Venturers vs Rode
Sunday 22nd July 2007
Author: Ian Gillard
Lost by 2 runs. Rode 182-9 Venturers 1759(?)-8
July has, it is fair to say, been pretty wet. Rode have had quite a number of games cancelled this season, but if their lack of practice affected most of their team there was one notable exception. The Sulis pitches were deserted but we were booked on Pitch 2 anyway, despite the two notable puddles just off the square and when Duncan won the toss he inserted our opponents on a damp but drying pitch.
Kevin and Chintan opened the bowling and Kevin’s first 3 overs conceded just 7 runs and included a wicket maiden. The wicket itself was surprising as the ball rocketed off the pitch and he gloved the ball at shoulder height, which Roger snaffled with the gloves. The batsman was as surprised as everyone else, but perhaps thankful that the ball was not straighter as he had declined to wear a helmet. Chintan was equally miserly conceding just 26 from his 6-over spell, and 33 from 8 overs including a maiden. Kevin’s wicket brought in a broad shouldered number 3 who batted steadily with the rest of his team and was really the only credible batting threat we faced against our heavyweight bowling attack.
Throughout the first innings we were never more than his key wicket away from a very gettable total, but with the big hitting number 3 firmly rooted it was down to some good fielding that the score finished where it did. Early he cut the ball in the air to Kevin’s right at point, but he could not hold on with one hand and after that he started to hit the good balls as well as the bad ones. At times when Simon was bowling he looked uncomfortable and numerous hits fell agonisingly between fielders, but that was the crucial difference between their innings and ours. Kevin bowled through with 2-25, while Simon followed Chintan with some consistent spin bowling. Chintan removed their other opener just as he reached double figures, and Kevin’s second wicket was his twin brother batting at 4. The next batsman batted for quite a while but Simon nearly had him out several times before bowling him, and after that the remaining batsmen got 10 between them. Duncan bowled his usual good quality, but couldn’t remove the big man.
If we could have got the prized wicket a bit earlier we were more than a match for Rode, but when he did finally give a regulation top edge off Rob B, which was gratefully taken by Ian G at short cover, and he walked off to applause all round, finishing his innings on 112. Rob B and Andy Y then cleaned up most of the tail leaving Rode 182-9 at the close. Rode commented that the tea was particularly tasteless, but England were busily causing India some trouble at Lords and the tea could be ignored more easily than normal. The Lords pitch drainage system has been in heavy use recently, and it is a wonder that play has been possible at all since the outfield has been a couple of feet under water during the course of the match. This is noteworthy only because it seems likely that local clubs will need a similar system for us to be able to play any cricket at all in future English summers. Indeed it may be that covered pitches will be less of a luxury and more of a necessity in the coming years if this year is anything to go by.
We returned to our own pitch with the sun still shining and Roger and Richard took the honours, with Matt, Duncan and Ian G following. Roger has been in excellent touch recently, and taken 50 in his last two innings without losing his wicket on either occasion. The bowling up the hill was of a decent pace and pretty accurate, but both batsmen looked comfortable. The bowling down the hill was equally consistent, but he was a quickish off-break spin bowler, with a run-up longer than many seamers and a curious action. The impact he had on the game though reminded us of a painfully slow ‘spin’ bowler who managed to remove half the team back in May. This bowler was much, much better, and Roger chipped a simple catch to mid-wicket. Matt took guard but his first ball was a bit loose outside off stump and he gave the ball a good crack in the air through cover. Had it gone 5 yards either side of the fielder it would have been a few runs, but despite more juggling than a circus act the fielder held on to it. The pitch had produced uneven bounce during Rode’s innings and some extra bounce was probably responsible for the ball lifting to the fielder. Fortunately our batting order was filled with handy batsmen and there was no real cause for concern despite these early losses. Duncan and Richard looked comfortable but perhaps too comfortable as Richard clipped the ball off his pads to square leg off the last ball of the next over. Ian G took guard against the spinner but his first ball was on a good length and maybe bounced a bit, producing a ballooning top edge to gully. Ian sometimes seems reluctant to leave the crease on getting out so soon but eventually walked, which saved Simon a difficult conversation with the fielders who, despite celebrating, had apparently forgotten to appeal.
The score was 13 for 4 in the 6th over, and a far cry from the usual good start that is immediately followed by a collapse. This time we took a more direct approach and moved straight to the collapse. Against the Civil Service we were in a similarly dire position but pulled off a win, and with a full team of handy batsman we could still hope. The task was a big one and Kevin and Duncan proceeded to put together a platform-building partnership. The main aim was not to lose any more wickets, but this was only possible at the expense of runs. The low run rate wasn’t helped by the consistency of our opponents who gave us very few extras throughout the match. Their centurion was a bit of a one-man show and bowled 2 maidens in his 6-over spell, going for just 11 in all, while the rest of the attack were no mugs either and the bowler who eventually did for Kevin, LBW for 20, went for only 5 off his 4 overs, including a maiden.
Against such bowling the task was looking impossible, and while the disastrous first 10 overs saw 31 scored for the loss of 4 wickets, the next 10 saw just 16 runs scored although Kevin was the only man to fall. Duncan had to work hard for his eventual 50, which he described as the “scratchiest fifty you’ll ever see”. Scratchy perhaps, but he modestly overlooked the fact that after the shaky start the Venturers batted 31 overs for the loss of just 2 wickets, and his innings was a key part of that success. Duncan reached his fifty in fine form, producing his now trademark stratospheric 6 over long-on to bring up his fifty. Perhaps the applause broke his concentration though as he missed the next ball and was bowled for a Captain’s innings of 51.
Chintan has often been a rock in the batting line-up and a cursory look through previous matches finds his name in their in the middle order producing something useful. This innings was particularly special though, and where the first 20 overs had brought a safe 47 runs, the fruits of this cautious approach were that the next 10 brought 53. When Duncan fell Fluffy joined him in the middle, and in the 32nd over had to start by facing the opening bowlers who had been brought back early to stem the flow. Fortunately he was the ideal man to have at this stage with a solid defensive technique and an eye for a quick single, which is exactly what is required to keep the scoreboard ticking with the other batsman well set. This theory is proved by the addition of 40 for the next wicket, and when he was run out trying to push the total it was an example of a team contribution rather than an error. Chintan reached his 50 in the same way as Duncan - a huge 6 over midwicket, leaving 31 needed off the last 3 overs. Andy Y and Chintan came close, scoring 10 off the penultimate over and 11 in the final over. Chintan was run out in a mix-up with only a couple of balls left, but we needed sixes, and he finished a brilliant innings on 56. Andy Y was not-out with a rapid-fire 15, with Simon I think yet to face a ball. Rode bowled very well throughout and it was the 34th over before they bowled a wide. They conceded just 18 extras, which is a creditable effort, and despite Chintan in full flow, none of their bowlers looked like deer in the headlights.
Actually, despite the loss this game was full of positives. Even
after the dreadful start the game was decided only in the final over, and
this showed the depth of batting in the Venturers at the moment. The breadth
of bowling is also very encouraging with some solid support and plenty
of bowling options to back up our regular performers. In fact in the end
only an excellent century innings kept them in the match – the other 9
bats got 58 between them – and we can look forward to the final game of
the season with some optimism.