Theale and Tilehurst vs Mortimer 22nd August 2004

BACK

Report by Fingers

For the third week running the Sunday game went to the final over and for the second time we lost on the penultimate ball. Often people say about cricket that they’d rather play in a close game than win a game easily – I’m starting to think that I’d enjoy seeing us give someone a really good stuffing in the very near future.

Osman as stand in skipper has developed the reverse habit to Chef in the 2s – he wins the toss every week but the result doesn’t then follow. Having seen several recent games where people have elected to field and then not be able to chase modest totals there was logic in electing to bat first. When Eddie and Ed took the opening partnership past fifty it looked like we were going to fully justify the skipper’s decision. However, when Eddie and Ed went lbw in relatively quick succession (perhaps it is so long since he last played now that James thinks that he’s a bowler) only Dopey was able to establish himself at the crease of the remaining batsman.

What was very apparent was that with the ball not really coming on increasing the scoring rate was going to be difficult and necessarily risky. When the innings closed at 164-9 off 40 overs (it was a 40 over game with no draw) it was generally felt to have been a good effort with the bat and eminently defendable.

Having been the pick of the Mortimer bowlers Tony Boby then became the pick of the Mortimer batsmen and one of the few on the day who could regularly find the boundary with orthodox shots. Bob took the first wicket in the best spell of bowling he has produced in the last few weeks and deserved more but luck didn’t prove to be on his side. The Mortimer middle order took care of itself by adopting some sort of reverse running strategy – if you hit the ball straight to a fielder and call no then set off for a run and see how far out you are when the bails are taken off.

The game seemed to be ebbing in T&T’s favour with a required run rate of five an over not seen as being easy. However, some lusty blows from Bliss junior and Bliss senior brought Mortimer right back in to contention.

Just to take a time out from the match report here – why do people, including some regular T&T players, insist on parking their cars up against the barrier that separates the car park from the outfield at wide mid-on? Now, if you park over the far side of the car park or tuck it round next to the pavilion and it gets hit that has to count as a bit unlucky and relatively unlikely giving the size of the hit required but to nose up to the barrier in the direction a six is most likely to be struck and within easy reach has to be inviting trouble – certainly if you forget that is where you have parked your own car and have a tendency to bring the bottom hand through strongly when lofting the ball in the direction of Micky Meadow. I wonder where Mr Bliss senior will be parking when he next plays at Theale after his destruction of his own windscreen?

Back to the match, wickets were being taken but Mortimer were closing in on the total. At the start of the final over three runs were needed with two wickets in hand. Obviously forgetting what had happened at Marlow Park Os entrusted the final over to yours truly. A single was taken off the first ball followed by a dot, the third ball brought about the ninth wicket to leave two needed off three balls with one wicket in hand. Fourth ball – dot. Fifth ball – Chinese cut between the ‘keeper and off stump down to a very fine leg with the batsman only just getting back for the second to secure victory for Mortimer.

A very enjoyable game of cricket but can we thrash someone soon please – I’d enjoy that even more.