Fortess Foxfields? Meh…
You welcomed Old 3rds to Foxfields on Saturday, an eagerly awaited contest after giving them a cricketing lesson 2 seasons ago. As a point of note I did check the NCL fixtures and due to a number of teams pulling out in Division 7 their 2nd XI didn’t have a game, whether it made a difference we probably won’t know until later in the season for the return fixture.
The wicket looked dry, and with Pinny winning the toss GP had a bowl. He (1 for 44 off 10) and Ryan (2 for 17 off 10) took the new pill kept it tight up front but without much luck. Pinny trapped their skipper in front twice, but the Umpire decided both deliveries from the outswinger were going down leg, right ho. Aussie bowled a little too short, when he pitched it up it was all the batsmen could do to play and miss. He tried to decapitate their skipper with a beamer and after eventually making a breakthrough with the batsman playing one of the worst leaves you’ll ever see – the ball nipping the bail off the top of off stump (and nearly impaling Steely), he gave him a nice little send off, perhaps not the wisest move.
JB (1 for 18 off 4) making his first appearance of the season celebrated like Alan Shearer when he took his first wicket – eventually getting an LBW from the ump, and sending their skipper home. Ryan took another and Adam took a sharp catch at cover off JB’s bowling. They were looking wobbly at drinks, 50 odd for 4 off 20 overs, the chat from the skipper asked for GP to put the foot on the throat and really finish things off.
The foxes didn’t really listen, over the next 20 overs Old amassed another 120 runs, without really having to take too many risks, and with only 12 boundaries. Adams (1 for 49 off 10) and Adam (1 for 36 off 6) came on, Young made the first breakthrough with Adams finally getting rid of the dangerous Mackman for 44. Neither the bowlers nor the fielders did much wrong, they just seemed to find the gaps and when they did go aerial the ball dropped into space, it was just one of the frustrating games. Adam got a good return run out off his bowling, But Middleditch playing his first ever game for Old tipped and ran very well to add a brisk 22 to take the game away from GP on a challenging wicket. Pinny came back on and got Elston to loft one to Aussie, Old ending on 176 for 8 off their 40 overs.
JB (21) and Bionic Ben (8) faced up for GP in reply, and after 17 runs Ben was on his way back to the pavilion, having got a quick one that scooted under his bat. Steve (0) came and went quickly, without troubling the scorers and having had to watch his off stump cartwheel towards 1st slip.
Pinny joined JB at the crease and together they added 19 before Pinny (10) sliced one to mid-off. Adam (0), Aussie (5 – tried to get in another fight after a very contentious stumping decision and from what I hear nearly obliterated Ricki with the changing room door upon his return), Jamie Webb (6 – making his long-awaited GP return after 6 years) and Isaac (0) added just 15 for the next 4 wickets with JB still sticking around and turning the strike over.
Ricki came in and looked good until Pinny gave him the commentators curse with a “we could still win from this position” immediately before Chilton’s delivery dislodged his bails. Middleditch clearly hasn’t read “How to win friends and influence people” with the snipe “Too good for you” as Ricki departed the field, but perhaps just let it lie next time Ricki, if teams want to win in that manner, let’s let them.
With JB eventually going for 21 Boom Boom Adams (16*) and Iced Gem Davies (11 – making his season debut) gave the tail an impressive wag. adding 27 in not very much time, sadly all was in vain and GP finally finished on 97 all out off 28.3 over.
From what I’ve endured/seen this season your batting is simply not firing, not through lack of trying, but certainly through application. Old batted sensibly and picked off singles at will. GP looked sluggish in the field and simply didn’t keep the run rate ticking over enough and left a lot of runs out there. There are certainly positives to take, the bowling has generally been good, but as before this season, I would recommend bowling at the stumps a little more, and if you were all a little more Isaac in the field we’d definitely take 20 off the Oppo’s score each week.
Dot’s play of the game: Without doubt, it has to go to Olly Davies and his best beached seal shot by a sniper impression, quite what he was doing I don’t think we’ll ever know, but it just wasn’t cricket!
Performance of the game: As much as it pains me JB did his absolute best to drag this team to a win with his 2 wickets and stolid batting performance, if any of you had managed to stay with him I’m sure he could have guided you home. For once he played the game in the manner it should be, having a baby seems to have changed him, and at the end of the game the oppo were shaking his hand – something we rarely see.
Let’s try to be the team we want to play, I want to see you play hard and fair cricket, turn the other cheek and enjoy yourselves, no more skirmishes please boys, I can’t have long left in the world and watching you lot shortens my life every time!