Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2009

Woe for Westie.

Perhaps a match too far for Nomads, however compensation in the form of a hot September Saturday and a stunning tea.

Having lost the early season match by 175 runs, Nomads showed a slight improvement in this hastily arranged final fixture but still went down to a heavy defeat. At this rate of improvement, if we play one match a season against CW, we can look forward to a win by 5 runs in 2012!!

As has been the pattern of late Heslington and Forster opened up the bowling and the first few overs took a pasting. However both bowlers took a wicket, with a catch for Hughes at mid-off and a stumping for Gardner, as the bowlers reined in the batsmen and the initial scoring rate began to fall. Hughes was blessed with a plethora of bowling talent (?) and was keen to give everyone a final chance, replacing the openers with himself and the elder Collins, who bowled tightly. However, no further wickets fell in the second spell, as Butterworth and Jones dug in for a lengthy occupation. Greaves and Collins jnr took their turn and both picked up a wicket; Butterworth, now attacking everything, was bowled by Collins who also took a diving catch to dismiss Jones who had just reached his 50. Skidmore was particularly severe on the Nomads third change bowlers, cracking Westwood and George for regular boundaries, with George unlucky to have Hughes drop a straightforward catch at cover as his figures suffered. Despite the fast outfield and heavy batted opponents, Nomads had stuck well to their task in the field, with few real unforced errors.

Possibly the best tea ever with several Nomads going up for fifths and a suggestion that we should declare immediately and just help finish off the laden plates, Nomads eventually left the clubhouse to begin their innings.

Collins was soon bowled by the awkward Goodway and with Gardner joining him in the pavilion after not getting quite enough edge onto a Barker delivery, as he tried a glide, and lost a bail, Nomads were soon in disarray. Pickering, at 3, tried to stem the flow but soon departed, leaving Nomads at 12 for 3, with only feint hope of challenging the total. A promising stand between Hughes and Heslington (who had survived a very close lbw before he had scored) was ended when Hughes played a mite too early to a Butterworth delivery. Only a few runs later George contrived to call just a little too eagerly leaving Heslington run out by a couple of yards. Forster and George tried to keep the inevitable at bay but Butterworth removed Forster and it wasn’t long before the tail had capitulated. Westwood, at two runs behind Blackburn, at the start of play in the gonad stakes, but one gonad to the better (details to be confirmed by webmaster),, replaced Forster and was advised to take care and watch the turn. Unfortunately Butterworth’s second ball to him was too much for the nerves and the death rattle saw off stump leaning at 45 degrees, leaving perhaps the only Nomads player smiling to be, the unavailable, Blackburn G.

Nomads can take some heart from this defeat. A generally sound fielding display, some response from the middle order and the hopes of the 2010 season to savour, giving us a whole six months to work off that tea.