Cardiff Cavaliers Cricket Club

Match Report

Eclipse Print, Monday 10 May 2010

Eclipse 145/6 (18ovs, McVeigh 2/18, Duffy 1/9). Cav 95/8 (18ovs, Chapman 31, Steadman 14, Graveson 12). Lost by 50 runs.

Scorecard

As the Cavaliers descended on Blackweir all talk was of how the pitch behaved – or more to the point didn’t -  when it was used for our club practice match the previous week. Changes had been made to the previous week and the side had new faces set to take on the challenge of batting on this Blackweir minefield.

Eclipse batted first and set about their 18 overs of torture. McVeigh and Graveson opened the bowling and managed to keep the scoring rate down with expert swing bowling, away from Gravy, and in from McVeigh seeing many balls pass the bat through to the keeper. Gravy removed the dangerous Collyer for just 10 runs, while Mcveigh accounted for Stork 23, and Coles for 1, all three of the batsmen clean bowled.

The change bowlers were treated with disdain by G Coles and Cavaliers own Gareth Payne, who lived up to his surname with some lusty blows in his 25 before being bowled by Duffy. Brown removed Coles for 46 caught in the deep by bucket hands Fraser. 23 more runs were added by Bonnelle as the scoring rate at the end was stifled by good spells from Grizz and Tasbo and single overs from Glen and Jase. Eclipse closed on 145, seemingly a good total on this track.

The Cavaliers response did not quite start how expected, with tight bowling from Bonnelle and Williams keeping the scoring down, just 15 runs off the bat in the opening 6 overs. McVeigh made only 3, Tasbo 0 and Steaders just a surprising 14 before being given out lbw off the bowling of Coles. Of the Cavaliers batsmen only Chapman really got going with some lusty hitting, with 1 six and 4 fours in his 31.

Naturally after having a preview of the wicket our batsmen decided attack was the way, but this didn’t really come off. Parsons was run out in a display of very dubious calling, a feat repeated in a forthcoming friendly as well (ask the Gog) Gravy hit 2 fours in his 12 but was caught trying to capitalise on Stork’s slow off spin, Bill had a wild swing and was bowled for 0 and Fraser also going aerial gave a return catch to Stork. Grizz and Duffy looked relatively untroubled at the end but we were well short of the target closing on 95-8. Brownie again had managed to get his pads on but missed out on a knock much to his pleasure!

Champagne Moment: Al Fraser’s steepling catch on the boundary of Brownies flighted, vicious spin

Team: Jason Duffy (capt), Dave Parsons (wkt), Andrew Steadman, Michael McVeigh, Graeme Brown, Glenn Chapman, Nigel Adams, Andrew Graveson, Bill Ward, James Gardner, Alasdair Fraser