Good session by Prasad Jadhav, the new MIMCC allrounder
Mynydd Isa & Maeshafn CC 1sts 127 all out, Denbigh 2nds 131 for 9
Despite some threatening rain after last week’s cancellation, the pitch inspection showed a dry track and we got busy setting up our first home game for several months. New boundary rope delivered with trolley – thanks Jonty – a veneer of professionalism had crept into our community enthusiasm. Having unravelled and travelled Siv intervened with the rope gang in the last 20 metres – and showed why a career in management is not for him! Anyway all sorted and help from all as always.
We had 12 elite athletes ready for the off, but Comrade Secretary was suffering from post-Covid wobbles. Fordy reported a dodgy bread incident and tinges of green. Skip nursing a tendon injury. Would we finish the game with 11?
The track looked flat, but so often can be variable. However having won the toss the skipper put his faith in the groundcrew and decided to bat. Apples & Siv to open. Two medium pacers to face, but the bounce was variable from the start, making it very difficult to know what to go forward and back to.
Byes, a few runs, but plenty of dot balls. At the end of the 4th over, Siv tried to cut one but chopped on as it didn’t rise enough. 12-1 and Siv on 6. Next out Abs.
Abs dotted away, while Apples started to pick a few bad balls and got 3 boundaries in one over. But just as he started to look set, he chopped on as well. 30-2 in the 7th. Apples on 16.
Next out Will. Dot – an single to the other end and in the next over he chopped on as well. 31-3.
Tom to replace Will and with Abs they patiently tried to deal with some accurate and varied bowling. After 10 overs we were on 40. Abs tried to get a few going, got dropped, Tom cracked a few fours after playing himself in, but in the 15th, only on 53 Tom clipped one to fine leg and looping over the fielder he looked safe, only for the fielder running back to grab as it passed him at waist height. Good catch.
Matt joined and looked comfortable getting quick singles from the off. A boundary but then got bogged down in some accurate bowling with that variable bounce. Matt stretched his playing partner 2.0 running a 3, which the supportive crown enjoyed. A few balls later Abs hit one to a remote corner of the field for a 2, but thought tactically to avoid the third. A couple of balls later, Abs trapped lbw by Eccles, who had a mop and bucket at the stumps – and not just for Fordy. 83-5.
Manish was out there and soon got off the mark. Before long though Matt was out, caught at slip to a sharp catch. 18 runs and 95-6. Manish looked solid and Prasad joined him. A single and then next over Prasad threw off the relaxed man about town air and launched a six. Two balls later a four. Then another. In his 10 ball innings Prasad scored 19 before getting bowled by Eccles with a yorker. T20 obviously rubbing off somewhere!
Jonty in next, but after hitting a 4 first ball the excitement, decided it was all too much and retired. Long Covid to be fair seems to be pretty debilitating and must feature across many squads in our league. Venkat made a cameo appearance with the shades glued on, two runs a few dots and then caught. Skip out last, but soon Manish and then Jonty on his return bowled to very full balls.
127 all out. Not sure if it would be enough.
Gray came over to support – or was it to avoid a house full of screaming grandchildren – and Tom and Matt opened the bowling. Apples returned to glove duty after a fantastic game from the skipper at Eaton Hall, but as it was a friendly doesn’t warrant a glowing write up.
Tom looked very lively. Matt needed a bit of warming up. At the start of his second Tom bowled their opener with a beauty cutting in to take the top of off. 12-1. Matt and Tom continued to squeeze, giving very little away with some sharp fielding and the pressure worked, with their No.3 tamely spooning back to Matt for a c&b in the 6th over. 17-2. Eccles looked dangerous though and was picking up anything loose, so that by the 10th they were on 56.
At 11 Prasad came on and started with a maiden. Venkat at the other end. Third ball he bowled their No.4 who had shown he was impatient to get on and had a swipe. 58-3. The variable bounce didn’t seem to be so evident by now as Denbigh were picking some clean shots when they could. Prasad looked a dangerous as ever, and after 2 maidens in his third picked up a wicket, bowling their number 5 for 3 runs. 71-4 in the 15th. Denbigh’s run rate was better than ours by about 20 runs.
At the end of the 18th over Venkat struck again with their No.6 caught for 4. 78-5.
Venkat though was seeing a few opportunities put down. After Jonty retired from the field as one ball travelling to his boundary at square leg seemed to induce psychedelic nausea, Fordy gamely put on some whites. Much as the pendulum saved many possible runs, an easy pouch at fine leg to get the dangerman Eccles was spilled. Next ball Tom at mid-off had a carry to just in front of his feet, but again just not to be. Abs was a wall at short mid-on-off as ever.
Siv in the field had a couple of howitzers which he mis-judged. Any of these might have curtailed a run rate which their No.7 was now putting on with Eccles.
At 20 Manish came on with Prasad at the other end. Manish dusted off the cobwebs and looked a useful addition to the bowling options, but with runs still flowing, after 24 Venkat returned. Next over Venkat got a superb c&b grabbing a hard low shot to his feet. 115-6.
Prasad bowled Eccles for 42 in his second last over and it was 115-8!
Things were getting close and everyone was on their toes.
After Prasad finished his full 9 with two maidens, Tom came back on with Venkat continuing.
In Tom’s first over back a superb pick up from Matt saw a run out at the bowlers end, but 118-9. 12 runs in it for the last wicket.
Despite all our efforts, through a bit of brave batting, extras and bad luck, Denbigh squeezed over the line with a wicket to spare.
A good game, closely fought in a fair and friendly spirit, we wish Denbigh well. 4 points for us but so nearly more. Again, we showed the depth of experience we have as a squad and thanks to all for ground prep.