Heads We Win

Coaches will always tell you to use your head when playing cricket.

• Look where the fielders are and try to hit the ball where they aren’t.
• If a batsman is strong on the leg side don’t bowl him a series of leg side long hops.
• If there is no one backing up at the stumps don’t fling the ball in so hard it goes for 4 overthrows.

It’s all about applying some thought and, “using your head”.

I bet Dave Simmons wishes he hadn’t taken those coaches so literally now.

After another week of brilliant spring weather Saturday again dawned dull and overcast with a strong wind whipping across Coton Rec. Having secured our tape measure back from the “Fun Run” organisers the usual suspects proceeded to prepare for the visit of Girton who we had last played a couple of years ago. Three changes from the previous week saw Adam Wright back in the team, the return of Dave Hale who had taken the 2010 season as a sabbatical and Charlie Stevenson making his debut.

Ross won the toss, inserted the opposition and we got first use of the shiny, new, new ball that Andy had picked up from Cricket Stick earlier.

Charlie got first use and soon discovered what countless generations of Coton quick bowlers before him had suffered through: banging it in short will not get you any bounce. Once he adjusts to this he will be quite a handful in J4B as he showed when he pitched one up to the Girton opener and elicited an edge to first slip. Gabriel’s hours of practice on slip cradle paid off and he held a very sharp rising chance. Having just spent 10 minutes dropping, fumbling and juggling easier catches in front of the Girton team they looked suitably stunned by the catch (as we did!).

The wicket was timely. Girton had gotten away to a quick start using the pace of Charlie to rattle up some runs and also taking the attack to Milan who had opened at the other end.

Ross is a decisive captain and he soon rang the changes to stop Girton getting on top. Adam took wickets in successive overs, first bowling the Girton captain having totally bemused him with some sharp turn and then enticing the wicket keeper to lob a catch to Dave Simmons.

Ross removed the other opener in a tight spell that encouraged a lot of “ohhs” and “ahhs” from the close field. A note on that field: Ross kept attacking throughout and it paid dividends.

Despite the two wickets it looked like Adam was coming in for some tap so he made way for Dave Scotcher and Charlie came back for a 2^nd spell, Ross having removed the other opener.

Charlie then showed how quickly he was adapting to the Coton wicket by bowling a rank long hop that pinned a bemused Girtonian in front on the 2^nd bounce. Like all wickets this one was obviously the bowler's cunning plan all along and not at all due to the batsman looking for a fast chest high ball rather than one that slowly rolled into his ankle.

Scotch ripped out the next batsman’s middle stump before resorting to the “bad balls take wickets” stratagem. The Girton batsman made good contact with a shortish ball and launched it towards cow corner. Dave Simmons had been placed there for just such an eventuality and steadied himself for the catch. There then followed the awful sound of ball hitting skull as Dave decided to forego the use of hands and use his head. Gabriel was quick to respond making sure the ball was out of play before attending to Dave who was bleeding profusely. The first aid kit was brought into play and an ambulance summoned to whisk away the unfortunate Dave who was getting very little (no) sympathy from Scotch for missing a chance of his bowling.

This threw us for a moment but we regrouped. Milan returned to the attack and got a deserved wicket and Ross took another to have them 8 down for less than 100. There was then a fight back by Girton for the 9^th wicket which we kept in check with some good fielding aided and abetted by Girton’s #10 not being able to keep pace with his younger, fleeter, partner. It was no surprise when we finished things off with 2 run outs. The first was from a throw by Adam that missed the stumps at the bowler’s end (to which he was throwing) and ran out the struggling batsman with a direct hot at the other end. The second run out was a cool underarm return from Charlie.

128 all out with just over two overs remaining: the wickets spread between 5 bowlers and some eager fielding.

Alastair provided the teas and the “peanut butter with marmite and cucumber” sandwiches proved to be rather tasty.

Gabriel and Dave Hale opened the batting in their contrasting styles. Dave bludgeoned some fierce boundaries whilst Gabriel accumulated in a more circumspect manner. This included one “6” for Gabriel that resulted when a wild return from a quickly run two evaded the keeper and the fielders before running away for 4 overthrows. They all count and looking back no-one will be able to differentiate between this 6 and one that had been achieved with a powerful shot.

Dave was getting into the groove but in trying to smash a 3^rd successive boundary played all around a straight ball that rearranged his stumps.

This brought in Alastair. Having survived a straight forward chance to the keeper he started to play an array of shots that had the score rattling along nicely. We had passed 80 just before the half way stage and drinks were being readied when Gabriel lost his wicket. This was almost a carbon copy of the previous game where he succumbed at the same stage of the innings. Perhaps next time we should hide the drinks so he doesn’t get distracted.

Milan replaced Gabriel and proceeded to look very comfortable and elegant although unfortunately he managed to pick out fielders with all but one of his shots. With Alastair he took the score past 100 before getting out in a very similar way to the previous week from a ball that seemed to stop on him.

This brought a very surprised Rob to the wicket. Even with only 10 fit batsmen (the injured Dave Simmons being absent) he had been expecting to be number 11.

However he was quickly into his stride and smashed a couple of leg side boundaries. (Rob is still to score on the offside this season so a savvy captain would employ a 0/9 split field). Alastair was seeing the ball beautifully now and the remaining runs were knocked off in double quick time – the final four taking him to a well deserved 50.

So we had a win by 7 wickets with 13 overs to spare. The final overs had been watched by a crowd that must have been close to double figures: a possible record for Coton CC.

A few minutes after we finished the match the rains came down as we savoured the jugs provided by Mr Breward. A fitting end to an enjoyable day, and best wishes to Mr Simmons for a speedy recovery.