Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2010 |
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D2 Sutton Police
v Lichfield Nomads
Scores: Lichfield Nomads 275 for 2 (or was it 277?): Sutton Police 248 all out
(or was it 254?) Result: Nomads won by 27 runs (or thereabouts)
Nomads revenge in record stand
A somewhat different Sutton Police side than last year, with a relatively benign
ambience. Nomads posted an excellent score which may well have equalled their
highest ever (see below) but almost threw it away with a lacklustre performance
in the field as tension mounted.
With the match starting early due to the World Cup final, Hughes was asked to
bat on a hot Sunday afternoon. Gardner and Heslington resumed an ancient
partnership, well-established in Nomads folklore. The Police opening bowlers
bowled an ‘interesting’ line which made the umpires wonder if they’d used enough
sun-cream on their regularly-outstretched arms. However Gardner and,
particularly, Heslington were playing in a circumspect manner, reluctant to run
hard to turn ones into twos, having both been run out last weekend. Also seeing
gremlins in the bowling when there was little to fear made scoring slower than
it might have been. Only Marsh appeared to be bowling a reasonable and
consistent line and length, generating caution, whilst one unfortunate bowler
managed to bowl an over of approximately 15 balls, many of which sailed yards
over the batsman’s head. He was saved by Gardner doing all he could to strike
the ball even when it virtually stopped half way down the pitch. Heslington
became rather stuck in a rut, playing the anchor role, as Gardner blazed away at
the other end, the former making a passing impression of Stanley in his ‘pomp’,
as Stanley was keen to point out at ‘drinks’. With the score mounting there was
the possibility of an unbroken opening partnership but Heslington let a ball
from Marsh clip the top of his pad and dislodge the bails. A solid innings of 46
ended after 96 balls, with a new opening stand record of 208 posted. Collins jnr
joined Gardner and was quickly into his stride with two 2s and a four, but
struck just a little too high and was caught by Bebb near the long on boundary.
Brannigan was keen to make up for lost time and despite wasting two balls, as
dots, raced to 34 from (what was recorded as) 15 balls. The innings closed on
275, with Gardner reaching 132 unbeaten from just 100 balls. However dispute was
raised that the scorer had awarded just 4 extras on two occasions when a wide
passed the boundary rope. Hence 277 should have been the final score.
Hughes seemed to take his foot off the gas early, opening the bowling with
Collins snr and Forster. The former bowled a mixture of good balls and an
unexpected number of wides, however removed both the dangerous-looking Grayson
and Blakemore, while Forster was relatively economical, if nothing else.
Blackburn snr and Westwood took over the bowling with the latter bowling through
his full complement of 8 overs, taking 3 good wickets, if slightly expensively,
one of which ended as a diving catch by Collins snr. Although if he hadn’t taken
two steps back, followed by what seemed like whole seconds of hesitation, he
would have pouched it much less spectacularly. However, Marsh was still hitting
boundaries fluently as the score rose and Nomads fielding became ragged. Hughes
let several balls past him to the boundary at mid/long on and most Nomads were
culpable of letting at least one or two past, which they might have stopped.
Bowling was generally too short, giving the batsmen time to weigh up the field
placings and evade most. All the more spectacular was Westwood’s run out of
Hurcombe. As the ball evaded Forster’s gravity-defying dive Westwood picked up
the ball and threw down the wickets leaving the umpire with no option but to
raise the finger, by a good couple of yards. A little later Brannigan repeated
the feat to remove Lewis and Nomads breathed a little easier as wickets were
falling. But still Marsh crashed on. There was just time for Stanley to make a
magnificent tumbling stop on the boundary (in reality he fell over ass his legs
knotted, well past the ball, which then struck his legs in mid-air). Nomads were
rattled in the field and there was much head-shaking, and still Marsh crashed
on. By now Brannigan and Heslington had been brought on. Far too late in the
writer’s view, as they were now just about knackered having been out in the
field for a good couple of hours. Brannigan off a short run was pouring sweat
but still trying to bowl at full pace and Heslington managed just a single over
before being unceremoniously removed by Hughes, as he brought Collins snr back
on. Just when it was looking as if Nomads would give it all away Brannigan
bowled Donald, then Collins got Allen. With three overs left, Marsh could have
done it alone, but he mistimed one from Brannigan, chipping the ball towards the
cover area. With no fielder within 20 yards the bowler summoned the last of his
energy and raced to take an excellent catch. Phew!!!
So, as previously mentioned this game was played in much better spirit than last
year’s version, with none of the physical approach so deftly meted out by deJong
and van What’s’is’name later in the evening as Spain took the World Cup in extra
time. |
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Lichfield Nomads |
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Sutton Police
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How Out |
Bowler |
Total |
|
|
How Out |
Bowler |
Total |
|
Gardner |
not out |
|
132 |
|
Marsh |
c Brannigan |
Brannigan |
130 |
|
Heslington |
b
|
Marsh |
46 |
|
Grayson |
b |
Collins
K |
22 |
|
Collins C |
c Bebb |
Hurcombe |
9 |
|
Blakemore |
b |
Collins K |
1 |
|
Brannigan |
not out |
|
34 |
|
Hazelwood |
b |
Westwood |
24 |
|
Hussein |
|
|
|
|
Bebb |
c Collins K |
Westwood |
3 |
|
Stanley |
|
|
|
|
Paton |
b |
Westwood
|
4 |
|
Westwood |
|
|
|
|
Hurcombe |
run out |
(Westwood) |
11 |
|
Hughes |
|
|
|
|
Lewis |
run out |
(Brannigan) |
11 |
|
Blackburn P |
|
|
|
|
McDonald |
b |
Brannigan |
10 |
|
Forster |
|
|
|
|
Allen |
b |
Collins K |
1 |
|
Collins K |
|
|
|
|
McCarthy |
not out |
|
0 |
|
|
|
Extras w19, nb9, b16, lb5 |
49 |
|
|
|
Extras w15, nb1, b9, lb6 |
31 |
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|
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Total for 2
wickets |
275 |
|
|
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Total for 10 wkts |
248 |
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|
|
|
|
|
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|
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Fall of wickets: 208; 222 |
|
Fall of wickets: not recorded |
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Allen 2-0-10-0; Bebb 3-0-23-0;
Hurcombe 7-0-43-1;
Marsh 8-3-26-1; Hazelwood 7-1-49-1; McCarthy 3-0-30-0; Blakemore 4-0-24-0;
McDonald 3-0-22-0; Lewis 4-0-35-0 |
|
Collins K
7-1-41-3; Forster 6-1-21-0;
Blackburn P 5-0-36-0; Westwood 8-0-51-3;
Hughes 6-0-42-0; Brannigan 5-0-40-2;
Heslington 1-0-12-0 |
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Web page prepared by Paul Fearon (c) Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club 2010