Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2004

Nomads ease to victory at the brewery
On a nice day to be beside the seaside Nomads moved into a 4-3 lead with a comfortable win against WT Parker.

For once, after winning the toss, Forster inserted the opposition despite the mumblings of his team-mates who no doubt preferred to sit in the shade and inhale deeply.

Heslington’s maiden first over set the scene for an excellent bowling and fielding display by Nomads, who were always on top. Both opening bowlers were creating trouble for the WTP batsmen who had reached 21 for 3 at the first change after ten overs with catches by Osborn, an able deputy for the injured Gardner behind the stumps, and Forster at mid on (as usual) and a good stump clattering by Hemmings to remove the other. Hoddy replaced Heslington after having to return home to get his “whites” (somehow he’d sat on the wall for twenty minutes or so before the match, then at precisely 2:30 decided he needed to go home!). Both change bowlers were suffering at the hands of opener “Stuart” who dispatched anything outside leg to the distant boundary, however line and length improved with time and both returned respectable figures.

After drinks Forster and Coleman took over. At times Coleman chose not to use the strip and was punished but wickets continued to fall, with Forster his usual frugal self. When the last wicket fell with the score on 99, opener Stuart was still there having gathered an impressive 51 not out.

Heslington and Hussein opened the Nomads innings, with a reminder that they had collected the Nomads record opening partnership against this team, last year, and with thoughts of a possible hundred to back it up. Hussein was generous mood however, and lobbed an easy catch, first ball, to one of the two opponents in full cricket gear. Amazingly it went down and Hussein battled away, struggling with the bounce and fishing wildly outside off stump at times but continued to survive until the opening partnership had gathered an impressive 81 when he flashed once too often and was well caught behind. An interesting opening stand in which several chances were offered and there was some creative calling and running between the wickets. Now was the time for a little order juggling and Weir approached the wicket looking unprepared to run as many singles as the openers had. And so it proved, as he repeatedly swept backward of square (where else?), trying to “get the Chairman “.

So it’s off to Belgium next week with our wishes of good luck following the team, who must be confident of competing with the Europeans (or as Dave Pickering asked in his own inimitable way, “are we playing a side from Belgium?”) after the last two weeks in which the opposition has failed to reach 100.