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Last updated 03-Nov-2009.
Match Report
Purbrook IV clinched promotion after a comfortable win over our 4ths. It was not a good advert for club cricket with a poor pitch that got gradually worse as the day wore on. As the ball became older and softer, batting became harder with lower bounce and little pace, but with the occasional ball popping.
There was a personal pre-match disappointment as my Fantasy Cricket chances metaphorically went down the pan with Fraser Moon's diarrhoea, but my 4ths' picks could only muster modest morsels today too, certainly few runs! In retrospect, it is sad to say that Purbrook effectively won the match when they won the toss. While the ball was new and hard, run gathering was much more possible, but there was already enough in the conditions and a breeze across the pitch to help the bowlers. The highest score by any batsman was 31 and the highest stand 34. The first 8 overs, bowled by Martin Lander and Billy Taylor, saw just 3 scoring shots and 5 runs off the bat, bolstered by 8 extras. Martin swung one in late to trap the left hander lbw for a duck. Richard Azar, after 7 runs from his first over, followed with a wicket maiden and two further maidens and after Mark Hansford took his first catch of the season off Mike Brogan, Purbrook were 62-3 at drinks in the 21st over. After Sir Mike's second wicket, one tactic employed was to slog at anything missing the stumps but after two big sixes, the batsman picked out the safe hands of Will Jacobs on the boundary, moments after Captain Mark had moved him there. Needing 7 points for promotion, Purbrook tried to accelerate but were thwarted by generally good bowling, though they punished deliveries well when off line or length. Billy Taylor, Martin Lander and Sir Mike picked up victims near the end, Sir Mike finishing with desperately disappointing figures after last week of 4-33. The hosts closed on 168-9.
During tea, I spoke to an opponent and old acquaintance of 20 years past who smugly predicted that on that pitch we'd be all out for about 90. A decent batting line-up deserved greater confidence, but the pitch had already deteriorated significantly. It was cold enough now for me to ditch the sunhat for the woolly hat and the first 15 balls were chilling enough with Captain Mark, Paul Tosdevin and Rob Clinch all back in the hutch. This was the sort of crisis that the English solution is either to fake a blood injury or to go and make a cup of tea and thereafter we were never likely to drink the elixir of victory. The batsmen grafted manfully but only Stuart Raddon (18) and Graham Saunders (14) of the top eight reached double figures. Billy Taylor (14 not out) looked more at ease than most and he and Sir Mike at least took the score past half the target. Highlight was a classic square cut by Sir Mike for four before he was out for the first time this season, for 10. The bowling attack was reasonable and mostly accurate, bowling only 3 wides (against our 25) but were all flattered by their figures (10-6-12-3 in one case), receiving great help from the pitch and wind that had picked up considerably. 87 all out left us 3 short of the smug prediction and 81 short of the home score.
Our last game of the season thus saw our lowest total. It's been a mixed year with a top 8 finish, some good wins interspersed with disappointing defeats. Two batsmen accrued over 300 runs - Captain Mark (351) and Stuart (315) and top bowler was Sir Mike (27 wickets at 8.63, and a wicket every 14.4 balls), honorary mentions for 3rd team kidnap hostage Dr Mike (21 wickets), Richard Azar (17) and Grumpy Mark (14). Colts performances have been mixed and it is not appropriate for me to detail further here, but suffice to say that four league sides are not sufficient to give all deserving cases a game each week. Let's hope that comes in 2010.
