Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2002

The Nomads arrived for a 1:45pm start but the opposition arrived for 2pm. Vice Captain Forster was skipper for the day and got off to a bad start by losing the toss. Things went from bad to worse as the ten men were effectively reduced to 9 as Pickering pulled a calf muscle and was a passenger in the field. Higginson was the pick of the early bowlers and extracted the maximum life out of the pitch. Most of the Highcroft batsmen were intent on smashing the ball to the boundaries and the Nomads bowlers in the main had little joy. Almost every bad ball was despatched mercilessly to the boundary. Some good catches were taken but the ground fielding was very poor and the Nomads gave away far too many cheap boundaries. Hoddy and Moss took three wickets each as the innings came to a close and Hoddy, Heslington and Fearon are all tied on 21 wickets with one match left to play. Highcroft's Wayne dominated proceedings and scored an entertaining century on the way to 237 all out off 39.5 overs.
The Nomads responded positively but Gardner's dismissal for 9 was quickly followed by Heslington bowled for 11 and Moss bowled off his back foot for 5. Fearon opened his account with a massive 6 over extra cover and he repeated the feat later with a towering straight six that cleared the pavillion. Fuzz Weir's debut knock lasted one ball as he top edged a slow delivery straight to the keeper. Hoddy offered some assistance to Fearon and the pair added 57 before Hoddy was caught off the dangerous inswinger Wayne. By now Nomads were falling behind the rate and the darkness was gathering. Forster stayed briefly before falling to Wayne. By then the run chase was hopeless and Greaves managed to run out Fearon and Pickering at the end. The unlucky Pickering scoring his third duck of the season with the aid of a runner.