Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2003

Matlock v Lichfield Nomads
Date: Sunday 31st August 2003.  Time: 2:30pm
Venue: Away. (Mini-Tour!)   Competition: Friendly - 40 Overs.
Result: Lost by 14 runs.
Conditions:
Toss:
Match Report by: John Hoddy

Nomads valiant fightback at Matlock

Knowing the importance of this match in the Captain’s Curry stakes, some of the Nomads travelled up to Matlock to be fresh for Sunday’s match. However several pints, a curry and a bottle of brandy might not have been the best preparation. The Matlock ground, a new venue for Nomads, is situated at the side of the Matlock FC ground with a spectacular view of castle ruins on the overlooking hillside. A venue well-worth revisiting.

Captain Forster, back to attempt a winning end-of-season sequence, discovered that the opposition consisted of some 1st & 2nd teamers and the rest were promising youngsters. This, in itself, was sufficient to daunt the Nomads but it was suspected that a member of the opposition, with a South African accent, was the club pro.

Matlock batted and the opening pair rode their luck with numerous aerial shots  off the bowling of Higginson & Cartwright just evading fielders. A double bowling change saw Heslington, who proved surprisingly expensive with 28 off 4 overs after a maiden first over, and Hoddy who eventually claimed the first wicket. at 57 in the 12th over. Laubscher (the club pro) came in and Coleman employed the unusual strategy of making him laugh so much at his bowling that he eventually played all around a ball pitched outside leg stump and was bowled. Realising the slowness of the wicket was not helping our quick bowlers, Forster was employing a spin attack and brought himself and Greaves on to quell the run-rate. Greaves worked his usual magic and claimed 4 wickets. The last was off the 1st ball of the 40th over and Matlock then unsportingly declared leaving Greaves (and Nomads) jugless. A final score of 202 - 6  was better than could have been expected early in the innings.

A fine tea was enjoyed and the openers Gardner & Hussein opened against some steady bowling. Hussein soon gave his wicket away after suffering a crisis of conscience when he was given not out when he believed he had been run out. Heslington then arrived and continued in an agressive manner against the 1st change bowlers. A good stand was built up which saw a further 97 runs added before Gardner was ct & bowled Laubecher. His spell opened with 4 maidens  although his bowling was so tricky that some 16 extras were conceded. After the loss of Gardner and then Heslington, attempting a very quick single, the runs needed eventually stood at 50 off the last 5 overs. Higginson arrived and made a valiant attempt to make the runs, scoring 23 not out, but  Nomads fell just short at 188 - 5.

Matlock, fielding a strong team, always had something in reserve to gain victory , but Nomads made a great effort to achieve a large target and with more luck with catches going to fielders early in the Matlock innings, a victory could perhaps have been achieved.

Matlock                                                                     

Roberts           bowled              Greaves             85
Burton              lbw                     Hoddy               16
Laubucher       bowled              Coleman           30 
Hayward          bowled              Greaves            30 
Pressman       ct Gardner         Greaves            20 
Molineaux       ct Higginson      Greaves            10 

Extras                                                               8        

Total                                                               202-6 

Nomads

Gardner            ct & b              Laubucher      49
Hussein            bowled             Evans               4
Heslington        run out                                     53
Pinfield            ct Laubucher    Molineaux      21
Cartwright        bowled             Tunny               2
Higginson         not out                                    23
Weir                 not out                                       2
Forster             dnb
Hoddy              dnb
Coleman           dnb
Greaves            dnb
Extras                                                               34

Total    188-5

Higginson 7-2-22-0, Cartwright 4-0-17-0
Hoddy 5-0-22-1, Heslington 4-1-28-0 
Coleman 5-0-40-1, Forster 8-0-39-0
Greaves 7.1-0-29-4 

Ulyatt 4-0-12-0,Evans 6-1-30-2
Hayward 2-0-19-0, Lander 4-0-22-0
Haslem 8-0-17-0, Pressman 2-0-11-0
Laubecher 5-4-5-1, Molineaux 4-0-16-1
Tunny 5-0-26-1

Fall of Wickets: 12(2), 109(1), 154(3), 157(4), 167(5)