SJFCC vs Crabtree
2005-07-12. Win by 1 wickets By Dave Boxer
Result: Crabtree, 108 all out from 19 overs; The Mighty Fishers, 109 for 9 from 19.3 overs.
It’s official: Fishers have turned the corner after their bad patch and are now back on the winning trail.
This was another cracking match vs Crabtree, and close games against them are now becoming a bit of a habit. Once again, it was tighter than a duck’s butt in an icy pond.
Dave didn’t need to win the toss (although he probably would have done) as the oppo were waiting on several of their guys to turn up, so we fielded first.
To Fishers’ surprise, one of the openers for Crabtree was none other than Pat Sylvester, the ex-Fishers player (and I use the term ‘player’ in the loosest possible sense). Renowned for his Boycott-esque pace when batting, Sylvester showed that he has completely transformed his game since his accrimonious departure last season. The modern-day Pat now only takes 4 balls to get out for his duck rather than the 92 that he used to take.
It was James Rosson who sent him packing with a delightfully disguised slower ball that Pat simply couldn’t pick, and went through with his shot (forward defensive, naturally) far too early, succeeding only in chipping it up to Reevo at cover who took a good catch low down to his left.
Reevo then came on to bowl from the other end and dismissed the other opener with a caught and bowled, that he first parried into the air and then took at the second attempt. In his next over, it was 3 down, as the no.4 square cut a short ball to Jules at backward point.
Fishers had made a great start, and further solid spells from Chennells, Ethan and Jules kept the score down nicely. The dangerman was the no.3, however, and he retired after an impressive knock.
Fishers needed another wicket, and it duly arrived, thanks to Bungle, who bowled the no.5 with a lovely quick ball. Boxer then capitalised, firstly by running out the no.6, after a good pick up and throw by Rosson, then bowling the no.s 7 and 10 cheaply.
In between those two wickets, Big Malc took two of his own, the first thanks to an unbelievable catch in the covers by Bungle – who took a diving one-handed catch – and the second from a catch out on the leg-side boundary by Ethan.
All that was left was to get rid of the returning opener, and Cormack duly obliged, drawing a skied on-drive that fell to Chennells at long-on.
With a low-ish target to chase, Boxer opted for a big hitter to open, with a view to getting some quick runs on the board and making it easy for the rest of us. This failed. Bungle went for a goldie, trapped LBW, and now looks to have the ducks trophy well and truly wrapped up – well done mate, superb consistency.
Rosson went in and made a good start, knocking several 1s and 2s, but just as he was getting his eye in he was tempted by a leg-side full toss and smacked it straight down the throat of deep square leg. Boxer was next in and performed similarly. Hitting three quick fours, he got over-confident and played right across the line of a straight delivery and was bowled middle stump for 14.
By this time Big Malc had also departed, after a similar rush of blood, and Reevo followed suit, getting bowled for 2. It seemed that stupid shots were the order of the day and suddenly Fishers looked in trouble at 40 for 5.
Thankfully, Jim-Bob and Matt steadied the innings, playing a brilliant partnership that was exactly what the doctor ordered. The pair knocked the ball round the pitch for a succession of 1s and 2s – although Matt seemed intent on making them into 3s, rushing about like a whippet on ecstacy.
The partnership was eventually broken in the 16th over when Jim-Bob was run out for 17, and Matt departed shortly after when Bungle gave a dodgy-looking LBW decision. The pair had got the side back in with a shout though, and their contribution was crucial.
Ethan and Cormack were now in, but the latter faced the long walk back to the pavillion almost immediately after being bowled for a duck, leaving it to Ethan and Bullet to try and knock 20 runs from just 2 overs.
Bullet wasted no time in spraying the ball about, with 4 successive 2s and an imperious four.
Ethan was more conservative, but kept the scoreboard ticking over nicely to keep us in with a shout going into the last over. 9 were needed from it, and Ethan picked his moment, and the correct ball, to tonk a huge 6 high into the trees on the leg-side. An absolutely brilliant shot at the perfect time. A 2 followed, and, with just one needed to win, the pair ran two and Bullet was run out (maths isn’t his strong point, bless him). It didn’t matter though as the first run was completed and Fishers won with 3 balls to spare.
Man of the match: Rosson bowled a brilliant couple of overs, removing the opener and going for only 1 run. Reevo bowled well and took a couple of wickets, and Big Malc continued to prove that the slower ball can be just as effective as the quickie. Jim-Bob batted excellently, but the award goes to his partner of 8 overs, Matt, who steadied a rocking ship and batted intelligently (unlike the rest of us) in the middle order.
Injury of the match: Pat’s dented ego.
