Castlethorpe v Stoneleigh, Saturday
23rd July
Stoneleigh
arrived with a number of new arrivals to their side, looking to
avenge the drubbing they received earlier in the season on their own turf.
With CCC
looking to maintain their unbeaten lead at the top of the league, skipper Nick
Bell got CCC off to a good start by winning the toss and inviting the
opposition to make first use of the green, lively looking track.
Things
looked ominous for Stoneleigh as Tango took the new ball and bowled his first
maiden of the season, then followed up his excellent start with the vital
wicket of Chapman caught at mid on by Mistry, who couldn't pull his hands
out of the way of the ball as it would have gone through his chicken like chest.
Returning from an enforced rest the previous week, Jones shared the new ball
and looked keen to prove his worth. He quickly got back in his groove and
bowled 3 maidens in his first 5 overs, leaving Stoneleigh struggling on 26 for
1 from the first 10 overs. Yawn!!
Tango's
wicket had brought ex Dunchurch comedian Beale to the stage who wowed the
fielding team with his carves over cover and razor sharp humour. Beale looked
the only batsman capable of hitting the ball off the square as his partner
Lazenby appeared too lethargic to swing the bat. Beale settled and looked to
add the punch line to Tango's bowling and so skipper Bell introduced young
Martin "Hatrick" Jones from his less favoured football ground end.
Hatrick soon had the batsmen in trouble as he found the variable bounce and
helpful swinging conditions to his liking and ended Beales stand-up and deliver
innings with a dry witted yorker.
The
following over from Jones saw near tragedy as on his follow through the
gormless git with no spikes in the back of his boots hit the deck like an
Italian international footballer. Immediately people were concerned of
his fitness for the following days cup final and Jones whimpered about hearing
a crack in the ankle. He bravely tried to bowl another ball before deciding it
was time for a fag and cleared off to the bench for a bit of TLC from the
missus. Tango looking more like a cranberry than a clementine was asked to bowl
the last 4 balls of the over without his normal 22 minute warm up warning.
Eason who's
wife was preparing the days tea stuck his hand up for a bowl and built up his
appetite with 4 overs of military medium but unfortunately woke up the
remaining Lazenby who with his first real shot in anger smashed the ball over
the long boundary to the estate end for 6! Skipper Bell who carrying a side
strain, decided he could not hold back any longer and so came on to slow the
run rate down to next to sod all.
To be
honest other than Mistry pulling his hand away from a ball which should have
been swallowed, Bell being hit for 6 for the second time this season, the
second sighting of the spasticated spider ( Hatrick on the boundary) and
Lazenby red inking for 51 the rest of the Stoneleigh innings was nothing short
of gash!!
Tea, oh
and what a tea!! CCC need 156 to win.
The
slender opening pair of Walding and Elliott walked out to open the dig on which
was now proving to be a Baghdad high street of a wicket. Both were welcomed to
the crease with calls of "fresh fish" and "left handed
batsman" by Beale who has since applied to supply the hot air for Richard
Bransons next attempt to cross the Atlantic in a hot air balloon!!
A solid
start was made against balls shooting from a length around the shoulders of the
batsman who both stand at over 6 foot tall. Nimble running and elegantly timed
cut shots saw the score board ticking over sweetly before the drama unveiled.
Elliott called a sharp single to mid wicket only for the fielder to hit the
stumps directly. Replays show that Elliott was given not out on the split
frame, as Elliotts pace proved too much and covered over a yard in a single
frame! Having picked up his lungs and hamstrings Elliott continued to wear down
the bowling attack with his Dravid like concentration and defence.
Finsom
came to crease after Basha Walding was unluckily given out LBW (Elliott had
survived 2 appeals which he could have walked for!) The opening stand of 61
laid the perfect platform for the bomb proof plod to smash his way back into
form. It was not to be, as plod was bowled by a shooter having softened
the match ball with his own balls moments earlier.
With the
overs ticking by Elliott decided to raise the run rate and brought up his first
home ground 50 with another crunching drive through covers, before being
bowled by yet another non bouncing bomb.
The normal
CCC collapse ensued until Hatrick and Tango put on 38 to win the game in the
last over. Tango trouting a huge 6 over the tennis courts closed the net
on a fishy batting display.
Game won,
CCC 18 points clear at the top!!