28/08/2010

The Saturday Team beat Oldfield Park by 2 wickets (sort of, but in the spirit of the game more like -3 wickets)

The Saturday Team’s season was going swimmingly until we met bottom of the table Oldfield Park at Frenchay, they posted 108 and in an exciting finish we did not. Our season then headed, if not South, maybe South by South West. Putting a very strong XI out for the return match against a team who were now  second from bottom but who could only managing to field 8 players, lightening surely could not strike twice. Oh, but dear reader as you will know by now it not only strikes twice it sometimes strikes thrice.

So it was that we arrived in an odd little cleft where the climate was warm, wet and windy (like my men). A pitch inspection revealed that it to be so soggy that no one was willing to risk their car keys. The opposition skipper with only 8 players at his disposal suggested to Uberpops that we should forgo the toss and allow them to bat first so that we could at least “make a game of it”. Prophetic words indeed.

With the wind whistling down the cleft, making controlling the bowling difficult, Garner and Budge opened up. The batsmen stood firm and tried not to do anything rash on a treacherous strip. They chugged along at a comfortable 3 an over until, after the first bowling change, their number 1 stood on his own wicket. Not that most of us had noticed, so his sudden departure without so much as an appeal caused a little confusion until Gretch pointed out what had happened.

Fighting the wind Dodger also struggled with his line and was not helped by an umpire who called a wide for anything missing middle. His first over included an impressive 5 wide deliveries which prompted him to ask Gretch if it was swing or just shit.  With lots of wickets left the foe enjoyed a little thrash at the end and reached 143 for 5. Not a bad score in terrible batting conditions. Roger ended up taking 3 wickets and Rob got 2. Budge in an impressive display of controlled bowling went for 22 off his 8 overs even though he was bowling at the death while the foe made hay.

There was an eccentric mix of fielding on display. Garner fell over to produce a stunning stop on the boundary and Ev let the now obligatory one go through his legs. Rob, haring round the boundary went for a catch but ended up palming it for six before tumbling to the ground head first and almost rendering himself unconscious. Seeing a chance to get us down to 10 men the batsman tried to persuade Rob to give up and go home but our brave boy continued manfully if a little groggily. [Read more →]

21/08/2010

No game

22/08/2010

The Sunday 1st team lost to Bristol Indians by 51 runs. Bolts reports thus:

If tension, sledging, bickering and all-out gamesmanship are your thang, then this was the match for you as this table-topping clash continually threatened to spill over. The cowboys versus the Indians in the wild west wasn’t this rough.

The captaincy team had been working on a plan for the Indians for the last few weeks; step one fell into place as we won the toss and put the Indians in to bat on a wet and sticky wicket at Coombe Dingle. The second part of the plan fell into place too as a determined effort in the field and a cunning change of bowler order left the Indians all out in the 38th over for ‘just’ 151. Two rare run outs, 7 wickets shared between the Afghans and 1 from Aran saw them off. The centurion from the last game between us: Sahil Patel still managed to top score for the Indians but this time only made 25 and saw much, premature, rejoicing. It wasn’t in the plan that the Afghan / Indian banter would begin to escalate into feuding and vitriol. gathering the team together on 30 overs could not stem the flow of insults between each team but at least it stopped us bickering at each other as the tension and adrenalin coursed through our veins.There are things to work on in this team, staying positive with each other, not screaming to ensure a catch is about to be dropped, not winding up the opposition when you are on top – thus making them play harder, all things that can be addressed with some carefully chosen words and some more experience for the Afghans in game situations. [Read more →]

14/08/2010

The Saturday Team game against Whitchurch was rained off.

15/05/2010

The Sunday1st Team beat Blackwell Flax-Bourton and his chums by 58 runs. TT reports thus:

There may be no such thing as full employment in the world of economics and job markets, but in the Easton Cowboys Sunday 1st XI’s match against Backwell Flax Bourton, everyone bent their back in one direction or another to help pull off a convincing 59 run victory.

After the previous day’s deluge there wasn’t much doubt as to what to do with a winning toss on a damp, spongy, green wicket and so it was that the opposition inserted the Cowboys when the coin fell on their side. Not only did skipper Bolts lose the toss but before there was a run on the board he’d lost his wicket to a well taken catch too. Wilki steadied the ship against the young guns who were proving difficult to tonk away, a task not aided by the long boundary and damp, lush outfield.

When Justin departed having just reached double figures, it was clear that it was going to be a relatively low scoring game and despite positive intent, Harry struggled to overtake that mark and returned to the pavilion with the score on 48 for 3. Hidayat and Wilki then punched and deftly dabbled a partnership of thirty until the latter went to the fourth catch of the innings.

Meanwhile, across the other side of the country at RAF Scampton, some rather powerful BAE Systems engines were warming up and sat navs being set for our vicinity. Yes, Europe’s largest arms exporter was headed our way and things were about to get a bit dicey.

On the pitch, or more accurately, behind the stumps, the gamesmanship had been cranking up since the start. Admittedly your own correspondent was very lucky to survive several balls that gated him and missed the stumps by a whisker and was having trouble pulling off any confident scoring shots. Being constantly reminded of this from behind the stumps didn’t help and the intensity of the chatter threatened to drown out the sound of the approaching Red Arrows after surviving a confident appeal for an edge behind that wasn’t.

Hidayat on the other hand was now well warmed up and threatening to score the first boundary of the innings with each missile he launched into the outfield. The score was beginning to get some colour in its cheeks and the fielding side were getting increasingly frustrated. And then a misfire went vertical high above the pitch, the keeper advanced a few paces, quite capable of catching the ball in his mouth and Hidayat called his partner for a pointless run.

The non-striker had already done much running of late and what with the large figure of the approaching keeper and the other incoming fielders, the road through was looking congested. Besides, why deprive the new batsman of the opportunity of being on strike? He loudly declined the futile offer, sending Hidayat in search of the crease he’d just left. Unfortunately the keeper now occupied the space directly behind the batsman, who turned hastily and immediately collided with him, breaking his box in the process and staggering injured to the turf within his ground. In the melee, the keeper dropped the ball and the opposition were understandably a bit peeved. It was all rather unfortunate but clearly not intentional.

Hidayat now required a runner (Wilki) to continue and if that didn’t make it chaotic enough, the Red Arrows were by now looping the loop and farting coloured smoke above our heads.

The fifth wicket and catch were taken with the score on 144 with a strong tail still to come in support of Hidayat, now well past his fifty and having finally penetrated the boundary, to the audible delight of one of the visiting umpires. Perhaps inevitably with a runner on the field, Hidayat was finally run out for 78 and the Cowboys eventually finished on 169 for 7, whatever the scoreboard might have said.

Given the depth of the bowling attack, the Cowboys took to the field after tea with confidence, Harry and Sayed tying down the openers with fine spells and Martin and Sadat following up with tight inroads into the opposition’s early order who, thanks to some snappy and highly commendable keeping from Reg and attention to duty in the field, found themselves behind the run rate at 33 for 3.

There followed a mid order partnership of over fifty which though never threatening proved hard to shift, the ball always somehow being batted just out of reach of the fielders. It was shortly after the batsmen were heard to say that they were cruising it that Hidayat made the breakthrough, Dave L following with a great spot of bowling to reduce BFB to 91 for 5 with a long way to go.

The Cowboys had sniffed blood. Sayed returned for another spell and Hidayat’s safe hands at long off made it 95 for 6, then Bolts shrieked and juggled in the deep off Dave L to make it 96 for 7. Sayed dispensed with the need for fielders by spearing in a couple of exocets to hit the base of the stumps, ending with figures of 4 for 11 as the opposition limped to close on nelson for nine with a tad of last wicket resistance.

Hidayat was voted Man Of The Match for his great all-round performance and the cider moment was shared between Bolt’s startled, juggled catch and the mid pitch melee.

This report was originally posted on Green Lung.

Scorecard

Well done to the men’s 11 a-side team and the 7 a-side team for winning  in York over the weekend.

04/08/2010

The friendly cricket team played a 20/20 match against Ram CC at Bath University. Ram batted first and with each player getting to bowl 2 overs each they reached 160 with some impressive biffing and a fast outfield. Billy pulled off an amazing caught & bowled and Alan took two difficult skiers. With the Sun setting and the dew settling the boundaries slowed considerable… well that is our excuse.  Unable to hit any 4s Grove and Jeffer had to run like loons, something that continued when Alan arrived at the crease. Having just run a 3 Alan and Grove set off for a 2, which due to an overthrow became a 3, which in turn became a 4 with a second over throw. Grove only just managed to complete the 4th run and then had to be helped from the field to have a lie down. In such a fashion the cowboys managed to reach 140 odd. The Rams then took us to the pub and fed us.

07/08/2010

The Saturday Team beat Midsomer Norton by 79 runs.

With Ubes still on holiday Ev and Roger guided our brave boys to victory. The Cowboys won the toss and batted first getting to 217 for 7. Iggy got 75, Wilko got 55 and Ev got 32.

In reply MSN got to 138 all out from 32.1 overs. Kalu opened the bowling with 8 overs, 22 runs for 2 wickets and Wilko also picked up 2 wickets bowling just 2 overs at the death. The other wickets were evenly spread.

Full Scorecard Here

08/08/2010

The Sunday 1st Team did not have a game. [Read more →]

Broken fingers and broken dreams.

31/07/2010

The Saturday Team lost to GWR by 1 wicket.

Sometimes cricket can be a painful affair, you become aware after 10 overs that you are going to lose but you have to endure the next six hours to play out a certain conclusion. In contrast this one had ups and downs, twists and turns and a thrilling climax. Once the disappointment of losing fades the realisation that we were in one hell of a game will become apparent

With Uberpops on a 300 themed holiday and presumably strutting round Centre Parks’ version of Sparta in his tight leather Speedos it was up to Gibbo to captain his merry band of what could be loosely termed men. With an awesome bowling attack lined up and slightly muggy, overcast conditions all he needed to do was win the toss and put the foe in to bat, we would then skittle them out for under 120, which we would knock off with ease and be home early for tea, medals and Brasilians. Well, that was the plan, unfortunately Gibbo lost the toss and the foe put us into bat… bugger. Paln B then, which was to go steady at 4 runs and over and accelerate past 220 in the last 15 overs, then watch with amusement as the foe got pinned down by surgically precise bowling, panic and go after Kalu tossing up catch after catch which we pluck nimbly from the air with an easy grace. So much for the theory. [Read more →]