Match
reports
The Cavaliers’ 8th season got underway on Saturday
in Rothamsted Park with a disappointing defeat to Shenley
– a side who the Cavs are yet to beat in 5 matches.
Having agonised overnight how to respond were the coin
to land in has favour, new skipper Jamie was disappointed
when the visitors’ late arrival resulted in a manufactured
toss that saw his men take to the field. Shenley’s
side was much changed from previous fixtures, with two notable
absentees – Upal Tharanga, who blasted 93 off 10 overs
in the inaugural fixture, and Farveez Maharuf, who took
5 for 12 in the last fixture, had oddly declined the opportunity
to play on the velvet turf of Rothampsted park in favour
of turning out for Sri Lanka at Lord’s in the first
test.
Tharanga’s replacement at the top of the order was
no substitute, as veteran swing bowler Simon Foster uprooted
his off stump for the first wicket of the season. Foster
bowled a consistently accurate line, which bodes well for
him in his final season as a single man. From the other
end, new father Fraser Tant was clearly showing the effect
of sleepless nights, and proceeded to bowl dreadfully. After
five overs of muck he was sent out to graze, to be replaced
by Lance Boyd-Clark. The all-round nice guy Aussie all-rounder’s
left arm bowling proved unplayable, returning figures of
3 for 3 off 6 overs – this could have been 5 for 3
had not Tant dropped the Cavs’ occasional coach Jameel
twice in the slips, on 0. Fortunately, Keeper Gareth Lloyd
snaffled a nick to dismiss the danger man, and Shenley were
teetering on 40 for 4.
Despite some tidy bowling from Tim Firmin and Jim Handford,
Shenley recovered to post 149 off their 40 overs. While
not a particularly high score, the Cavs were mindful that
they had failed to chase 133 the last time the sides met
at Rothamspted, and knew that 150 would not be an easy target.
At 20 for 4 a few overs later, it looked very difficult
indeed. The usually dependable skipper and his deputy Handford
were quickly back in the hutch for 3 and 2 respectively.
When the Cavs to win, one of these two can normally be relied
upon for a 50, so the omens weren’t looking good.
Luke Firmin joined a number of eminent Cavs to secure a
duck on debut (including Messrs Tant, Rankin, Richell, Brindley,
Terrey, Timms and Phythian), and when Todd Baines –
having reigned himself in for a patient 8 – drove
to slip, things were looking bleak. However, Boyd-Clark
and Lloyd put together a measured 50, with Lloyd looking
particularly good, and gave the Cavs something of a platform.
But when they both fell in close succession for 24 and 21
respectively, soon followed by Tant for a brisk but ultimately
disappointing 10, it seemed that the Cavs’ hopes rested
on the slopey shoulders of Foster. Despite his typically
well-contained 28, and brief cameos from Adam Phythian and
Tim Firmin and a duck for Jim Burton, Foster holed out on
the boundary trying to force the issue and his side lost
by 19 runs.
“Yeah, it was a shame to start my reign with a defeat”
commented disconsolate skipper Wise. “We should have
polished them off sooner, and a number of our batsmen didn’t
really do themselves justice. On a positive note, it was
good to see so many injured Cavs, wives, in-laws and –
for the first time, three junior Cavs in Samson Firmin,
Barnaby Tant and Olivia Wise (she can make the teas in 2020)
- turning up to support the team. Hopefully we’ll
give them a positive result next time out.”
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