Happy & Glorious
Scorecard – https://mynyddisamaeshafn.play-cricket.com/website/results/5091182
With the ECB directing that games could go ahead this weekend after the death of the Queen, there remained concern that the pitch could be too wet for play after a look on Friday from our heckler in chief.
An early look on Saturday confirmed it was playable and Tom & I took the time to set up everything for the game. Bethesda arrived by 12, not quite as ambitious as last year and we were all in by 12.30.
We all gathered on the square for a minute’s silence and well observed by all.
We lost the toss and were put into bat. Knowing how our wicket plays I would have done the same to them too.
Apples and Siv opened. No pacy left armer sledger today from Bethesda, but Johnny Maloney an ex-1st teamer. After a leg bye, Siv faces the third ball and plays across the line to be given out plum lbw. 1-1. A rare golden for our batsman of the year. Many of you have commented that Apples & Siv as openers are like conjoined twins – where one goes the other has to follow – so sure enough, next over after a nice boundary Apples forgets the delay in the pitch and spoons one up to cover to be caught by Byrom their skipper. 5-2.
The pitch was very variable – very variable bounce, sticky deliveries and accurate bowling. In at the crease were Abs 3.2 and Matt. A dotathon began between them, so that after 10 overs we were only on 20 runs. It was patient and mature batting. After 12 overs with the score on 25, the bowlers changed.
Runs started to flow more, more boundaries by the over including a magnificent six from Matt. Abs too picking our bad balls, but Matt was motoring on so that by drinks we were on 81. There had been another bowling change though with S Patil’s left arm spin coming on and the accuracy (and turn) saw runs dry up. At drinks the skipper agreed with the batsmen to keep playing their game. Mentioning that he was on 46 and to just get through that though seemed to affect Matt’s mind-set as he went out after drinks trying to leather everything! Result – bowled by one that turned after a big heave. 81-3 though and a great partnership and steadying innings.
Tom to the crease and he started to get stuck into the runs after a short time. Abs meanwhile was caught four overs later in the 25th. 26 runs and again a steadying display and valuable runs.
Sanath next – a man reaching legendary status in the Bethesda psyche – out to see if he could have another blast this year. But with great status comes great expectations and Sanath heaved at everything. Comedic at times, with so much energy that he pirouetted 360 degrees, some he spun off and stumbled to the ground. If he had connected with half of them he would have seen us out of sight and Mold would have built up a good collection of cricket balls. But still he got a few boundaries, one superb six and eventually in the 38th over caught for 26.
While Sanath had been in the spotlight, Tom had been cracking on with a workmanlike innings with a much better strike rate. Anything loose was seen away, including a six of his own. Even with the return of the opening bowlers, he kept pushing. His 50 came in the 32nd over.
When Sanath was caught the score was 173-5. In came Will, 1.6.2 is his scorecard. Tom at the other end heaved at one in the last over and was caught in the deep. 73 runs and a classy innings well deserved.
Skip joined for the last 3, but didn’t face a ball to keep the ducky doodah off his card.
Tea and we were really pleased at how we had recovered from 5-2. The pitch was drying out but it wouldn’t be a pushover for Bethesda.
Tom and Matt opened our bowling account. LIke us Bethesda made a slow start, getting to 23 after 10. No maidens or wickets, but a disciplined performance from both of them.
On came Prasad and Venkat. In his second over Prasad struck with the score on 32, bowling their number 1. Then some great economy from them both. With the final ball before drinks Venkat got a wicket, with a leading edge over the solid wall at silly mid off that is Abs, for Abs to turn and pouch it on the run. Another Vabs combo and saw them at drinks on 56, 25 behind us on RR.
It must be said that Abs 3.2 was solid, snaffling everything that came his way and he has made that fielding position his own. Fielding in general was pretty tight at this point; Apples making some great stops; Akash at square or short fine leg making some great stops and Tom nearly pulling off some fantastic catches.
After drinks on came Siv and Sanath. Siv for his two overs got a bit loose at the end and with a few fielding blunders wasn’t having a great day at the office. But given his injury after keeping (so, so well) last week, his mobility quite understandable.
Sanath started to find his groove with the ball and ended up doing 6 overs, with Prasad coming back on the join him in the 25th over. Prasad struck in his eighth over getting their opener Baldero bowled with a screamer, just 4 runs short of his fifty. And again that over he struck bowling their number 5 for 5 runs. 100-3 became 106 -4.
Sanath in his fifth saw some controversy, when Byrom their skipper, on his first ball there was a audible snick and what Apples saw as a faint inside edged which he went on to take, but umpires and bat claimed to be unsure. We charitably moved on, but many sides would not have done.
Byrom then began a significant innings and in his 37 balls scored 32 runs. He was the biggest threat to our match position, as when he came in on the 31st over, Bethesda were on 111.
A few more fielding mistakes crept into our performance in the last 10. I definitely jibbed a potential catching chance at cow, Matt dropped a couple of easy-ish ones and Tom too inexplicably let one through. But even as the run rate improved, by the 39th over they were on 160. Some tidy bowling from Tom to see out his nine overs and Venkat at the other end meant they finished on 167-5.
We get 13 points and a welcome return to a win over Bethesda.
Stats wise a majestic innings from Tom, with Matt, Abs and Sanath playing a great supporting role. For Matt yest another 46 and as that the end of his season he’s been on great form in recent games, so surely will look to improve next year.
Bowling-wise, Only Prasad (9-0-38-4) and Venkat (9-0-44-1) in the wickets today, but Tom (9-0-34-0), Matt (5-0-9-0) Santh (6-0-22-6) and Siv (2-0-12-0) all contained really well and it was a disciplined effort as a unit to ensure we had no nail biter at the end.
Many thanks to Bethesda – it was a good game and played in a respectful and friendly spirit and we will both end up finishing this season mid-table, which as newly promoted sides is a good result.
Thanks for the post-match tidy away to all and one game left…..