Travelling to today’s game against Ruthin for many of us meant a lazy drive across winding mountainous roads, Matt Monroe’s “On Days like these” playing with the wind tugging at the imagined Lamborghini Miura under clear blue skies.
As we arrived at the club though, we metaphorically were met by a bulldozer and mafioso scattered around the hill tops.
For Ruthin – much as they have already conceded 6 games this season – had dipped into the player loan scheme and it seemed Corwen had met the call. The clear message – no trade for you here and we mean business.
The toss won we decided to bat, with a few late stragglers stuck behind some 1960’s sports cars that had gone off the road. We knew Matt & Rahul would be later still, but if we held out, we should be safe. Glad too of a couple of new faces to help us out – more on them later.
Apples and Tom opened our batting account. Opening the bowling was Natale Fortunato. Quick as anyone we’ve seen this season and molto braggadocio. D. Threlfall at the other end was a more regular face and Tom and Apples picked off a few boundaries and singles. Three overs in Natale had conceded one run and in his view already had several chances cruelly denied. But it was Threlfall who after one boundary from Tom had him caught behind for 9. 18-1 after 5.
Skip – who from his squeaky “Come on Toms” alone could be called Mr Croaker, faced a ball before finding himself on the end of a Fortunato rocket and back to the pavilion he went to count his growing collection of Anatras (quack! insert picture of a giant duck here).
19-2. Will in next. Again, finding Natale a handful, he got a boundary and then got bowled by a slower ball that just died a little and through to the stumps. Whooping, blood lust and we were 29-3 and starting to look like the Mafia had done us over.
Back in the pavilion – Tom, skip, Jonty and Prasad (who’s gone a bit off colour I admit, but you can tell its Prasad though by the multiple layers of clothing) gather for the match funeral preliminaries…
After Will, Umang joins Apples. Umang a contact Rahul put forward and these two, driver and co-driver, decide to do a number and ramp up some runs. Helped by Natale Fortunato ending his spell after 6 overs 2-8. D. Threlfall 1-32.
So, with Jones and J Threlfall taking over, Apples started to motor and Umang after a few steadying shots started to get into his stride as well. Apples did ride his luck a little it has to be said, with at least two dropped catches, but these two little beauties were on the bus.
Apples and Umang getting on…
At this point we had put out two solid umpires, Camp Fordy and Tomhall Caine out in the middle. Here’s a picture of them umpiring….
Apples faced one delivery, tried to drive but missed as the ball grounded beside it at the same time and went through to the keeper. Appeals from the more trigger happy mafioso and Fordy raises the finger! Luckily wiser heads in the field were good enough to tell Fordy to put his finger down as the ball had been well wide of the bat! Then Fordy called over after a 5 ball over, but after everyone realised, back they all came to put things right! Skip made a quick umpire swap…
By 20 overs we were on 84 without further loss. Apples gets to his 50, which goes to show how a hangover can improve your form.
Ruthino had quite a few youngsters playing and great to see. They gave many of them a chance to bowl and its good to give them match practice and confidence. On though came a maturer head in the 27th and on 128 and one run short of the 100 partnership, Umang gets bowled by Alan Owen. For his maiden appearance Umang got 34 runs and a really steady innings. Much promise there.
Next out Matt, who set about quickly to the task in hand. 8 runs after 5 balls, he started pushing Apples who was starting to think the two-dayer on it at the test match maybe wasn’t such a good idea after all…
A gratuitous picture of Matt flying along.
2 overs later we were on 146, added 18 runs, but finally Apples fell to one of the tricky grippers from Owen, playing on off his pads with the thinnest of touches. 65 and a superb steadying knock to really set up the Job.
Matt now joined by Abdullah, who sportingly helped out despite not having played for some ten years, and facing Natale who has come back on to try and force us off the road. And after a lovely flick to square and another drive, Abdullah is given lbw on 3 and Tom gets some unnecessary verbals. 158-6. Prasad next, Matt tickles away at one end, when Prasad faces one Owen delivery and the next is plumb lbw. 165-7. Afterwards he told me he wasn’t ready to face, if so we must be ready to stand well aside or pull back – as one mafioso consistently did in their innings. Calamity was starting to set back in. Matt kept on ticking over nicely, but Manish now in, who before you could blink after only one delivery was caught off an Owen delivery. 171-8. Rahul next and immediately run out over a slow-ish reaction to the call. 171-9.
Jonty last man out, Covid excuses stuffed into the extra padding and so surprised was he at our mini-collapse we had to wait for 5 minutes for him to get in gear. But a useful role he played as by now we were in the last 4 overs and by the time Matt eventually had a heave at a slow one and got out bowled, he very unseflishly was on 46 and with Jonty (5 NO) got us to 191 in the last over.
We were all pleased at how well we had recovered and 191 looked a decent total to defend. Tea, some apprehension and sure enough Natale came out to open with Ned, 13 years old and a bright future. Tom opened the bowling, 3 off the first. Rahul gets hit for 4 and a six in his first. But then our two really got a grip and after 6 they were on 20 runs. Tom came off after 4 overs and on came Prasad, with Rahul continuing as he was really on his areas now. After 10 overs they were on 40. Prasad had a catch skied to square, which Jonty got to and inexplicably just, well just missed. Double vision maybe. It started to feel like not only was the prize was getting away from us but there was no way we could pull it off from here…
By 20 overs we had brough on Jonty for a couple and Manish (who had a couple of chances dropped). 97 runs with loss they were at 20.
Soon controversy when a leading edge from Natale skied above his head, He looked like he started for a run, but stepped back and in some of our minds moved back enough to obstruct Apples from a take. Outrage, counter threats and dismissals. It escalated to an ugly threat from Natale – umpire walked off and then back on until the Nat spat went flat. There was a genuine apology after the match and we take that in good faith – but if we see Corwen next year we hope there will be no need for further apologies.
Manish by now was getting turn and lift. With the score on 107, Natale top edged over Apples, but he was able to run back and pouch the catch. No dispute and the wicket we badly needed had finally come our way. 2 overs later Manish had young Ned, caught exactly the same way. 127-2. Enrico their number 3 bat was another Mafioso and motoring along nicely. We varied the bowling, with Umang having a spell (15-0 off 3 – economical) and skip (24 off 2 -definitely not economical, in fact he brewed up his own cost of living crisis in that 2 over spell) and Abdullah (15 off his one). Prasad came back on and Abdullah had the most sublime catch, diving stretched to his left – but in an elegant fall – for a most amazing grab. 140-4. We had 51 runs left to play with. Felt like an uphill struggle
Enrico had motored along to 57 in the 33rd over with the score on 166.
But Tom back in the mix gets him with a slower ball and he is caught & bowled and opens his account. Still much to do, but then in the same over, Umang holds onto a tame spooned shot. And with the last ball of the over Tom bowls the newcomer. 166 for 4 becomes 166-6. A rare triple wicket maiden and a fantastic lift for the team.
But then more nervy times, after Prasad finishes his allowance Matt comes on for an over and through no fault of his, with lowering sunlight on the field, they get another 13. Tom though gets another wicket at the other end – Manish at square leg gets a ball drilled at him which he safely holds onto. The power of varifocals for any of us reaching that stage of our lives!
181-7 in the 36th. Ten runs in it and things are hanging in the balance!
Another over from Manish, a catch by Will and 185-8! 7 runs in it. Field in close and Manish sends a short ball down that the new bat pulls to square for a boundary. Whooping and cheers from the pavillion. Another single – 190-8.
Next over – the 39th – Tom drills some accurate missiles down and after one dot bowls their number 9. Next delivery in come Tom Davies their keeper, who gets a yorker from Tom and skittles him.
Much elation on the field. Quiter pitchside. 190 all out to win by a run. Tom gets a 6 fer (8.3-1-25-6) and the Maeshafn saviour performs another miracle. Prasad got one wicket (9-0-31-1) and Manish proved to be a rain maker today (6-0-22-3).
Great batting from Apples, Matt and Umang to boost our chances.
Ruthin generously congratulated us and in the main a very sporting encounter and nice to see some familiar faces as always. 11 valuable points though and in truth there were three jobs done at this match:
Job 19:25 – I know that my saviour lives and at the end he will stand on this earth
Job 19:20 – I have escaped by the skin of my teeth
And finally of course – the Italian Job. Well done all.