Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2009

Nomads off the mark

Nomads finally got off the mark in their fourth match, in windy conditions and on an unpredictable pitch. Hughes may have hit upon the winning formula, losing the toss and being put in.

Gardner and Moss opened the account on a generally soft pitch showing some wear. However Eaton bowlers were generating uncertainty in the batsmen generating lift from one ball, only for the next ball to scud along the ground. Despite the difficulties, scoring progressed steadily at around 4 to 5 an over. Moss lifted Jones for an impressive lofted drive over long off, damaging the ball in the process as it landed on the fence over the road. He then made an attempt to kick the ball onto the wicket, but he’s already done that at Swynnerton, so was unlikely to succeed with that one again! However, for his next trick, he missed a straight, overpitched ball from Burslem and departed for 20. Gardner did not appear to be at his fluent best but was sticking it out with the occasional glimpse of his majestic power, in between dealing with the unpredictability of the bounce. Weir replaced Moss and, although struggling to pull balls pitched more than a couple of feet outside off stump, was making good progress. Eaton field placing was helpful as they kept a strong offside field, leaving only three on the leg, despite Weir’s obvious and oft-repeated penchant for pulls, hooks and sweeps.

Eaton finally turned to Goddard, who with his unusual action and ssssllloooowwww looping delivery began to cause problems for the batsmen, tempting Gardner (by perhaps sotto voce that he had ‘only one shot’) into a powerful off drive, well-taken low down at mid off, then finally tempting Weir into missing a straight one. Goddard now was well hyped up, appealing loudly for leg before to Stanley who had clearly got a loud bottom edge, rolling the ball almost 8 inches (sorry 20.32cm) from the bat yet managing to run three (for the shortest shot to result in 3 runs, in Nomad history), then even louder to a ball that pitched six inches (15.24cm) or more outside leg, with the comment ‘but it hit his pads!’. However Stanley did not last long, departing, bowled by Goddard, fishing somewhere around his off stump. In the meantime Caygill, looking impressive as usual, had contrived to get a thin edge to the keeper. Nomads run rate was falling steadily, the last ten overs of the innings adding only 25, with first Hughes, another victim of Goddard’s ‘pace’ and his own unwillingness to get down the wicket enough and take it on the full, seeing demons where there were none (maybe?), then Pinfield who had been pushing the ball well falling to another good catch, low down. The curtain fell with Westwood trying desperately to smite the ball into the field, finally connecting for a boundary. After a good start, Nomads had fallen away somewhat and a score of 162 was not what they might have hoped for, yet still ‘something to bowl at’.

The Church Eaton openers appeared ill at ease, with Brannigan’s pace and movement and Hughes’ clever variation. Scoring was occasional until Hughes suddenly produced a fine fifth over, bowling two and coming close to several more. Another wicket for Hughes in the ninth, followed by a well-deserved one for Brannigan in the tenth left Eaton with the proverbial mountain to climb at 15 for 4 after 10 overs. Still Nomads were not convinced that Eaton were not keeping something up their sleeve. Forster replaced Hughes and bowled two more in his first over, 15 for 6, with each incoming batsmen a possible ‘pro’.  Fowell and Burslem then kept the Nomads bowlers at bay, with Fowell making a bid for the Keith Stanley speed-scoring trophy with 2 from 57 balls, before being tempted by Greaves who himself had come on for Brannigan and was torturing the batsmen with his guile. Greaves continued to wreak havoc amongst the Eaton tail-enders, a catch from Westwood at square leg ended the efforts of the persevering Burslem and two more direct hits on the stumps finishing off Franks and Goddard. Westwood had a good stint with the ball, with no luck whatsoever.

An unusual 8 victims bowled by a Nomads team that pulled together to bury the damage done in the first 3 matches of the season. Maybe they were helped by the Eaton batsmen who, apart from Burslem J, put together only 7 scoring shots in 35 overs.

(Editor - Very amusing Dave. Sorry but I took out some of the jokes.)