Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2004

Nomads cement victory against Wall
On the last day of the Premier football season Nomads resources were severely stretched, leaving the bare 11 to turn out. Missing proven match-winners such as Heslington, Higginson, Fearon, Hemmings jnr, Blackburn, Gardner and Moss (the last 2 injured), Nomads must have felt they were up against it but they didn’t let this deter them and stuck to the task as if their very lives depended on it, after a rallying call from the captain “let’s show these football watchers what we’re made of” or something like that!

A juicy wicket looked particularly appealing to all types of bowlers and Forster was lucky to lose the toss, with the opposition choosing to bat.

Osborn opened downhill and the wicket began to show its true colours as the ball moved in all possible dimensions (that’s apparently 17 at the last count, though where they all are I’ve got no idea!). With Forster keeping one end tight, Osborn ran through the Wall top order, leaving them 10 for 5, early on. Hoddy took a couple of fine edges, standing up behind the stumps, with another to Hemmings in the gully and Forster picking the renegade Hughes up low in the slips at the expense of a re-broken finger, Pinfield’s drop at square leg was soon forgotten. However, Anderson began to take the game by the scruff of the neck as Nomads first change bowlers took the brunt of his pigeon-frightening shots into the neighbouring hedgerows. By now Hoddy at been replaced by Osborn behind the stumps and it was only his need for a “breather” which kept Coleman on after 15 runs had come from his first 3 overs. Now Coleman switched to his “quicker stuff” and had the batsmen in considerable trouble straight away as he picked up the danger man and swept though the middle order, ably supported by his fielders and the sporting Wall batsmen, three of whom walked to faint snicks. A stupendous effort from the Nomads, with an average age approaching 162 they had shown the fighting qualities they first demonstrated in the Crimea. A look at the scorecard will show that only 3 of the Wall batsmen troubled the scorers!

An early tea, of the finest quality, gave Nomads time to gather themselves for what would inevitably be a struggle. Only 76 needed, but on a demon of a pitch.

An inauspicious beginning saw Craig moving the ball prodigiously, making LBW decisions almost impossible to give. Osborn looked cautious and must have wished he’d played his normal game as he fell for the sucker punch to one that came back, at the end of the first over. Pinfield then joined Hussein and seemed to have weathered the storm, as they put on 27 valuable runs before both they, Hemmings and Caygill fell in the space of 7 runs. At 34 for 5 Nomads were in danger of capitulation. Fortunately Churchill (as Doctor on call) had to leave, after causing four overs of mayhem in the middle. Forster joined Hoddy and the pair looked in determined mood as they blocked the good ball and tried to punish the bad ones. Another 21 valuable runs were accumulated before Hoddy pushed forward a little too early and was picked up at mid on. Coleman arrived and together with Forster ground down the opposition, quite happy to block out maidens, knowing that the odd four coupled with occasional wide or no ball would see them home. And so it proved, with the winning single coming from a leg bye. 

A great all-round team effort, Nomads. The tricky decisions will come in the week when those who want to stand on terraces on a sunny Saturday in May try to get back into a winning team!