Skipper goes Old School with the Mynydd Isa & Maeshafn CC Match Report – 13th August 2022
Full stats (MIMCC 99 all out, Brymbo 103 for 0)
https://mynyddisamaeshafn.play-cricket.com/website/results/5091183
SOME LIKE IT HOT
Those of us trying to get away from the high-octane massacre from Pont last week, found ourselves in the baking Floridanesque sunshine of a home fixture against Brymbo. No easy molls Brymbo and with no Wrexham play-off’s to deplete their numbers, we expected a stern test.
Lots to set up before the game, the new rope dual-helix ferris wheel seems like a level of the Krypton factor in its own right (as a test for some of the finest minds medicine can deploy, the post-match rope dope of the season award already has some strong contenders), gazebo’s etc. Euan says he’s been down several times this week and its great to see such a young lad so keen to help out.
We had a full eleven and having lost the toss, I appreciated the very sporting gesture from Ross the Brmybo skipper to put us into bat. Surely the advantage of weekly match reports is that sometimes we can help telegraph the right calls with no risk to either side…
Abs & skip opened for MIMCC and like a couple of new band musicians, tried not to hit any bum notes. Shareef and Smith opened for Brymbo, Smith’s away swingers a real handful – on our temperamental track as well. Some cautious two’s and a gentle single for Abs.
Skip – somewhat restricted in running for anything – launched an off drive just over the head of mid-off. Another boundary but then had another heave and skied an edge to short cover. 18-1 in the 7th. Who’s done the scorebook? – definitely Smith who took 1st wicket and not Shareef – which leads me to comment upon the supporting cast who turned up soon after the start. Fordy pitched in and helpful as ever. Gray turned up soon after and here’s a picture of them enjoying the game:
Pete Ford – Osgood (not) Fielding III on the left. Gray “The things I do to get out of parties” Houghton on the right.
Mr Fagan – playing the “I’ve had Covid and am as weak as a kitten” routine, promptly sat and scored. Soon afterwards Jonty “Sugar” Fagan snuck in a can of Heineken zero to the disgust of his team mates and errors creep into the score book very soon after….
A recent picture of Sugar debilitated by Heineken zero – running wild and out of control….
Jit out to join Abs, but two balls later – toppled by an in-swinging yorker and just too good. Will next – carefully tries to play himself in. He played himself in. Got a single, then a four. Then got himself caught trying to pull an outswinger that edged to slip. 24-3 at the end of the 9th over.
No body’s perfect
Tom resumed with Abs. Very patient – almost Fordy-like – but with a mere single on his account – lights up with a slow leggy ball and launches a sky-rocket – only to pick out the man at deep backward square. 32-4.
Yes – we had to double take as well…..
Rahul next – patiently builds again, and plays some lovely attacking shots after a bit, boundaries and Abs starts to loosen up as well.
But their spinner Pugh (disconcertingly called Pughy as we weren’t used to that term being associated with wickets) was joined by the skipper Ross.
Abs had dug in well – but eventually tried to pull a straight quicker one and was bowled. 20 runs and top scorer at that point.
Leighton – looking shaky at first, supported Rahul with some quick singles to start the scoreboard ticking over. Rahul kept pushing in a game effort to get the score moving – but danced down to the real Pughy and wide of the line, got stumped for 16. 56-6.
Prasad in – a few balls in and he launches a boundary – and baring a few mistimed shots, keeps going.
Could be fun to watch this….
But a quick fire 21 is the limit for Prasad today, caught before he could do too much damage. A good cameo knock though and an increasing feature of his repertoire.
Venkat starts off well, gets to 8, but caught after 6 balls. Leighton then caught on 14 after some enthusiastic well placed drop shots and a boundary. Manish and Euan out as the last pair
Things going backwards as we fail to break through the Brymbo openers.
Tom keeps wicket as we opt for spin from the start. Prasad and Venkat generally really tight, but not enough to stop us being 20 after four overs, 55 after 10. Rahul on with some accurate bowling, Jit, Euan and back to Prasad, but nothing is working. Will decided to belly flop over the boundary chasing down to long on. Jit felt the need to step over a few on the way to the boundary. An edge right at the end may have helped, but we were a wicket light anyway.
Brymbo turn up and spoil the party. They get to 103 without loss.
Apples hears that Tom has worn the gloves…
A roasting. Thanks everyone and all the support around set up and pack away a great testament to the team spirit. But a nil pointer. Sobering stuff. Pass me a Heineken zero….