Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2003

 Lichfield Nomads v Walsall Health
Date: 8th June 2003.  Time: 2:30pm
Venue: Home.   Competition: Friendly - 40 Overs.
Result: Lost by 5 wickets
Match Report by: Pete Gardner.

Nomads won the toss and elected to bat on a sunny, breezy afternoon.  The opening pair of Gardner and Heslington started cautiously. The Walsall bowling was tight and apart from 13 runs off one over, Nomads made slow progress making 55 runs off the first 20 overs. Gardner was eventually out for 40, bowled by Hall playing a premeditated shot. Moss came in and started to score quickly. Heslington was out for a workmanlike 24. Hemmings scored a brisk 15 runs, including a six over square leg before being bowled by Oliver. Higginson was unlucky to be run out after both batsmen were marooned at the non-strikers end. Moss followed shortly  afterwards, run out after backing up, for 22. Pinfield did his best to get Nomads to a respectable score, making 12 off the last two overs. But the Nomads score of 142 would be hard to defend.

Walsall however found the opening attack of Heslington and Hemmings difficult to get away. Hemmings found movement off the pitch and gained two quick wickets. The Nomads were fielding well. Blackburn took a sharp catch off Hoddy’s bowling to dismiss Masson . Cartwright bowled T. Oliver with a super ball that held its line. When Pinfield held a reaction catch high above his head off Cartwright’ s bowling the game seemed to be going Nomads way. But Pollitt, Walsall’s left-handed opener, was still there and scoring well. A Oliver came in and with a mixture of risky drives and deft nerdles guided Walsall to a winning score. Pollitt made 57 not out. Nomads paid the price for their slow start.