Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2009

Police heavies brutalise Nomads

Nomads team lacked some of their regular top-order batsmen, whereas the Police appeared to have drafted in a number of league players (not really offset by a couple of novices). This resulted in an unequal contest with Nomads coming off worst. Nomads’ fielding was also disappointing on this late summer Sunday.

Hughes won the toss and invited the Police to set a target. Unfortunately this was far too high for us to meet with limited resources. It was clear that the Police openers knew which end of the bat to hold as they quickly got into their stride with the short boundary on one side being frequently reached. However, after beating the bat several times Brannigan induced Hansford to step in front of his stumps. A mild bit of handbags between Brannigan and Davis shortly ensued as the former attempting to throw down the stumps in his follow through hit the batsmen on the upper body. The batsman’s “dad” had more to say to Hughes on the boundary. Forster took a couple of overs before he decided that no matter how much he wrapped his fingers round the ball or curled his wrist he wasn’t going to extract the slightest amount of spin, then settled into bowling line and length, with his last four overs going for just two runs. In his last over Marsh lashed one low and straight and was shocked to see the old git diving away to his left, clutching the ball at full(ish) stretch, inches from the ground. Unfortunately this brought in Lawson (or is it Dawson?) to join Davis. After a couple of edges L/Dawson tore into Nomads’ bowlers and although going aerial much of the time managed to evade most of Nomads’ fielders. It was not until he was well into his innings that first Brannigan (with a difficult chance), then Stanley (straight-forward) and finally Brannigan again (with an easier chance) managed to spill catches. L/Dawson finally retired after reaching a rapid century, to be followed shortly by Davis, who although not as damaging to the bowlers’ figures had still scored heavily with some powerful shots. This brought in the weaker tail and wickets at last began to fall regularly, Fearon taking yet another with his well-disguised slower ball and Westwood pouching a regulation catch at point, off Blackburn. The Police innings ended with the snow-capped Fearon and Blackburn striving to add to their wicket haul.

A decent tea gave Nomads time to contemplate a huge target and consider their fielding struggles. The Police opened their bowling with a couple of irregular, perhaps virgin, bowlers and Hughes and Fearon began the assault. Unfortunately these novices only bowled the opening 3 overs. Hurcombe’s slowness off the wicket deceived Hughes into playing several minutes too early and although Weir tried a few lusty blows he didn’t last nearly long enough to cause any real threat. The younger Blackburn scored a couple with a good looking drive but he too perished, scooping one back to the bowler. Only Fearon was going well, giving the score some respectability. By now Pickering had joined him and the field closed in, scenting a close catch, which he declined to offer with typical aplomb. Fearon fell to a slower ball from Marsh, just 3 short of what would have been a defiant and well-deserved half century. Although Stanley upped his normal scoring rate, reaching a dozen off a mere 37 balls (at one point being half way to the pavilion before he realised mid on had dropped the simplest of catches that his own granny could probably have taken), he and Pickering (10 off 51 balls) didn’t threaten the Police total. Davis eventually removed both of them, followed soon by Brannigan who again missed a slower ball as Davis got some revenge for the earlier spat. Despite Heslington striking out, it was more a case of damage limitation and survival as the sun sank over midwicket and it became gloomy and distinctly cool with Blackburn refusing to go for the 17-a-ball target off the last over from Bebb.

A difficult match against a team we have had some success against in the past who presumably decided enough was enough and brought out the truncheons to give us a good old-fashioned beating.