Stirling Dynamics Vs Venturers, Wednesday August 28th

Venturers 105-6; Stirling Dynamics 58

Filton is a long way from Bath, at least in terms of time, and the last week of August a late time to be playing evening cricket. As in a well-publicised recent case, the match ended in twilight with four scheduled overs to go, but in our case it was because we had bowled them out.

For most of our innings, though, it didn’t look as if we would win. The very first over included a wide and a no-ball, and Chris M hit a couple of fours, but the bowler’s trouble with his run-up lasted no longer and thereafter he was quick and straight. His colleague at the other end shuffled unpromisingly to the crease and then bowled cleverly varied spin which almost all of us found very hard to play. He bowled Chris: the ball just clipped the off stump, and then hit the keeper’s pads and rebounded onto the leg stump, so that both bails came off. It wasn’t immediately obvious what had happened but Chris, who knew, walked off straight away.

Matt had by this time played inside one at the other end, but Saad, aided perhaps by being small and therefore able to play back more, took a liking to the spinner and hit him for the only six of the match. He got a lifter at the other end and gloved it. The faster bowler was then replaced with flat, undeviating but accurate medium pace. Roger missed one of those, and Kevin drove Yamin uppishly and was the victim of the first of three spectacular catches in the match, one-handed above his head by a surprised-looking extra cover. Both Roger and Kevin had made useful scores, though.

Ian started scratchily and survived a close LBW appeal, but Chris H timed the ball well and when Stirling ran out of specialist bowlers in the last few overs Ian took over. Our final score still felt a bit light, on a good pitch with a fast outfield.

Chris H and Kevin both bowled well, which we needed them to do: the opening batsmen appeared very competent. The first breakthrough, though, came from a loose ball from Kevin, which was flicked to square leg. After that the scoring rate fell and they got one more wicket each, but the other opener (Tim, who has kept wicket for us too this season) is a known good batsman. Matt, though, out-thought him, moving Yameen’s friend Alex from gully to point and immediately inducing a catch there.

This started a sudden and total collapse, although there was enough time and there were good batsmen around. A competent left-hander tapped a ball from Gregory to Saad at square leg, was sent back by his partner and nearly run out, edged the next ball to Kevin and set off, was sent back again and didn’t get there. Yameen lofted Gregory straight into Simon’s hands.

It was getting dark by now. Gregory was taken off so that Simon could have his end and he could later have Matt’s so that we could use only five bowlers (we had no more). Another lofted drive, off Matt this time, comfortably cleared mid-off, but Ian ran from deep extra cover and caught the second spectacular catch, taken very low as he slid round.

Simon finished the tail off quickly. He was assisted by Gregory’s crepuscular catch, the most astonishing if not the most difficult of the three, taken at a stretch with his left hand off a well-hit drive. It astonished mainly for the contrast with Gregory’s recent attempts to catch the ball with both hands in broad daylight, which have been entirely unsuccessful. One more missed slog at Simon, and we had finished.

Scorecard <table id="scorecardframe"> <tr> <td> <table id="scorecard"><tr> <td>Chris M</td> <td> 9 </td> </tr><tr class="alt"> <td>Matt R</td> <td> 8 </td> </tr><tr> <td>Saad</td> <td> 16 </td> </tr><tr class="alt"> <td>Kevin</td> <td> 16 </td> </tr><tr> <td>Roger</td> <td> 5 </td> </tr><tr class="alt"> <td>Ian</td> <td> 21 n.o. (1ct) </td> </tr><tr> <td>Chris H</td> <td> 14 </td> </tr><tr class="alt"> <td>Alex P</td> <td> 2 n.o. (1ct) </td> </tr><tr> <td>Simon </td> <td> d.n.b. (1ct) </td> </tr><tr class="alt"> <td>Gregory </td> <td> d.n.b. (1ct) </td> </tr><tr> <td></td> <td> </td> </tr></table></td><td class="gap"></td><td style="width:250"><table id="scorecard">