SJFCC vs Wheathampstead
2005-06-16. Win by 5 wickets By Dave Boxer
Result: Wheathampstead, 109 all out from 15 overs; The Mighty Fishers, 113 for 5 from 14.5 overs.
The Fishers victory wagon goes rolling on, destroying everything in its path. On paper this looked to be the toughest assignment thus far this season, but we put on a cracking display and ended up running out easy and deserved winners.
Dave won the toss and put Wheathampstead into bat. Baldy Jacobs opened up and immediately showed his class by removing two batsmen in a tasty 2 over spell. The first man departed after a mistimed drive that was taken well by Reevo at mid-on, and just two balls later Jacobs bowled the no.3 for a duck with a delivery that swung more than Sandsy on a night out in Letchworth.
The other opener was proving harder to get rid of though, and he quickly reached his retirement limit with a batch of strongly hit 4s.
Boxer took the 3rd wicket in the 9th over, bowling the no.5 with a yorker. Two balls later, the no.6 followed suit after a catch by Bullet Bateman in the covers off Boxer’s bowling again.
Things were looking good, and Jim-Bob Chennels, who’d escaped the Mrs’s thumb and the baby’s soiled nappies, stamped his authority in his first game of the season with two quick wickets – the first from a skied hoik to Boxer at deep mid-wicket, and the second a bowled to remove the returning opener.
The opener had returned because Magnet bowled an inspired over, removing the no.10 thanks to a cracking catch from Teflon hands Jim-Bob in the covers, then dismissing the no.8 first ball after good work by Martin behind the sticks saw him stumped. In between, a lovely piece of teamwork fielding by Bullet and his mate, Denish, led to the no.7 being run out.
So, 110 was the target and Fishers were confident. Mark and Dinesh opened up, but got off to a bad start when Denish departed for a duck after guiding a beautifull-disguised slower ball back to the bowler. Mark followed in the 3rd over, bowled by the same man for 4.
Mr dependable Reevo came to sure the innings up though. The form man of the side picked up where he left off against Crabtree last week, taking the first change bowler to the cleaners, hitting four 4s and a massive 6. With just one ball left to face before retiring, however, he was bowled for a well-deserved 26. The innings was back on track, and Jacobs, batting at no.4, carried on the good work. He top-scored with an unbeaten 28 and even, on the odd occasion, actually moved his feet.
Two fours and a lovely 6 rolled off his bat, and Fishers were 59 for 3 from just 8 overs.
A mini-collapse then ensued, with Bungle being bowled for 2 by a pea-roller that nut-megged him and Jim-Bob picking up where he left off last season, going for a duck when he was caught and bowled.
Bullet and Boxer were set the task of seeing the game out, and accomplished it, albeit not without the odd scare. The pair took the number 6 and 7 bolwers to the cleaners, hitting them for 30 from just 4 overs, including a 6 by Boxer that almost took out the clubhouse window.
Despite Bullet acquiring a third nipple thanks to a nasty rising ball from Nick the barman (Bullet’s second nickname is now Scaramanga) he and Boxer knocked off the remaining runs – helped along by a 15-ball over that included 9 wides – to see the game out with 5 overs to spare.
Man of the match: Toughy this. Jim-Bob, on his comeback, had a good game, taking two wickets and a smart catch down by his feet, but his duck rules him out of the running! Reevo spanked another fine innings, and Magnet took two wickets, but the award goes to Dan, for removing two high order batsmen and top-scoring with the bat. Well done Slaphead.
