SJFCC vs Killigrew
2005-05-26. Win by 7 wickets By Dave Boxer
Result: Killigrew, 115 for 7 from 20 overs; The Mighty Fishers, 116 for 3 from 18.5 overs.
A fifth win on the spin for Fishers, and one that was fairly comfortable in the end after a scary start.
Dave won the toss and elected to field, but Fishers were taken aback by the two opening batsmen who were both very decent players. Bullet Bateman and Reevo were the unlucky bowlers to get tonked, and nomatter where they put the ball it just seemed to fly off for 4. After 4 overs they’d already racked up over 30 runs, and Fishers were well and truly on the back foot.
Rafi made the breakthrough for Fishers, after the number 1 bat retired on 30-odd, by running out the no.3 for a duck with an accurate throw from mid-off. Walmsleyeyey was bowling at this stage and put in a cracking couple of overs, almost drawing the edge on numerous occassions and extremely unlucky not to get a wicket.
Boxer was also unlucky, drawing an edge that sailed in between Mao and Dan behind the stumps. Ethan put things right though, with a lovely ball that took out the no.4’s middle stump (oo er), quickly followed by another wicket from Malcolm, AKA The Demon, who forced a skied shot which fell to Reevo in the covers.
Fishers were beginning to claw it back and the wickets were beginning to fall. Bungle got in on the act with a peach of a yorker, then Reevo produced an outstanding piece of fielding, with a one-handed pick up, turn and throw to Mao behind the sticks to run out the no.7 batsman.
Aware that taking further wickets would bring back the opening pair, both of whom retired with 30-odd, Dave thought it would be safe to bring on Dan, who usually couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo let alone hit the sticks. How wrong he was though, as Baldy bowled a cracking couple of overs, taking 2 wickets – one thanks to a catch by Jules and the second a plum LBW.
So, 116 to win. Better get a big hitter out there to open. It was Mao’s big chance to impress. Unfortunately, it seems that a year of continuous egg-chasing has caused Mao to forget how to play cricket, and he mistimed a slog sweep to get bowled for 1. Dan didn’t last much longer, being bowled for 4. Reevo came to the rescue, however, playing his best innings of the season with a lovely 26 not out that featured three fours and a massive 6 that cleared the ground.
Bungle played a shot 2-and-a-half hours too early to get out for 1, but a top partnership between Walmsleyeyeyey and Ethan steadied the innings and was the backbone of Fishers’ success. Both played composed innings, playing big shots when they were needed and a good sprinkling of ones and twos. Both retired, on 25 and 27 respectively, to give us a great chance of winning. All Bateman and Boxer had to do was to dabble a few singles and twos, which they did pretty comfortably with 2 overs to spare.
Man of the match: Tough call between Reevo, Walmsleyeyey and Ethan, but the award goes to Walmsleyeyey, for a tight couple of overs bowling and a great knock just when we needed it most.
Quote of the day: ‘Thieving f**king scousers’, spoken by a bitter Man U-supporting Mao after Liverpool made it 5, yes 5, European Cups. (That’s 3 more than Man U in case you were wondering).
