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Fixtures and Results | Match Reports

Date Against H/A Link Result Captain/Score
Sun 6 / 7 / 2014 Blackwood Home (YW) Won by 52 runs. Old Mo 223-8. Oppo 171

SCORECARD

Blackwood Defeated Beneath Blackened Skies

Old Moseley Arms Fitmen 223-8, Blackwood Cavaliers 171 All Out

Old Moseley Arms win by 52 runs

A glorious summer’s afternoon at Ashfield greeted both teams. A much changed and just about scraped together Fitmen XI welcomed the sociable and competitive Blackwood Cavaliers from the East End of Birmingham.

Winning the toss and deciding to bat was perhaps a mixed blessing for Il Capitano with the "flexible" batting order being decided very much on the criteria of "there's only a couple of players who can do the scoring and Tucker isn't here yet". Though seemingly firm, it was apparent that Friday/Saturday's rain had affected the wicket, with quite a few tricks being played on the batsmen. First to depart was the “new” opener Raj Singh, but Tom Caesar and Martin Chisholm were soon in their stride, putting on 40 for the 2nd wicket in quick time, but thereafter a clatter of wickets for 12 runs saw the Fitmen in trouble at 67-5 after 17 overs.

Enter Sunny Singh to the fray, who in playing his finest innings for the Fitmen treated the bad ball with disdain and the good ball with solid defence, to swing the match very much in the Fitmen’s favour. First he was accompanied by Chris Jones, in the elevated position of No.5, who batted with careful defence and elegant off-side strokes, then the delayed Mark Tucker, in the unfamiliar position of No.8, who similarly exploited anything that strayed from the straight and narrow.

The entertainment still continued, even after Sunny’s departure with cameos from our hairdressing duo of Tony and Guy: the Chairman himself recording a couple of boundaries. When did that last happen?

A score of 223 was felt to be challenging on an uncertain pitch and far better than could have been anticipated at around 3.30 p.m.
Tea was Fitmen “standard” i.e. first class; Sunny’s chicken wings, Raj’s pakoras, Rob’s scones, Tom and Guy’s sandwiches were devoured with relish, with no scraps being left to be thrown to the peasants.

Blackwood are noted for having good batsmen, but with a strong bowling line-up it was felt that the target would present them a stiff challenge. And so it transpired under blackened skies. Thunder and lightning were all around, leading to the hooter on the golf course being sounded, but fortunately most passed to the north of the Graveyard, with only a brief interruption for rain.

For once, cunning plans - as cunning as a fox that has just been appointed Professor of Cunning at Oxford University - were to come to fruition as the Blackwood batsmen came and went with regularity, yet never once took a backward step, which is to their great credit. It would be churlish to place one bowler above the other, though Sunny proved troublesome to the opposition and the Chairman, after his first over was as parsimonious as ever. Cracking catches were taken, not least by Chiz, for once in an outfield position and so it was to be the case that victory was secured in the 31st over of the Blackwood innings with 52 runs still required

By happy coincidence, it was to be the case that all bowlers used gained reward for their efforts, including Il Capitano, whose first wicket of the season ended the match courtesy of a low catch by Chiz at a cunningly placed extra-cover.

Sadly, the day was marred by a dislocated finger to the Chairman trying to take a sharp chance at gully. At the time of writing the full prognosis is not yet known.

UPDATE: No lasting damage to Tony's finger, and he will duly take his place in the President's XI next Sunday.