Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2008

Scores:
Nomads: 187 for 9 (all out)
Church Eaton: 191 for 6

Nomads lose to Church Eaton
An injury ravaged Nomad's team were struck down again as Hussein went down with a serious achilles injury and the Nomads slipped to a third straight defeat.
After a rapid start, the Nomads went from 97 for 1 to 187 all out off 36 overs. There were some useful knocks but no-one went on to get a really big score. Church Eaton's middle order came to the rescue as they turned round a sticky 62 for 4 to win by 6 wickets with more than 7 overs to spare.

Church Eaton won the toss and inserted the Nomads on a baking hot July day. Gardner and Stanley opened the batting and assisted by a barrage of extras had raced to 50 off the first 8 overs. Stanley was playing his customary role of anchor well until he was caught for 9, Smith managing to extract some useful swing in the humid conditions. Fearon got off the mark with a four through long off and continued to score freely with Gardner, both batsmen looked in good nick. Gards then fell to a slower ball from M. Burslem jabbing the ball down on to his boot and on to his off stump for 39 (97 for 2). Fearon (20) then miss hit a pull shot, off a long hop, straight up in the air and the catch was pouched in front of square (115 for 3). Caygill hit a couple of superb back foot drives through the covers and once again looked in fine form before he was out for 16 for Burslem's third wicket (123 for 4 off just 20 overs). Pinfield and Hussein looked as though they would capitalise on the fine start but 'Casualty' was calling once again and Hussein was struck down by a serious achilles injury and had to retire hurt (158 for 4 off 28 overs). The Nomads innings unravelled as Weir added 1, debutant Nick George (son of George Hess) was caught for 0. Graeme Blackburn was bitterly disappointed to be given out lbw by his Dad for just 2. Hoddy and Greaves eked out another five runs, almost exclusively extras, before Hoddy was caught for 1 with four overs still left. A decent total of 187 but probably 30 or 40 below par given the lightning fast outfield, especially given the excellent start that the Nomads produced.

With the late withdrawal of Pete Blackburn the Nomads bowling attack was somewhat thin so the plan was to bowl Hoddy and Fearon from one end and Greaves from the other rotating the part time bowlers, with no restriction on overs bowled. The sun was still beating down and the first wicket came courtesy of a run out by Fearon with a direct hit from fine leg (8 for 1). Greaves was tempting the batsmen and struck gold thanks to a fine catch on the deep mid wicket boundary by Pete Gardner. (44 for 2). Young Nick George then took a great catch at gully off the bowling of Hoddy and Church Eaton were on the back foot. Greaves continued to weave his torturous magic and Graeme Blackburn took a neat catch to remove Pearce behind the timbers to make it 62 for 4. Orr and Brereton set about rebuilding the innings and Church Eaton were always well above the asking rate of four and a half an over. By the time Fearon trapped Brereton leg before with a straight one the opposition had moved on to 133 for 5 and were in control. Smith (D) immediately set about the Nomads bowling and plundered 17 off one Gardner over, 15 off an over from Fearon and scored a six and a four off Caygill's two balls to secure his half century and what turned out to be a comfortable victory for the visitors.