Stand-In Captain Applewhite’s report on the Abergele 2nds v Mynydd Isa & Maeshafn 1sts match on 2nd July 2022, sponsored by Applewhite Business Consultancy for all your business consultancy needs. So much better than the usual tosh.
Tales of the Unexpected, by Stuart Applewhite
With ice pack firmly applied to the latest injury, I bring you a tale of unlikely heroism, of overcoming expectations and of victory against all the odds. Strap yourselves in, and warning, some of the content below pushes the boundaries of believability. You had to be there to believe it but I promise, it really happened.
In theory, Abergele was a game we should’ve had high hopes in but as we could only scrape together 9 players, including non-regulars Sean and Aled (although Sean should perhaps be considered a regular this season!) and a half fit Tom, plus missing some key bowlers and the leadership of Emperor Meakin, we arrived with limited expectations.
Stand-in skipper had foolishly told the opposing skipper of our short handedness, so a sigh of relief was audible as the toss was won and we elected to bat. The usual top 5 batters were all present and correct so we began with Apples and Siva. A juicy leg side full toss first ball dispatched for 4 and we’re off and running but progress was slow with both opening bowlers doing well on a pitch that made Mynydd Isa look like Lords…uneven bounce at both ends.
A moment of controversy in the 4th over as Apples take a wild swing at a legside delivery, misses (obvs) and the ball hits something and is pouched by the diving keeper. Abergele celebrate, Apples is confused as genuinely has no idea what the ball hit (certainly wasn’t bat). Umpire Prasad is unmoved and it takes umpire Fagan to step in and confirm the ball hit the pad. In the 6th over, Siv, who has struggled to get going went for a 15 ball 1, given lbw by the earmuff-less Prasad and we’re on 17-1.
In comes Abs and hits a few streaky edges and a couple of nice boundaries as the pair add 30 for the 2nd wicket before a rather bizarre dismissal being bowled by one of the opposition skipper’s loopers. Umpire Fagan and non-striker Apples thought the ball had hit the keeper before hitting the stumps but square leg Prasad confirmed it was clean bowled. Out for 12.
Apples and Will saw us through to drinks on a bang average 53 for 2. The scoring rate picked up after drinks but Will fell in the 24th for 12 to one that cut back in. Apples was halfway down the track shouting for a single before realising the ball had hit the stumps. Really shouldn’t be allowed to umpire as clearly has no idea what is going on 22 yards away.
Half fit Tom enters the fray but in the 27th over, he loses not one but two partners. First Apples, in a rather predictable way, misses a straight one trying to heave it into the leg side for 37 and depending on your interpretation of the laws Jonty followed first or second ball later for a golden/not golden (delete as appropriate) quacker. First ball was a wide for those puzzled.
It was actually Aled (who arrived looking like Don Johnson – super slim, sports car, fresh from 6 months in California) who was due in next but as he was still trying to squeeze into his daughters trainers – without success – and wasn’t ready, it was Prasad who strolled in next.
Now, from the introduction to this story, you might be asking where these feats of unexpectedness are, there’s been nothing of particular note so far after all? Well, here comes the first. For those that have seen Prasad bat before, you’ll know he normally comes in 10 or 11, dots a few and then gets out. In fact, a glance at the stats shows a record of 16 runs from 7 previous knocks, with a high score of 11 and 3 ducks. After facing 16 balls today, he had managed just the 1 run so there was definitely no sign of what was about to unfold.
After that, the shackles came off, a new, flamboyant version of Prasad came to the fore….smashes down the ground, reverse sweeps, pull shots…the lot. It was like watching Viv Richards in his pomp! Tom, at the other end, was batting beautifully and by the time we reached the tea interval, the pair had added about 80 in 13 overs to take us a very defendable 161 on what was a very tricky wicket to bat on. Tom finished on 44 and Prasad on 36. Very well batted both.
Spirits were high at tea but with Tom umming and arring about whether his dodgy hammy would allow him to bowl, it left Jonty and Prasad as our only regular bowlers. Even at this early juncture, Will and Abs were starting to get twitchy.
Tom was eventually convinced to give it a go so opened, off about 4 paces. Prasad started at the other end and we started tightly. Tom picked up the first wicket in the 7th over, smart catch by Will and after 9, Gele were on 18 for 1 and the skipper decided to save Prasad for later and bring on Mr Fagan, who began with a wide in what was otherwise a tight first over.
Tom picked up his and our 2nd pinning the other opener lbw, despite being the only one to appeal – we subsequently agreed we’re not very good at collective appealing. Need to improve. Tom bowled through finishing on 2-18 from his 9.
We wanted 1 more before drinks but we got 2! First Jonathan took a caught and bowled and then part-time bowler Siv came on and nabbed his first thanks to a remarkable catch in the deep courtesy of Mr Fagan. It was the kind of catch that, let’s be honest, he would typically get well out of the way of or let it smack him in the chest. When he held on to it, he was more surprised than we were. Disappointingly though, one of our resident hecklers, Mr Houghton had been lured from pitch side by the distant smell of candy floss and missed it. He still refuses to believe it happened. It did, it really did. Worth noting, the other heckler was sat nursing his gouty foot. Encouraging shouts on ‘on your toes lads!’ took on a more humorous meaning!
53 for 4 at drinks….we were well into their middle order, they were behind the rate but we still bear the scars of Ruthin earlier in the season where defeat was snatched from the jaws of victory so we were taking nothing for granted.
Two more wickets soon after drinks, one each for Jonty and Siva, both bowled and we were well in control. Jonty, remarkably, finished on 2-30 from his 9 and Prasad was back on, picking up their stubborn no. 3 for 33 in his second over back, smartly caught behind by keeper Apples (who by this point, had pulled a groin chasing a ball, having agreed to do Tom’s running to save his dodgy hamstring…ah, the irony!).
In terms of unexpected things that grabbed the headlines today, after Prasad’s fireworks with the bat, perhaps next most remarkable was Siv’s bowling, he finished with 4 for 28 and the 3rd was a carbon copy of his 1st, hit into the deep towards a startled looking Mr Fagan. Surely he couldn’t catch another one? He could you know…he really could. Somewhere on a golf course in Padeswood, someone missed an easy putt just at that exact moment, a disturbance in the force no doubt. Eyebrows raised…
So, the mathematicians amongst you will notice that you need more than 4 bowlers to get though 40 overs and the stand in skipper had employed a risky strategy of bowling out the first four, in the hope of taking all required wickets. We’re now in the 35th over and still require two more poles. Abs and Will were now sweating profusely, screaming encouragement to the bowlers between every ball. Siv got his 4th in the 35th, bowled and then much to the delight of the aforementioned Webster and Dey, Prasad cleaned things up with the 5 ball of the next over.
Game over, 13 points and a great win on the road without the full compliment of players. Prasad’s batting, Siva’s bowling and Jonathan’s catches the unexpected highlights but special mention to Sean who prowled around mid wicket like a middle aged Jonty Rhodes and Aled who, despite attempting to throw the ball at the keeper’s helmet, fielded admirably in his boat shoes. Excellent team performance in difficult circumstances, well done all.