Match reports

Silsoe Cricket Club - Away 13/08/06

Scorecard

“It is not ideal to have stand-in captains and I have been a stand-in for a stand-in. But those are the circumstances which have been thrown at us and we have had to deal with it in the best way possible. The whole thing with captaincy is that it is for other people to decide whether you are the right man for the job - you can only do your best.”

So said Andrew Strauss recently, but he might well have been speaking for the Cavaliers’ own Timothy Firmin. The two have much in common; Both hail from the more salubrious areas of North London. Both are well educated, eloquent, erudite and highly skilled on Microsoft Office XP. Both have stunning, supportive young wives and small children they dote upon. Both are dashing strokeplayers, blending exquisite timing with supreme power. And now, they have both put their names firmly in the ring for the captaincy of their teams after excellent debut victories.

Okay, not all of the above is strictly speaking true, but there can be little doubt after the Cavaliers victory against Silsoe on Sunday that when the Cavaliers’ Committee convenes to discuss captaincy options for the 2007 season, the name of one TJ Firmin will be very much in contention.

That Firmin had a chance to lead his beloved Cavaliers was something of a miracle itself. Torrential rain had rendered the square and outfield a quagmire, but as luck would have it, the picturesque Wrest Park also boasted an artificial wicket. This, combined with the excellent drainage of the chalky Chiltern Hills, meant that by the time both sides had 11 men, the pitch was fit for play.

Firmin’s first task was to march out in his new skipper’s blazer to win the toss. His second was to choose correctly, and in opting to field first, he seemed to have made the right decision. As has been the case in recent matches, the Cavs had a breakthrough in the first over, a pacey delivery from opener Fraser Tant inducing an inside edge on to the stumps. From the other end, Nick Brindley was the very model of accuracy and ferocity. The gentle giant was to bowl through and return figures of 1 for 10 from his 7 overs, immediately putting himself in the frame for Man of the Match. As it would turn out, these figures were to be the least of Brindley’s achievements.

Regular wickets meant that the hosts were never really able to take a position of ascendancy. Simon Foster found the overcast conditions conducive to his medium-pace swing and soon claimed a deserved wicket, and perhaps would have claimed more had some strong LBW shouts not been rejected. However, in the last 15 overs of this shortened 35 over game, Silsoe’s Joey Cole lookalike began to hit out, finding the boundary regularly through a mixture of powerful clubs over midwicket and streaky outside edges through backward point. Firmin did what he could to stem the flow, but even his innovative field placement and two wickets from both himself – both courtesy of fine catches by his brother, Luke - and Alex Demain couldn’t prevent the batsman from scoring a fine 92 before running himself out on the last ball.

So, from struggling at 30 for 3 off 12 overs, Silsoe had set the Cavaliers 172 from 35 overs. With a batting line-up missing such key components as Jay Wise, Jim Handford, Lance Boyd-Clark and Todd Baines, the Cavs needed their openers to give them a platform. Both were ‘in Nick’: Debutant Nick Westlake, in his first knock for a year, looked very much the part before falling to a fine caught and bowled, while at the other end Nick Brindley was looking untroubled. After an early scare, in which the danger bowler looked to have taken a low caught and bowled only to graciously call Brindley back having grounded the ball, the elegant left hander was flawless, taking few risks and barely putting a size 15 foot wrong. Ellis Thorpe joined him at Westlake’s demise and continued his fine run of form, before holing out for 31, by which time Brindley had cruised serenely beyond 50. Foster fell for just three – a rare failure for the side’s normally dependable elder statesman. It was left for Tant and Brindley to bring the side home, the former’s cameo of 17 not out largely insignificant when contrasted to Brindley’s unbeaten 85 – equalling his highest knock for the Cavs and setting a new Cavs highest score for the season.

“I enjoyed myself out there today.” Commented Brindley. “It would have been nice to get a ton, but when Frase came to the crease we needed a run a ball and it was too risky to try and farm the strike. The result is more important that individual accolades.” he said, magnanimously

So, the Cavs secure their fourth win in a row, equalling the best run in their history. A first victory in 5 attempts against Shenley next week would be a fitting way to set a new benchmark.

Man of the Match: Nick Brindley. A no brainer
Orange Cap of Woe: Lost
Champagne Moment: Everything Tim Firmin did.