Detail: 30-04-2011 - Crossbats


Result: W by 175 runs
Team:

Zubair Ahmed
Richard Mullett
Asif Shahinsha
Steve Metson
Tom Rooke
Tom Ellen
Ben Appleton
Dean Wilson
Tom Jordan
Guy Freeman
Ramakrishnan Peter

Result Blues 309 (Metson 101, Wilson 70, Jordan 69). Crossbats 134 (Freeman 4/41).

Match report - courtesy of the Crossbats. (They always get the details right!)

(minor edits and Blues idents by ronnie)

-->

"I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues"

Game 3: Crossbats 2nd XI v. The Blues Venue: Marble Hill, 30th April 2011

Today's opponents were the reputedly "weak" Blues, a regular fixture over the years for Crossbats. On another sunny day, with an at times lively cross breeze, it was the Blues who won the toss and elected to have first bat at Marble Hill. Due to various confusing and unusual reasons which I could not fully grasp, Crossbats were only able to field 10 men today.

From the outset, Blues' opener Jordon showed attacking intent, punishing Seely repeatedly for anything short. At the other end, no.2 batsman Appleton found scoring much harder against wily old Gumbley. Indeed, the old timer thought he had his man as the Blues' umpire raised the dreaded finger to give him LBW to a straight one. While there was no doubting the straightness of the delivery, there was also no doubting that Appleton had almost hit the cover off the thing. In a display of almost unheralded sportsmanship by Captain Wright (egged on by Ross), Appleton was recalled, while Gumbley was just appalled.

Despite commendably tight bowling by Lawrence, who showed surprising nip, and Gumbley, who continued manfully through his entire 8 over stint for no reward, Blues continued to score healthily. It was beginning to look like Crossbats were in for a long afternoon in the field, and so it turned out to be. Van Vuuren bowled well at times, collecting 2 wickets and could well have had more. Reeve also showed some guile, taking 2 for 60 with his twirlly off-spin, figures which could have been better but for some tardy fielding on the boundary by amongst others Nicholls and Seely. Blues no.3 (Metson) eventually fell for an impressive 101, while there were strong contributions from all of the top 4.

With signs of fatigue and diminishing morale spreading through Crossbats' fielding display, the brief highlights amongst the carnage were a run out from Ross, followed by 2 wickets in Ross's solitary over. The hat-trick ball, off the last of the innings, was looped up at very catchable height, but alas fell in no-man's land, to be painfully chased down by Nicholls. A lowlight of the final death-throes of the innings was Captain Wright's abdication of the throne and passing the reigns, nay buck, to a decidedly reluctant Van Vuuren. The innings closed at 309 for 6, a target that looked well out of Crossbats' reach.

Due to open for Crossbats were Nicholls and Gumbley. Strangely, Gumbley seemed to go walkabout during the tea interval, only to re-appear 10 minutes after the scheduled re-start from a distant corner of the field in his socks and a look of vague confusion. Vice-captain Wright stepped into the fold. After a solid opening, Nicholls swished at a wide one and was caught behind for 5. Umpire Ross eventually gave the decision, after some thought and a little doubt. Next in to join Wright, freshly focussed, was Gumbley. After a couple of promising shots, he called Wright through for a quickish single to mid-off. Wright, who incidentally was given out LBW by umpire Gumbley the week before, stood firm and repelled all overtures of active participation in the run. As Gumbley reached Wright, and saw the whites of his eyes, he realised his predicament. Turning to return back to whence he came, the fielder had already gathered and thrown the ball to the keeper. Grumbley Gumbley had to take the long walk back to the "pavilion", out for a disappointing 5.

At number 4, Seely joined Wright, having been promoted up the order due to an early dinner party engagement. With free licence to get out as quickly as he could, Seely swung the bat to good effect at times, getting several productive nicks. From one of these, the Blues' slip fielder (Rooke) unfortunately dislocated the distal interphalangeal joint of the second digit. While resident Physiotherapist Nicholls' knowledge of anatomy was unquestionable, his knowledge of first aid was rubbish and the fielder had to be taken to Casualty by a teammate for further treatment.

With Blues now down to only 9 fit/present players, it seemed that maybe Crossbats' opportunities to score some runs might improve. Alas, this was not the case. The only batsmen to reach double figures were Wright (33), Seely (23) and George (18). In a rare lighter moment, as Lawrence joined George he informed him to judge any quick singles carefully, bearing in mind he was 3 times his age. Following further discussion, Lawrence visibly grew in stature as it was established that he was in fact only twice George's age, and indeed his running between the wickets became almost jaunty at times. Such frivolity was but brief, and the innings rapidly subsided in less than 27 overs, all out for 134 and a loss of 175 runs. Extras top-scoring with 39.

In times of trouble and strife, your correspondent's thoughts often turn to the wisdom of Elton John, and how this modern-day philosopher might approach the problem (with help from his old pal Bernie Taupin). In what was a sobering display following the glory of last week, I found comfort in this excerpt, taken from I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues (1983, taken from the album Too Low For Zero):

Don't wish it away
Don't look at it like it's forever
Between you and me, I could honestly say
That things can only get better.

So, feeling slightly better already, we must look forward, not backwards, and next up is the treat of the Bank of England, cream tea and all.

Blues, 309-6 (Metson 101, Wilson 70, Jordan 69) beat Crossbats, 106 all out (Freeman 4-41) by 203 runs.

A flying start to the season as the Blues racked up a mammoth total in their 40 overs. Jordan and Appleton shared 100 for the opening wicket, despite Appleton being given out LBW by Zubair only for the fielding team to overrule the decision. Jordan scored a typically aggressive 69, laying the platform for a huge partnership between Metson and Wilson. Metson's timing was exquisite for the off and he played with his customary fluency for his second Blues hundred. Wilson reminded us all why he is the Daily Mirror's No1 cricket correspondent with a gem of an innings, straight out of the batting manual. Guy Freeman recovered from his golden duck to bowl the blues to victory, with the combination of bounce and out swing proving far too much for the Crossbats batting line up. A huge victory for the Blues against a team that bowled us out for 120 the previous season. The only negative on the day was Tom Rooke?s dislocated little finger, an injury which has kept him off games for the month of May.

[updated 05 06 2011]