While most of the populace were distracted by some event or
other happening in London (*) a plucky Coton team secured a Silver Medal by
virtue of being runners up to League Champions Elect Sawston IV. There was an anxious wait after the match as
the judges reviewed video footage surreptitiously shot from the trees. Would we be demoted to Bronze on the grounds of
“it would really wind us up”? After
consideration we got the verdict: “Coton will be allowed to keep the Silver
medal as there were only two teams involved”.
It was a warm, sunny day (I haven’t been able to say that
very often this year). The pitch was
looking good thanks to the volunteer grounds men although the outfield grass was
long. We lost Bobby Elmes a couple of
times amid the verdant pastures and perhaps more worrying also mislaid Dave
Scotcher for a while. Only 10 players
took the field as Dave Simmons had to pull out.
Dave: we hope Tilly is feeling better.
Dave did provide the teas which was one less thing to worry about. Some frantic calling around friends and
acquaintances checking to see if people were home and waylaying innocent
bypassers on The Footpath failed to yield a replacement. Really, if the Olympics and holidays are more
important than a Junior 5B cricket game, what is the world coming to? The Bradbury family holiday alone deprived us
of three first team players and Paul.
We bowled first. Earlier
in the season at Sawston, we lost narrowly in a low scoring game. In the away fixture they had neglected to tell
us that they had switched from their second pitch in Stapleford to the main
ground in Sawston. I tried to tell them
that this game was in fact in Madingley but they didn’t fall for it and turned up
anyway. In this match – with two very
similar teams – a lot more runs were scored and we ended up 26 runs short of
the opposition (186-6 plays 160-9 with one man absent).
Ullasa (India, cycling) and Neil (GB, rowing) opened the
bowling. Neil was on a hat trick that he
had started in June. We have only played
two games since then. He didn’t get
it. Ullasa took the first two wickets
both clean bowled and we were on our way. At this stage UIlasa was swinging the ball extravagantly.
Neil gave way to Scotch (GB, weightlifting) and he quickly made it three. Sawston were making steady progress but the
game was tight. We were unfortunately
not helping our cause with frequent wides (28 in total) and many more that
could and probably should have been called.
In all we gave up over 50 extras and that generosity was probably the
difference between the teams more so than being one man short. Having an actual wicket keeper as opposed to
Rob (GB, equestrian, as in he is a donkey) would help as well.
Dan (GB, decathlon) and Matt (GB, shot put) also tried their
luck with the ball but the score kept creeping up. The ball was in the air more often than a
Russian gymnast but obstinately dropped into gaps between the fielders (almost
exactly where the 11th person would have been, every time). Even the ones that were out – a probable edge
to the “keeper”, a stumping and numerous shouts for LBW weren’t going our
way. Eventually Scotch got an LBW with
his two hundredth appeal of the innings.
He soon followed up with a third wicket courtesy of a stinning swooping
catch by Dan at backward square. Dan,
who had beaten the bat repeatedly and found more edges than a 12-pack of Gillette
blades, got his reward when the Sawston top scorer edged to the keeper. It went through the gloves onto the chest and
back into the gloves. I still have the
bruises to prove it.
The last 10 overs yielded 60 runs taking Sawston to a final
total of 186-6. Scotch with 3-21 was the
pick of the bowlers but despite the score we really didn’t bowl badly. It was a good pitch and we thought we were
still in the game if we could make a good start.
Richard (GB, bird watching) and Dan opened and made a steady
start until Dan edged to the keeper.
Richard was playing a “Lego” innings: full of blocks. He was joined by Safwan (Pakistan,
Hockey). Safwan wears a Boom Boom shirt,
sports a beard and shares initials with another Pakistani cricketer by the name
of Shahid Afridi. He is somewhat similar
in batting style as well and was soon leathering the ball to all parts. He twice tried to kill his captain (who was
umpiring) first with a fizzing straight drive and then a clip through square
leg.
Richard was next go and Matt wasn’t much longer being the
first LBW victim to one of Sawston’s spinners.
These bowlers always look so easy to hit from the sidelines but I am assured
by people that actually know how to bat that they are more difficult to play
than they look.
Ullasa was next in to bat and we were treated to a display
of ferocious hitting from both ends once he had played and missed (the by now
traditional) 17 times. Runs flowed and
from an unpromising 50-3 were making rapid progress towards the target. Safwan – having reached his 50 on the
previous ball – was then LBW to the same spinner. We hadn’t applauded the 50 as the scorer had
miscounted and we thought he was only on 48...
Bobby Elmes (GB, coxswain for the 8s) played some nice shots
but Andy (GB, rhythmic gymnastics) didn’t.
Both scored 2 in their own unique styles. Neil pinged one classy boundary before
getting himself out in the most bizarre fashion. Stepping back to cut the second Sawston
spinner he only managed to destroy his own stumps with his bat breaking a bail
in the process. We were 121-7 and not
looking to good with only two wickets to fall.
The skipper came to the wicket. There then followed a controversial
incident. Having played and missed the
keeper took the ball and it started its way back around the field for the next
ball. Ullasa came down to the strikers
end to relay a message without checking with the umpire as the ball came to the
bowler. Looking up, seeing Ullasa and thinking
a run was in progress Rob nobly stepped out his crease so as to cross and be
the one run out thus saving the man in form.
There was a debate as to what should happen. Law 23.1 of cricket says: “The ball becomes
dead when it is finally settled in the hands of the wicket-keeper or of the
bowler”. Applying common sense and the
spirit of the game (not to mention the law), Rob was recalled.
Ullasa was then out, like Safwan having just passed his
50. In Ullasa’s case this was his first
for the club in maybe his last innings as he has now left for India and
marriage. Good luck, Ullasa!
Scotch joined his captain.
Having got us to 160 he tried to pull a straight one and we came up 26
runs short.
So, that ends our chances of being in the top 2 in this rain
ravaged summer. There is one more game
to go against winless Bassingbourn. Let’s
go out with a bang.
In The Plough afterward we had a brief medal ceremony. Ullasa was presented a cap to wear on his
wedding night. Other awards as follows:
- Bowling: Gold – Scotch, Silver – Ullasa, Bronze – Dan.
- Batting: Gold – Ullasa (on countback, 3 sixes), Silver – Safwan (1 six), Bronze – Richard.
- Fielding: Gold – Dan, Silver – Matt, Bronze – Bobby.
- Wicket Keeping – Alastair (despite not playing).
- Lateness (giving skipper heart attack): Gold – Safwan, Silver – Ullasa, Bronze - Richard
- Pitch prep: Gold (with extra shiny bits) to all those who got a very good track together.
(*) the Great British Beer Festival
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