Cardiff Cavaliers Cricket Club

Match Report

Casuals (Shield), Thursday 5 August

Cas 120/2 (18ovs, Chapman 1/9, Fraser 1/17). Cav 122/4 (17.3ovs, Marchant 35no, Chapman 29, Graveson 25no). Won by 6 wickets. Cavaliers 2pts, Casuals 0pts

Scorecard

Could we turn the tide and pull out a victory! Reporting for the Cavs, this is Pritpal Singh.

The little American in me says, yes we can! Surely enough captain Merchant was on the money from the off. As I pulled off the busy road into an almost empty car park a small bouncing silhouette moved slowly on the far end of the park, very slowly. Leading from the front as always, Jimmy on a warm-up before the game. Apparently 7 laps worth, the crumbs on his shirt spoke otherwise.

Players began to trickle in as the clouds collected overhead, from the fairwater north they blew in, sun from the Barry east struggled to hold them off.

With the toss won … 2 early dropped catches and Jez skipping like a wee lad, could that distract the in-form Swain. He lasted, Jez too with a little skip and a trot at every close call. I on the other hand was destined to put my body on the line yet again and in true style (or utter lack of it in this case) I decided to stop a Swain half volley cover drive with …  a sliding diving African sikh you say, nope, a lazy outstretchedfoot and now a hip-hop swagger to hide the pain.

With that thought pounding in my shoes, Gleno dives to absolte perfection and puts an end to the pain, swain's gonnne! Got him! Merchant contemplates the true cost of his 54 and the mighty Cavs pad up.

McVeigh and Steaders open the show. Our Irish MC, could he blow away his recent unsteady form! the question on my mind, could Steaders run him out!.  The other question of course, what could the new grip and Sehwag-esq approach do for the man whose polar pads never seem to want to meet. Unfortunately, or shall I say fortunately (if you were the ball that is) MC struck out, done by a slower ball, not helped by a pitch with such little bounce it could double-up as a bowls strip, not to mention the ugly flick off the pads to set his bat angling over the ball. Could the slower ball do it again, yes it can! as shortly afterwards a straighter one saw Steaders walk.

The gremlin of a sand-pit that was this batting surface got my full attention yet again.

Then from nowhere enters a horse walking a man! Yup you think it would be a man walking a Doberman, but noo I’m pretty sure it was horse. If that wasn’t easy to come to terms with, I’d love to see what the left arm ozzie Johnson would think of the waist high release from Afzal. Big man Glenno had his number and surely enough, it was 4. With the ball and now that bat. A middle order scramble ensued, gathering few runs and losing a few wickets, a small price to pay for what was to come. Engaged you shall be.

Grizz’s falling castle, enter Gravy. Could the grafting Merchant stir-up enough oomph in today’s serving of the Gravy.

And in true style, we were in for a treat no doubt.  He enters and waves the timber like match stick. Merchant continues to drive a hard bargain with his wicket. Skies darken as Mikey, on the sidelines, finds the diminishing warmth troublesome.

Gravy sets his crosshairs, they read 89-4-14, .. Another glance at the chilly score board ... Lookin as light as it is cold.. Gravy takes aim.. Pulls out.. Wide eyed as the spinner rotates ball after ball, can it leave its 22 yrds orbit! The Strike rotates yet again.. A murmur from Mrs Gravy sends her man down the track .. And there it is.. A boundary but a lonely line .. With a thump and a puff he gets it there... 109-4-16 ... Jimmy with the arsenal alight opens the barrack door.. One run..  .. 1st ball, a foot short.. 2nd.. A needled blow thin but in a gap.. 3rd.. Almost his downfall.. Al the calm waving scorer reads 5 off 6 and a sigh on the bench as thoughts wander to the upcoming tour ..an anxious glance sees the winning runs.. Straight past the bowler. There it is! 

Glory glory Gravy sends us to victory .. Hands shakin all round . Firm handshake for Swain, till we meet again! [Ed: so this season sees us do the double over a Casuals and is the firts time that we've beaten them at Wenvoe for many a year - indeed, it is so long ago that it pre-dates the Oracle!]

And that's all folks! So much for an outro! Singing off! Kwaheri (Swahili) & mildé (punjabi). Take it easy (English).

Champagne moment: Pre-match - skipper doing his warmup lap. Match - Jez doing his little leap of joy when Swain was dismissed.

Team: Jimmy Marchant (capt), Andrew Steadman (wkt), Mike McVeigh, Glenn Chapman, Andrew Graveson, Pritpal Sagoo, Mike Dawkins, Glyn Poulsom, Alasdair Fraser, Jeremy Sparkes, Nigel Adams