Club Cricket 2023

[Jason H]

Being away last week I didn't report on our match - the less said the better, as taking advantage of winning the toss Malden Wanderers made use of a used track while it still had a bit of life in it before two young lads produced the spells of their lives to roll us over for, er, 38 (a recovery from 0/4, yours truly one of those back early after nicking behind). However, we got back to HQ to witness the most incredible fightback from our 1s against Woking & Horsell. Chasing 251 to win, we slumped to 71/8, the one saving grace being that our overseas player was still at the crease. Our 10 joining him, Dylan Patel, is someone who can hold an end up, and so it proved:

Surrey Championship (play-cricket.com)

This week with the return of the fast bowling of the in-swing bowler above and his brother we got on the board with a comfortable win over Epsom. We got off to a flier, putting on 48 for the first wicket before my opening partner got out to a worldy of a catch in the covers. I fell soon after for 20 in weird circumstances. The ball before 21 people at the ground thought I was plumb, the exception being our umpire. Next ball I tickled one down leg back to the keeper. A young lad, he had been appealing for anything remotely near the bat and I heard him go up as usual, but my honest instinct had kicked in and I started walking before realising he wasn't really convinced - he later admitted he didn't think I'd hit it. Grrr. Anyway we finished with 164, but our quick ran through them, finishing with 6/28 as we bowled them out for 81.

 

[Greyhound]

This week with the return of the fast bowling of the in-swing bowler above and his brother we got on the board with a comfortable win over Epsom. We got off to a flier, putting on 48 for the first wicket before my opening partner got out to a worldy of a catch in the covers. I fell soon after for 20 in weird circumstances. The ball before 21 people at the ground thought I was plumb, the exception being our umpire. Next ball I tickled one down leg back to the keeper. A young lad, he had been appealing for anything remotely near the bat and I heard him go up as usual, but my honest instinct had kicked in and I started walking before realising he wasn't really convinced - he later admitted he didn't think I'd hit it. Grrr. Anyway we finished with 164, but our quick ran through them, finishing with 6/28 as we bowled them out for 81.

A nick, an appeal and I would always be on my way, too. The "catch" could easily have been a bump ball for all I would know.

Laughably, Australians get very upset when opponents don't walk.

 

[Jason H]

After being a bit unfortunate last week in that I was out due to the keeper's exuberance (although I was actually out) this week I was sawn off by each umpire not consulting when I was out bowled off a no-ball (ball was dipping but passed me at stomach height before clipping the bails as I heaved and missed).

With our regular keeper away I had to step in behind the timbers on a scorcher, and to make matters worse against one of the sides chasing promotion we were totally denuded in attack - the two brothers called up into the 2s to cover injuries while my usual new ball bowler also away due to a bereavement. With no bowling, our small ground and a lightning outfield, we traipsed around while they scored 334/3. In reply I dropped myself down to 7, we gave it a good go but were bowled out for 261.

This week I'm hoping to take a week off due to a function at 6:30 and a badly bruised finger from where I jarred it batting the other week - availability hopefully will allow this.

 

[Jason H]

Well I was supposed to be off, but a cry off on Saturday morning meant I had to draft myself back in for our match at Esher. With our Chairman due to be late anyway due to his son's Football tournament, we were further hit by two cars of two people each getting caught by a massive accident on the M25. Ten minutes after the scheduled start time the oppo lent us a couple of fielders so we could take the field with the minimum eight - at which point we still got a wicket with our stand-in opener. The other four arrived soon after, although the Chairman didn't get there until around 20 overs in as his son won his tournament, the final going to extra time and penalties...

Anyway we bowled well in restricting Esher to 170/8 off their 45. With me having to race off at 5:30 I set about the bowling with gusto before swinging over a straight one for 33 (and with 3 minutes to get changed and leave). When I left we were 65/3, I was surprised to get a text with a picture of our scorebook less than an hour later - a guy I'd promoted to 5 from 9 as he hadn't bowled decided to tee off, hitting 58 as we reached our target in the 23rd over.

I may have to get in touch with the league about the oppo's completion of the score on Play Cricket - currently none of our bowling is showing and our batting is pretty much made up after the top three - I can correct the batting but I don't have our bowling figures as the scoring was done in their book and nobody thought to photograph their innings...!

 

[Mr Jinx]

A Gray-Nicolls man myself. I liked the 70s/80s Scoops.

SS Jumbo man meself.

 

[iscalad]

Cricketer, 12, bowls the perfect over taking six wickets from six balls (msn.com)

 

[Jason H]

Last two matches have seen us lose to the top side and win a thriller against the bottom side to complete the first half of the season in 7th place, two above the drop.

Firstly against Thames Ditton, we lost the toss (as usual - I used to be a tosser, now I'm just a useless tosser), surprise surprise they elected to bat. They then took advantage of our short square boundaries and immobile fielders to rack up 279/9. In reply I was going well then on 35 middled one out through the covers, only for cover to leap up and take a stormer in his left hand. Having very little batting behind me we caved to 128 all out.

Given a lot of overnight rain it was "win toss, bowl first" at Teddington Town the Saturday just gone. So naturally we lost the toss and were inserted. Again I was going well, one shot back past the bowler was the best I'd played in years, then on 35 (and with the team score 50/2) I got caught in two minds whether to leave a short one or nudge it over the slips and instead did neither, although they were fortunate their slip was tall as had it been me I'd have watched it fly over me. From 50/3 we were then 50/5, before Dylan Patel (he of the support role in the 1s earlier in the season), returning from injury, scored 47 not out with support from the tail as we posted a hardly challenging 149/9.

In reply we got a wicket first ball, while someone who has returned to the side after a few years at Ripley (Nad) kept it tight the other end. Dylan then came on and showed his quality with 4/8 from his 9 overs, but a combination of terrible dropped catches and an umpire deciding to make a game of it made things close. When he was umpiring the wide zone became very narrow, while there was the most ridiculous LBW I've seen in a while. We went up confidently, he said no. I started chirping about agreeing that it was definitely missing leg (and off), he then said it was not given due to height - the ball hit him on the bloody shin!

Anyway, as it looked like they might win, I brought back my openers including the wily left arm spin of Nad, who was unplayable at the death, conceding two runs in four overs. Even the erratic Stocky at the other end couldn't blow it, and we won by 5 runs.

This week we travel to Staines and Laleham, a ground where I always get runs and who are now in the relegation zone.

 

[Alistair20000]

Last two matches have seen us lose to the top side and win a thriller against the bottom side to complete the first half of the season in 7th place, two above the drop.

Firstly against Thames Ditton, we lost the toss (as usual - I used to be a tosser, now I'm just a useless tosser), surprise surprise they elected to bat. They then took advantage of our short square boundaries and immobile fielders to rack up 279/9. In reply I was going well then on 35 middled one out through the covers, only for cover to leap up and take a stormer in his left hand. Having very little batting behind me we caved to 128 all out.

Given a lot of overnight rain it was "win toss, bowl first" at Teddington Town the Saturday just gone. So naturally we lost the toss and were inserted. Again I was going well, one shot back past the bowler was the best I'd played in years, then on 35 (and with the team score 50/2) I got caught in two minds whether to leave a short one or nudge it over the slips and instead did neither, although they were fortunate their slip was tall as had it been me I'd have watched it fly over me. From 50/3 we were then 50/5, before Dylan Patel (he of the support role in the 1s earlier in the season), returning from injury, scored 47 not out with support from the tail as we posted a hardly challenging 149/9.

In reply we got a wicket first ball, while someone who has returned to the side after a few years at Ripley (Nad) kept it tight the other end. Dylan then came on and showed his quality with 4/8 from his 9 overs, but a combination of terrible dropped catches and an umpire deciding to make a game of it made things close. When he was umpiring the wide zone became very narrow, while there was the most ridiculous LBW I've seen in a while. We went up confidently, he said no. I started chirping about agreeing that it was definitely missing leg (and off), he then said it was not given due to height - the ball hit him on the bloody shin!

Anyway, as it looked like they might win, I brought back my openers including the wily left arm spin of Nad, who was unplayable at the death, conceding two runs in four overs. Even the erratic Stocky at the other end couldn't blow it, and we won by 5 runs.

This week we travel to Staines and Laleham, a ground where I always get runs and who are now in the relegation zone.

Your last sentence may come back to bite you Jason

 

[Jason H]

Your last sentence may come back to bite you Jason

I've played there four times and only once have I not had to buy beer, plus I'm really feeling in good form right now. So yes, I'll score 3.

 

[Jason H]

Well I didn't pass 50, but my 37 helped us to a 4 wicket win. Bowling first, we had Staines and Laleham in all sorts of trouble early on but, aided by a clear ringer at 7 (although he only scored 15 himself) and some poor bowling late on we let them get to 180 all out.

In reply we made a steady start as I dug in against one of those wily veterans who put the ball on a sixpence while my young opening partner made hay against the more erratic guy at the other end before he slashed across a straight one to be out for 21. I was joined by another young lad, Kit, who has at times been as high as our 1s this season but had barely scored a run all season - now it was my turn to make hay as I bludgeoned a few boundaries. Most satisfyingly in the more erratic opener's final over I'd hit two fours, they then said to move the field around as I hadn't played a cover drive all day - next ball I played a lovely cover drive for four...

Anyway I got a bit big for my boots, trying to sweep a seamer I top edged it to square leg. Kit was joined by another player dropped down from the 2s, Darwish, just as their ringer came on and bowled at Mark Wood pace. It turned out he had begun the season opening the bowling for Eastcote 1s and had just transferred to them. However, he failed to pick up a wicket, indeed Kit later in the innings brought up his 50 with a ramp off the ringer. We lost a few wickets along the way but were always up with the rate and with a deep batting line-up we comfortably won with more than three overs to spare.

This week, weather-permitting, we're at home to Valley End, with whom we're practically neck and neck in the table.