Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2007

Lichfield Nomads 216 for 7 v Church Eaton 169

Nomads run extends to four

On a distinctly cool day with occasional spots of rain (so much for global warming!!) Nomads came back once more from what looked a difficult situation to win quite easily in the end.

 Church opened up with what appeared to be their weaker bowlers, offering wides and the occasional (?!) no ball from both ends and appearing to pose little threat to the batsmen. As a result Heslington and Gardner went serenely on at around 7 an over. Heslington was the first to his 50 with some well timed lofted cuts over the gully area. Gardner was hampered by a muscle pull acquired when he had to hurry to make his ground to beat a return from the boundary by a tadpole with a surprisingly good arm. However he joined Heslington in the half-century club, until with the opening stand on 153 Heslington eventually went, caught, having survived several easier catching opportunities. After narrowly avoiding playing on first ball, Moss was keen to get on with it but suffered from lack of strike. As the Church Eaton captain brought on his better bowlers, the runs began to dry up and, with the focus on building a decent total after the excellent start, Nomads lost several cheap wickets including a couple of the dreaded g’s for Hoddy and George, the former being golden. However a couple of lusty blows from Hughes, including an all-run four had done enough to see Nomads comfortably over the 200 mark.

With George keeping himself warm in the pavilion until the last possible moment, Forster was forced into opening the bowling. With his first balls going for “wide, four, six” it looked ominous, and George, despite being warmed up, fared little better as Wood belted ball after ball either well over the boundary or straight at shell-shocked fielders on a rough outfield, Blackburn bearing the brunt of difficult bounces. However, after a ropey start, Forster was going for only 3 an over when he was replaced by Heslington, whose first ball was lofted straight into the tennis courts. Wood reached his fifty with the score on 55, three having come from extras, however in his eagerness to keep the strike he mistimed a pull to Hussein, off the persistent George. Thereafter Church Eaton began to struggle and fall behind the rate as Greaves and Heslington tightened the screw on hesitant batsmen. Moss replaced Heslington and soon had the batsmen in difficulties, picking up three wickets cheaply with a mixture of raw pace and guile. As the overs and wickets ran out Hughes finished it off trapping the tadpole (who was roughly up to Hughes’ waist) caught and bowled with his first ball.

Yet another gutsy performance by Nomads who, driven on by Blackburn, never gave up.

Goddard 8-0-58-0;  Jones 8-0-47-1;
Franks 8-1-36-0;  Hogarth 8-3-31-4;
Woodhall 8-1-26-1
 

Forster 5-0-26-0;  George 8-1-58-1;

Heslington 8-1-22-2;  Greaves 5-0-18-0;

Moss 5-0-16-3;  Hoddy 4-0-18-2;  Coleman 1-0-7-0;
Hughes 0.1-0-0-1