SJFCC vs St Albans U15s
2005-07-28. Win by 16 runs By Dave Boxer
Result: The Mighty Fishers, 117 for 7 from 20 overs; St Albans U-15s, 101 all out from 19.3 overs.
A good win after a shaky start for Fishers. Dave lost the toss (again) and Fishers were put into bat, which always spells trouble. Uncle Phil and Keith Griffiths (who kindly agreed to play, along with son Ben, for Fishers) volunteered to open under duress.
The pair made a solid enough start on a dodgy wet wicket, but Keith fell in the 3rd over, bowled for 3. Jimmy then strode out not particularly confidently to the crease, and showed exactly why by getting caught for a duck. Phil departed three balls later, and Fishers were in a spot of bother.
Ben sured things up though, with a quickfire 17, including a massive straight six, before going caught and bowled. Jules got a good start, but went for 6 after the faintest of edges, but Boxer ensured the runs kept flowing with an unbeaten 29, thanks to some lovely full-toss bowling.
Matt was very unlucky to go for 6, after middling a shot that mid-wicket took brilliantly diving to his right, and Magnet departed for 2, but Rafi and Bob put on a tremendous partnership to put on over 30 runs in the final few overs. Rafi knocked an unbeaten 21, including three beautiful hooked 4s, and Little contributed an unbeaten 12, comprising a delightful straight four.
So, defending 117, Fishers opened the bowling with Jules and Jimmy. Carrying on from where she left off last week, Jules took two early wickets, both thanks to catches from Ben – the first a skier in the covers and the second a cracking diving effort at mid-on.
The other opener was opening up, however, and the runs were quickly piling up. The turning point arrived when, on 30 not out and needing to survive only one more ball to retire and come back in later, he went for a big heave-ho and was bowled by the cunning Little.
Boxer then removed Rosson with a ball that nipped in off the seam, and the number 6 was brilliantly run out by Ben after a direct hit. Matt and Keith then bowled 4 very tight overs, before Magnet – who was bitching about not being the chance to warm up properly – showed that someone bowling at his pace doesn’t need to do stretches. In his 2nd over he took two wickets with consecutive balls, the first thanks to a catch from Boxer at square leg and the second a caught and bowled, as he ran in like a panther from his follow-through.
Ben then removed the no.8 with a tasty caught and bowled as the batsman fended off the rising delivery, followed swiftly by another run out, when Matt threw in from the deep and Ben took the bails off. This brought the last man in, and despite hitting an almighty six off his second ball, he departed next ball, bowled by Rafi from a full-toss that landed on middle stump.
Man of the match: Good knocks by Ben, Dave and Bob, and excellent spells of bowling by Jules, Matt and Magnet, but the award goes to Rafi, whose 21 not out was a great innings, comprising big shots when we needed them most.
