SJFCC vs St Albans Diocese
2005-05-17. Win by 5 wickets By Dave Boxer
Result: St. Albans Diocese, 170 for 6 from 40 overs; The Mighty Fishers, 174 for 5 from 27.1 overs.
This was a suberb win for the Mighty Fishers, in a game that looked uwinable after the Vicars, God bless ’em, racked up a pretty decent score and didn’t leave us many overs to chase it.
Dave delegated the captaincy to Dan, and Dan duly lost the toss, or, as he likes to put it, didn’t win it. The vicars decided to bat, as they only had 8 at the time, which suited us down to the ground.
Bob and Reevo opened the bowling with some very tight overs, with Bob going for just 12 from 5 overs and Reevo going for 18 from 5. The opening pair were looking good though, and we had to wait until the 12th over for the breakthrough, when Bullet Bateman chucked down a rank leg side long hop, which the batsman spanked straight down the throat of Reevo at square leg. Bateman struck again in his next over to remove the other opener, when he skied a square cut high into the air and towards Sandsy out at deep cover.
Everyone turned as one, to see Sandsy scampering across the ground like a panther on heat, hair blowing in the wind (all 4 of them). He took a great catch, and celebrated by falling over and smacking his head on the ground.
Boxer bowled 4 reasonable overs for 11 runs and Jules bowled a good spell, especially considering she crocked her ankle in the very first over of the match and it had swollen to a size only outdone by Phil’s belly.
Bungle then came on and harshly took a bit of a pasting from the number 3 batsman, who by now had his eye in and was tonking the ball to all quarters.
We were in need of another breakthrough and it came in the 32nd over thanks to Si ‘soon to be an under-the-thumb Dad’ Marriott, who bowled the number 4 and 5 batsmen in the same over with a couple of tasty deliveries.
Not to be outdone, Reevo came back on for his second spell and wasted no time in taking a couple of wickets himself, one bowled with his now customary full toss and one from a simple catch by Si. Jacobs bowled a decent 5 over spell and was unlucky not to pick up a wicket, and the oppo declared on 170 at tea.
This effectively meant that Fishers had a maximum of 30 overs to get 171 runs – a task that looked nigh on impossible when Sandsy – WHO COACHES KIDS – swung at the very first delivery of the innings and was bowled – QUACK QUACK. Luckily for him, Bungle went in to save the day, but nobody expected him to play the sort of innings he did. Starting slowly, he gradually played himself in and then began to tee off in style.
Chris ‘Magnet’ Williams, the other opener, had gone after a shocking LBW decision by Aaron, and was replaced by Si who was due a good knock. He duly obliged, hitting 3 beautiful 4s before becoming the second victim of an LBW call that Stevie Wonder would have been proud of (Reevo – you’re not allowed to umpire any more!)
This brought Boxer to the crease, and he and Bungle began to let loose almost straight away, hitting 4 after 4, and a few 6s for good measure. Bungle took out a bird’s nest in the trees with one 6, hit Boxer’s car with another then smashed another one clean out of the ground and into No man’s land the other side of the road. The pair put on 98 from 9 overs and swung the match back in Fishers’ favour. The impossible suddenly looked possible, and despite Boxer getting bowled for 49 (jug avoidance of the highest order), and a rush of blood to the head by Bungle, who ran Aaron out needing only one to win, we cruised home with 6 overs to spare. The winning runs suitably came from Bungle, who carried his bat for a brilliant 90.
Man of the match: Top performances from Reevo, Aaron and Si with the ball, Dave with the bat and Sandsy with his head, but, like Highlander, there can be only one, and that one is Bungle, for his supreme innings of 90 not out.
Nice one Pie Boy.
*** Formal Response from Umpire Bateman, in defence of the allegation above: “I want it to be known that Chris was more plum than a plum tree in full bloom in plum season!!, Just ask Bungle! Reevo on the other hand has no excuse!!
