Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2005

Owing to limited resources Pete Blackburn elected for a timed game, hoping to win the toss and field first, however this plan was foiled by the loss of the toss. Starting the match a man short an emergency phone call to Dave Pickering ensured that we would have a full team.  In sunny conditions Gardner & Hussain opened, starting slowly, but soon accelerating to a respectable run-rate attaining 33 for no loss off 10 overs. Gardner seemed slightly out of touch, possibly due to assorted injuries or the shock of being dropped by the keeper on 0, but Hussain looked confident and had reached 20 before being bowled playing an injudicious shot in the 15^th over with the score on 48. Pinfield reached 10 when an attempted nudge around the corner flew in the air off the gloves. Pinfield began to walk but then realised that no-one had appealed and stopped. A belated query by the keeper saw the finger of the umpire rise and Pinfield resumed his trek. Caygill joined Gardner and maintaining his good form, the partnership pushed the score along to 135 before Gardner was out for 55 in the 33^rd over. Caygill was out soon after and the ‘tail’ contributed another 24 with good contributions from the young members of the side G Blackburn and  M Williamson, who had been aroused from a deep slumber in the score box to start his innings.

A rather threadbare bowling attack saw Williamson and Hoddy opening with just a solitary early success for Hoddy. After 14 overs Greaves was brought on for Hoddy and immediately claimed a wicket with a caught and bowled. Blackburn replaced Williamson and the two bowlers worked hard to restrict the scoring with Greaves claiming 2 more wickets. However with a target of only 4 per over, the batsmen Davis and Oliver were pacing the game well and started to accelerate after 30 overs . With only some 30 runs to get, Blackburn gave his occasional bowlers a turn and the target was soon achieved.

A brave effort by a Nomads team who always needed a larger score to compensate for a bowling attack lacking several key members.