SJFCC vs Pretenders
2005-07-10. Win by 39 runs By Dave Boxer
Result: The Mighty Fishers, 221 for 5 from 40 overs; Pretenders, 182 all out from 34.4 overs.
Fishers emerged from the gloom of two successive defeats to achieve a fine win over a decent outfit, thanks to a top all-round performance.
Dave won the toss and elected to bat, as the temperature was close to 35 degrees and he didn’t want his team running around in the field sweating like Michael Jackson in a playground.
Dawko opened up with Magnet and they got off to a solid start, managing to see off the opening quickie who bowled extremely well. It wasn’t until the 15th over that the first wicket fell, when Magnet was deceived by a slower all that crept below the bat and bowled him middle stump for 11.
Sandy came to the middle, and it was the start of a beautiful thing. He and Dawko put on a magnificent 107 partnership to give us a tight grip on the game. After a tentative start and a couple of dropped catches, Dawko began letting loose, hitting four 4s on the spin and a constant stream of ones and twos.
Sandy, meanwhile, also played a steady innings, never looking flustered and expertly keeping the score ticking over. Eventually he was trapped LBW for 62, despite getting some bat on it, but he’d played a crucial role. Matt came in and employed a ‘swing like an epileptic’ style, getting stumped for 2 after a tidy piece of keeping.
Bungle then went for a second successive duck, given LBW first ball by Magnet who obviously stuck a fiver on Bungle winning the ducks trophy at the beginning of the year.
Just as the momentum was starting to wain, Christie strode to the crease and immediately turned the tide in our favour once more. He pushed 1s, 2s and even 3s when there didn’t appear to be a run on, and racked up a quickfire 32 not out. Dawko, by this stage, was getting worryingly close to a ton, and just as he beat Bungle’s top score of the year (90) he was run out after a good throw bounced off the keeper’s pads and onto the sticks.
A top innings by the Dawk-meister had come to an end. Mao went in for the final few overs but didn’t get much of a look-in as Chris wisely stole the strike.
After a spot of tea, the Mighty Fishers were ready to defend their total of 221. Boxer and Sandy opened the bowling and put in a tight 8 over spell, conceding only 20 runs. Christie and Mao came on 1st change and Mao made the breakthrough in his 1st over, bowling the opener for 19. The same over, he trapped the dangerous number 3 LBW for just 3, and we were on our way.
2 overs later, the number 4 was run out after a brilliant diving stop and throw straight into Andy’s hands by Neil Telkman, which Andy caught and dived head first into all three stumps just to make sure.
Pretenders were rocking and Mao rubbed salt into the wounds in his 5th over when he forced a mistimed drive from the number 5, which flew high and handsome to Boxer deep in the covers.
It was at this point that Pretenders began to pull themselves back into the game, however, and the number 6 used all his expertise in golf to swing at everything. He was impossible to bowl as he employed the ‘hitting a cow’s arse with a banjo’ technique, and managed to smack 30-odd runs from about 20 balls. Meanwhile, the other opener had stuck around and had got his eye well and truly in.
Deciding that a change of pace was needed, Boxer brought on Robert Telkman to bowl some off-spin. The gamble paid off immediately, as 3 balls into his first over he drew a faint top edge from the opener and Dawko held it behind the stumps – the first thing he’d caught since crabs in 1987.
Two balls later, Telkman enticed the big hitter into another heave-ho, and Boxer, fielding deep on the on-side, scampered to his left and took a diving catch. The two dangerman had gone in the space of 3 balls, and the advantage once again rested with Fishers.
Boxer brought himself back on for Bungle and capitalised on the fact that two new men were at the crease by taking three quick wickets – all bolwed. The final wicket was a formality and Christie grabbed it, bowling the last man in with a peach of a yorker.
All in all, a great win in searing heat against a good side.
Man of the match: Sandy played a great knock, as did Christie. Mao took 3 wickets and bowled extremely well, especially considering he hasn’t bowled for over a year and was still pissed from the night before, and Boxer had a good 2nd spell, but the award has to go to Dawko who made 91 – the club’s highest individual score of the season and his own personal best.
