Cardiff Cavaliers Cricket Club

Tour to Amsterdam, 2008: match report

Gelre CC, Zutphen (Holland), Sunday 3 August. Cavaliers 244/7 (35ovs, Newbury 53, Chapman 51no, Sparkes 30). Gelre 135ao (25.3ovs, Simpson 2/10, Newbury 2/10, Marchant 2/11, Roake 2/23, S Davis 1/1, J Davies 1/8). Won by 109 runs. Scorecard

The Sunday game of any tour can be hard work; after the exploits of Friday and Saturday this was no exception. With Rumors of a 3 hour coach ride the team assembled on time, well everybody except Rabbit, in Pink T-shirts. In fact we looked like a team who had enjoyed the excesses of the Amsterdam Mardi Gras the night before!

Thankfully the rumors turned out to be false, we arrived at our hosts Gelre (near Arnhem) more than a little groggy, was this to be the bridge too far?

Quickly assessing the wicket and pitch Skipper AKA Cyril Sneer decided to bat first and put his faith in JD (Rolland) and the Gog to get things started. After a steady start, mainly due to JD still seeing three balls and characters from the magic roundabout during every ball, the pair started to kick on. Gog fell to a ball that was straight (some say straight down leg) LBW for 7. JD slapped a few but then was caught as he top edged a full toss for 18.

This brought some old stagers to the crease, Joey “el Presidente” Newbury and Jeremy “too many Names to mention” Sparkes. After a slow start, some say painfully slow, the pair recorded the first century partnership overseas for the Cavaliers with a stand of 112 in 17 overs with “El Presidente” scoring 53 off 62 balls for his maiden 50 (bl*ody hell, how long have you been playing?) [Ed: Joey reflected, that having been dropped 7 times en route to his 50, he’d used up his colleagues’ lives as everyone else who popped the ball in the air saw the catch taken].

Contributions where also made by Roake 2, Pritchard 1 and Ward (Cyril’s nemesis) 9 which included his first boundary for the club. The final overs brought Glenn “What have we done to ourselves!” Chapman and Cyril Sneer to the crease. Chapman scored a swashbuckling 51no off 28 balls and Cyril scored an unbeaten 9 overcoming Jason “Mental attitude” Duffy in their personal dual (Jason: Rabbit’s barber is still waiting for you!)

After a fantastic lunch swilled down with a few beers we took to the field to defend a total of 244.

Cyril handed the blotched cherry to Simpson to open the bowling. Adjusting to the artificial wicket well, he bowled and excellent line and length and troubled the Gelre batsman, clean bowling the opener De Villder for nine and trapping Ton (sadly didn’t live up to his name) LBW for 10. Finishing with figures 3 overs 2 wickets for 10 runs.

Rabbit took the other end and did his best to shore things up with his mix of line, length, flight and more flight. His 3 overs going for a respectable 22 runs. A special mention must also go out to Rabbit who took his first ever catch in a game [Ed: a very good one too, which was even more surprising as he’d had an easier chance to open his account just moments before.]

JD topped the bowling figures with 3 overs 1 wicket for 8 runs. More wickets were on offer for JD, his crooked Captain dropped 2 glaring chances and Jez was too busy pulling up his trousers behind the stumps to think about stumping!

[Ed: the match also saw Jimmy set a new record for the most wickets taken in a season. Having experienced a moment of joy that was instantly dashed when one of our team who shall remain nameless – but he was the baby of the party – dropped a catch and was constantly reminded of it until Jim eventually snared his 30^th wicket of the season with an LBW and then promptly followed it up next ball to claim his 31^st, bowling their skipper to qualify him for Primary Club membership. Jimmy then carefully avoided having to buy a jug with his next delivery.]

Cavaliers ended up winning by 109 runs in what was a very enjoyable game [Ed: this victory saw us equal the record of the most wins in a season, which was 13 back in 1997.]

Later we found that our hosts had only just started playing in 2007 and this was their first ‘long’ game having only played 20/20 before. [Ed: it was only their 6^th match ever, the 1^st ever game on their new ground and we were the 1^st team to play there … from Cardiff, Wales, the UK, the Commonwealth and G8 – a frivolity of firsts.]

They played in the spirit that Sunday games should be played in and will only improve!

After the game we enjoyed yet more great hospitality, a feature throughout the tour! [Ed: presentations were made: from us to them of a Club tie, some new balls and Wazza’s own “international cricketer’s” hat; and to us of their club flag which will have pride of place at our dinner. They were also introduced to the ‘mysteries’ of the Judge’s chambers and how you get the 'fines' into court room finesse.]

Let’s hope we can reciprocate some of the hospitality shown in the near future.

Team: Jimmy Marchant (capt), Jeremy Sparkes (wkt), Steve Davis, Jonathan Davies, Joey Newbury, Steve Roake, Alan Ward, Glenn Chapman, Wyn Pritchard, Mark Simpson, Warwick Armstrong. 12th man: various members of the tour party

Gelre have also recorded their impressions of the match, in the coach’s blog on their website. Panda has arranged a Google-Internet translation which he submitted to the webmaster

... and here the translated blog

"The mile pile

there can you nevertheless of speak if you can you play as brand-new cricketclub very first game on your own field. Still right international also. The Cardif Cavaliers, in the running for the title nicest touring team of GB, came on a visit. Blessed very well circumstances could play we for the first time 35 overs.

Captain seriousness Terlinden spoke with its colleague finished that we firstly fielden. All wides and no-balls concerning gebowld for the first time also became and as a result, we with the nose on the facts were considerably pressed. Not that we that but did not know Mr. Extra with 64 topscorer and that, however, a lot of runs is. There were taken into consideration bowlers 7. The wickets were taken seriousness (3), barrel (1), Chris (1), Arnaud (1) and Roel (1) whereas also Roderik and Antoine passed them stinking best the ball to off to keep.Toch the antagonist reached a firm total of 244 runs.

The only downpour fell during the excellent looked after lunch therefore the also gods it well had understood. Our profits were not at all bad but 35 overs are as lot of if you have got used every ball give a slap to want. Roderik tasted and firstly six to the dam alley on its name the pleasure to put, but it was disturbed cruelly six which he had two balls later in its enthusiasm in ideas by heinous rattling behind him. The following, what fell less lively mile pile captain seriousness at turn. You enter, you will stand, you sway with your bat, an ugly disorder sees behind your ..... and can go. A hard gelag (no not with ch!) Also that belongs to cricket.

With his all we reach each game a higher total. Now we obtained for 136 runs. For writer dezes it is clear that rising line, which even layman is to stagnate considerably to catch. Well played men! The first profit comes always dense at!"