05/06/2023
Denbigh 2nds 212/7 (40)
MIMCC 73ao (18.3)
Denbigh win by 139 runs.
Score Card here: https://mynyddisamaeshafn.play-cricket.com/website/results/5711015
Cricket. There are some days when it’s glorious, marvellous, god’s gift to humanity. And there are some days when it’s s**t. Sadly, at the Argoed on Saturday, it was the latter as Denbigh kerb-stomped MIMCC for a 15-0 win.
It had all started so promisingly as Head Groundsman Applewhite and Assistant Junior YTS Scheme Groundsman Fagan led a team of willing volunteers through a meticulous ground preparation. A strip was mowed and rolled, lines painted, a rope (mostly) unwound, tables and chairs set up, scoreboard erected, and only one stump marker broken by overenthusiastic hammering. But then, perhaps in an omen of things to come, there was an unanticipated interface between boundary rope and John Deere mower, the net result of which was that one rope suddenly became many. Fortunately, MIMCC is a supportive and nurturing environment, so the driver (who shall remain nameless) was not subjected to derision and ribaldry from his teammates. But safe to say the L-plates won’t be coming off for a while….
After that, things started to go downhill. The skipper lost his second toss on the bounce and MIMCC were invited to have a bowl in the heat. Denbigh are always a strong batting unit, and on a surprisingly demon-less Argoed pitch, their batters started to make hay. Wickets did fall at a steady rate, but the run rate remained consistently around 5 per over for the course of the innings and they finished on a very good total of 212/7 with their opener carrying his bat for 87. Wickets were shared around amongst Umang (1-32), Prasad (1-42), Venkat (3-33), Euan (1-24), and Jonty (1-34).
Special mention should also go to Yash, who deserved a wicket for tearing in for 8 overs straight in the heat. Catches were taken by Yash, Venkat (off his own bowling), Umang, and yours truly, who had to avoid an errant bat that the Denbigh batsman rather unsportingly launched his way alongside the ball. Much to the club chairman’s dismay, Apples also took a catch behind the stumps off the last ball of the innings. Not necessarily because it eats into his lead in the club’s all-time wicketkeeping stats, but because it gave Jonty a wicket…
At tea, the cup final was level, and there was hope that, although a massive target to chase down, we might be able to get something from the game on a pitch that was still playing pretty true. However Ilkay Gundogan and Denbigh’s bowlers had other ideas, and within about an hour, matters had taken a significant turn for the worse. The oil-rich arrivistes had completed the second leg of their (sadly now inevitable) treble, and Denbigh’s bowlers had ripped through our batting line up to leave us 73ao. Only Yash and Umang made it into double figures, and Apples, Siv, Matt, Prasad, and Euan all acquainted themselves with the local waterfowl.
All that was left was to put the ground to bed (next home game isn’t til 8 July) and head home early. Thankfully no more ropes were damaged in the process.
Onwards and upwards to better things against Bethesda away next week. I write this from Bielsko-Biala in the south of Poland, and shan’t be back to join you unfortunately. But I leave matters on the pitch and in this esteemed publication in the capable hands of Vice Captain Applewhite (sponsored by Applewhite Business Consultancy, for all your business consultancy needs). I look forward to reading reports of a glorious victory.
Venkat. It was Venkat who drove over the rope. [Editor’s note – not sure the skipper meant to add this and mention Venkat’s name lots of times. Personally I think it very unfair to remind everyone, particularly as it is a permanent record and may come up again in the end of season annual awards].