Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2007

Lichfield Nomads 240 for 3 (Pete Gardner 102)
Coors Brewers IS 222 (Blackburn 4-8, Bellfield 93, Moss 71)

Coors ‘run out’ of it

On a ‘slightly warm’ August afternoon Nomads stuck to their game-plan and achieved what had seemed like an unlikely win as they rose Phoenix-like from the ashes to snatch victory from the jaws….

After losing the toss Nomads were put in on the usually unresponsive artificial surface. Walker was particularly expensive in the extras department bowling several extended overs, finishing with 16 wides and 6 no balls against his name. At the other end Belfield was putting the batsmen under more pressure until Heslington pushed a little too uppishly to mid off where the turncoat Hussein took a diving catch (knock one off his Nomads record). This brought in Caygill who, together with Gardner (dropped off a “dolly” by Jackson at point), began to build a sizeable stand. Boundaries and extras continued to flow from both ends, with the spare ball getting more use than the match ball which disappeared into the undergrowth on a regular basis. Fortunately Blackburn, with the aid of several others, was willing to ‘sprint’ round the boundary to retrieve it. With the second wicket stand at 156 Caygill was eventually caught, just two short of what would have been a well-deserved 50, though his sore head from the previous evening’s excesses appeared to have cleared by now. Weir arrived and aimed the usual few lusty blows before holing out for a couple. Gardner then achieved another notable milestone with his century, making the best use of the earlier drop. Much to the amazement of the swelling crowd, Brannigan failed to score from one of the balls he received as he plundered 18 from only ten, pushing the field back to the ropes (though there were no ropes, nor even a line… for the second week running). Forster notably called consecutive no balls for ‘three behind square on the leg side’, as Coors tried to stem the flow of boundaries flowing from Gardner’s bat

A more-than-ample tea had more or less emptied the shelves in local supermarkets but Nomads were keen to press home the advantage their three top scorers (Gardner, extras and Caygill) had given them. However, Coors openers, fresh from Buxton firsts, were keen to press on and they set about the Nomads opening bowlers. Had Nomads fielders held on to one or two of at least six, admittedly fierce, chances the game would not have lasted long, however Nomads were in a benevolent mood as Weir, Blackburn (twice) and Caygill to name but a few, made efforts to break fingers by failing to get their palms to the ball. Hughes was particularly expensive and unlucky but Heslington faired little better, replacing him. Eventually Greaves was brought on to beguile the batsmen with his pace, loop and dip. Moss knew what to expect and despite warning Belfield, the latter could not restrain himself, charged and fell to a smart stumping by Gardner who had retaken the keeping duties from Hoddy, just seven short of a ton. Moss continued to apply pressure to the bowlers but could not sustain his efforts as he fell to catch behind by Gardner off the speedy Brannigan, just two balls after being dropped from the same combination. Still five an over were needed by Coors, by no means an easy target, despite the fast outfield. Hussein knew the Nomads bowlers but they also knew his strengths as he top-edged an attempted sweep to Pickering who was unfortunately stuck in the spell of a fairy ring. Panic appeared to set in as first one, and then another and another and another batsmen ran themselves out by whole pitch-lengths, with Brannigan and Forster making direct hits. In a last throw of the die, Blackburn cannily brought himself on to clean up the tail, finishing with an impressive 4 for 8, his best ever figures but not enough to get him a single MVP vote, strangely won by Gardner with a mere 107 runs, two catches, two stumpings a run out assist and only a couple of byes against him.

A good win for Nomads, once again with a never say die approach, brings the scent of onion bhajees to complement the poppadums already on order.