Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2002

The Nomads achieved a creditable draw after coming close to pulling off an unlikely victory against Barton. Barton chose to bat in the hot sun and Heslington struck in the 5th over to remove Mitchell for 10. Asprey then came to the crease and immediately imposed himself on proceedings. Fearon was strangely swinging the Duke's ball in the sun and forced the error from Asprey who clipped the ball straight to mid-wicket but Heslington spurned the chance. This proved costly as Asprey hit eight 6's and fifteen 4's on his way to 146 not out. The Nomads stuck to their task well and refused to wilt in the heat and were rewarded with three wickets at the end as Barton failed to press home their advantage in the latter stages before tea. Cartwright picked up a welcome two wickets after his recent lay off with injury and Heslington secured his 400th career wicket for the Nomads. A special mention also for keeper Gardner who kept his concentration well despite wearing a helmet throughout and conceded only 6 byes.
Gardner and Heslington began steadily in response to tight bowling from S. George and Carvell and they put on 40 for the first wicket by the 14th over. Moss was removed for a duck after a spectacular slip catch. Pinfield joined Gardner and added 85 in 15 overs before Gardner was caught for 71. Pinfield followed quickly to a sharp catch from the keeper who was standing up. Just as Barton tried to up the pressure to go for the win, the Nomads responded with a last ditch effort to try and win the match. Fearon and Higginson added 42 with some big hitting. Fearon hit five fours before being run out for 29 in the desperate search for runs as the rate had climbed to over 10 an over. Higginson and Forster were still going for the win and needed 26 off the last 2 overs. With ten scored off the penultimate over, the Nomads needed sixteen to win off the last over. Higginson swept the ball to the boundary for what looked like it would be a six but it was stopped on the boundary edge controversially, with several spectators suggesting that the ball hit the line. The fielder returned the ball without signalling and Higginson earned just a single and lost the strike. The pair eventually got eight off the over and the match was drawn. They had added 34 in four overs with Higginson hitting six fours and ending up 28 not out. It was a characteristically gutsy performance from the 2002 Nomads and was a vast improvement on some of the tame draws that had been played out in this fixture in recent years.