SCORECARD

Saturday Side Set Simple Score. Success? Sorry.

Oak and Ash 147 All Out v Fitmen 140 All Out

Oak and Ash Win by 7 Runs

There are times when losing with just 7 runs required would be seen as a good effort. "We did well to chase that, but we just couldn't get there in the end". However when that score is a paltry 147 and the batsmen leave it up to the bowlers, there's more a sense of "what just happened"? Can we put this down to the unusual Saturday fixture?

With our landlords Moseley Ashfield playing their President's Match on Sunday, the fixture v Oak and Ash was rearranged to both a Saturday and at Britannic Park. The only match of the season at a different home pitch, which just happened to be the location for the last encounter with this opposition. Previously, the rain led to an abandoned match after 15 overs and 112 runs. However on this occasion, the forecast met the prediction of Schafernaker....oh how those 112 runs would have been useful.

Due to the unusual match day and mass camping sessions, players were hard to come by but Captain Tuckerrrr was able to get 11, including a Scot making not only a Fitmen debut but a cricket debut. What a match to feature in!

The day was beautiful, the sun was out, the wicket was hard and the outfield looked quick (and very down hill-ish). The double sided coin did it's usual trick and the Cap'n inserted the visitors (to get it over with), much to the disgust of Sharif, who was planning on a 20 over snooze behind the club house.

This decision paid dividends as Raj sent down the first ball of the match just outside off, taking the oppo captain's edge followed by a sharp low catch at first slip by the home captain. Wicket keeping gloves are way overrated, 0-1. Tight bowling from both openers (Raj and Geraint) led to Oak and Ash struggling at 26-3, despite Turg Junior making a trademark run out cock up, by throwing the slowest ball in to keeper Houlgate when both batsmen were shaking hands in the middle. That didn't cost much as he only went on to make 55…

Continued tight bowling and fielding from the home side meant that despite a slight speed up from the Oak middle order, 80 runs by drinks put the Fitmen in the driving seat. Scottish debutant to cricket, Neil, had a rather hard hitting start to his career taking a well struck on drive into the chest off an unlucky bounce but put in a fielding performance admired by all.

The second half of Oak’s innings led to runs being scored at a faster rate by using the slope and quick outfield. However the pressure put on the batsman by Pat (3-56), Sharif (1-34) and Taz (2-4 off 3 overs), accompanied by good fielding (another sharp slip catch from un-gloved Tucker) finished Oak’s innings in the 33rd over with just 147 on the board; a very achievable target.

Tea was a grand affair with sandwiches coming out your ears, Pakora-galore and mini rolls for all, washed down with a mug full of squash (someone nicked all of the cups). Points go to Geraint for his almost unlimited cheese sandwiches, despite his hatred of the stuff.

And so to the chase; a win by 6 or 7 wickets and within 30 overs was an expectation and it looked like a possibility with both Rich and Tom starting steadily but with the scoreboard moving. Tom didn't hang around, and struggled to make his average by nudging a short and wide delivery straight into the hands of backward point. Rich continued to strike the ball well before being caught for 31 off 30.

Taz rode his luck through his innings, being dropped on 8, 9 and 13 but staying in to build a match winning partnership with Jamil. However they were unfortunate to be batting during the spell of one of four Toms on the pitch. His ‘flight’ and continued pressure slowed the run rate down to a level where the defibrillator from Dr. Jamil’s car wouldn’t have gone amiss. He was also able to pick up wickets with ease as the Fitmen batsmen tried to play 3 or sometimes 4 shots before the ball reached them, finishing on figures of 3-10 off 8 overs.

Captain Tucker was looking solid despite pulling a muscle of some sort in his leg and limping the quick singles, before being caught behind off the opening bowler’s second spell. Partnerships were hard to come by with the pressure and the run rate continuing to build.

With 25 required off 5 overs with just 2 wickets remaining, Pat put up some resistance with 2 shots of the day; a hook for 4 off the opening bowler followed next ball by a blazing pull, both towards the long boundary up the hill. His third attempt however was taken behind for the eighth catch of the innings.

Neil’s second ever delivery in cricket was a head height beamer from the opening bowler which he was fortunately able to dodge before being run out, backing up at the non-striker’s end. Fitmen all out for 140 with 2 overs remaining. An exceptional bowling performance by Oak and Ash who felt they were out of the match at the half way mark, but an equally un-exceptional batting performance by the Fitmen top order with poor shots, poor running and a lack of intent leading to a devastating loss and a very annoyed Richard.

Can we say we just weren't used to playing on a Saturday?