Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2006

Woore 185 for 8 off 35 overs, Lichfield Nomads 189 for 1 off 32.1 overs

Moss and Fearon seal superb victory against Woore
An unbeaten stand of 151 between Dan Moss and Paul Fearon secured an excellent 9 wicket victory for the Nomads against a strong Woore side.

The Nomads arrived in good time at 12 noon but the planned early start due to the World Cup final didn't happen as a youth match was in progress until 1:45. The Nomads watched some of the action and retired to the Dog and Doublet for a pre-match drink. Pinfield had car trouble but still arrived in time for the delayed start.
The match was reduced to 35 overs and Woore batted first. Heslington removed the dangerous Dale, who had scored 90 the previous day, thanks to a sharp catch by Weir. Weir took another excellent catch, this time off the bowling of Hoddy to remove Ricky. The fielding then took a turn for the worse. Pete Blackburn, struggling with a bad back from doing the laundry, juggled and dropped a slip catch off Hoddy and Graeme Blackburn dropped a swirling chance at long on. Fearon picked up a wicket in his first over, tempting Nick Hancock to play on to his stumps.
Gardner neatly stumped Chivers, off the bowling of Coleman.

Blackburn feverishly calculated the bowling permutations and Fearon returned, this time from the top end. He immediately grabbed his second wicket. Dosser dragging a slower ball on to his stumps for an entertaining 78. Fearon's third wicket was a blinding caught and bowled to remove Darren for 40. Heslington then picked up the wicket of Dan, caught by Fearon at fly slip for 4. Graeme Blackburn atoned for his earlier dropped catch with an excellent catch off a skier in windy conditions to give Fearon his fourth wicket.
Woore's number ten Harry Oliver is a Shropshire U16 player and calmly denied Fearon a jug. Stroking his first ball to the mid-wicket boundary for four. He then spoilt Heslington's figures with 20 off the last over including two superb sixes over mid wicket. The late flurry of runs took Woore's total to 185, which would be good for 40 overs but was excellent in 35 overs. The Nomads would have to play very well to get near the opposition's total.

Gardner and Moss opened the batting on a positive note and Gardner, in particular, was determined to keep up with the asking rate and he looked much more like his old self. He had scored 24 including 5 fours before he was out caught off the bowling of the accurate Roy Wild. Fearon joined Moss and the two scored at over five an over from the off. The pair saw off the openers but all the Woore bowlers were bowling well. The batsmen played watchfully but dealt harshly with anything short or on leg stump. Fearon hit a powerful straight six that struck the pavilion roof, scattering the watching Nomads, before settling down to a more controlled approach. Moss played his usual stylish mix of proper shots and was soon celebrating his second successive fifty for the club. Scoring heavily with straight drives and cultured cover shots. Fearon survived a half-chance at slip and struck a second six high into the building site on the square leg side. By now, the field was spread and both players picked off the ones and twos, sprinkled with the odd boundary. As usual, Dan was in the wars. Firstly he took a painful blow on the box from a ball that jagged back sharply and then he was struck painfully on the elbow by a throw to the keeper. This needed ice and the magic spray, resulting in a lengthy delay, before Moss bravely continued.
The partnership had brought the asking rate to below five an over and 19 off a despairing Salman over swung the match convincingly in the Nomads' favour. Only 16 was now needed off five overs. Moss picked off the winning runs with a clip to the long square leg boundary with 17 balls to spare. The unbeaten partnership of 151 going down as the best stand of the 2006 season so far.