Post by wheels on Jun 12, 2013 16:36:10 GMT
Here's this week's cricketing novella. Grab a nice mug of Horlicks and read yourself to sleep.
MAGGY'S MAGIC IN VAIN AS CROSS CREEP HOME IN CLASSIC
MUFS 1s fell to only their second defeat of the season in an enthralling but galling 1-wicket loss to the old frenemies, Holy Cross, at Leith Academy.
Leith was bathed in sunshine for its annual gala day, and a fortnight of dry weather had left the pitch looking better than it had all season – that's to say, we could tell it apart from the rest of the square – so we were a little surprised and none too sorry when Cross skipper Simon McOscar elected to bowl on winning the toss.
Less than an hour later, the decision made rather more sense, as the MUFS top order was obliterated by some outstanding opening bowling from Worsnop and Bonfield. Adnan (0) was first to go, trapped in front by Worsnop, and Asif fell soon after for 2, chipping a full ball from Shannon to Charlie Ellis at mid-on. Crucially, in-form Luke followed next ball for a golden blodger, shouldering arms to Shannon and losing his middle peg.
Depending on who you listen to, the ball either cut back a yard and kept devilishly low, or cut back a couple of inches and was inexplicably left alone. Which Aussie to believe? It hardly mattered, because we were 4 for 3 and in severe danger of finishing in time to catch the final session at the Grange.
Jasir managed to survive the hat-trick ball, but when Farooq fell for 3 to give Worsnop (10-4-2-12) his second LBW of the match, the score stood at 16 for 4, and it was left to Jasir and the returning Maggy to rebuild the innings. Skipper Yelly watched on impassively, piping up only to compliment Ravi Bopara on his excellent batting for England in the Champions Trophy, and to thank Tom graciously for his helpful statistical updates on the MUFS innings (“projected score at current run rate: 50”).
Maggy and Jasir defended watchfully, and as the pitch calmed down a little, came up with a few well-chosen attacking shots and sharp singles. Together, they took the score to 43 before Jaz received an unplayable lifter from Ellis and was snaffled by Trewartha at slip for 26. Fin, promoted to number 7 by Yelly amidst the early carnage, came to the crease with his captain's positive encouragement still ringing in his ears (“And don't get ****ing run out!”). Fin batted with maturity for the second week running, staying with the increasingly expansive Maggy as 35 were added for the sixth wicket, before he was bowled by the returning Shannon for 4.
Beasty replaced him and soon began playing his shots, and he and Maggy put on a further 27 before falling in quick succession to Trewartha (2-46). Given the seaming, up and down pitch, Maggy's 50 was worth many more, and Richie's 14 helped to take MUFS past the 100 mark – an event that had looked distinctly unlikely in the early stages of the game.
Positive but sensible batting from Sam (15), Neil (17) and Tom (6*) boosted the score further, and took the innings into the 50th over, before Dougie Russell (2-28) rounded things off by having Neil stumped by McOscar (by around eight yards).
Our total of 145 all out was probably a little below par, even given the lively pitch, but it was way beyond our early expectations, and reflected a batting unit with a lot more steel about it than was the case for most of last season. Maggy and Jasir can claim particular credit for batting with skill and courage when the ball was still new and the pitch at its trickiest, creating a platform for the lower order to eke out some valuable late runs.
Among the bowlers, Worsnop's accuracy and movement and Ellis's slow-slow-slow-medium doggedness both deserve mention, but as so often against us, Shannon was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 10-4-13-3. Even in the 49th over, the batsmen (oh OK then, Tom) were looking to see him off and pick up whatever runs they could at the other end. Perhaps the MUFS could club together and buy him and his family a holiday that just happens to coincide with the return fixture at Arbo?
When Jaz skittled Mazher without a run on the board, the teatime nervousness among some of the Crossers – whose own batting had been distinctly fragile in recent games – began to look justified.
But we reckoned without Beelzebub Ellis: Charlie's evil twin, who had sneaked into the ground while tea was being taken. Unlike his brother, whose game is based on sound technique and patience, Beelzebub ran down the track to his first ball and clobbered Sam over wide mid-on for four. He and Raja Javed took the score to 69 in under 9 overs before the Beast, far from content at being thumped for a straight six by Raja, immediately trapped him LBW for 36.
When Jordan followed next ball, clean bowled by Beasty (2-40), we realised we were in with a sniff; and when Asif – who, believe it or not, was responsible for restoring some sanity to the situation, with a fine spell of 10-2-35-1 – had McOscar well caught by Richie at gully for 7, the visitors were 84 for 4. They were soon 87 for 5 as Maggy's golden arm did the trick again, with Archer falling LBW without scoring.
A mini-revival saw the score past 100, with the Ellis innings seeming to alternate at will between Charlie's watchful defence and Beelzebub's thunderous tonking. But a further Maggy-induced collapse accounted for Russell for 4 – nonchalantly caught by Nelly, the one-handed specialist – followed by Bonfield and Trewartha for ducks. (That, incidentally, made it six ducks in the innings, and 8 in total for the match.)
At 107 for 8, with seven wickets having fallen for 38 runs, the balance seemed finally to have tipped our way; and when Charlieelzebub was finally dismissed, bowled for 66 by a Yelland daisy-cutter – pretty much the only way we looked likely to shift him – Cross still required 23 to win.
But Millington (16*) and Worsnop (11*) – both upper order batsmen at 2nd team level, and very handy players to be coming in at 10 and 11 – weren't for giving up. They combined stout defence with powerful strokeplay, and despite several bowling changes from Yelly, we weren't able to fashion a further chance. A clipped two from Worsnop saw Cross over the line by one wicket, and an outstanding, fluctuating game slipped away from us.
For all the frustration of losing it at the last – it was suggested in the dressing room that Holy Cross were the winners, cricket came second and us third – matches like this are the reasons we play the game. There were several outstanding performances on both sides: Maggy (50 and 4-22), Jasir (26 and 1-24), Asif (with the ball at least) and Yelly (17 and 1-2) for us; Bonfield, Javed, Worsnop, Millington and the Ellises for Cross. The umpiring from Peter Hodgson was excellent, the weather perfect, and the post-match beers well-attended and convivial.
Congratulations to both teams on a great game of cricket, and to Holy Cross for their hard-earned victory. We look forward to renewing acquaintances at Arbo later in the season, and hopefully for many years to come.
MAGGY'S MAGIC IN VAIN AS CROSS CREEP HOME IN CLASSIC
MUFS 1s fell to only their second defeat of the season in an enthralling but galling 1-wicket loss to the old frenemies, Holy Cross, at Leith Academy.
Leith was bathed in sunshine for its annual gala day, and a fortnight of dry weather had left the pitch looking better than it had all season – that's to say, we could tell it apart from the rest of the square – so we were a little surprised and none too sorry when Cross skipper Simon McOscar elected to bowl on winning the toss.
Less than an hour later, the decision made rather more sense, as the MUFS top order was obliterated by some outstanding opening bowling from Worsnop and Bonfield. Adnan (0) was first to go, trapped in front by Worsnop, and Asif fell soon after for 2, chipping a full ball from Shannon to Charlie Ellis at mid-on. Crucially, in-form Luke followed next ball for a golden blodger, shouldering arms to Shannon and losing his middle peg.
Depending on who you listen to, the ball either cut back a yard and kept devilishly low, or cut back a couple of inches and was inexplicably left alone. Which Aussie to believe? It hardly mattered, because we were 4 for 3 and in severe danger of finishing in time to catch the final session at the Grange.
Jasir managed to survive the hat-trick ball, but when Farooq fell for 3 to give Worsnop (10-4-2-12) his second LBW of the match, the score stood at 16 for 4, and it was left to Jasir and the returning Maggy to rebuild the innings. Skipper Yelly watched on impassively, piping up only to compliment Ravi Bopara on his excellent batting for England in the Champions Trophy, and to thank Tom graciously for his helpful statistical updates on the MUFS innings (“projected score at current run rate: 50”).
Maggy and Jasir defended watchfully, and as the pitch calmed down a little, came up with a few well-chosen attacking shots and sharp singles. Together, they took the score to 43 before Jaz received an unplayable lifter from Ellis and was snaffled by Trewartha at slip for 26. Fin, promoted to number 7 by Yelly amidst the early carnage, came to the crease with his captain's positive encouragement still ringing in his ears (“And don't get ****ing run out!”). Fin batted with maturity for the second week running, staying with the increasingly expansive Maggy as 35 were added for the sixth wicket, before he was bowled by the returning Shannon for 4.
Beasty replaced him and soon began playing his shots, and he and Maggy put on a further 27 before falling in quick succession to Trewartha (2-46). Given the seaming, up and down pitch, Maggy's 50 was worth many more, and Richie's 14 helped to take MUFS past the 100 mark – an event that had looked distinctly unlikely in the early stages of the game.
Positive but sensible batting from Sam (15), Neil (17) and Tom (6*) boosted the score further, and took the innings into the 50th over, before Dougie Russell (2-28) rounded things off by having Neil stumped by McOscar (by around eight yards).
Our total of 145 all out was probably a little below par, even given the lively pitch, but it was way beyond our early expectations, and reflected a batting unit with a lot more steel about it than was the case for most of last season. Maggy and Jasir can claim particular credit for batting with skill and courage when the ball was still new and the pitch at its trickiest, creating a platform for the lower order to eke out some valuable late runs.
Among the bowlers, Worsnop's accuracy and movement and Ellis's slow-slow-slow-medium doggedness both deserve mention, but as so often against us, Shannon was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 10-4-13-3. Even in the 49th over, the batsmen (oh OK then, Tom) were looking to see him off and pick up whatever runs they could at the other end. Perhaps the MUFS could club together and buy him and his family a holiday that just happens to coincide with the return fixture at Arbo?
When Jaz skittled Mazher without a run on the board, the teatime nervousness among some of the Crossers – whose own batting had been distinctly fragile in recent games – began to look justified.
But we reckoned without Beelzebub Ellis: Charlie's evil twin, who had sneaked into the ground while tea was being taken. Unlike his brother, whose game is based on sound technique and patience, Beelzebub ran down the track to his first ball and clobbered Sam over wide mid-on for four. He and Raja Javed took the score to 69 in under 9 overs before the Beast, far from content at being thumped for a straight six by Raja, immediately trapped him LBW for 36.
When Jordan followed next ball, clean bowled by Beasty (2-40), we realised we were in with a sniff; and when Asif – who, believe it or not, was responsible for restoring some sanity to the situation, with a fine spell of 10-2-35-1 – had McOscar well caught by Richie at gully for 7, the visitors were 84 for 4. They were soon 87 for 5 as Maggy's golden arm did the trick again, with Archer falling LBW without scoring.
A mini-revival saw the score past 100, with the Ellis innings seeming to alternate at will between Charlie's watchful defence and Beelzebub's thunderous tonking. But a further Maggy-induced collapse accounted for Russell for 4 – nonchalantly caught by Nelly, the one-handed specialist – followed by Bonfield and Trewartha for ducks. (That, incidentally, made it six ducks in the innings, and 8 in total for the match.)
At 107 for 8, with seven wickets having fallen for 38 runs, the balance seemed finally to have tipped our way; and when Charlieelzebub was finally dismissed, bowled for 66 by a Yelland daisy-cutter – pretty much the only way we looked likely to shift him – Cross still required 23 to win.
But Millington (16*) and Worsnop (11*) – both upper order batsmen at 2nd team level, and very handy players to be coming in at 10 and 11 – weren't for giving up. They combined stout defence with powerful strokeplay, and despite several bowling changes from Yelly, we weren't able to fashion a further chance. A clipped two from Worsnop saw Cross over the line by one wicket, and an outstanding, fluctuating game slipped away from us.
For all the frustration of losing it at the last – it was suggested in the dressing room that Holy Cross were the winners, cricket came second and us third – matches like this are the reasons we play the game. There were several outstanding performances on both sides: Maggy (50 and 4-22), Jasir (26 and 1-24), Asif (with the ball at least) and Yelly (17 and 1-2) for us; Bonfield, Javed, Worsnop, Millington and the Ellises for Cross. The umpiring from Peter Hodgson was excellent, the weather perfect, and the post-match beers well-attended and convivial.
Congratulations to both teams on a great game of cricket, and to Holy Cross for their hard-earned victory. We look forward to renewing acquaintances at Arbo later in the season, and hopefully for many years to come.