Cardiff Cavaliers Cricket Club

Match Report

South Wales Sri Lankans, Sunday 2 May 2010

Cav 185/9 (40ovs, Steadman 77, Payne 31, Newbury 22, Parsons 21). SWSL 186/9 (39.2ovs, McVeigh 2/22, Newbury 2/24). Lost by 1 wicket.

Scorecard

This game was as usual against the Sri Lankans a keen and close encounter on a bitterly cold and grey afternoon. It was pleasing to note that despite our able band of administrators the game commenced with the city slickers in a state of disarray. McVeigh arrived minus the scorebook and Steadman rushing from the car park to make the starting line up. It was also pleasing to see that they took their “porridge” with Cavalier nonchalance

Steadman’s travails meant that Parsons had a new partner when the home side inserted. Hutchings showed he had lost no skill in his welcome return to the colours. A breezy cameo was highlighted with a casual flick over the square leg boundary which endangered a courting couple who were adopting some interesting positions to ward off the cold.

Steadman took to the crease when Hutchings was bowled for 20 and last weeks heroes were reunited, Parsons continued his compact and efficient technique and the score reached 76 by the time he departed in the 18^th over. This allowed Gareth Payne to make his debut innings and he did not disappoint. This Xavier Rush look-a-like smote the ball for all corners of the ground and promised a successful future for him with the club.

Steadman played his signature knock of unhurried elegance mixed with energetic running. One of his drives had the purists puring. Payne lost his wicket for 31 followed quickly by McVeigh but the score remained a healthy 118-4 in the 27^th over. Newbury took up the tempo with a typically pugnacious effort. With Steadman ploughing on the Cavaliers were getting on top and a score over 200 beckoned.

However they both fell quickly for 77 and 22 respectively and the innings lost its impetus with the new batsmen who had frozen awaiting their go were unable to seize the initiative against an accurate attack backed up in the field. Wickets fell rapidly and when Rabbit was bowled off the last ball the innings closed on 185-9. Brown was left all kitted up and nowhere to go. He prowled the boundary vainly awaiting his chance. His only compensation was in fingering Prit’s new swanky pads thus reawakening his old cricket kit gear fetish.

The tea interval was mainly used up defrosting and putting on layer upon layer of clothing. However the need to warm was proven when Pritchard pulled up lame chasing the first ball of the hosts reply. He struggled on gamely to see the game through. McVeigh (1-21) verdict and Newbury(2-20) reminded the new generation of Cavaliers what an effective bowler he is. It looked as if his fine spell would go unrewarded but a tumbling catch by Steadman rewarded his display. He followed up by bamboozling the opener leaving him reluctant to leave the crease despite his furniture being disturbed. It was our Warne & Gatting moment. At this stage the hosts we were 41-3 and Prits’s (0-29) first ball fell agonisingly between the field.

From then onwards this new partnership played the decisive hand.  Classy batsmanship and sharp running forced the Cavaliers back. The wind howled down the valley and the chill factor cut deep into the bones. Spirits could have fallen particularly when an overconfident batsmen tried to reverse sweep Marchant (1-20?) and a stony faced umpire turned down the appeal. As is often the case the reprieved man rubbed salt into the wound by clearing the boundary next delivery.

Prit then cemented his place in Cavalier folklore. Many Cavaliers both ancient and modern have indulged in a bit of “chipping” at the opposition. Indeed such worthies as Stevens and Wright were post graduates in the theory and practice of sledging. It has be admitted that we do have some “form” in the dark art. None of these however exhibited the Punjabi version of the genre. The rest of his colleagues stood around hands shoved deeply in their pockets speculating what he had said to the batsman.

Whether this riled the striker is unknown but Davis (1-25) made the breakthrough with McVeigh pouching the chance on the boundary. The Cavaliers tore back into the game. Steadman yorked the captain and wickets began to tumble. Suddenly we were playing Eclipse Print with Chris and Brian nudging towards the target. Brown (0-13) bowled a rare frugal spell. Panic induced a run out and 3 were still needed with 2 overs and 1 wicket remaining. Brian levelled the score but was trapped at the non strikers end when Steadman prepared to bowl the final over to a nervous no11.

It was the anti climax of anti climaxes as the stony faced square leg umpire adjudged the delivery an above waist high no ball. It had been a compelling game when the battling qualities of the visitors had almost prevailed nonetheless.

The Cavaliers warmed down in the lounge of the Masons Arms with a convivial beer. Prit explained what he had said. It was a bit of a Laaarrf!

Champagne Moment:

Joey's superb delivery that dismissed the opener and to which many, including the best, would've fallen.

Team: Jimmy Marchant (capt), Nick Hutchings (wkt), Andrew Steadman, Michael McVeigh, Graeme Brown, Gareth Payne*, Steve Davis, Dave Parsons, Joey Newbury, Pritpal Singh, Wyn  Pritchard * denotes debutant