Strollers miss out on clean sweep over Beamers
posted: September 18, 2014

The third match of the three game series against local rivals Beamers was something of a dead rubber, the Strollers having already attained an unassailable 2-0 lead, but Pittman, M was clearly determined not to end the season with another loss. Indeed, the Beamers wore a rather unfamiliar look as they assembled at NLCC on Sunday 14th: there were more ringers than in a JR Tolkien novel; more ringers than in a Wagnerian opera; more ringers than at a convention of Prince Albert lookalikes. There was even a return for that much loved figure of yore, Napoleon Dynamite. All of these players could clearly play a bit too.

The Strollers, in contrast, turned up with rather depleted ranks. It takes a particular type of genius for a cricket team to have 12 available players on Thursday and only nine show up ready to play on the following Sunday, but that is always the sort of thing the Strollers have done very well. If there was a Lord’s honours board for clerical oversights and administrative cock-ups, then we would have pride of place.  

We borrowed the small son of Beamers opening bowler Buxton (another new face) and took the field with ten. The loss of two adult fielders for the gain of one small boy was to cost us dear. The Beamers lost the toss, went in to bat and set off like a train. They had scored 40 runs after the first four overs, Lewis twice hitting Abhi over extra cover for six in the same over. There was a little flurry of wickets in the fourth and fifth overs, Lewis holing out to Spencer on the cover boundary and then Simon yorked the always dangerous Andy Blount for a duck, but, by and large, the free scoring continued unabated.

The Strollers had a wealth of bowling at their disposal, and no one bowled poorly, but the fielding had a very much end of term feeling about it. It formed a complete contrast to the energy and attentiveness which had marked our fielding two weeks ago against the Butlers XI. There was an almost complete absence of backing up, there was a lot of misfielding, and, in general, people ambled around the outfield as if they’d rather not be there. David, generally so competent behind the stumps, had one of his less effective days, and missed a couple of stumpings. He had spent the previous night in knightly courting of a fair maiden, so perhaps his mind was elsewhere. Anyway, it was in the field that the game got away from us.

Tom bowled opener Mack for 38 with one that had a little extra in it – to which we must owe a vote of thanks to George, loitering at mid on, opined to the skipper that to date the over had been a pile of old rubbish and that we needed a wicket. Sure enough, Tom roared in for the next one, looking red and as angry as Tom ever looks, and hit the top of middle. But by this stage the score had begun to mount ominously.

Tim Royall, one of the ringers, batted very well and is clearly a classy cricketer but was lucky – very lucky – to escape a strong LBW shout against Mickey as well. He was eventually stumped for 94 off Spencer and when Wright was bowled for five by Spencer there were some hopes that we might restrict them to 220 or 230 but an unbeaten 49 by skipper Al Dixon carried the Beamers to an impressive 261-9 off the 35 overs.

After another curious tea, which was nothing of the kind, The Strollers commenced their reply. We needed to go 7.5 an over, which was perfectly doable, but we needed a couple of substantial innings. The Beamers were a little weaker in bowling than batting, and we got off to a very good start, Davey and George carrying us to a 50 opening partnership. George got after Mark Pittman and smacked him down the ground a couple of times, while Davey was merciless and graceful outside the off stump against anything over-pitched from the left-armer Buxton.

Both of our openers were out playing shots they would not have done had they not needed to keep the scoreboard moving along. George holed out to mid-off while Davey top-edged to point for 31. As usual, a lot depended on Spencer, and when he was bowled round his legs by left arm spinner Wood for 20, things did not look good.

But hopes revived in splendid fashion by Viral and Matt (who had turned up at tea). Viral played another great, invigorating swashbuckling innings, the sort than can break the hearts of a fielding side. He lashed the ball to all parts of NLCC, and with Matt playing well at the other end, it suddenly looked game on. There was notable disquiet in the ranks of the Beamers, Al’s adenoidal whine could be heard ever more loudly in terms of distress as the ball sailed back over his head again.

Viral was out in the most unfortunate of circumstances after scoring 65. He missed a high, loopy full toss from Al, which dropped on the stumps. After that, three wickets fell in quick succession as Dickie, Abhi and Tom fell on their swords in pursuit of the runs. As the prospect of a Strollers win receded further into the distance, the Beamers, miraculously, regained their jocularity which had been so apparent earlier in the day.

Matt was left unbeaten for a fine 40 with Mickey at the other end as the Strollers innings closed 39 runs short. Almost exactly the number of extras we conceded.

But, the fielding aside, it was a good effort against a strong side. And anyway, we win the Beamers Cup for 2014.

Simon Boughey
18.09.14

scorecard >>