AVCC v Collingbourne
Well, another cold, windy night and we arrived at Collingbourne for a 20/20 game. Long grassy outfield, undulating track and a new look AVCC.
We had a new captain for the night - Tim Gent - 1 new player (still at school) Hugh Norman (very welcome), a couple of returnees from last season playing their first game this year - Billy King and Will Chalk - and more than half the team not having batted more than 4-5 overs in total between them all season. Felt like a novices XI, except that several of them showed the "new blonde" coloured hair of men of a certain experience and maturity.
As we were short at the start of play, we were allowed to bat. Gentlemenly start from Collingbourne. However, it was quickly noticed they had a number of fit looking new players who seemed to play this game rather well.
Well the first over was good. 6-0 with Geoff Smith opening with a well struck 4 off the 3rd ball. In fact, this is a probably a good time to stop this match report as it all went downhill from there……if you can’t bear the proceedings, please look away now.
Next over, after a traditional dropped catch off a well-struck shot, Simon Borthwick - our reliable big hitting opener - went for just 2 caught mid off. 10-1 off 2. No panic. Matt Haslett came in and played 10 dot balls before getting off the mark, clearly subdued by his former team-mates and forgetting this was a 20/20. Geoff Smith kept things ticking over until departing (stumped!!! we don’t do that normally) for a well taken 12 (off 20 balls) in the 6th over, 22-2. Slow but OK. Young Hugh Norman came in and looked stylish
Matt soon went bowled first ball from Cork for 2. 23-2. Hugh was then joined by our oldest player - Dudley Perrin - of pensionable age and were subdued by good bowling from Cork and Jones. Dudley departed for 2 (becoming a pattern) bowled Cork in his next over and Will Chalk followed in Cork’s next over, also bowled by a low ball for (wait for it)…2. This was Will’s first appearance for the year and he did strike a lovely looking shot for his runs. 30-4 off 10. Not looking good at half-way. Alex Richardson strode in to form our youngest ever partnership with Hugh (thank God for half-term) but unfortunately we were soon 32-5 as Alex went for a duck and it quickly became 39-7 as Hugh was caught for 7.
So Billy King (1st appearance of the season) and Peter Williams had plenty of time to put things right. Or not. Peter was bowled for 1 and we were 41-8. Graham Newland came in and duly hit his first ball for 4, and formed a brief cameo revival with Billy who hit a couple of sweet 4’s as the energy in the game was restored. However, soon snuffed out as Billy went for a rapid 12 and we were 59-9. Tim and Graham kept going for a while but we subsided in the 19th over on 63 all out, Tim on his obligatory 1 not out (he’s building his average with patience) and Graham getting caught for 6 hitting out.
So much despair at half-time. Actually more like lethargy and resignation. Not a lot to defend and our smallest 20/20 total ever.
They came in with a new opener (Mair) who despatched us far and wide for 37 not out (note to Tim…you are supposed to negotiate batters to retire on 25). Matt and Alex did keep the first 2 overs scoring rate down; 0-2 off 2, but then by the 11 over they were on 63. Alex did get their other opener out thanks to a smart catch from Tim which was dealt with petulantly by the opener who abused the umpire on his way off. That was the most excitement we had for their innings. We were a little confused that they took to the 13th over to hit the winning run but they seemed to want to contrive their number 3 to hit this run…perhaps it was his birthday….they never let us know and just kept us freezing our vitals off in the gloom and wind. So in short, we lost by 9 wickets and our record breaking winning run came to a calamitous end.
Highlights of our bowling…..Alex Richardson looked assured and bowled well 1-9 off 3 overs; Hugh Norman looked like a useful spin bowler and had their no.3 in trouble (0-1 off 1); Billy King’s return with a variable height (that’s a novelty) and length; a lot of extras off Matt, and a disturbing sight of Matt following their captain’s instructions. Having bowled consistently down the off-side and being hit that side, Matt added a fielder down the offside. Good move. Brett, their captain, shouted at him..bowl wide down the leg now….which Matt then did….4 wides……hmmmm.
Drinks with Collingbourne at the Barleycorn afterwards were much more pleasurable, especially as they served good food too.
Time to build a new streak and set some new, more positive records…..