Match reports

Torquay Tour 1 : Whimple Cricket Club - Away 13/06/09

Scorecard

Cavs vs Whimple CC

After a cheeky pint and the ceremonial presentation of their commemorative Fawlty Tours t-shirt from tour impressario Paul Wise, the Cavali(i)ers kicked off their 2009 Torquay-based tour at the picturesque Whimple CC.

Skipper Simon Foster lost the toss once more, but with a strong line-up, would probably have chosen to bat regardless. Opening the batting for the Cavaliers were the second row pairing of Nick Brindley and Jay Wise. The latter hadn't played since the last tour and looked uncomfortable early on, but soon the old magic had returned, while Brindley was at east from the off and seemed set for a big total. While neither batsmen was troubled, the runs were hard to find; at the 20 over mark, only 74 were on the board. Having passed his 50 and with the overs ticking by, Wise started to play more aggressively, only to be stumped on 55 in the 27th over.

Foster reshuffled his order, sending in quick-scoring Fraser Tant ahead of more accomplished batsmen Paul Wise, Jim Handford and himself. While Tant and Brindley put on 20 or so in double quick time, Tant soon fell for ten trying to manufacture some runs from a straight delivery. Wise Sr replaced him, playing with similar attend but with more impact, before succumbing for 22, while Handford and Foster both saw their stumps broken on 16 apiece. Meanwhile, Brindley was moving serenely towards what would have been his first Cavalier century. However, misfortune was soon to strike the affable giant, when he came out of his crease to play over the top and missed, only for the ball to ricochet off the keeper's pads and back on to the stumps. Nobody quite knew how it had happened, but regardless, Brindley was back in the hutch, stumped on 68.

Timms brothers Russell and Nigel played out the last couple of overs, and the Cavaliers finished on 230/5 - a score they felt eminently capable of defending.

Tims Foster and Firmin opened the bowling, and both beat the bat on a number of occasions before Foster got the breakthrough, with Firmin soon doing likewise. All bowlers were economical and aggressive, with particular highlights being the emergence of Ellis Thorpe as a legspin bowler of some note, and Tant's figures of 2 for 7 off 4 overs. Wickets were shared around and indeed 10 wickets were taken, but due to an administrative error from the hosts, the match was actually 12 a side so the Cavaliers didn't bowl out Whimple (although had Jay Wise not dropped an absolute sitter at cover off Tant, things would have been different). However, at the end of their 40 overs, Whimple were a long way short of their target at 184/10

Needless to say, the afternoon ended with a Whimple v Cavaliers stump game, in which the non-playing Cavaliers Ben Rankin, Nick Francis and Gareth Lloyd redeemed their drunken heckling by securing victory for the tourists.

"Yeah, it's nice to get the tour off to a winning start" commented the captain."Jay and Brindo gave us the perfect platform and the bowlers never looked like taking their foot of the gas. Now it's off to the hotel for some ovaltine and an early night - big game tomorrow, after all."