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.

We lost the toss and were sent into the field last night with a spring in our step and a shiny cherry. JB and Damo started us off well, and were unlucky not that a few early chances just didn’t go their way. We then turned to Ed and Brett, who toiled hard but couldn’t break through, and the bad guys started to put their foot on the accelerator. To our considerable credit, our ground fielding standard remained high during this time, and Engineering would have been disappointed not to capitalise in the final three overs, when Dadhichi and Thomas bowled a tight line and length to dismiss both openers in quick succession. They ended on 4/188 after their allotted 20 overs — a high total with a relatively soft outfield, but we still fancied our chances.

We had some good starts in our upper order (yours truly excluded) and Colin (33) and Justin P. were looking particularly solid to have us 1/50-odd in short order. Brett and JB each contributed with short, swashbuckling cameos but were backed up only by shorter, slightly less swashbuckling appearances as the wickets fell. After having been 4/90-odd (I think) we were all out for 115 in the 17th over.

One of positives we draw from this game is that we showed that we have the ability to come back from a difficult situation when fielding just by bowling up and on the spot and taking our catches. We need more time in the nets until all of our bowlers can pretty much bowl 6 out of 6 balls in the right areas. Our batting was pretty good for a season opener against strong opposition, but we do need to improve on partnership building, and our calling and running between wickets. As the Engineering openers showed us, it really only takes one solid extended partnership in this form of the game to completely turn a match, and we lacked that last night.

Lads,

A minute’s silence for Anzac Day please, while you contemplate the following words.

Jack: What are your legs?
Archie: Springs. Steel springs.
Jack: What are they going to do?
Archie: Hurl me down the track.
Jack: How fast can you run?
Archie: As fast as a leopard.
Jack: How fast are you going to run?
Archie: As fast as a leopard!
Jack: Then let’s see you do it.

– Gallipoli, Directed by Peter Weir

It’s that time of year boys — when after months of sitting in our foxholes consuming only the meagre rations provided by Sky Sports commentary (or worse: BBC highlights) we turn to each other, fasten our kit bags to our backs and march over the top, screaming “AAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIYYYYYY!!!!!” while we advance over enemy lines.

Now if you think this is melodramatic, just wait until we meet our first opponents, the evil men of The Blackheath Sunday 2nd XI. I have it on good authority that their hand-picked death squad is battle-hardened and baying for blood, so we need to be prepared come May 6th.

For this reason, chaps, I am calling upon you all to be present and ready for inspection at 5.45pm next Tuesday the 1st of May at the Churchill cricket nets. We will try to give everyone a bat and have some much needed fielding practice as well.

We will not be beaten.

Matt

CAVENDISH CRICKET

RECRUITING NOW FOR PRE-SEASON TRAINING 1932

ALL ABILITIES WELCOME

Contact Damo: damo@cavcc.org

Welcome to the website for the Cavendish Cricket Club. We plan to post match reports and information during the season. Why not get involved in season 2007? Send us your ideas.