SJFCC vs Lower Red Lion
2006-06-18. Win by 111 runs By Dave Boxer
Result: June 18th: Fishers 197 for 9 from 35 overs; Lower Red Lion 86 all out from 24.1 overs.
Fishers are well and truly back to winning ways with this performance. Batting first, Cox and Dawko made a solid start, racking up 30 runs off the first 6 overs. The partnership was brought to a premature end though when Cox got one than rose sharply (oo er) and hooked to Walmsleyeyey at mid-wicket who was fielding for the oppo and didn’t have the decency to drop it, boo.
Dawko went soon after, bowled for 14 by a ball that kept low and was virtually unplayable. Williams then steadied the ship as only he can, with a Boycott-esque 13 off during what seemed 2-and-a-half hours but was actually only 20 minutes. After seeing off the openers, he eventually succumbed to a loopy straight one that took his off stick.
Matt stuck around for a gritty 15 before being trapped LBW, and the real fireworks started when Walmslsyeyey and Christie struck up a partnership that yielded almost 100 runs and ripped the heart out of the oppo (not literally obviously). A flurry of 4s and 6s flowed from both bats, as the run-rate soared to over 10 an over. On 49, Chrisitie went for one big shot too many and was caught at long-on. Walmsleyeyey, like a small heartbroken puppy, must have felt that he couldn’t go on without his companion and fell on his sword (do dogs have swords? Probably not. I don’t know, it’s late) soon after, bowled for precisely 50. Bungle was then victim to the most unlucky of dismissals, when he was run out whilst backing up after an inadvertant touch from the bowler from a powerful straight drive.
Boxer actually managed to not get out, although he did succeed in running out Rafi, so he hasn’t completely lost his ability to cock it up. Ankle was then bowled for 1 and Arun had a Wangoo swipe at the last ball but couldn’t make contact.
A delightful tea was then laid on by Matt, who we’d established had a split personality after Dave spotted him talking to himself in his car.We opened the bowling with Boxer and Walmsleyeyey, and although the runs weren’t kept to a minimum, it wasn’t long before the first wicket fell, Griffiths falling victim to Boxer thanks a cracking catch by Ankle at point. Boxer then got rid of the other opener with a plumb LBW, and the oppo were on the rack.
Walmsleyeye was unlucky not to get a wicket, but Ankle came on for him and almost single-handedly won the game with a breathtaking spell of bowling. His inswing bowling proved too hot to handle for a succession of batsmen, each and every one bamboozled by the movement. 4 victims fell in all, all bowled, leaving the youngster with figures of 4 for 5 from 5 overs. Bungle wrapped up the innings with 2 wickets of his own, the first a peach of a ball that took top of off stump, and the second thanks to a catch in the covers by Matt.
Man of the match: Brilliant knocks by Christie and Walmsleyeyey, who on any other day would have shared the award, but this match was all about Ankle, who bowled supremely well to take 4 wickets for 5 runs – and it was his first spell of bowling of the season.
