Saturday 6 August 2011

2011 - Game 13 - Sat 30/07 - KSCC 1s v Middlezoy

No big intro this week....I just blew it all writing the hunk of text below this one.  Suffice to say, the chase for the number 1 spot in SCL Div 2 seemed as unlikely to the KSCC first team a couple of months ago as England reaching number one in the Test arena (ever)....but here we are with those possibilities there to be seized by each team.  I have to admit though, I might be a wee bit happier if we are able to keep the charge on and make top spot by season’s end.  I might be thinking about a British passport but I have my soul to consider.
After copping a fair hiding at Middlezoy earlier in the year, it was a KSCC team that was hungry for revenge.  Middlezoy specialist Raymond Rose was selected for a rare first team appearance and was immediately named at his mythical No 3 spot mid week.  Then, on the day, the heart of the Middlezoy team turned up with horrific hangovers in what can only be described as the most ill advised big game preparation since Glenn McGrath stepped on a land mine at The Oval in 2005 during a special John Buchanan live firing session designed to instil in the team the true Anzac spirit.
The ground was very wet, with the remains of the morning drizzle having nowhere to go under warm and humid conditions, not a breath of wind and high clouds above.  Middlezoy won the toss and elected to bowl while the going looked good.
Last year, Your Brave Leader (TM) proved, in a well (self) documented season, that he was a big game player.  This year, he has confounded his fans by being in form more typical of his wider career, and he swung loosely at a very wide and very bad ball to be caught behind off the under-edge for a sensational 0.  This brought the enigma that is Rayzzo to the crease a little earlier than expected, but his surprise was immediately transformed into runs.  He clipped, punched and hoiked the ball to all corners, being severely robbed of runs by the heavy outfield as he and the invisible man, Ballistic Tomlinson, made a solid start.  Mark was running hard between the stumps with his only reward being a lean on his bat at the non-strikers end.   Ray finally missed one in the 10th over, but it was an entertaining and fruitful cameo of 28.  Sammy G has been the find of the season with the bat and he looked assured from the get-go.  He even let Ballistic face the odd ball or two, allowing him to show that his trademark pull and cover drive were still there waiting to be used if he got on strike.  The Twin Towers eased their way through the Middlezoy bowling attack, keeping out Nemesis Barnard the whole while and maintaining a steady 4 an over to provide a good platform for the final overs.  Sammy G eased a laconic six down to backward square leg to kick off the acceleration.  Unfortunately, Sammy G passed 50 and then became Peacocks first victim, attempting to play a twenty20 scoop through vacant fine leg and losing his leg stump.  It had been an assured and impressive partnership of 113 to leave the score on 151/3 in the 34th over.  This sparked a typical KSCC collapse, unique in that you never know where in the order they will occur.  Ballistic mistimed a shot for a composed and invaluable 43 only 6 runs later and, before the score had reached 160, Jon Rowe and Ben Chant were back in the hutch having been bowled by balls that kept low and jagged off the pitch, the result of a ball that had developed a high but soft seam in the wet outfield in the early innings.  Duncan Burles fell not long after to the same trick and suddenly Peacock had 5 wickets and all momentum had vanished from the KSCC innings.  The Fabulous Barton brothers tried to get things moving and were successful for a couple of overs, however Tommy B holed out, to be replaced by Spence in the line with hardly a missed beat.  He and an aggressive looking Freddie kept the score moving until The Golden Boy was stumped in the last over looking for runs, bringing an unimpressed Snooky to the crease for the final ball to skilfully sneak a leg bye.  Once again, KSCC failed to capitalise on a good partnership and made a solid if slightly under-par 210/9.
Tea was delightful and both teams emerged onto a quickly drying cricket field to be greeted by sunshine for the first time all day.  Luckily, the ball was still swinging as El Capitan surprised himself, the bowlers, fielders, batsmen and the cows in the next field that form the core of our regular spectators by swapping The Strangler and Tommy B’s ends.  The payoff in the conditions was immediate.  The Strangler found immense swing coming down the hill and Tommy B found movement off the pitch coming up it.  The first reward was the big wicket of Troman, Tommy B slicing straight through his defence to clean up off stump.  Snooky followed not long after, banana-ing a ball through the left handed Warren.  Middlezoy were struggling for runs and, when Tommy B punched through the pinch hitter Snell they had lost 3 wickets and were travelling at less than 2 an over after 14.  The Strangler was back in business, keeping things tight, and then El Capitan and Biffer Burles bowled short spells keeping things under control.  The next spark was Livewire Benny, who bowled with such variation in quality that it could have made a liquorice all-sort 20 stories high.  The boy does not, however, lack for effort when coming into the crease and in the bunch were two beauties, first to remove an injured Laceys off stump and then to have the dangerous Harry Roberts caught from a mistimed drive.  What was impressive was that, in his 4 overs, he had also only gone for 6 runs including a stock Livewire Beamer.  He was very unlucky to be taken off as his skipper was doing overs maths in his head, to be replaced with the returning Tommy B at the same time as The Destroyer started wheeling away from the top end.  This saw Middlezoy consolidate with a partnership between the lusty striking Musgrave and a Nemesis Barnard that was looking to control the innings.  The two started to work Middlezoy back into the game, The Golden Boy once again coming in for some punishment from Musgrave as the big lad looked to hoik him over leg with some success.   The Destroyer proved the difference, taking a caught and bowled that may leave him with permanent disfigurement in the wrist if it could be spotted amongst the already pre-existing permanent disfigurement in his wrist, in removing the dangerous Musgrave for 52.  Barnard was now looking to shut up shop and minimise damage with the tail exposed, the run chase all but given up.  Spence had his second victim from a tremendous outfield catch.  Clapp slog swept Spence out towards the boundary at midwicket when Sammy G completely misjudged it in the fading light and ended up taking a very casual looking one handed catch high above and behind him as he backpedalled at the last minute.  KSCC managed to manoeuvre Nemesis away from the strike for the last over, with Tommy B having the ball in his hand in dark conditions.  Middlezoy were made to pay for their slow over rate earlier in the day as Tommy B blasted his way through 9,10,11 in an exciting last over to securing a 5-wicket haul and full points for Kilmington and Stourton.  Middlezoy were all out for 152.
With the win, KSCC pulled themselves to within 9 championship points of a faltering Middlezoy and also provided some mild disappointment to the chasing pair of Castle Cary and North Newton.  KSCC still have some big games to play, with the next against North Newton, and it will be up to us to make sure we keep the pressure on Middlezoy and don’t let the other 2 into the chase in the last month of the season.   

Batting:
                S Gillatt                 54
                M Tomlinson         43
                R Rose                  28
                F Barton                23

Bowling:                               o             m            r              w
                T Barton               12           1            40           5
                B Chant                4             1            6              2
                S Churchill            6              -            23           2
                S Snook               12            -            24           1
                

2 comments:

  1. I didnt miss one in the 10th over it was an inswinger inside edged on to the stumps
    Ray

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  2. Accuracy degrades severely the later after the game I write the report. However, a quick check of my constitution for HCI shows that accuracy comes in as point 67...well..it actually says axracy so I was obviously losing interest by that point.

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