Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2004

The Nomads storm to October victory
In a hastily arranged final fixture of the season, at Chelmsey Wood, Forster called tails, as he has at every opportunity, and was rewarded to see the reverse of the coin facing upwards and the monarch’s face being rubbed in the slightly damp wicket.

Despite the slightly sticky appearance of the wicket Forster elected to bat, opening up with Gardner (on time for once) and Fearon. The Scorpion openers proved difficult to get away but the batsmen were in belligerent mood, particularly Fearon striking a trademark straight six in the 3^rd over. Once the opening bowlers had been seen off, with the score on 35 from ten (just what the captain ordered!) the bowling became a little friendlier and both openers raced along at six an over, until Gards was out nibbling outside off for a well paced 67. Fearon was still going strong and having been joined by Pinfield began to let loose a flurry of powerful strokes, eventually being caught, despite there being a feeling from the admiring onlookers that the fielder had stepped over the boundary, at long on for 89. Now Forster unleashed Osborn and the fury continued unabated for a further 8 overs, during which the score mounted by 94, when Osborn just failed to ground his bat going for a risky third, after being nearly overtaken by Pinfield sprinting towards another 50. The batsmen were clearly enjoying this and keen to round off the season in style, with only the long gloom of damp, dark Sunday afternoons to look forward to for the next six months. Fuzz Weir brought his run of very low scores to a shuddering halt as he nicked a single, before shouldering arms to one that hit a divot and removed leg stump (sorry Fuzz) and there was just time for a late order flurry from the tail-enders before what was voted the best tea for many a year.

Weighed down by the feast they had partaken of there was a distinct possibility of Nomads bowling and fielding being more than a little lacklustre, however this was not the case as Fearon and Hughes opened up the bowling. The Scorpion openers both fell to Hughes (or Huges, as he is often known) followed smartly by a clatter of wickets at the other end as Fearon bowled the next two. Things were going well, but Nomads have been lulled into a false sense of security before and with the opening bowlers beginning to tire, it was time for Hemmings and Greaves to wreak their own kind of havoc, and wreak they did, both claiming wickets in their first overs. So with six down and only 69 on the board Forster spread the field and brought on Pinfield to bemuse the opposition. The main subject of bemusement was Forster himself as Mal picked up a couple of wickets, both stumped by the lightning fast Osborn, in his first over. It was left to Forster to grab one and Pinfield his third as Scorpion folded for a meagre 124, leaving Nomads more than comfortable winners.

“Any chance of getting this fixture next year? I hardly feel I’ve been in a match” quipped one Nomad, still feeling the after effects of his tea.

Talk about the Scorpions, barely any sting!