SJFCC vs Garden Fields
2005-06-23. Lost by 4 runs By Dave Boxer
Result: Garden Fields/St Albans U-15s, 108 for 5 from 20 overs; The Usually Mighty Fishers, 104 for 9 from 20 overs.
Our first loss of the season and a rare off day for The Mighty Fishers. It began badly when Dave lost, yes lost, the toss, but it seemed not to make any difference as the oppo skipper elected to bat first anyway.
Fishers began brightly, and the returning, rejuvenated Jim-Bob Chennels picked up where he left off last week when he removed one of the openers for a duck in the first over after he drew a mistimed drive that fell to Reevo in the covers.
In his second over, Chennels did even more damage, taking a magnificent caught and bowled to get rid off the no.3. Things were looking good, and when Bob trapped the no.4 LBW it looked like Fishers were on the path to another victory.
However, although we kept the runs down well we didn’t really capitalise on the early wickets, with Boxer, Reevo and Jules all bowling well but failing to take any wickets.
The fourth wicket went down in the 15th over, when Ethan forced an edged cut shot from the other opener, who by now was on 28, that fell to Boxer at point. Bungle then took the fifth and final wicket with a caught and bowled off an accidental slower ball! So, only 5 wickets removed but a very gettable target of just 109 runs, or so it seemed.
The Fishers innings got off to a solid start with Bullet – who again excelled behind the stumps – and Reevo. Bullet went in the 4th over though, clean bowled for 4, and Matt went two overs later, trapped LBW by the same bowler for 1.
Reevo was again showing he was the dangerman, and raced to 21 before falling LBW to a pie-chucker. Bob had joined him at the crease and played a steady innings of singles and the odd 4.
Rafi partnered Bob well and made 8 before being run out as Fishers tried to up the run rate. The rot then set in as we fell too far behind the run rate and couldn’t recover in time. Bungle was caught for 9, Boxer went for a golden duck and Chennels departed for 10.
Bob retired on a hard-earned 26, but the overs were running out fast. A brief flicker of hope was provided by Keith who hit two cracking consecutive 4s in the last over, but Ethan was run out and, needing a six to win off the final ball, Keith was bowled going for the necessary big heave ho.
So, our first defeat, but like Sandsy after his restraining order expires, we’ll be back.
Man of the match: Good innings from Bob and Reevo, but the award goes to Jimmy, for his excellent spell of bowling which took 2 important wickets.
Pansy of the match: Bungle (thought I’d forgotten didn’t you mate) for his ballerina-esque, camper-than-a-row-of-tents skip to jump out of the way of a ball that came his way at silly-mid-off.
