Match Report

After last week’s T20 washout both teams arrived happy in the knowledge that the weather was set fair for this Wednesday’s game. It was agreed that batters would retire at 30, with the option to return once the rest of the team had batted, and bowlers would be limited to 3 overs each. After what turned out to be prophetic mumblings about jug avoidance the home team batted first.

Harry Way and George Williams opened the batting, Messrs Ponsford and Wyatt took the shiny new pink ball for the visitors. Way rotated the strike skilfully whilst Williams decided it was too hot for running…4 6 4 6 1 4 6 before departing with red ink in the book. Harry was joined by Tim House and continued to rotate the strike, albeit with more 1s than 2s and 3s than previously, due to a combination of heat and the realisation that Harry’s new partner may not be as keen as George after he called him for successive quick 2s. Way reached 30 and retired and was replaced by Mark Ford-Langstaff. Tim was now finding the middle of the bat regularly and soon retired 34 not out, three batsmen retired and the score approaching three figures. Rob Barton replaced Tim, he and then Matt Carpenter quickly showed why their Saturday league side is considered a bowling team and were both quickly back in the pavilion. Mark fell just short of the red-inker on 24, leaving Max Nalborczyk and the two Mikes (Simpson and Robinson) to carry their bats and scramble the team up to 141-4 off 20 overs. Mike Simpson’s 1 not out being more impressive than it looks in the scorebook as he had decided to make it more challenging by batting with his eyes shut!

The wicket was slow enough to suggest that 142 would be a challenging target. Matt Dipple and Mike Robinson took the new ball with confidence. Unfortunately, nobody had told the Isis openers that the total was supposed to be challenging and they set off at a pace that suggested that somebody should start the barbeque early. Stephenson hit the ball well and took advantage of a running, diving dropped catch by Rob Barton, as well as a not-so-tough dropped catch by “the sun was in my eyes” Ford-Langstaff. Stephenson retired on 30 with his evening’s work was done, or so he thought! The 50 was up in just over 6 overs before Tim threw the ball to Max Nalborczyk and Rob Barton, the latter finding found himself the lucky recipient of a swinging pink ball and batsmen too keen to finish quickly. Max kept it tight and Rob took 3 for 6 off 3 overs, all bowled. Max added a fourth wicket and a run out followed, five down and the game appeared to be turning.

Simpson and Riley came into the attack, the former keeping it tight and his eyes open, the latter finding the combination of slow wicket, aggressive batting and top quality keeping perfect for his left arm spin. Riley finishing with 4 for 6 off 3 overs, including three excellent Matt Carpenter stumpings. The jug avoidance conspiracy theorists were vindicated and the game was firmly in favour of the home side. Stephenson rapidly changed back into whites and pads and returned, his second effort contrasting with his first as he was promptly run out by what Middleton’s former captain would have deemed a champagne moment, a sprint from the edge of the circle, one handed swoop and pickup with a direct hit run out by Max. 92 all out in 18.4 overs.

A great game with some fantastic batting, bowling a fielding on a warm summer’s evening by two teams playing the game as it should be played.

Rob Barton