Match
reports
Z
The Cavaliers’ improvement
in 2004 was again demonstrated by another excellent all-round
performance against a Walton-on-Thames side who, in previous
fixtures, had won with ease.
Jim Handford’s side thought
they would be in for a hard battle when a procession of
Wally-on-T players arrived at the ground bedecked in club
tracksuits and armed with top-quality kit bags, titanium
lids etc, to be followed by Ellis in a dodgy T-shirt, no
kit and his cricket clothing shoved in an Asda carrier bag.
When Jim – as ever – lost the toss and the Cavs
faced 45 overs in the field, it looked like being a long
afternoon of leather-chasing. However, strike bowler Fraser
Tant began the match with 5 dot balls and a wicket off the
6th, the aforementioned Elbow taking a good catch at point,
and the Cavs had a promising start.
No more than ten overs and 75 runs
later, things were looking a little different as the numbers
1 and 2 opened their shoulders and piled on the runs. Crucially,
with the number 3 on 46, Tanty hurried him up with a quicker
one and the top-edged pull was taken nicely by Gareth Lloyd
behind the stumps and the breakthrough was made. Within
an over, Frase had bowled two more batsmen and 75/1 had
been transformed to an altogether more rosy 90 for 4.
Having
got through the top order, the purple-and-whites found that
Walton had little left in their locker. Two wickets for
Jimmy Hat and Wisey, and one for Firms put the hosts in
real trouble and only a last wicket flurry got them to any
kind of respectability before they were eventually bowled
out for 173.
Rankin and Kiwi star Aaron Terrey
opened the batting for the Cavaliers, but before long both
were back in the hutch, and soon joined by Paul Clements,
each undone by a pacey opening burst from Walton’s
6 foot 5 paceman. A rare failure with the bat from Jay Wise
left the Cavaliers in a spot of bother at around 60 for
4, but a match winning partnership between man-of-the-match
Elbow (52) and Paul Wise (45no) took the Cavs to the brink
of victory. Failing to heed some Wise words just after reaching
his 50 (“Too many cavs get to fifty and then are out
next ball”), El was promptly out next ball, to be
followed by Gareth Lloyd for a second ball duck –
his second duck in successive match - but this brought Simon
Foster to the crease and, in a display of text-book average
protecting, the Goat milked the schoolboy buffet bowling
on offer for 26 before holing out. This left Tim Firmin,
padded up and keen as mustard, to march out and hit the
winning runs.
“It was great to get some runs”
commented Thorpe, back to his chirpy best. “I’ve
been due a knock and the gaffer’s stuck by me and
given me another chance at the top of the order. Gutted
to get out, but the senior pros finished off the job and
it’s a happy Visitors’ dressing room right now.”
