Skipper’s match report re our game on Saturday – Andy Meakin is now the 2nd skipper to win away at Bethesda in the history of MIMCC!
Link to playcricket result here: https://mynyddisamaeshafn.play-cricket.com/website/results/4801246
Bethesda v MIMCC
As we gathered at Bethesda CC, clouds covered the mountains of a beautiful setting but with a reputation of a bit of a cauldron. I say gathered but Fordy and Gray had started setting up camp the other side of the pavilion and pretty much had the awnings up and gingham picnic blankets out before they were told to man up and get over!
The track looked even and firm – we won the toss and decided to bat.
Apples & Siv faced some lively swing bowling – Siv falling for 2 after 8 balls. Abs saw a few more and got a nice 4, but was out for 5, followed by Will bowled by a beauty in just 2 balls. At this point there were some furrowed brows on the benches and we feared a sharp come down after the last few weeks. We were 39-3.
But we are not a team for nothing and the remaining order managed to steady the ship in the wake of Apples, who yet again showed great form, picking off bad deliveries to post a top score of 61 off 48. Cometh the hour cometh Tom Hall who posted 10 – below par for Tom who was bowled by an outrageous bit of seam at 86-4, but kept Apples’ legs busy to pull us toward three figures .
Skip posted 30 thanks to some loose deliveries before being skittled by a beamer on the first ball of the opener’s second spell. This was the start of a pattern – more later….
Jit as a newcomer to MIMCC confidently added 11 with a few arial shots, before one too many went to their skipper at mid-wicket.
Jonty hustled a quick 16 from 22 balls before Apples decided he was plumb lbw (Pughy said it was obvious from where he was sitting on the boundary). Given Jonty antagonised the opposition by smuggling a no ball call into one of Apples’ boundaries, this was so called friendly umpires revenge. Fordy completely forgot himself and in his meltdown hit 20 from 31 deliveries and remained not out.
Gray didn’t trouble Pughy’s pencil too much this time out, but with Pughy adding a single saw us post 175 after the full 40 overs. Near the end of the innings the roar from the bar (Wales had equalised) threatened to disrupt play – god knows what will happen if they ever win a game….
The clouds started to disappear after tea and Tom and Jonty opened the bowling. With Tom our only quick, the lack of seam in the squad was on all of our minds. Tom’s opening spell of 5 overs was well controlled and deserved more – for his full 8 overs his 29-1 included an impetuous 11 in his last over from a kid who threw the bat and got lucky. As Tom said to me at the time – we seemed to benefit from the law of firsts – first change bowlers getting wickets and many of them on the first balls of overs.
Despite the pressure of opening the bowling Jonty didn’t disappoint either. Pughy had engineered a selection for the game just to witness the superb form highlighted in last week’s match report – he had a fine view behind the stumps.
Both Tom and Jonty’s first spell was fruitless, but the Jaffa was to come with the first change. Fordy got the first wicket, bowled on his first ball. 43-1. Again in his 5 overs Fordy crashed through their order – with a stumping as the batsman eyed up some slogging practice only to witness the Fordy dangle – and I’m not talking Mint tingle here, but when the ball dies just before the bat and pops through to Pughy’s flippers.
Skip took over from Will, who’s bowling resurrection has not quite taken hold yet and got a wicket first ball (c&b the other opener). Siv replaced Fordy (5-18-3) and Abs replaced Skip (5-15-1). Jonty pointed out that our 10 overs probably helped frustrate Bethesda and create the pressure that saw Bethesda take more risks. But Siv and Abs both bowled well keeping the run rate down (38 from their 10 overs) to keep the game alive. But at 131 for 6 the game was still finely poised with 8 to go.
Back came Tom and Jonty to close out the game. Both bowled well but Jonty got the spoils. Tom got the kid with a sense of humour failure. Jonty’s 4 wickets were all bowled so Pughy had a ringside seat and must have carried a warm glow of respect all the way home with him. Another stumping for Pughy saw this apprentice wickie move up in Apples’ estimation.
We ended with Bethesda all out on 147 and a great win again through all the team pulling together and doing their bit. By now there was blue sky and bright sun – the gods had indeed shined.