Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2013

Sutton on the Hill v Lichfield Nomads

A Sunny Day at Sutton

Nomads struggled to raise a side and 3 guest players, provided by Ian Bourne, made up the 11. The opposition sportingly offered to bat, on winning the toss, and the vintage partnership of Heslington and Fearon opened the bowling. The opening batsmen treated the bowling with the respect it deserved and the game meandered along with few runs and fewer chances. Captain Hoddy decided to rest the openers after some 6 overs each to ensure that they could come back refreshed, if required, towards the end of the innings. However Trevatt and Duffill saw their chance and began to attack the bowling, in particular Blackburn who went for 10 per over. Hoddy brought himself on to steady the ship and was reasonably successful having Duffill dismissed to a good catch on the square leg boundary by P Blackburn. With Bourne tiring, Gardner came on for a rare spell of bowling and acquitted himself well going for only 4 per over and taking a wicket. The final few overs were completed, as planned, by the openers, Fearon taking the important wicket of Martindale. This batsman is always capable of scoring quick runs and after hitting his 1^st ball from Fearon for 6  succumbed to a slower ball which slipped out of the bowler’s hand, looped up in the air (a la Keith Greaves) and descended onto the base of the stumps.

The total was always going to be tough but with Gardner, Heslington and Fearon as the first 3 batsmen, there was a chance. A reasonable start saw a rate of 4 an over reached, even with the early loss of Gardner , but the fall of the wickets of Fearon and Heslington in rapid succession put the damper on early hopes. Our next 2 batsmen were guests who claimed little aptitude for cricket and their wickets soon fell. During this period one of the opposition unfortunately suffered a pulled hamstring and was helped from the field. Play was disrupted soon after when his colleagues were observed to have taken his trousers off and were utilising a hosepipe. On explaining that they were trying to cool his injury and then moving from behind the bowler’s arm, play resumed. With 5 wickets down and 19 overs to go a stern rearguard action was required. Plan A of sending in Stanley did not work after he was bowled after facing only 7 deliveries, however Bourne was subduing his natural attacking instincts and with the help of John and Hoddy(not one person) 14 of the 20 overs were used up. With 6 overs to go P Blackburn came in. The overs were slowly seen off; the tension mounted but despite some close lbw appeals , Bourne and Blackburn saw us through for a fighting draw. With very much a scratch team this was a fine result.

Sutton-on-Hill					Lichfield Nomads
	How Out	Bowler	Total			How Out	Bowler	Total
R Trevatt	n/o		80		P Gardner	bowled	Trevatt	8
N Duffill	Ct P Blackburn	Hoddy	52		M Heslington	bowled	Martindale	23
M Hayes	bowled	Gardner	4		P Fearon	bowled	Martindale	20
J Giddings	bowled	Hoddy	1		S Wakefield	ct	Martindale	1
M Wenn	bowled	Fearon	39		P John	bowled	Martindale	0
R Martindale	bowled	Fearon	6		G Blackburn	ct	Day	0
B J Land	bowled	Heslington	1		K Stanley	bowled	Martindale	2
S Taylor	dnb				I Bourne	n/o		11
D Trevatt	Run out		4		J Hoddy	bowled	Trevatt	2
O Day	dnb				P Blackburn	n/o		4
F Ashford	dnb				J Sandie	dnb
Extras			11		Extras			37
Total			197-7		Total			108-8
Fall of wickets: 99,116,123,180,186,189,197					Fall of wickets: 21,68,74,74,74,77,90,102
Heslington 8-2-21-1, Fearon 9.2-2-34-2, P Blackburn 4-0-42-0, Bourne 5-0-34-0, Hoddy 8-0-41-2, Gardner 5-0-21-1					D Trevatt 11-3-24-2,O Day 13-4-33-1, Martindale 10-1-24-5, Ashford 5-2-5-0

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