Cricket 2008

[CREDYGRECIAN]

Well the weather and holidays mean i havent played for what seems weeks and weeks now , no game on saturday either with Torquay pulling out the league , so im hoping some sunday cricket will be in order at Home to the mighty Morebath in the NDL.

 

[Jason H]

Well, we avoided "more of the same" as our Acting Skip (me!) won the t*ss and decided to bat. Jokingly I told our lads that I batted first "in order to be finished by 4" - I didn't expect them to follow my instructions to the letter!

At 41/1, with Boyza Puar and myself looking in reasonable nick, we were going OK. 10 overs later we were 59 all out. Oh dear.

We managed to gain a solitary bonus point when, with about 3 needed and one wicket down, their opener skied one to me at fly slip. So at least we avoided a complete whitewash.

For those Spitting Image fans amongst you, the oppo, all South Africans, were a bl**dy nice bunch, and helped boost our bar takings!

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

My first game for a month saw me playing at Morebath yesterday , what a strange ground !...

We lost but good to get some match practice in , i scored 14 and was caught at long on trying to get on with it....

3 wickets for 30 off my 9 overs.

Back to proper Cricket on saturday South Devon away.

 

[Jason H]

No game for our 2s on Saturday, so I turned out yesterday instead for the visit of Chiswick & Latymer's "club" XI. All I'll say is if these are the guys who couldn't get in their Sunday 1s and 2s, they are a VERY strong club!

When we saw them, with a smattering of youngsters, and that they were batting first, we thought we might have to mix the bowling up a bit to make things competitive (even talk of me bowling!). When they were 100/0 in quick time, our opinion was revised somewhat...

As if the openers putting on 141 for the first wicket wasn't bad enough, in came their number 3. The signs were ominous when his team-mates roundly booed a defensive shot off his 3rd ball. 33 balls later he had raised his bat for the 2nd time having brought up his ton as they racked up 290/2. He was particularly brutal on the occasional spin of Mike Peries, taking his 3 overs for 58. He was recorded in their book as "Harris", and I think he was quite keen for this name to remain in the book, especially when he then went for a duck!

We toiled away but with 6 overs remaining before we got the draw, Gary O'Connell's stumps were scattered and we were out for 190-odd.

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

An 11th hour call up saw me turn out for the first team on saturday v Paignton , i didnt bat or bowl and fielded for 50 overs....

but i did meet JMGull from banterbase , nice bloke.

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

Back in the 2's tomorow for the visit from Sidmouth....

Sunday in the first team for a cup game v Plymouth.

 

[Poundstretcher]

This season has been weird as anything for me... I'm playing 2s tomorrow for the second time this season, having played 3s twice and 4s once. Batted 11 for everyone except the 4s, who I made a very painful 22 for last week having barely batted for two months: I took 45 minutes to get past three...

 

[CREDYGRECIAN]

Sidmouth saw me get a cheeky 81 in quick time.....

but to earth with a bump this weekend as we where shot out for 88 at Plympton on a wet one.

 

[Jason H]

Quick update - 2s match against Norwood Exiles saw us contrive to lose. At one stage we looked to be getting about 270 only to collapse and be shot out for 205. Their opener was bleedin' useless but heaved 70-odd, and we were always chasing shadows after that.

Saturday just gone I was drafted into the 1s. Batting at 7, I came in at 44/5 in a match reduced to 42 overs per side and with Rob Mc 4 not out off about 184 balls at the other end. While he faffed around I butchered a quick 20 out of 25 before skying one. We ended up with a paltry 121/9 off our 42, which they (the West Indies aka Commonwealth/Balham) knocked off for 5, not helped by our opening bowler storming off after one (bleddy dreadful) over.

This Saturday I'm Skip of the 2s as we take on whipping boys Morden "A".

 

[Jason H]

Very proud to say ours was the only match in our league to get played - and only really because I was desperate to get the game on meaning we played in steady drizzle throughout. After all, this was our "Banker" for points in our battle against relegation. We also had perhaps our strongest side of the season to date.

Despite the conditions, we racked up 259/5 off our 45 - I was going well but hammered one straight to gully when 41. In fact, only 1 player scored 50 despite our big total (everyone bar first-baller Sunny Luthra scored at least 25).

We had them 7/3 at one stage, but proceeded to drop a number of catches off one bloke before I (keeper, opening bat, Skip - just call me Alec Stewart!) pulled off the most difficult of all of them to get rid for 48.

They were 96/5 off 27 overs (enough to constitute a result on run-rate) when the rain got heavier and we shook hands, 20 points well-earned. We remain 4th from bottom (with a couple of easier games still to go) but have pulled away from the guys at the very bottom. This Saturday we go to Addington, probably the worst of all away journeys, to take on a side near the top.