Fixtures & Results
Belper - Sunday 29th May 2011
Match report by Paul
We have been going to Belper Meadows pretty much every season for the last 28 years and it has always been a competitive game. Always a good tea, TV in the pavilion and in recent years a post match BBQ – the three latter points positively contributing to the visit.
Some memories include Hibbo smashing one of the biggest sixes I have ever seen, into the chocolate factory, Crossy & Blakey scoring tremendous tons and me getting a trip to Derby royal infirmary for 13 stitches in my lip after eating a short ball - Crossy said it was like batting with JFK.
For our last visit to BM, we struggled a little to draw an eleven from our Club playing squad, which in light of the aforementioned quality tea and BBQ came as something of a surprise. But I managed to recruit willing youthful replacements happy to oblige and so we went into the game with four cricketers under 18, which may have been a first. For me as Captain that was quite a bonus as it meant I only had to ‘hide' Benno, rather than three or four less than agile individuals, but more of that later.
The inevitable TAILS prevailed and due to the lack of Lees, Blake & Flight I decided to let them have first dibs on a day where showers could easily bring Duckworth-Lewis into play.
One of my Kimberley protégés opened the bowling, namely Tom Boyden, who bowled a very good line and length, mainly at the more aggressive opener and was unlucky not to get a wicket. He probably would have if I had introduced a second slip, rather than watch two big snicks shoot through for fours. When I finally succumbed and put a second slip in, I realised quickly that this was a fruitless exercise. Firstly as the prior chances had passed us by and secondly with Andy Gaunt rubbing his hands and standing very unconvincingly at slip with the demeanour of a man that really didn't want the ball to go anywhere near him. But fair play to Andy, as there was not a long queue of players who genuinely fancied going in the cordon.
At the other end Brown Dawg junior bowled a great line and his 7 overs for just 17 runs indicate that.
A double bowling change followed and the sixteenth over saw a breakthrough. But not before some great amusement as Andy bowled his first ball since I don't know when (and Andy didn't care to remember). The first two balls were pretty good, nice and tidy, but Andy apparently complained of chest pains as he started to build a head of steam. On his second ball the batsman could easily have pulled out as Andy was talking on the way to the wicket (!) or I should say part laughing, part jibberish, part ‘oh my God' that feels odd kind of stuff.
Anyway, the third ball, a full bunger, was driven to Mid Off where Smudger was patrolling and as the ball dipped, he sort of crumbled to the ground, but managed to cling on to it and ‘hey presto'. Over many years Gaunty has taken more than his fair share of wickets with full tosses. This one provided as much amusement as all the prior wickets particularly when we compared it to Richard's wicketless spell of line and length and maidens bowled from that end in the preceding 7 overs, but that's cricket for you.
Anyway a 70 run partnership followed but it was in 18 overs, so not running away from us and we bowled well, with just one wide in the whole innings and some very good fielding – oh what a joy to have young legs, willing youthfulness and eager bodies on our side!
We did put two catches down in this spell. Their Captain and opening batter chipped a modest skier to mid on, but as Benno lined himself up, a gust of wind caught the ball and its trajectory and angle of descent changed dramatically leaving Benno standing waiting and the ball landing a yard in front of him!
I was the other ‘dropper' – unbelievably in my favourite tickle round the corner, leg slippy type position. But unlike prior years where I would have plucked it out with aplomb, today it hit my calf and I didn't lay a hand on it. Bradley mentioned Specsavers twice. The first time it was funny…..
Guest Gavin Huskinson bowled six overs for 28, Andy finished with 7 overs 1-21 and we contained well.
We bagged the Skipper for 78 in the 34th over when he turned Smudger to square leg where Gav took an easy catch. As the score was 128 and Benno was keeping the runs down very well at the other end, I fancied we could keep the score down well.
There have been lots of match reports where at this point, it goes……..but then this happened……or but then our worst fears came true……..but their number six had other ideas. You know the ones don't you?
But hey guess what it didn't happen as our tidy fielding (inc a good catch from Danny – great technique!) and excellent death bowling from Smudge (2-38) and Benno (8-1-28-1) bore fruit and they closed at 161-4 in 40 and we were definitely in with a shout.
Tea followed and Ady and I went out to chase down the runs. When I say ‘chase' it was more of a brisk walk and at times a bit of hopping, then a sit down and one or two fairy steps………but we kept going…..and going………putting on 101 for the first wicket, in 27 overs.
Regrettably we ran four threes – and I mean regrettably, as my bones, knee & back were screaming ‘Get out or hit fours!!'
Adey batted sensibly as ever, guiding, cutting and driving in commanding fashion. I played more ‘air shots' than I care to count. Fair play to the Belper boys they could have chirped harder (or louder)….not once did they say ‘shall we put a bell in it?' or different versions of that kind of thing.
Anyway I tamely holed out to mid wicket in the end (for 37) leaving Crossy (31 not out) to do what he does, by taking control and dominating the bowlers, with Adey moving very nicely to a well played 78 not out. The 9 wicket victory came in the 38th over.
The humour in the changing room continued, with Benno as ever the main exponent. His suggestion that Gaunty was playing with his stab vest under his shirt resonated as the biggest kettle and teapot comment of the century. The language was at times ripe, the stories always funny and the satisfaction of a job well done was enjoyed by all.