GAME 1: CROSSBATS CC 2ND XI VERSUS YARL CC

DATE: 17TH APRIL 2010

VENUE: MARBLE HILL

A new season, a new regime for the seasoned players of Crossbats CC.  Gone was the testosterone fuelled approach of Captain Brain Dunbar, departed for pastures and damsels new.  In these fiscally challenging times, rather than invest in new talent, the Board have instead plumped to fill the large, round hole left by Dunbar with Ian Collier, an older, wiser and better man.

After a hard pre-season spent perfecting their skills against the low, non-bouncing ball, and even fielding training, it was an enthusiastic and honed XI that greeted their old friends from Yarl.  With his wife threatening to go in to labour at any moment, some expected Collier to have stayed at home.  With Man U playing Man C, yet more expected him to have gone to the pub.  What no-one expected was for last season’s outstanding batsmen to not only turn up, but to choose to drop himself down the order on a beautiful sunny day with a flat, astro-turf track beckoning.  But that he did, and so the new season began with the new opening pair of Wright and Nicholls striding to the wicket.

The early stages saw some tight bowling from the Yarl bowlers, with Nicholls in particular fortunate to be dropped on more than one occasion.  At the other end, Wright looked calm and authoritative, if a little in pain.  Helped at times by a deep set field and errors by the Yarl fielders, Crossbats made it to the drinks break comfortably placed at 80 for 0, with acceleration clearly required in the remaining 20 overs.  With Nicholls flailing increasingly desperately, the breakthrough soon came, the tall, rugged, handsome opener falling finally for a chancer’s 38.

If the Yarl players initially celebrated this success, they were soon to regret it as an inspired Winch set about them with a gusto rarely seen at this level.  With able support from a rejuvenated Wright, Winch started quickly and proceeded to get quicker and quicker.  Hitting the ball to all parts, several spectators had to run for cover as sixes rained down on the excited on-lookers.  The pair were finally separated with 3 overs to go, Wright finally submitting for a superb 88, his best performance that this correspondent can remember for many a year. Frothing at the mouth, he triumphantly staggered back to his teammates who applauded him generously, before collapsing at the rope. 

With the scorecard looking very healthy, the remaining interest centred on whether Winch could get his century.  He duly did this in fine style, clipping his umpteenth 4 to finish undefeated on 100 off an estimated 60 balls.  At the other end, Carter registered 9 not out, to leave Crossbats with an alarmingly good 251 for 2.  Winch took the plaudits, and it was a weary looking Yarl team that came in for a well-earned picnic.

On the re-start, there were some eager players lining up to take a pot at the Yarl batsmen.  Opening from the Playground End was Thompson.  With Dunbar gone, and van Vuuren clearly past his best, this developing player seems to be the team’s best bet to take on the mantle of fast bowler.  Bowling with good pace and bounce, it was clear early on that Yarl would have their work cut out.  Emboldened, Collier called Smith in to 3rd slip.  If this was a sign of the new captain’s instinct, then the season could be a fruitful one as very next ball an edge flew straight at, and through, Smith.  Seeing the problem, Collier pushed Smith back to fly-slip, where undoubtedly the ball would soon fly.  If this was a sign of the new captain’s instinct, then Crossbats are in trouble, as the ball flew straight to where Smith had previously been stood.

Shrugging off such setbacks, Thompson soon showed nouse by listening to the advice of old-hand Lawrence, who sagely suggested to forget about getting a catch.  Slipping in the slower ball he got his due rewards, Yarl’s opener bowled for 4.  At the other end, Gumbley soon found his usual line and length, and duely picked up his first wicket of the season as well, another Yarl batsmen missing completely and also being bowled for 4. 

With Thompson bowling another Yarl man in the following over, Crossbats’ Aussie opening pair were threatening to run through the entire line-up before anyone else could have a go.  Seeing the problem, Collier saw the solution, replacing Gumbley with Reeve.  However, again the captain’s instinct was suspect, as Reeve trundled in with his remodelled action and surprisingly struck in his first over, Yarl’s no. 4 steering the ball straight to Nicholls at cover who took the catch.  Indeed, Reeve was unlucky not pick up further wickets, with a missed-stumping and near-catch also off his bowling.

At the other end, Smith replaced Thompson.  Well-known for his prowess in the nets, Smith set about carrying that form over into the field of action.  Bowling accurately and at times getting good swing, Smith put in an encouraging performance for the season ahead.  Two wickets fell his way, one caught impressively by Carter at mid-wicket, the other bowled.  Indeed, had it not been for an embarrassingly easy dolly being put down by the man who doesn’t drop catches, Thompson, then Smith would have had even more reward.

Thus it was left to Collier to have the final say.  Bringing himself on from the King George II’s Mistress’s End, he mopped up the tail in emphatic fashion.  Bowling one victim, having the next caught behind by Winch, a hat-trick beckoned for the expectant father.  Rolling in like a little Ian Austin, with 5 slips in place and Mustapha standing dangerously close at stupidly silly short leg-slip, Collier let rip.  Alas, the dream was not to be, but soon after a third Yarl man succumbed before the final coup-de-grace. 

Yarl’s number 10 swung outside off-stump, clipping the ball at speed to 3rd slip.  Slumped waiting, was Wright.  Throughout the Yarl innings, Wright had stood motionless, barely uttering a word and seemingly on the brink of collapse, if not death.  Failing to respond even to Lawrence’s little throw-arounds, taking several blows to the body in the process, the likelihood of him taking a catch at 3rd slip seemed as likely as Moormead passing a health and safety inspection.  But take the catch he did, squeezing one last drop of movement out of his aching body to finish the innings with a flourish, Yarl ending on about 65 all out.

So a fine start to the season, outstanding performances from Winch, Wright and Collier (who finished with 4-10), backed up by a good all-round display from the entire team.  It was a happy group of players that retired to The Crown for a pint, and who knows what glory could await in this bar-be-que summer?

Author : Clive Nicholls