Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2007

Lichfield Nomads 207 for 2 (Paul Fearon 79, Pete Gardner 75)
Church Eaton 186 for 8

Record opening stand paves the way for Nomads victory over Church Eaton
Pete Gardner and Paul Fearon scored a Lichfield Nomads club record stand of 192 for the first wicket in the victory against Church Eaton. The Nomads closed on 207 for 2 from their 40 overs and some tight bowling restricted the opposition to 186 for 8 to give Lichfield Nomads a 21 run victory margin.

Skipper Blackburn tried a new opening partnership of Gardner and Fearon having won the toss and elected to bat. The pair were soon scoring at over four runs an over with the help of plenty of extras from Church Eaton. Both batsmen played confidently and although the outfield was slow, the scoreboard continued to tick over nicely. The fifty partnership was brought up in the 14th over and the century partnership came in the 24th over. Fearon reached his 50 marginally before Gardner and the 150 partnership came up in the 32nd over. Fearon had earlier offered two steepling catches that were spurned by the Church Eaton fielders and his innings finally came to an end on 79 with a run out in the 37th over. The partnership of 192 was the highest opening stand in the club's 25 year history and surpassed the previous record of 186 posted by Mark Heslington and Akin Hussein against W.T. Parker in 2003.
Gardner was then bowled by A. Hughes for 75. Cox and Caygill completed the innings undefeated to post a total of 207 for 2.

Heslington and Forster opened the bowling and Church Eaton were soon reeling at 4 for 3. Forster rolled back the years (to long before he was a Nomad!) and bowled his medium pace off a long run. Even more amazing was that he kept going for the full eight overs. The many hours in the gym to burn off his belly have paid off in style. Opener Smith was bowled by Forster for 1. Mackenzie was caught by Hoddy off Forster for a duck. Brereton survived a confident appeal before Heslington trapped him lbw for a duck.
Smith and Guest then set about rebuilding the innings and after a slow start to steady the ship they started to bat with more confidence and had more success against the Nomads change bowlers. They reached a century partnership and were starting to take on the Nomads bowling, looking to bat and run with far more purpose. Smith was bowled by a dipping full toss before being recalled as the umpires came to the decision that it was a no ball.

The partnership reached 140 when Fearon removed Smith, caught on the square leg boundary by Cox. Fearon then ran out D. Hughes off his own bowling as Church Eaton were chasing 10 an over. Pinfield caught Woodhall off Heslington and when Guest was bowled by Hoddy the pendulum had swung in the Nomads' favour. The rate was 30 to win off two overs and Hoddy had Hogarth caught by the keeper Gardner. Fearon bowled out the final over without incident to secure a 21 run victory in a close but keenly fought contest.