Match
reports
With
the first fixture of the season - against the Chain Gang
- rained off, the Cavaliers kicked off 2007 with a fixture
against Ivanhoe CC that marked something of a milestone
for everyone’s favourite Hertfordshire-based travelling
cricket outfit – their 100th fixture. Surely Lady
Luck would smile upon the purple-and-blacks? Surely the
game would be a high-scoring thriller played under blue
skies and beating sunlight? Surely new skipper Nick Brindley
would record a memorable victory and be carried from the
pitch on the shoulders of his adoring teammates?
100th Game Squad
Hmm. None of the above. It was miserable
as sin, about minus 20 and played in constant drizzle. It
was a bore draw, in which the opposition made no attempt
to take on an eminently gettable total. And, frankly, without
the aid of several industrial winches, there was no way
that the Cavs could carry their gentle giant of a skipper
more than a couple of feet.
That said, it was great to get out there
and play some cricket, especially over the wettest bank
holiday since, er, the last one. The Cavs previous game
against this opposition fizzled out in to a bore draw in
which Ivanhoe batted second and declined a run chase, so
in the days before the game, Brindo confirmed with his opposite
number that the fixture would be a 40 over game guaranteed
(weather permitting) to produce a result. It was much to
his – and the team’s – chagrin that our
hosts on the day were adamant that it should be a timed
game, and alarm bells were further rung when Ivanhoe won
the toss and decided to bat second.
In the absence of last year’s opening
pair Jay Wise and Todd Baines, Ellis Thorpe and Paul Wise
were sent out to open the batting. It became evident that,
in gloomy conditions and a sticky outfield, scoring runs
was not going to be easy. However, the Cavs began confidently
enough, looking largely untroubled albeit without scoring
terribly quickly. Wisey decided to press the accelerator
pedal, only to miscue a pull and top edge to mid-off, and
El soon followed, bowled across the line. When Gareth Lloyd,
in an unfamiliar position up the order, ran himself out,
it was left to skipper Gandalf and vice-captain Lance Boyd-Clark
to build an innings. The skipper looked in particularly
good Nick (geddit?) and moved effortlessly past his half
century, while combative Aussie LBC was a little more subdued,
watchful in the knowledge that next man in was Ben Rankin
in his first game since the detached retina that ruled him
out of the 2005 and 2006 seasons.
Having taken the Cavaliers beyond the 100
mark, Brindo and Sir Glance-a-lot were dismissed in close
succession, bringing Rankin and club skipper Fraser Tant
to the crease. Both batsmen began nervously, but after a
while grew in confidence and looked well set, only for Tant
to chase a wide one and fall to a fine catch that the first
slip knew very little about. Rankin soon followed after
a gutsy 20 that showed bodes well for the rest of the season.
As tea approached, it was all about the Tim(m)s. Russ Timms
fell for his mandatory duck (his 3rd in 6 completed innings),
his debutant brother Nigel Timms knocked a quickfire 7 before
missing a straight one, Tim Foster ran himself with just
one to his name leaving Tim Firmin not out without scoring.
So, 153 was the target, and with 40 or so
overs to do it, it seemed competitive in the light of prevailing
conditions but very reachable. However, the Cavs’
good start with the ball almost hindered their attempts
to win. The two Timmy F’s bowled tightly, having first
seen Frase remove the openers after fine catches by BCR
at point and LBC at slip and leave Ivanhoe reeling on 4
for 2. From then onwards, the hosts opted out of chasing
the target and set out their stall to hold out for a draw.
Brindley tried everything, from the slingy left armers of
LBC, to the dibbly dobblers of Paul Wise, letting regular
keeper Lloyd have a bowl and even coaxing Elbow out of yip-affllicted
semi-retirement to have a few overs. Despite taking a further
5 wickets between them, the game fizzled out into the draw
that was inevitable from the moment Brindo lost the toss.
Still, despite all this, it was better to
be out playing cricket than traipsing round John Lewis,
so the Cavs could enjoy their pints and slices of Centenary
Cake at the nearby boozer and look forward to more exciting
encounters in the weeks to come.
Man of the Match: Nick Brindley
Also mentioned in despatches: BCR. Welcome back, Vaughany!
