2nd in the League, 5 wins in a row

The 2014 season drew to a close on an overcast September day in Lode.  The rest of the teams having completed their seasons the previous week, our visit to Bottisham-Lode II was the only game in J6 North this weekend.  The maths, as has been stated many times, was simple: win and we would be 2nd.  A defeat could have dropped us as low as 4th.  In front of a crowd of around 6, including the captain of Milton, whose team we would overtake in the event of a win we fielded first.

Any thoughts of Bot-Lode (as they kept referring to themselves) stacking the team with 1st XI players was dispelled.  Matt and Not-so-Speedy Gonzales took the new ball in their contrasting styles.  Some tight bowling kept the scores down and Matt broke through in the 5th over bowling his opposite number who had decided to heave across the line to a straight one.  Matt's 4th over featured a flurry of wides, and he did the noble thing by withdrawing himself in favour of Anthony Lamb.  Overall we did a good job sending Dan Garson to Australia in exchange for Anthony (despite Gabriel's obsessions).  In his first over two perfect in swinging deliveries rearranged the stumps and Bot-Lode were struggling.  Next over, Not-so-Speedy joined the fun pinning the remaining opener LBW.  Three wickets down for no runs.  Jenny had arrived to score, we could spot exactly where she had taken over from the legibility and lack of mistakes thereafter.

Adam Bradbury replaced Not-so-Speedy and captured a 5th wicket courtesy of a running catch from Dave Simmons.  Adam got a lot of turn, beat the bat the regularly but had no further successes.  Anthony hit the stumps again,.  At this point the only fielding Rob had had to do was to recover the ball and bails after a succession of deliveries hit the stumps.  His reward was to be given the ball with score on 54-6 at the halfway stage.  Rob "Slowpoke Rodriguez" reeled of 6 tight over with lots of playing and missing and two wickets. These came off successive balls, both caught by Bobby at short point.  

Bot-Lode were now 60-8, which soon became 67-9 as Chirayu took a stinging caught and bowled off a well hit drive.

Matt had had enough and decided to let Bot-Lode set a target through another over of wides.  If they weren't going to score runs, we would damn well do it for them.  The last partnership had amassed 32 runs by the time Bobby - whose run up is looking more and more like Bob Willis - stopped the fun by taking the last wicket.

99 all out.  Mr Extras top scored again.  Really, if we could collectively learn to bowl straight we would win more games more easily.  Anthony lead the bowling with 3-19, and Rob 2-11.  The other 5 bowlers all grabbed one wicket.

We needed 100 to win for that 2nd place.  Any thoughts of nervousness in the batting were quickly dispelled as Bobby and Dave Simmons rattled up the score in their contrasting styles.  The bowling was steady without being threatening.  Dave clubbed some boundaries in the direction of long on and Bobby alternated between graceful deflections and aggressive pulls when they pitched short.

We were rattling along and the opening partnership had reached 69 when Bot-Lode introduced their teenage spinning prodigy from The Perse School.  He caused several false shots from the batsmen before clean bowling Dave - for 40 - who had stepped back to play him through the offside.  260 runs in the season is easily Dave's best return for the club.

Bobby was looking untroubled and it was a huge surprise when 3 runs later he was strangled down the leg side for 25.  This meant that he had scored 298 runs in competitive 1st XI games this year, including two 50s.  It is hugely satisfying to watch young players develop like this and I look forward to watching it continue: either from the sideline or wearing an umpire's coat.  

Adam was now partnering Gabriel.  We had got to within 5 of our target when the next wicket fell.  In the previous over Gabriel had a reprieve when he gloved a beamer to the wicket keeper.  Chirayu gave the catch, but Rob at midwicket had already called no-ball for the height.   The next over their was another no-ball which evaded batsman and keeper alike.  The batsmen ran and in the confusion both ended up at the strikers end.  The keeper broke the stumps and then threw the ball to the bowler's end where Adam had safely regained his ground.

Gabriel looked aghast as Chirayu again raised the finger and proceeded to argue long and hard with the umpire and the opposition before grudgingly hauling himself off the field.  The disciplinary committee fined him 6 pints (and 3 cokes) after the match.

95-3, and Adam was ready to leave. He launched the first two balls of the next over to long on, first for two and then four.  We were home with 17 overs and 7 wickets to spare.  

At the mid point of the season we had 1 actual win and 2 by default.  The second half started with a defeat to Milton, but then turned around with a run of 6 wins out of 7, including 5 in a row to finish the season off.  The one defeat was a close run affair to the champions Madingley.  The juniors grew in confidence and contribution whilst the seniors showed that they weren't going their places without a fight.

Bobby was top run scorer, followed by Simmo, Richard and Matt.  Adam and Paolo had the best averages.

Amongst the bowlers, the wickets were widely shared, only Scotch (18) and Matt (16) getting more than 10.  

Now there is the wait until the New Year to see how the CCA re-arrange the leagues next year.   In the meanwhile, everyone involved should give themselves a hearty "well done" slap on the back for finishing 2nd.  In particular, well done to Matt for pulling a team together every week and engendering the team spirit and enjoyment (winning helps).  

Safwan still has 10 overs left, if needed.