Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2007

Nomads winning run ends
Lichfield Nomads lost their first game of the season by four wickets against Walsall AHA. A quickfire 40 off 25 balls by Paul Fearon, helped Nomads post 163 for 8. A valuable 70 by Aftab Nawaz helped Walsall Health to a four wicket victory.
Lichfield Nomads 163 for 8 v Walsall Health 164 for 6.

Some tight early bowling by Nicholls and Frank Jacobs kept the pressure on the Nomads' openers and runs were at a premium. The first 25 runs taking 14 overs. Gardner and Hussein grafted their way to a fifty opening partnership in the 19th over. The run-rate was slow but with all 10 wickets in hand there was time to up the rate and post a decent score. Hall then got the breakthrough to remove Gardner for 33, caught by Aftab Nawaz. Hussein quickly followed lbw to Stevens. Caygill and Moss started to up the rate before Moss was bowled by one that kept low for three and Caygill was also bowled by Hall for 16. Fearon joined Pinfield and they looked to accelerate the run rate. The partnership reached 16, with some positive running, before Pinfield was caught for 12. Fearon started to get into the groove, smashing a straight drive for a big six off Hall. Brannigan hit a quick 9 before lofting a catch to Nicholls off the accurate Hall. Fearon hit another six on to the road at square leg and pulled three fours to the boundary. Fearon had added 38 with Heslington when he was bowled by Oliver trying to force the pace as the innings was running out of time. Hall bowled Heslington for 10 to claim a five wicket haul as the Nomads posted a competitive 163 for 8. Probably 20 runs below par but more than it looked like it was going to be at one point.

Openers Heslington and Forster started well. Reducing the hosts to 17 for 2 as Forster bowled Stevens for two and Heslington dismissed Bates, thanks to a steepling catch by Dan Moss.
Hartshorn joined Nawaz and the two put together a match winning partnership of 86. Nawaz was the dominant partner and played the more aggressive risky shots. Brannigan then took two wickets in two balls to drag the Nomads back into the game. First he bowled Hartshorn and then trapped Shinebaum plum in front lbw. Caygill then took a spectacular diving catch to dismiss Nawaz (70) off the bowling of Moss to reduce Walsall Health to 127 for 5. There was a glimmer of hope for the Nomads when Hoddy bowled Smith for 13 but by now the asking rate was below 2 an over and Walsall still had batting to come. Oliver and Hall calmly steered the home team to a four wicket victory with 7 overs to spare.