Cavendish Cricket Club

For the second time I lost the toss, but we still got what we wanted as the Business School sent us in to bat on a dry looking wicket in gloomy conditions. With Colin MIA, our most recent Antipodean import Brett Miller stepped up to the plate and proceeded to build a chanceless innings that included an outstanding partnership with Ed Crossland, batting at number 4. A solid start took us to 4/80 after 15 overs. When debutant Richard Ordish strode to the crease we were 5 down and looking for quick runs in the final 4 overs, despite a slowing outfield and some very tight bowling from the Judge. Brett (68*) and Richard (15*) did very well to put on another 35 runs and see us through to 115.

Despite having only 10 fielders, we began to sniff a victory in the air as Damo’s opening spell drew an early scalp with one of the openers playing on. A tight line and length ensured Damo went for very few runs and set the standard for the bowlers. JB toiled without much luck, save for a nut-grinder that returned a stumping before we thought we’d show what kind and caring individuals we are at the Cavendish and allowed the wandering batsman to retire hurt instead. Unfortunately he returned later, apparently invigorated by having his future Father’s Days flash before his eyes, and plundered the ball all over the place.

Ed was rewarded for keeping the ball up and straight with a wicket on the first ball of a tidy 4 over spell, and our fielding was characterised by grace under pressure, particularly the flat bounce-throw from Brett that ran out their skipper to have them behind on the run-a-ball equation. In the final overs we again employed the not-so-secret weapon personified by Thomas (2 wickets) at one end, who had a fairly clear caught behind decision turned down before turning calmly around, striding back to his mark, and clean bowling the slightly sheepish Businessman. A second wicket from Thomas in the second last over had the Judge in trouble.

It all came down to the final over, with Brett to bowl his fast offbreaks and the bad guys needing only 5 runs to win and holding 3 wickets. They had one recognised batsman at the non-strikers end. The first ball got jammed under the bat and was close to being played on. The second caught him on the pad at the crease, and they scampered through for an attempted leg bye before we completed a run-out of their recognised bat before the central umpire overruled with a seemingly late LBW decision. The third ball to the new batsman reared and whizzed right through for a valuable dot, and the forth got them a stolen leg bye to have them still requiring 4 to win from two balls. We moved the field out to protect the boundary and again they went for a quick single, but we secured a tidy run out, so they had only 1 wicket remaining and 3 runs to tie. On the final ball we got our second run out (and third wicket) in the over, securing a win from our first League game, and proving the old addage that you must always use pressure to your best advantage. Well done guys.