momentum as first Raj and Ollie completed their 50 partnership, then took the total past 100. Eventually, it was that man RB, returning with the ball from the top end, who had Ollie in a tangle with his favoured swivel pull and, lest we forget last week, demolished his own furniture and was hit wicket for an essential 39.<br /><br />Cruising beyond his half-century, Raj was joined by Rob who helped to keep the momentum going with a few hearty blows before being caught behind with the score on 140-6. Heading into the final overs, Chris helped Raj push the score towards more batting points, but then Raj edged behind for a text book 71 and it was left to Michael to scurry up and down and wring out the last possible runs from the innings which closed on 152-7.<br /><br />Tea was a heavy carbohydrate affair and suffered from the lack of a greengrocer in the village and water in the tap.<br /><br />Defending four an over, Michael – who was struggling with pulled quads after batting – and Nick opened the bowling against RB and one of the opposition's lower order batsman, who had difficulty laying a bat on Michael's deliveries from the top end. No such problem for RB, who, despite Nick's tidy bowling, pounced on anything a tad full or short and smote it straight or long, and in one case straight at the bowler, who did well to even get his hands up in time, especially after last week's skull-cracker. Technically a chance, which were few and as difficult.<br /><br />Evan replaced a hobbling Michael, who'd nevertheless bowled a remarkably tight spell to keep the game alive. Soon after, the right-hander mistimed one to point, where Rob M calmly pouched it after it hung in the air for a while. Chris replaced Nick, unafraid to give it some air, but after a quiet first over, RB assaulted his second, exclaiming, "Well, if it's up there, I'm going to whack it aren't I?"<br /><br />Skipper Raj stepped up to replace Chris, bowling flatter and quicker and soon earning both verbal and defensive respect from his adversary. This was some tightly economical bowling against Bailey the bludgeoner, now subdued and not scoring as freely as he was accustomed. As ever, Ollie ferreted around behind the stumps and scurried out in front of them, alert to any half chance or stolen single.<br /><br />By the time your correspondent came on to bowl he'd also twanged both quads and seen enough of RB to anticipate a drubbing. Sometimes, it's just so hard to get the ball to go straight, nevermind the agricultural incline of the pitch, or so it seemed as several balls veered off towards the village, extras increased and Ollie took more blows to the body. The second over was a bit better.<br /><br />Perspectives naturally vary, depending on where you stand on a cricket field. Ollie swears that it was a dirty grubber that didn't bounce at all, but the image that's coming with me to my grave is of the ball hitting a third of the way up RB's middle stump, to deprive him of another century and get the Cowboys back into the match: 115-2<br /><br />By now, the aforementioned Westy was finding the cricket more interesting than journalism and his lone voice of support was not only welcome but filled the vacuum left by the absence of the braying Bailey clan.<br /><br />Raj bowled another tight one before another Bailey hit across a straight one and in our imaginations the stumps and bails flashed vivid orange. The excitement ramped up even more the next over when Raj hit the Stanton Warrior No.3 on his pads and after a small delay, umpire RT1 lunged forward with his finger aloft. “Shocking”, said the square leg umpire, who presumably had a better vantage point:120-4.<br /><br />Despite the Cowboys best efforts, the opposition's middle order wasn't going to squander the opportunity of having a bat and knocking off the remaining runs, which they did with four overs to go without losing any more wickets. <br /><br />We reconvened in the garden of the Druids' Arms, where Raj received the Man of the Match vote for his quiet and outstanding talent with bat and ball, while the Cider Moment was finally seeing the back of RB, after he'd scored 277 runs against us this year, although we didn't really need a crystal ball to foresee the possibility.<br /><br />http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/website/results/2635381</span><span id="goog_1075319928"></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-2986696714494276092016-04-30T13:36:00.000-07:002016-05-13T13:44:19.299-07:00Stanton Drew (H)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Roll up, roll up for the Bailey Brothers' Circus, featuring death-defying stunts and stump-smashing action from the Easton Cowboys under a big top thunderous inky black late April sky.<br />
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The Saturday XI made their way to Farmborough, -1 who went to Stanton Drew, whose offbeat tactics are to be applauded in theory but ridiculed in practice. Remarkably, the skipper didn't fine him, nor insist on a fine for those who made mention of how freaking cold it was, although this foolishly squandered the opportunity of making about a squillion quid for the club.<br />
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Winning the toss, the skip asked Stanton Drew if they fancied batting, and if there's anyone who likes batting, and giving everyone else a running commentary on how he's batting, it's the Stanton Drew opener, RB. “I like an athlete who takes it seriously”, he said, as we stood having a puff before the game, before we wheezed our way onto the slightly damp but well prepared field.<br />
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RT1 and Michael opened the Cowboys' attack, but alack, the skip pulled his intercostals and had to cut his spell short after a couple of overs. Michael speared some fiery Garner-esque deliveries (Joel, not Rich) and might have had the chief clown caught at point, had your correspondent pounced on a half-chance rather than looking like some idiot who hadn't played a game for 20 months. Making his debut for the Cowboys, Happy replaced RT1 from the red roof end, but both openers were punishing anything short and looking as menacing as the thunderous sky. A shower forced the players from the field for ten minutes but it was to be the only interruption of the afternoon.<br />
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After the resumption, during a spell that saw him several times end up in a heap on the ground with sheer exertion, Michael bowled the right-handed opener with a peach that hit the top of off stump. With the score already on 70, the first of two, potentially three pairs of Baileys was now at the wicket, adding another 50 before your correspondent, getting some rubbish out of his system, bowled one that was spooned in the air for a straightforward catch. Back in the fold, Jules had replaced Happy and once he'd warmed up, kept both batsmen alert with a fine spell that was to be the most economical of the innings, bowling the new batsman before he'd reached double figures.<br />
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At the other end however, the batsman was reaching three figures and missing very little. A pleasure then to very nearly york him, but having tied him up for a couple of overs, your correspondent finished off his spell by bowling a few that sat up in the turgid spring sod and were carted over the boundary, far away. Debutant Max suffered the same fate with his first ball, dug in close to his ankles and ballooning up for RB to swat towards the next field, but when he found his radar he looked a threat, hitting Ollie's gloves with real force and bowling the No.5 batsman not long after Jules' success to leave the opposition on 138-4.<br />
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Although everyone bowled their looseners, nobody bowled badly at all, but once RB had his eye in, he was off. For a few of us who'd encounterd him before, It was deja-vu all over again Brian, as we hunted down balls in the hedgerows and nesting birds darted for their lives. Mark it! When the ball actually remained within the field of play, there was some excellent Cowboys fielding along the way, especially from Happy, making remarkable effort and stops in the deep, and Max, solid and dependable. Which is not to say that when he bowled and dared to give it a bit of flight, Nick wouldn't have benefited had his supporting fielders had more catching practice beforehand and his skipper, more throwing practice ...<br />
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As percussive noises go, the sound of a cricket ball hitting a human skull isn't that groovy. It tends to make you wince and stare open mouthed, which is what we did when RT1 at mid-on attempted to throw to the stumps at the keeper's end, but miscalculated that Nick's head was in line with the trajectory. Blessedly, the air ambulance wasn't required and Nick got up and seemed to be making as much sense as usual and we carried on. Bypassing the Health & Safety Executive, this was later voted as the Cider Moment.<br />
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With the possibility of the score reaching 300 and RB 200, the reincarnated Saturday XI battled to the end with good cheer and newfound camaraderie, albeit for one tiny lapse in manners and decorum. Everyone, including some of his own team mates, was getting a little riled by the big hitting batsman's constant chatter and presence at the crease, when our frustrated keeper, unable to execute a run out, demolished the timbers in a rather ungentlemanly manner with his lower limbs. The skipper adopted parental mode and your correspondent swiftly forced mud, startled worms and stumps back into three enlarged holes.<br />
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The Cowboys eventually restricted the opposition from reaching those two landmark totals and even managed to execute a run out, although it was more a case of RB sacrificing his partner, to end up on 192 not out, from an innings total of 296-5.<br />
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Tea was hastily assembled and passed the standard for teas hastily assembled. Like the fielding, it'll get better as the season progresses.<br />
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Phil and Ahad opened the batting and tried to get to grips with the pitch, playing straight and carefully in the face of a target of more than seven an over, but when Ahad played back and was trapped on the crease, RT1 had no choice but to raise his finger (everyone ducked). Phil was next to go, caught hitting out against the same bowler to put the score on 29-2. Happy played some lofty blows that reached the boundary and raised the scoring rate, adjusting his timing after all the practice in the faster indoor nets, but was caught at mid on, off the omnipresent RB, now bowling from the top, mineshaft end. <br />
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Ollie and Angelo then very nearly compiled a 50 run partnership as they started to read the pitch and capitalise on the rather ordinary bowling that came their way. Not that all their swipes connected, with Ollie especially, managing to get himself hit a couple of times amidships while attempting sweeps to long leg and severely testing his abdominal protector's efficacy. When he was caught, at 77-4, Max joined Angelo and together they took the singles and pierced the infield to take the score beyond 100. The required run rate was creeping higher but there was still hope. Even when Max was bowled for 16, Michael strode to the wicket with hunger and intent and with Angelo now playing expansive shots and the opposition taking the opportunity of giving everyone a bowl, there were still plenty of runs to be had. "It's bloody difficult playing shit bowling though", said Ange.<br />
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After helping Angelo take the score past 150, Michael fell for 13, as did Rob and Jules after him, each having some batting practice in a match that was really long since lost, but with pride and perhaps points to play for. Angelo in the meantime had racked up a combative, resistant 50 to win the Man of the Match vote and the Cowboys had taken their total beyond 200, finishing on a competent 206-7 but losing by 90 runs. <br />
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Scorecard:<br />
http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/website/results/2635417Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-30282596984201879122014-07-05T11:53:00.000-07:002014-07-13T12:02:20.433-07:00Captain Fantastic! (?)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3EuWlYevmjrj_ayAgHqVoC_GEfxzfX9okXPgKjDAXryAftBwhwOBfA2ZmLubzbVFhTYjHyOlQEe-3Tz4bK-HRKSGKDkODY83EQ451kJ7bzOqSulWi5IPmhTMslviMXIwF-mlYk8d-NyM/s1600/DSC03185.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx3EuWlYevmjrj_ayAgHqVoC_GEfxzfX9okXPgKjDAXryAftBwhwOBfA2ZmLubzbVFhTYjHyOlQEe-3Tz4bK-HRKSGKDkODY83EQ451kJ7bzOqSulWi5IPmhTMslviMXIwF-mlYk8d-NyM/s1600/DSC03185.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
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Ev writes :<br />
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With Iggy away on Ange’s stag Captain Taylor took the reins for this one against our old friends Exiles. It seems Exiles are yet another team struggling to put sides out this season and for this game they had borrowed young uns from Lansdown and Stothert and Pitt CCs to make up their numbers.<br />
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The Wuns too had a bit of a reshuffle, with no Angelo, Ian or Dave T in came Steveo and Grover, and Rich O making a Wuns debut.<br />
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Despite the previous nights rain the pitch looked ok, slightly damp and rather green. On winning the toss the Landlord put Exiles in to bat. On the way out to the middle Kalu took one of the opposition youngsters, who had been assigned umpiring duties, aside for a bit of a chat. Kalu explained to the somewhat bemused lad that should he appeal for LBW it would be a mistake not to give it out, as he only appeals for deliveries that are going straight on to hit the stumps.<br />
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RT1 and Nick opened the attack and it was soon clear that their was a bit of pace in this wicket, the ball coming through quick and with decent bounce. Aussie Brian, the Exiles opener played a couple of nice square cuts early on and with a quick outfield found the boundary. At the other end a young un was finding Nicks pace difficult. It wasn’t long before Nick had him bowled, playing back to one he should’ve gone forward to.<br />
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A big appeal from Ollie and Rob had the young umpire raising the finger soon afterward, though as Brian trudged off we all agreed the noise we heard was probably ball on thighpad. Soon afterwards Rob had their number 3, who had played a few shots, plum LBW on the back leg. <br />
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Tim and Kalu took over from the openers and bowled fine economical spells, dominating the batsmen and both claiming 2 wickets apiece. Tims included a sharp catch from Ollie standing up despite the pacy wicket. And Kalu had a batsmen out Hit Wicket, had he not smashed his stumps over he could have been given out caught behind as Ollie claimed he’d also hit the ball, which ended up in Ollies gloves.<br />
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With Tim and Kalu dominating so completely nothing much was happening in the field so Nick kept himself and his teammates amused by chirping truly terrible pun laden advice to Kalu at the beginning of each over. I can’t repeat it here, but take it from me, it was bad.<br />
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At 76 for 7 Exiles seemed to be crumbling but a stubborn 8th wicket stand pushed them over the 100 mark, with the Exiles skipper playing some big shots, but when Kalu, fielding at shortish fine leg spotted him dawdling outside his crease he threw down the stumps, running him out and winning Cider Moment in the process.<br />
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Samad and Nick polished off the tail and Exiles had made 116 all out midway through the 40th over.<br />
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Tea was baguette styley owing to the dodgy looking weather but with the inclusion of tortilla, as is Evans wont. This drew praise from Grover, who seemed impressed by the addition of cumin to the recipe, though he still insisted it was “indian eggy veg which has no place in an english cricket tea”.<br />
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Evan and Ahad began the chase. Perhaps because of the low target Exiles opened with two slow bowlers. They bowled well enough but with the pitch playing well it was easy for the batsman to get in. There were enough bad balls to hit, and following a bowling change, from one particularly nervous lad lots of wides, meaning no risks were necessary and despite some much better quick bowling towards the end Cowboys knocked off the runs inside 22 overs without losing a wicket. Ahad is yet to be dismissed for the Wuns.<br />
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Tim won man of the match for his figures of 8-6-8-2 and SteveO provided us with a fruity little number before we went back to HQ and met up with the victorious Toos for more beer and shouting at the telly.<br />
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<a href="http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/view_results_details?id=11883671" target="_blank">Scorecard</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-46150993424945268352014-06-28T09:14:00.000-07:002014-06-30T14:26:17.097-07:00Five at the farm<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Iggy writes:<br />
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It was another one of those "will it , won't it" rain days. The man from Midsomer Norton (groundsman) he say Yes, but only if it didn't rain again.<br /><br />There was a last minute rush around to try and get hold of a tarp of some sort; to cover the wicket when the predicted showers came in, we couldn't get anything big enough, so that was the end of that.<br /><br />Upon arrival at The Farm it was pretty obvious that there was going to be a shower or two. We spotted what looked like a tarp, locked away in the mower shed, there was a small gap at the top of the partition wall, and our Ollie was chosen, mostly because of his slender build and his agility, to take on the mission. He went up the wall like Spiderman and slid through that gap like a Giro though a letter box. Turns out it wasn't a tarp but a big Gazebo, nice one that will do the job.<br /><br />Right, so The Plan; win the toss, bowl em out quickly, get the runs even more quickly and get to the pub to watch Brazil vs Chile.<br /><br />RT1 and Kalu opened the attack on a drying but sticky strip, their opening batsmen were smart and got off to a flyer hitting anything short or wide straight to the boundary and ran very well between the stumps. Kalu got the big fella, caught by Tim at cover.<br /><br />The 1st change brought the wickets Jules got the opener who was starting to look dangerous, caught behind by Ollie , who had charged the square leg umpire screaming obscenities en route, from behind his Hannibal Lector mask, in the previous over.<br />Wickets then fell regularly, the pressure of the tight bowling getting to them. Tim and Jules taking 8 wickets between them, all out for 92 in the 30th over. Great bowling great fielding and quick change arounds between over’s, they didn't get a look in.<br /><br />Their skipper, who was in full rain dance mode, begrudgingly allowed us to go out and bat for 10 overs as the tea wasn't ready yet and it was sure to rain soon.<br />Evan had strict instructions to bat like a twat, and that he did, not wasting any time gaining a 100% strike rate for his 3, that brought Tooley to the crease, who also wasted no time, with Ahad playing sensibly at the other end, Dave hit a quick 42 in 18 balls to put the game in the bag before getting caught out by a low straight one.<br /><br />The 10th over came and we had to come off for tea, still needing 20 odd runs. Then our gazebo came into use as the heavens opened, it did its job and kept the wicket dry enough to go back out on, when the rain stopped.<br /><br />Ahad and Angelo went out to finish the job, with the pressure off, saw us home with ease in the 15 th over.<br /><br />Not quite as planned but still caught the second half of the footy.<br /><br />Tim T got MoM for the second week in a row for a fine bowling performance, His 5for costing him a jug back at the plough.<br /><br />Ollie (Hannibal) Groom, won cider moment for his Umpire charge.<br /><br />Ahad gets a special mention, for his 3rd not out in a row , Keep it going mate.<br /><br />
<a href="http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/view_results_details?id=11883661" target="_blank">Scorecard</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-56429264948989582552014-06-21T09:03:00.000-07:002014-06-29T09:11:44.127-07:00Serendip skittled<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ev writes : </div>
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The Winford ground looked lovely in the June sunshine. It was easy to forget this was an away game, Winford being our old patch, and indeed at least one cowboy marched into the opposition (home) changing room on arrival by mistake.<br /><br />As Iggy strolled out for the coin toss with the Serendip skipper, the Red Arrows aerial display team appeared over the horizon and looped the loop and billowed smoke directly above us. This caused Iggy to call incorrectly and Serendip opted to bat first.<br /><br />The pitch had been baked hard in the recent hot spell and looked flat enough. However it was soon apparent that there were a few demons present, particularly at the bottom end on a good length. Tim, bowling down the slope exploited this well, bowling full and getting bounce, and with Ollie stood up, had the batsmen pinned back right from the off.<br /><br />Coming up the hill, once he found his range, Rob too found bounce from a length. After passing the bat a few times a big edge flew straight into Ollies gloves but the batsman chose not to walk. A few balls later same bat mistimed one high to Iggy at mid off, who took the catch (the first of 3 taken by Iggy), albeit with a look of utter terror on his face.<br /><br />Tim bowled 2 or perhaps 3 with Yorker length balls which dipped late due to Tim doing something mysterious with his fingers on delivery. Whatever it was it worked.<br /><br />Kalu took over from Rob and got bounce and some turn. Serendip had lost wickets regularly and the only batsman who had stuck around long enough to get himself in was a left hander who was now enjoying himself, the ball being softer and doing less, and was hitting boundaries around the ground.<br /><br />There followed a stubborn 9th wicket partnership. The left hander farming the strike and their number 10 scoring the occasional streaky boundary. Samad eventually had the left hand caught pulling a short one to deep square leg, Rob taking the catch low down and winning the cider moment in the process. Shortly after Samad cleaned up the last man as well and Cowboys had bowled out Serendip for 117 somewhere around the 25 over mark.<br /><br />Tea was generic, lifted a bit by Kiplings Bakewell tarts, mmm, my favourite. <br /><br />Evan and Ahad opened in reply. Now the pitch was much easier, and other than some mild controversy around a suspect bowling action the innings proceeded unremarkably, and perhaps a little boringly apart from the odd stroke from Ahad.<br /> </div>
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The openers had put on 60 when to the relief of those watching, Evan had a slog across the line and was bowled for 27, just as the Red Arrows reappeared over the trees. <br /><br />Ahad picked up the pace a little now, playing some deft wristy strokes, and some hard slapped straight drives. After playing a few shots Dave T had a go at a wide one and played on. Simon played too early at a short one and was bowled.<br /><br />Ahad and Ange saw us home, Ange unselfishly refusing runs so that Ahad might reach his half century before the target was achieved. But when Ahad hit the winning runs with a 4 behind square he had made 46 not out. Cowboys winning by 7 wickets not much after 6pm.<br /><br />Steveo provided some cold beers and we voted Tim man of the match for his excellent opening spell.<br /> </div>
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<a href="http://cowboys.play-cricket.com/view_results_details?id=11987882" target="_blank">Scorecard</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-12996994799422469172013-09-14T15:27:00.000-07:002013-09-18T16:04:10.966-07:00Unexpected cricket teams in the bagging areaLong before Kraft bought the Somerdale factory from Cadbury's and swiftly closed it down, making local workers redundant and ceasing production of DoubleDeckers (chocolate, not buses Blakey) the Fry's Chocolate Company's sports and social club used to have an apostrophe. These days it's known as Fry Club and the first rule about Fry Club is you do not talk about Fry Club. However,<br />
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The previous day's deluge had left the top pitch as gooey as a gateaux and Iggy had no hesitation in asking Avonside to bat first, once he'd won the toss for the thirteenth time. In the words of the late Roy Castle, ‘Dedication’s what you need, if you wanna be a record-breaker,’ and Iggy certainly has been a dedicated tosser this season.<br />
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RT1 and Garnier bowled the first half a dozen overs with customary accuracy and magnificent tedious economy. Each bagged a wicket apiece with their opening salvos; first RT1 induced an edge behind, smartly caught by Ollie, who momentarily misplaced his Ps and Qs in his assertion of the batsman's downfall, neither of them noticing the umpire's index finger of confirmation. Shortly afterwards Garnier bowled the other opener during a wicket maiden that left the opposition on 7-2.<br />
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The next pair at the crease put on 71, first taking around five an over from the remainder of RT1 and Garnier's spells, then scoring a couple of boundaries off Ev's first over. Fielding was generally keen and smart - Ange got behind a point blank smash that would have perforated a lesser man - but the boundaries were mostly short, one on a separate contour line. The Landlord didn't initially fare much better in the attempt at keeping a lid on the simmering pot, but then Ev made the breakthrough, forcing a mistimed drive in the air to mid-off where Kalu made no mistake (unlike the four he'd earlier let through his legs down the hill that caused howls and barks) and at drinks the opposition were on 81-3.<br />
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After the break both bowlers tied the batsmen down for a while (modesty would prevent the Landlord from boasting about his last four overs going for just two runs) but couldn't get them out. Although the run rate had now dropped to below four, Avonside had the potential of being very dangerous in the remaining overs with seven wickets in hand. As has so often been the case this season, Iggy had at least eight bowlers to choose from. This week the fifth arm of the octopus was Kalu, but there was ink all over the scorebook when his first couple of overs went for 27. RT1 was kept busy in the outfield and parried what would have been a spectacular catch instead of a muntered one. Both the skipper and Kalu bravely persevered and in his third over he bowled the No.5 to end the partnership: 136-4.<br />
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Meanwhile AB had come on to bowl at the other end, also finding success in his third over by bowling the incoming batsman: 149-5 with half a dozen overs remaining. The No3 then accelerated the run rate, pushing his own score towards a century, hitting at least a six from each of Kalu's next three overs before the bowler's nerve and flight outdid the batsman's judgement and he was bowled for 96. Suddenly remembering that this was the last opportunity to bowl on grass for the next seven months, Iggy brought himself and AndyB on to bowl, the latter taking a wicket with his second ball, Iggy pouching a fine caught and bowled off his third ball and striking again with the next one (his dad was watching). AndyB responded to being hit for six from the first ball of the final over by bowling the No.10 with the next, wrapping up the innings on 184, the last five wickets having fallen for thirteen runs.<br />
<br />
The tea break coincided with the end of a soccer match being played by the club house, adding to the usual shabby debacle of tea time at Fry's. Not even a choccy biccie in sight. Those with polystyrene cup, white bread and doughnut allergies brought alternatives (ok, just me).<br />
<br />
Ev and Ange carried forward the momentum gained at the end of Avonside's innings, batting positively and scoring at five an over until the sixth, when Ange was caught in front of the wicket for 14. Ev was caught behind for 13 off the first ball of the following over, AndyB bowled for a duck with the fifth and with the score on 33-3 the Cowboys needed some consolidation. Step forward Iggy, who, with vociferous female support and under paternal scrutiny, knuckled down and kept the score ticking over. At the other end, although the supportive role was vital, Justin's watch had apparently stopped and he struggled to find scoring opportunities. Both batsmen eventually succumbed to successive deliveries; Justin LBW sweeping for 4, Iggy caught at long on for 27, just after some Jonah had mentioned that the new bowler, the opposition skipper, was a canny one with the ball: 75-5.<br />
<br />
AB then completely disproved the Jonah theory by smiting said bowler for four fours in his next over, while Ollie had a less productive and pleasant time at the other end. At drinks the Cowboys were precisely half way to their target on 92-5, but immediately afterwards Ollie was caught close to the wicket and the balance of the match swung slightly back in the opposition's favour. Kalu joined AB and for five overs they kept the required run rate in sight before Kalu was caught in the 25th over for 8 with the score on 106-7.<br />
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The sky brightened, a hot air balloon took off from a field near the river. The Landlord didn't find the bowling particularly challenging but there was movement behind the bowler's arm, albeit approximately 93 million miles away and bright orange-coloured. To have attempted to watch the ball out of the bowler's hand would have meant instant blindness. Adjusting headgear, squinting out of one eye and prodding straight seemed to be the best policy. Batting at the other end, by comparison, was a doddle and so it was utter madness for the Landlord to be run out for 10 attempting to get away from that end and an act of kindness for AB to sagely send him back. A shame about the direct hit: 127-8.<br />
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With ten overs remaining the Cowboys required just less than a run a ball to win. With AB and now Garnier at the wicket it was still a plausible plot, but a couple of overs later the curtains came down prematurely as AB was bowled for 32 and without the score advancing, Garnier was blinded by the light (wrapped up like a deuce, another runner in the night) and bowled for 6. All out for 134 in the 34th over, fifty runs short.<br />
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AB won the Man of the Match vote for his batting and bowling and did the double, or triple, by being awarded the Cider Moment for his pugnacious 4x4 over. Iggy also won plaudits for his caught and bowled, as did RT1 for his fielding and nearly fielding of the ball.<br />
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If rumours of the impending redevelopment of this part of the ground are correct, it's likely that this was the last cricket match to be played on the top pitch and just possible that the wicket could become a supermarket aisle: Unexpected cricket teams in the bagging area.<br />
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<a href="http://nscl.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11652524" target="_blank">Scorecard</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-37634045835693912742013-08-31T14:46:00.000-07:002013-09-04T14:52:30.142-07:00Rescue and redemptionWhen your No.11 is looking around for pads with less than twenty runs on the board, you know you're in trouble. At least Garnier had brought some beer so we could have a beer match afterwards. In the meantime, there was trouble at t'mill, or more accurately, out there in the middle from whence batsmen were returning with alarming regularity.<br /><br />And the pitch had appeared quite benign on first inspection; neither a belter nor a sticky one, creating some doubt in the team and the skipper's mind as to what to do when Iggy inevitably won the toss again - for a staggering twelve times in succession (which now suggests that he's been taking lessons from Derren Brown, convincing the opposition skippers that they're seeing whichever side of the coin he tells them).<br /><br />In went Ev and Ange, the latter undone by a corker of a ball that bowled him for a duck, then Barney helped Ev get the total past a dozen before being caught behind for four, bringing AndyB to the wicket for his debut innings for the team. A couple of balls later he'd been adjudged LBW by home team umpire Kalu, both of whom sought verification of their viewpoint from the DRS well into the evening. AB fell victim without scoring to a caught and bowled with the total still on 15 and a few runs later Ev was caught behind off a "shite ball" from the same bowler: 18-5.<br /><br />By now the eventual No.11 had suggested that the original No.11 on the scorecard go in a bit earlier, being a considerably better batter. As suggestions go it was a no-brainer and quite possibly a match-winner, as Iggy and Asad rebuilt the innings from scratch and began to dominate the bowling attack. After those initial tortuous opening overs with wickets tumbling, the fifty came up in no time with both batsmen knuckling down and punishing the bad balls. With power and good shot selection Asad initially outscored the skipper, who from the outset oozed determination and intent, playing himself in and forging a vital partnership of 73.<br /><br />With five boundaries in his essential 39 it was Asad who went first, caught at long on with the score a little rosier, but still a bit poorly on 91-6: Enter Ollie, who after looking rather unsteady to start with, made himself at home under Iggy's wing before playing back and launching his own assaults upon the opposition prey, inflating both the run rate and the total higher than could have been dreamt of earlier. Up, up and away, past the dizzying heights of 100, then 150, the pair done good.<br /><br />As Iggy scooped the ball into gaps, reached his fifty and the Cowboys moved from grief to euphoria, so the Oldfield Park XI's spirit crashed, burned and ate its own tail. Ollie eventually plundered seven boundaries in his rapid fire innings of 35 from a couple of dozen balls, all the more remarkable given his relatively slow and uncertain start. When he holed out he'd put on 91 with Iggy and exactly doubled the score: 182-7.<br /><br />There was some concern, what with all the balls that had been smacked into the hedges by the Cowboys' middle order, that there may not be enough left to finish the game: Enter Kalu, a man sometimes permanently preoccupied with the desire to launch the ball into space and beyond. Happily he kept it to the confines of the county, playing deft late cuts as well as hearty blows. Iggy meanwhile had cracked a six at the other end in addition to the other nine boundaries and was not alone in daring to wonder whether he could face enough balls and hang around long enough to reach three figures. Alas, the truth of the dare was that after a fine captain's innings he fell caught and bowled for 77.<br /><br />Kalu kicked on from there, taking the score past 200 with Garnier, who farmed the strike to his partner and hit his own boundaries on the way to his highest innings total for five years and the Cowboys' largest total all season: 237-9. Blaming the scorers, on the last ball of the innings had he realised that it was such, he might not have run out Kalu for 21.<br /><br />Everyone was to blame, or thank for the tea, being as it was a co-operative, communal affair. It certainly led to a wealth of variety and the leftovers would have fed a family of refugee badgers for a week.<br /><br />A well-fed chirpy home team took to the field to defend six an over. Neither Garnier nor AndyB let them get anywhere near that but the opening batsmen were still resolute, infamously stubborn to remove. Though economical, Garnier seemed to have trouble with his radar from the bottom end and while AndyB frequently threatened to take a wicket there was still no breakthrough after a dozen overs. Tim and Kalu then chanced their arms, still keeping things tight and building pressure on the batsmen, who were losing sight of their required run rate despite passing a half-century partnership together.<br /><br />Tim's skiddy seamers often found the edge and pads, but the umpire was not only immovable but affronted by the frequency of LBW appeals, leading to the conclusion that he was missing a page from his copy of the relevant laws. Kalu finally claimed the first scalp in the 20th over, thanks not only to Ollie's smart catch behind the stumps but the batsman's self-ejection for 32, removing the umpire's involvement by walking after a faint snick: 63-1. Like proverbial buses, another two wickets arrived that same over as Kalu flighted, spun and deceived the next men out for ducks; the first bowled, the second caught by Ollie. Stunned by three quick blows, the opposition now required more than eight an over against a home side brimming with confidence and a bagful of bowling to come.<br /><br />After another tight five overs Kalu clung on to a smart return catch that he didn't have time to think about dropping, but unfortunately the same could not be said of Ange, who dropped a tame lob to silly mid off a couple of overs later to deny Kalu his fifth wicket in his last over. Shed not a tear, dear reader, but rejoice in Ange's redemption and salvation a ball or three later, when he bagged a sharp one, propelling Kalu jugward to 5-27. A very small boy on the boundary edge was confused by the cheering: "Did you do a good bat dad?" he shouted to his father who'd been at the crease since the start. "Yes", came a sheepish reply, which was by and large true until Ev bowled him a few overs later: 98-6.<br /><br />A couple of overs each from Ev and Iggy further tightened the screws on the opposition's innings, after which two each from Asad and AB swiftly brought it to a close: Asad hit the stumps with the first ball directed towards them and AB had similar radar adjustments before striking twice in one over to snuff out a tail he was too good for. One opposition batsman had declined to make the journey to the crease, thus the innings was closed on 120-9 and the Cowboys had won by 117 runs.<br /><br />Iggy's splendid rescue knock of 77 won him Man of the Match, while Ange's drop and redemption came top of the pile of Cider Moment nominations, another couple of which involved Kalu's masterful spell. Big ups to Garnier and Ange for ale and pizza provision.<br />
<br /><a href="http://nscl.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11652529" target="_blank">Scorecard</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-3419604930853139942013-08-17T14:27:00.000-07:002013-08-19T14:39:52.777-07:00Over before teaProfessor Garnier looked up from his computer at the meteorological department. The forecast wasn't good. He'd emailed his associates to warn them of the impending rainfall that would scupper the afternoon's activities and was now free to tuck into the sumptuous tea that he'd prepared which would now be surplus to requirement.<br />
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The rest of the Saturday 1st XI left the city for Farmborough as the breeze intensified and the sky darkened, but on arrival the threatening clouds hadn't delivered, the pitch looked good and Wrington 2nd XI were up for a game. Iggy won the toss for the eleventh time in a row and patted the rabbit's foot, four-leaf clover, horseshoe and lump of coal in his pocket. He'd only told people that he'd injured his Achilles tendon because they would have laughed at him if he'd told them that the real reason he couldn't run was because he had to carry all that lot around in his pocket.<br />
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Meanwhile, Garnier woke up and belched, frantically brushing stilton, pork pie and cake crumbs from his chest, muttering expletives as he looked out of the window and didn't see rain. Slipping on a half-eaten foie gras canape, he dashed out of the house and headed for the ground, running a supermarket delivery van off the road en-route and ransacking its contents for later.<br />
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The other ten Cowboys had by now taken the field with RT1 and AndyB spearheading the new ball attack. The newly adopted policy of returning the ball to the bowler as quickly as possible without any intermittent third party polishing, together with a speedy urgency between overs to beat the rain, contributed to a palpable eagerness, creating pressure on the batsmen from the start. Both bowlers plied their craft admirably with RT1 having early success from the top end when he took a sharp low return catch to dismiss the opposition skipper, then striking again to bowl the No.3. Tooley's remarkable outstretched effort at gully gave him his third victim and reduced Wrington to 6-3, round about the time that Garnier appeared and snuck onto the field.<br />
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From the other end, it was AndyB's turn to break through the opposition's crumbly batting and with the surviving opener looking on, he bowled one, two, three of the hapless Wringtones, possibly all in the same over. At 17-6 it was a little surreal - like viewing highlights on fast forward - this game that wasn't supposed to happen and still might not end if the spots of rain intensified and became prolonged, as forecast.<br />
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After RT1 and AndyB's devastating seven over spells of 3-10 and 3-19, Kalu and Tim took over in trying to remove the resistant No.2 and exposed tail. After a lot of swishing without connecting, the opener - and only batsman to make double figures - eventually tickled one through off Tim for Ollie to take a sharp low edge, while at the other end Kalu held a well-struck caught and bowled. At some point a batsman arrived at the crease carrying what appeared to be a child's toy, which some claimed to go by the name of a Mongoose, although it was neither a small carnivorous mammal nor, evidently, of any use for playing cricket. Kalu bowled the No.9 to conclude his five over spell with 2-21, making way for Garnier who bowled seven dot balls, the last of which the No.11 struck in the vicinity of AB, who casually plucked it out of the air with one hand to wrap things up: 61 all out in the 27th over.<br />
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Mindful of Garnier's legendary teas (and the rain that had come and gone but would surely pay a proper visit later) the opposition were keen to pause between innings but Iggy was having none of it and sent Ev and Tooley out to bat, just as another few spots of drizzle blotted the scorebook.<br />
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The long-lasting Wrington bat also opened the bowling but was no match for the Cowboys' opening pair, who struck fourteen from his first two overs, double that off the bowler from the other end. Tooley timed the ball impeccably, pulling, driving and cutting the ball to the boundary with heartening regularity, outscoring Ev who was nonetheless ever vigilant to every scoring opportunity, neither of them bothered by what came their way.<br />
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The light rain troubled no one apart from the scorer, for whom Iggy attempted to arrange an umbrella, producing instead a disemboweled octopus which like a kite he flew in the prevailing wind. A straight blow from Tooley sailed on the same wind over the boundary for six, the run rate now an unprecedented ten an over and a rare ten wicket victory almost in the bag. Of all the Cowboys, perhaps Garnier was the least delighted that the winning runs were struck in the seventh over, giving him less than the optimum time for throwing together a rain-affected tea. For that he has to lay the blame with Tooley for playing such a flawless and determined, if jug-avoiding, 46 not out from 23 balls as well as RT1 and AndyB's earlier three-fers.<br />
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The Cider Moment and Man of the Match awards quite probably went to Tooley for his gully catch and RT1 for his deadly opening spell and it is with regret, especially having written it down in the scorebook at the time, that your correspondent can not remember with certainty, susceptible as he is to post-match ale induced short term memory loss and the disintegration of the associated neural pathways forever.<br />
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Later, Ev's memory displayed no such signs of degeneration when he texted, "Last Saturday XI 10 wkt win was in Aug 09 vs WSM at Bristol CC ground. Jeffo and Grant knocked off 34 in 7 overs. I took 4 for 3, best of which was the old lady with her arm in plaster."<br />
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<a href="http://nscl.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11652519" target="_blank">Scorecard</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-20706159774116636562013-08-10T14:31:00.000-07:002013-08-12T14:41:15.072-07:00The lady and the gentlemenWith no sign of inclement weather to curtail the afternoon, the Saturday 1st XI travelled to the pristine grounds of Downside School in Stratton-on-the-Fosse to play S-o-t-F 2nd XI. The pitch was slightly damp from overnight rain and Iggy had little hesitation in asking the opposition to bat after yet again winning the toss. The mathematics professors duly attempted to calculate the probability, if not the absurdity, of correctly calling a coin ten times in a row, but to accompanying puffs of smoke and the grinding of cog wheels, their brains exploded.<br />
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(0.5x0.5x0.5x0.5x0.5x0.5x0.5x0.5x0.5x0.5x0.5 = 0.00048828125 = 1/2048 = 2048 to 1 ?) (5 marks)<br />
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RT1 and Garnier took the new ball, exerting pressure once they'd adjusted their sights, RT1 making an early breakthrough when he bowled the No.1 with only a couple of runs on the board. With the field alert and buoyed by success, the batsmen found runs hard to come by and when Garnier's guile knocked over Nos. 3 & 4 with the score on 18, the inappropriately named 'Down-Ciders' had a leak in their flagon.<br />
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Kalu and Tim replaced the successful opening bowlers as the hitherto quiet No.2 batsman hit out and upped the run rate, but a very sharp catch from Ollie behind the stumps saw off the No.5 with the score on 38-4. On a slow pitch the batsmen struggled to score off Kalu but found runs from the other end as the tall No.2 drove aerially to the boundary, once grazing the not so small RT2's finger (fined). RT1 made no mistake with a regulation catch off Kalu to end the partnership and a few runs later Kalu struck again, bowling the danger man and reducing the score to 73-6.<br />
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With a bag of bowlers still up his sleeve and each so far having bowled six, Iggy brought on the algebraic pairing of 2AB: AndyB and AB. Both bowled economically, apart from a smattering of wides that were cumulatively to become the second highest scorer, but it was Andy who removed the next batsman thanks to an RT2 catch and without the score advancing got another, who played straight into Kalu's hands at leg slip: 84-8. Offering little resistance, Andy cut off the rest of the tail too; one caught by Garnier, the last young man bowled, to end with a fine 4-11 from nineteen balls and the innings closed on 92 in the 29th over.<br />
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Without pausing between innings, the Cowboys set about facing ten overs before the interlude and with much associated scurrying the batsmen and umpires prepared themselves. The distance between the pitch and the pavilion being greater than that between the pitch and the woods, RT1's choice of venue for his required comfort break was understandable, unless you didn't like that sort of thing and a nearby exclamation of haughty disgust suggested that somebody didn't: Vociferously proclaiming, "This is a game for gentlemen," the lady took much placating as she threatened protestations to the league, the skipper's apologies falling on cloth ears.<br />
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With their catheters in place, Ev and RT2 starting off positively, solid in defence and alert to scoring possibilities: It was RT2's keenness that led to his demise when he was run out backing up, Ev propelling a ball straight back that the bowler deflected onto the stumps.<br />
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Upstairs in the pavilion, overlooking the 1st XI pitch with the school and the abbey behind, the surroundings outshone the perfectly adequate tea. <br />
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After the resumption, a mackerel sky heralding a changing weather front, DaveT and Ev continued their partnership. The former outscored the latter, both playing straight and appearing in control, the opposition having no choice but to set an attacking field and hope to exploit any swing that their bowlers could extract from the conditions. With the score just short of fifty, Dave was the first to go, bowled for 21 and as Ev now started playing more expansive shots, Ollie tried to find his feet.<br />
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Having struck some powerful blows and wound up the bowler to a chuntering state, Ev was caught for 20, the score now on 61-3. Kalu and Ollie found the going tough, the requisite timing eluding them, the former holing out early bringing AB to the wicket, who soon settled in and began to dominate the bowling, finding the boundary with a series of pugnacious shots that put the outcome of the match in no doubt. Some time after the ringing of the six o'clock Angelus bell, the hapless young opposition No.11 was given the ball, the only delivery from whom was hit for five as AB secured the win by six wickets, remaining unbeaten on 25.<br />
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AndyB got the MotM vote for his tidy and efficient clean up and Ollie's catch lost out to the incident of the outraged lady for the (Down)Cider Moment. Thirsty and in a dry spot, the Cowboys headed to Farmborough where they drank all the 2nd XI's beer and failed to help them to win. Sorry bout that. It's been suggested that fines from the 1st XI game be offered as reparation.<br />
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<a href="http://nscl.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11652514" target="_blank">Scorecard</a><br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-76296546205179537802013-08-03T13:41:00.000-07:002013-08-08T13:44:14.487-07:00Chucking it down"Oi! Get off the pitch," were the words with which we were greeted by the opposition as we stood around surveying the wicket before the match against Old Park at the Fry Club ground in Keynsham. Perhaps they mistook our trainers for stilettos or maybe it was a wind up. It was certainly a taste of things to come.<br />
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Iggy proved his credentials as a winning tosser and put the opposition into bat on a damp, drying strip, beneath which we'd not had enough time to plant our IEDs as was evidenced by the opposition's 98 run opening partnership. The algebraic opening bowling pair of 2ABs (Bhatnagar & Bowen) commenced respectively fast and tight, but the run rate rose to four, then five an over as RT2 and Kalu took over and the batsmen were let off with a series of three dropped dollies, each easier than the last.<br />
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Finally, sprinting in from long-off, the <i>real</i> AB (there were three in the team) took a fine catch off Kalu's bowling, made all the more impressive by the associated blood and thumb injury and his teammates' butterfingers.<br />
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Adhering to some kind of quinary system the skipper was allotting his bowlers five over spells and as the rain clouds menaced, Asad and the Landlord's turn came. Asad had early success, bowling the remaining opener for 58 and putting a much-needed squeeze on the score's progression. Your correspondent's bowling was treated most disrespectfully with some effective hoiking across a good line, but there was success from the other end when Asad had an LBW appeal upheld: 115-3.<br />
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Exactly when the murmuring started is hard to say, perhaps it was at the fall of the next wicket, when Asad bowled the No.4, or the ball after when he bowled the No.6, but from somewhere in the ranks of the opposition came the accusation that he was throwing. Whether sour grapes, sledging or considered opinion wasn't initially evident and as runs leaked at the other end and the rain clouds rolled in depositing a heavy shower, the players left the field with the score on 139-5, Asad with figures of 4 for 8.<br />
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An early tea was taken, the authenticity of which was also in question as bread whiter than the paper plates from which the doughnuts rolled tasted worse than the polystyrene cups in which the tepid weak tea was served, in a corridor.<br />
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It kept raining, it stopped, the pitch looked very sticky and nobody wanted to go near it with stilettos, slippers or studs, except perhaps for Asad, who may have bettered the season's best bowling performance, or not: The word from the tea of uncertainty corridor was that if play resumed, the opposition (umpire) intended to no-ball the Cowboys' most effective bowler for throwing, recurrence of which under the Laws results in suspension from further bowling in the match, or in reality perhaps a punch-up.<br />
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Escaping from all that, the team adjourned to the bar where they were greeted by the locals as "ragamuffins" and scowled at by the barmaid.<br />
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<a href="http://nscl.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11652509" target="_blank">Scorecard</a><br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-70220672573472265522013-07-27T11:03:00.000-07:002013-08-08T11:09:11.005-07:00Abandoned <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://nscl.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11652503" target="_blank">Scorecard</a>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8804305864158089001.post-12909334673278441042013-07-20T14:46:00.000-07:002013-07-22T14:57:22.278-07:00Bath BombBath 4th XI's Brownsword ground at Lansdown Hill lies within the former estate of William Beckford, whose gilded folly, partially hidden by trees surrounding the water tower, was once renown as a landmark for drunken farmers on their way home from market. There was certainly a little folly and a hint of the drunken farmer about the Saturday 1st XI's performance against top of the table Bath, which went awry from the start with the end of a remarkable run of winning tosses. It's just possible that there could be a coin tossing module in Bath University's Sport and Exercise Science course and that on hearing of the Cowboys 100% record the opposition convened a seminar and several tutorials. And so it came to be that the Cowboys took to the well-manicured field, short boundaries fore and aft, the hot sun gleaming on Beckford's gilded belvedere (knobby bit).<br />
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Both batsmen attacked RT1 and MattD's opening overs, the ball racing off the bat across the dry turf faster than the sports cars on Lansdown Road, the score advancing at a run a ball. Skipper Ben turned to Asad and Kalu to try to apply the brakes, the former, while accurate, giving the batsmen ball speed to utilise, the latter's flight and loop requiring them to work harder for their runs. It was Kalu who eventually broke the century opening partnership with a successful LBW appeal and without the score advancing he bowled the No.3 for a duck. Asad's good line was finally rewarded when he claimed the scalp of the remaining opener, LBW for 68, but on 139-3 the opposition had only used up around half of their overs with more batting strength to come.<br />
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Vociferously urged on in the field by 2nd XI skipper on secondment Jefferty, the Cowboys struggled to keep a lid on the simmering Bath innings. It's testament to his indomitable spirit that his chirruping remained undiminished earlier after spilling a tricky chance that he did well to get to. Kalu remained remarkably economical and had the opposition at 169-4 when he struck for the third time, inducing the batsman to pop a catch to Justin.<br />
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With Ange and others behind and in front of the wicket working hard to cut off boundaries, the next partnership amassed a half century together as the Landlord attempted to evict them. Mercifully, notice was served and executed the ball after being launched in the direction and altitude of the water tower, when this time it evaded the heave and hit the stumps: 224-5. Ev too toiled to prevent the run-a-ball progress, succeeding by a whisker but unable to prise the batsmen out. MattD had a second spell, RT1 didn't and in the last few overs as the ball travelled aerially, Ben bagged a couple of good catches, the first of which was worthy of a scrumpy moment vote or two. The battering ceased after 40 overs with the score on 271-7.<br />
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Tea appeared as if it had been magicked by Bath Cricket Teas Inc. and heavily comprised these wraps that they have now. Bread is so passé in Bath. There was also a bowl of pork things that coach and sidelined skipper Iggy was seen stuffing into his face when he thought nobody was looking and the remains of a watermelon last seen in a field in Stanton Drew.<br />
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Ev and Ange set about chasing down the total, the former finding a couple of early boundaries on a pitch that seemed to offer little assistance to the bowler, except for the ball's tendency to die and keep low outside off stump. Perhaps receiving one that didn't, Ev was caught in the gully before Ange had got off the mark, the bowler rewarded by being replaced at the knob end by his skipper. Ben defended while Ange played himself in then attacked the second change bowler, the runs not quite up with the required rate, but on the way there. When Ben's defences were breached and one got through to bowl him, the less able defenders in the batting line-up took cautious note but when Asad fell the next ball in the same manner, they collectvely gulped.<br />
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Justin strode out at 38-3 to take on the hat-trick ball and associated chatter, survived and set about reconstructive surgery on the innings. Ten runs later, after hitting several boundaries, Ange was also bowled from the same end, bringing Kalu to the wicket to face the music: It wasn't to his liking and forcing a drive he snicked his second ball to the keeper: 49-5. Barney's batting baptism for the team could hardly have been less comfortable as the opposition's confidence grew and the total trickled past fifty, then, eager for a run when Justin wasn't, he was run out by a well-drilled arm. 58-6 became 62-7 when Justin was bowled to become the Bath skipper's fifth victim with the Cowboys still two hundred runs adrift. Seemingly undaunted, MattD faced five balls, hit two of them for four and the last down the throat of long-off.<br />
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Jefferty and the Landlord held up the inevitable, blocking, swishing and sweeping their way to the highest partnership of the innings, the former surviving more balls than any of his predecessors until caught for 16 by the greedy opposition captain who was to have a hand in eight of the ten dismissals, the last of whom was RT1 who surely bats better wearing his underwear over his outerwear. The Landlord remained theoretically undefeated on 16 as the Cowboys were all out for 118 in the 23rd over.<br />
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On a day devoid of much amusement, except for Jefferty's sartorial elegance / anorexic Billy Bunter impression, Ben's catch was possibly the Cider Moment and Kalu's bowling the only performance that merited the Man of the Match vote. Everyone was fined for being rubbish, except blameless scorer Erica and several brave supporters who'd already suffered enough.<br />
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<a href="http://nscl.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11652497" target="_blank">Scorecard</a><br />
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