Hugh Jardon continues and is back to report on the first home game of the season! Something most clubs take for granted. But when you’re Nomadian such as the Bays these games are a treat. Down Hatherley CC have graciously allowed us to use their tucked away ground with a lovely set up. A good track for batting, fine club house, some impressive looking nets and a very friendly host in Michelle who looked after us from the get go.
Of course, as we’re not use to playing as the home team, there was a little teething period. For one. Half the team had automatically went straight into the away changing room to dump their kit upon arrival. And two, “oh we better set up the pitch” was said 5 mins before scheduled match start.
So one quick look around the club house and stumps and bails found and the wicket was set. “Oh we better sort out the boundary too.” Followed. With rope and flags provided, now just the simple task of circumnavigating the ground and laying out both. You think it would be simple. But this is Bayshill and simple isn’t something we simply do.
So after we tangled and untangled both rope drums, because somehow one got threaded through the other. And also deciding to use the longer of the two ropes to mark out the shorter side of the pitch. We finally had something that resembled a boundary.
Bayshill to bowl first. 35 overs game. Let’s get to it!
Angus “Gun” “Gas” Guthrie to open the bowling. For the past two weeks Angus has hit two impressive 50s. Today though, he was quick to realise there were no youth players in the opposition line up. Thus scared, he hastily decided he was a bowler again to preserve his average.
Jayesh and Kish we’re the batters for the away team. Who I have I’ve just realised I’ve yet to introduce. Visiting today was Cheltenham Asian Sports CC. A team who we’ve had the honour of hosting for the last two years and each game has been cracking. The matches have always been played in the right spirit that is Sunday cricket (no wk run outs here) and this year was no exception.
Jayesh and Kish had the honour of facing Gus who was bowling with some pace on the quick deck. Michael the Magic Man Harding opened at the other. And decided he was happy trundling in this week. A steady start and after 6 overs CACC were 19 for no loss.
Angus in his 4th over took the first wicket of the match. An LBW and Jayesh was out scoring 13 runs. Amit replaced him, and it became apparent that the two batsmen now at the crease have enjoyed many a partnership together.
Angus and Michael completed their 7 over spells apiece with the score moving into 64-1. Angus (1-30) and Michael (0-29). A nice platform set, but Bays happy with the run rate. Tom and Colin were the change bowlers and tasked with the challenge of breaking up this set partnership.
A tough challenge indeed. Amit and Kish enjoyed the fast outfield off Tom’s “Heavy ball bowling”. And they also capitalised well on Colin’s caterpillar cake serving of deliveries.
Fifty was brought up for Amit, who sportingly decided he would retire at the end of Colins over. However, Colin had other ideas. Much akin to the match recently played at Lords, Colin adopted a leg side trap. Which absolutely wasn’t set due to a little wayward bowling.
So trying his best to not bowl on the leg side, and of course we all know where it went, Amit (hoping to cash in on the last few balls of his innings) had a mighty swipe. The ball flew high, and found itself taken on the boundary by Toffee Chris Weyman at deep square leg for 56.
Kish was joined by Kap. And Bays’s first change bowlers finished their spells with Tom 0-36. And Colin 1-40. Colin happy he got a wicket, and Tom happy he actually bowled an inswinger. Finally after 20+ years.
With the game in the balance, only one man could be brought on for the Bays bowling attack. A player who has taken the most wickets for the bayshill and can swing it round corners. And that player is none other than the great nephew of the man previously described.
Jamie Liley, enjoying his breakthrough season struck with his Second ball (most unusual as he usually takes a wicket with his first). A delivery in the corridor of uncertainty and Kip edged it. A leaping salmon of a Gully fielder in Adrian Nobby Silver Fox Pierce snaffled the ball.
An early (very early dive), and The Silver Salmon himself decided to disobey the laws of physics. He seemed to levitate for a surprising amount of time and took the catch to his right. Clutching the cherry and impressively not scraping the ball along the ground like a certain incident at Lords. Kip department for 4 and the skipper Mil entered the game.
Saunders and Jamie vs Kish and Mil was the final dual of bat vs ball. With momentum swinging to either team each over. Going into the final 6 deliveries the score on 214 with Kish on 88. The young bowler in Jamie was entrusted with the ball to see the innings out.
A big six second ball of the over and Kish moved into the nervous 90s. A chance for a ton! However, Jamie had over ideas and very tight bowling at the death stopped Kish in his tracks and only two additional singles were scored. CACC finished on a double nelson. 222-3
If you’re wearing a protective boot, you are kindly asked to put both feet up for the rest of the report due to the score.
After tea (which included an ice cream for yours truly here, kindly bought by Helen Skitt)
And the chase started. Nobby and Crazy – Bays long term openers headed to the crease. Unfortunately for the bays, disaster struck! And third bowl of the innings CACC celebrated with Jayesh who bowled Crazy for a golden.
Steve P at 3 replaced him. And the pair that looked very good last week, looked even better this week. Fortunately, no AVD curse occurred and both got to 50 and retired. Both their innings consisting of a variety of fours in all directions of the ground. It was looking pretty good for the Bays! Adrian 50 off 51 with a whopping ten 4s. Steve 50 off 44 which included 8 fours and 1 six!
Toffee Chris (who ritually only bats at an equal number unless it’s 11) was technically in at 3 due to the retirements. Which he did not enjoy being told as he walked out to replace Steve P. Shortly afterwards AVD who hates opening the batting replaced Nobby so he was technically number 1 although the logic was lost on him.
With the run rate required at just over a run a ball, these two batted sensibly and kept the score within sights. Toffee the more aggressive of the two slapped many a ball down through the covers and mid off. Bringing up his 50 in exactly 50 balls with 9 fours.
Soggy Saunders in at 6 (which technically was 3) came into play. The bowling maestro has been in impressive form with the bat recently posting a number of not out cameos at the back end of the the last few innings. So this would be his bread and butter. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case. An attempted late cut and Soggy found the man at gully who took the second wicket of the innings. And only the 5th of the match. Soggy departed contributing 3 to the total.
Magic Man Harding in next. And a change of bowler for CACC. The spinners were off, and pace was brought back on. Which, for those who know AVD, is exactly what he wants. At a pivotal moment of the game, AVD stepped up and hit 4 boundaries in one over putting the bays in touching distance of their target.
Michael decided he also wanted to get in on the action and hit two fours out of the three he faced and ended 8 not out. The score was reached with two overs to spare and AVD finished with 42* off as many balls with 6 fours.
Six in a row now for The Bays on Sundays! Yes we are ignoring the midweek game and the one that got rained off! Because we can!
The party atmosphere continued. Patch invaded Shower Club – Rod would be proud. A CACC player who wished to remain anonymous celebrated his 40th birthday. And an excellent cake was shared in the club house.
Few went off to The House in the Tree whilst others remained with the opposition at the Club house. All enjoyed their post match refreshments and Nobby was declared player of the match for his excellent innings and catch.
Who’s next for the Bays? Why it’s Ullenwood. Can Bays make it 7? Will AVD finally hit a 6? What dessert will Tom have for tea next week? Will Rod be allowed back in shower club? And will Steve P actually read this far in the match report.
Tune in next week on Dragonball Z… I mean Bayshill CC.
Come on the bays!