Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2003

Lichfield Nomads 127 all out from 35.4 overs. (Hemmings 19, Pinfield 17, Danter (S) 2-6, Danter (R) 2-17, Gavin 2-24)
Olton and West Warwickshire 100 for 8 from 40 overs. (Rolland 38, Danter (R) 28, Heslington 2-8, Forster 2-16)

Another hard fought win for Nomads as players begin to get the sniff of Chicken Passanda. Hoddy called off ill with a “cold” only hours before the match and Forster brought in Cartwright from tiling the kitchen to bolster the attack.
After a fierce shower at precisely 2pm, Nomads openers, Gardner and Heslington began steadily and pushed the score up to 16 before Gardner misjudged a ball that nicked his leg stump. Fearon arrived at the crease and showed his intentions with a typical crashing four, but the wet outfield was holding up many balls that would otherwise have gone to the boundary, so keeping the score going was always a problem. O A fast in-swinging yorker accounted for Fearon, like Gardner, bowled by Gavin. This brought Pinfield in to partner Heslington, re-establishing a well trusted partnership. Pinfield was now pushing the ball around eliciting an anguished roar from fast bowler Gavin as he nudged and flicked intelligently. Just as Heslington was getting into his stride he left his crease to chase one from Danter and was smartly stumped. It was now that the winter training of Hemmings snr. came to the fore as first Cartwright and then Hemmings (jnr) came in and pushed the score along with some well-timed shots. Nomads looked easily capable of surpassing last week’s 155, but it was not to be as both perished in the desire to score more quickly. Weir briefly looked capable of quick runs, but one flash too many left him cursing his way back to the pavilion. Coleman chose to play the sheet-anchor role and was making good progress for a solid looking, fifteen ball duck before he was run out by the over-eager Smith. In the meantime, Forster had come and gone, after one typical shot for four (we all know where it went, so there’s no need to elaborate) he played all round a sharply (?) turning off break. The Chairman described it as the worst shot he’d seen in a hundred years, which suggests that his alleged 83 years is at least 17 out! The final pair at the wicket, Pickering and Smith at last began to play some intelligent cricket and this mixed with a bit of well-deserved luck, pushed it along to127 before Smith was caught in the gully. The last wicket stand of 21 was to prove crucial.
Despite finishing their innings early, catching the caterers on the hop, Nomads enjoyed another good tea, highlighted by chips, but were concerned that this might be a ploy to slow them down in the field. This was not to be as an excellent display of ground-fielding kept them in the hunt.

Nomads opened with Heslington and Hemmings. A good first over from Ross was followed by near disaster as Hemmings turned his ankle in the ruts of the bowling crease in his second ball, although he finished his over he was unable to return (an intelligent bowling change with 3 runs coming off the over). Heslington and Cartwright continued to trouble the Olton openers and scoring was painfully slow. Gavin, who had looked dangerous with a couple of powerful blows eventually fell to Cartwright who tempted him into putting a steepling ball to Forster at long(ish) off. Forster’s catch was taken at the expense of about half a bar of “Vanish” soap, (the bill will arrive shortly!). This seemed to push Olton even further into their shell as they struggled along at less than two an over. Forster replaced Heslington, who had bowled Jackson, and quickly removed Penfold. Still Olton could not get the score moving at the necessary pace. A solid stand between Rowland (38) and Danter (20) might have worried Nomads if they had been scoring more quickly, but things were always under control as Forster and Coleman took wickets at vital times (i.e. regularly). Time was running out when Heslington and Fearon came back to make sure that there would be no last minute heroics on the part of the Olton batsmen, as they were stranded on 100 for 8 when the overs ran out. Some great fielding by Nomads, backing up some excellent bowling had made what seemed like a gettable target well beyond the Olton batsmen. Only Weir, keeping up the effort to drop at least one, apparently regulation catch each match had even the slightest blemish and this was from a wickedly spinning top-edge which looped viciously into his hands.