Cardiff Cavaliers Cricket Club

Match Report

Consmen (Cup quarter final), Thursday 17 June 2010

Cavaliers 140/4 (18ovs, J Davies 26ret, Marchant 26ret, Steadman 25ret). Consman 141/9 (18ovs, McVeigh 2/8, Marchant 1/10, Newbury 1/14, Poulsom 1/15). Consmen won by 1 wicket

Scorecard

As Henry Higgins may have put it so rhymingly, "The rain in Spain falls mainly where Jase and Glenn are having their holidays" so with 2 of our mainstays absent on leave and a few others away with work or the lurgy going round, we faced the current Cup holders, The Consmen, in a quarter final clash that was a re-run of last year. Elder Statesman Poulsom was pressed in to service and it was also a first mid-week outing for President Newbury - indeed, we even had Oracle Sparkes on the bench [Ed: and he hasn't played a game since the beginning of May last year.]

Jimmy won the toss and opted to bat, probably expecting the pitch to get worse as the game went on – this wasn’t a bad supposition but it didn’t really deteriorate: it was equally poor throughout both innings with each keeper in particular disadvantaged with the erratic bounce and no-one could play with any real confidence [Ed: the Willow League have since made a formal complaint to the Uni Sports Ground Manager concerning the overall condition of the pitches and outfield.]

It was the lack of a true bounce that undid Mike McVeigh in the first over when the second ball lifted and he did well to get a glove on it to protect his nose, with the keeper pouching it. JT went in at no3 in determined fashion but was undone by a “good’un” from Joey Crow who finished with top figures of 2/7. The skipper and Steaders then made sure we would have a foundation to build on, taking the score to 46 in 6.3 overs before Steaders retired on 25 (from 14 balls).

Dave continued the good work taking the score to 84 before he was run out to underline the old adage of “never run on a misfield” when, having completed a steady 2, a misjudgement by the fielder led to an ambitious call and, sadly for Dave who’d looked in fairly good nick, a direct hit accounted for him.

Jim then retired with the score on 93/3 off 13 overs, having made 26 at a run-a-ball and JD entered the fray. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him bat so well for the club and he quickly rattled up 26 before retiring, off just 14 balls and included 4 boundaries, one of which was a sumptuous clip off his legs. Joey gave good support, prepared to run for everything, before sacrificing himself in the cause of quick runs.

It was left to Al and Chris to nudge us up to a competitive total which, aided by a few wides, they did adding 19 in the last two overs and we finished on 140/4.

As this had been the score we’d chased down on Tuesday on the same pitch (albeit with 2 overs more) we knew that it was “game on” as Consmen are a well drilled Cup side, being the current holders and, seemingly, saving their best performances for the Cup competition.

The start of their innings virtually mirrored ours – a big wicket in the first over with their lynch pin opener gone for 0, bowled by Mike McVeigh, followed by a second wicket with only a dozen or so on the board, this time a well judged catch by Mike Dawkins at mid-on off the same bowler. The rapturous celebrations of young Mikey D wouldn’t have been out of place at a World Cup Soccer opening ceremony – one could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps Mike was unfamiliar with making a catch.

The introduction of Glyn in the 6^th over saw another smart piece of cricket where he cramped the young Skirrow for room who, being uncertain how to shake the shackles, tried to give himself room and was bowled. They were then 38/3 and we’d been 38/2 for at the same stage so only the newly MBE’d Duckworth Lewis would’ve known how to calculate where to put the Rizla to separate the teams.

Knowing they’d have to up the rate a little to try to get their noses in front, Consmen started to take chances, risking singles and trying to turn 1s into 2s, with some success as it was a large outfield and they managed to put the ball into the gap so the fielder had to chase round rather than being able to run straight on to the ball. However, it also presaged a series of run outs, with Dean falling first for a well struck 21, followed quickly when Chris took a good catch at short mid-on off Jimmy’s bowling.

The reintroduction of Joey saw a controversial dismissal of their captain-wicket keeper-batsman, Rich Saunders, with a definite sound and deflection and the ball taken by keeper Parsons. Later the umpire conceded he hadn’t been sure what it had touched but fingered his colleague anyway; he’ll surely have some time at third man in the next game to reflect on his decision-making prowess.

At 74/6 after 10 overs, we felt that a couple of tight overs could be enough to see us home but the Consmen were not prepared to relinquish their crown without a fight and Hynes (who finished unbeaten on 30) and J Potter put in 46 in 5 overs before another run out saw Potter gone, then Hynes retire, then two more run outs which brought Hynes back, and 18 needed off the last two overs.

Steaders was charged with bowling the 17^th and did well, only conceding 10 runs, when they were lashing at every delivery to get something on it, and it fell to Al to bowl at the death with 8 needed. Murmurings were going round “what if the scores are level? Is it done on wickets?” Happily, Oracle Sparkes was present and, as he’d written the amendments to the rules some 5 years previously, was able to inform all and sundry that if scores were level, wickets are ignored and a bowl out takes place.

What drama – would we see only the second bowl out in the history of the Cup? The only one so far had involved the Cavaliers as well – would fate deal us the same hand again?

The first delivery to the left hander was called wide outside off stump so 7 from 6 but then, calamity, a sharp single off the next ball saw a diving shy at the stumps at the bowler’s end but with Al unable to get back to cover it and it raced towards the long boundary, so the batsman turned for a second and when a loose throw wasn’t gathered cleanly they added insult to injury and scampered a third. One could feel the dynamics shift, only 4 needed from 5 balls.

Al only conceded a single from the next two deliveries which meant 3 from 3 and only 1 wicket remaining. The batsman hared a single, 2 from 2, and repeated it next ball. Whatever happened the message was sent out to the batsmen “we can’t lose on this ball so go for it whatever” as a bowl out would’ve been required if no further run scored.

The skipper brought everyone in to a run saving position and then there was a hush around the ground as Al prepared to run in. The batsman somehow got some wood on it and they both tore off to their respective ends, Jimmy swooped from short cover and, in one motion, turned and threw the ball at the non-striker’s wicket, recording a direct hit, but the batsman was home by the smallest of margins.

The game had enough twists and turns it would've kept a slalom skier very happy. We all felt deflated – we’d come so close, only to have the prize of victory slip from our grasp. Yeah, individually we could probably pick out some moments – perhaps a 2^nd run turned down when batting, a couple of (very hard) chances going down (though these were balanced by some helpful ‘umpiring’ decisions in our favour by their guys), and the near misses on run outs and the overthrows with the last pair at the crease – BUT everyone had given their all when called upon, with bat, ball and especially in the field ... JD making such great sliding saves on the boundary, JT working hard in the deep, Joey’s throws completely catching the batsmen off guard, Dave’s athletic leaps when the ball reared up to name just a few so, yes, disappointment but not shame because we competed every step of the way, created chances and the Consmen had to work darn hard to defend their tenure of the Cup.

Champagne moment: hard to choose between Dawko’s celebrations at making the catch or JD’s clip off his legs for 4, but ultimately goes to the cricketing moment (rather than the theatrical one, sorry, Mike) – classy shot, JD

Team: Jimmy Marchant (capt), Dave Parsons (wkt), Andrew Steadman, Mike McVeigh, Jonathan Thomas, Alasdair Fraser, Jonathan Davies, Michael Dawkins, Chris Evans, Glyn Poulsom, Joey Newbury