Match Report

Important News – Change in price

The annual club dinner Friday September 25

Places are now available at £29.50

Please contact Simmo to reserve your place.

If you have already paid at the previous price, please contact Seril for a refund.

 

Sometimes there are circumstances when playing cricket is not the wisest choice on Sunday afternoon. 13 players from Ifley Village and 12 from Middleton Stoney were just about to start their match when one of the home team revealed that he had forgotten, when from India he let the team secretary know he could play, that it was his son’s second birthday party! He had not wanted to let Middleton down, but when he realised that there was a twelfth player avaliable he was relieved to be able to head home to the festivities. 

Middleton thought they had 11 fit men. They continued to think that until well into the innings when Ahmad revealed that he had a leg injury and was not really fit to bat or bowl, and could only field at slip. 

Ifley had thought that they had 12 men in their squad. Understanding the mechanics of Village Cricket they decided to bring all 12 and were a little surprised when a 13th  unexpectedly turned up. It was agreed that all 13 could play but that only 11 should bat and 11 should field. It is Ifley’s only fixture this season and with most players joined by families there were more people on the ground than at any  other time this year. It was a throwback to times gone by and a real joy to see.  

The pitch had had a watering overnight and was surprisingly green and soft. Middleton agreed to bat first. John Springer playing in his first match of the season marched out to bat with Howard Lancaster. John was soon enjoying himself, hitting through his familiar arc, picking up 8 boundaries in score of 36. Howard was more traditional in approach, playing himself in, before rattling a boundary through square leg.  The partnership was approaching fifty from 8 overs when  Howard was the first to fall, a short ball outside the leg stum clipping his pad then rolling into the stumps. 5 runs later John was also dismissed from first change bowler Berry.  

Berry began an extraordinary spell of bowling, mostly to Matt Bazeley. Having conceded a four to John from his second ball he went on to bowl another 39 deliveries without conceding another run. Jay Mumtaz was a first victim for Tyler, well beaten by a yorker that was Tyler’s only challenging delivery. Also making a season’s debut was Jamie Lumb. He counter attacked against Tyler hitting three boundaries, the best through extra cover. A single finally got Matt  a change of ends. 

Matt has manufactured a collection of dismissals to bad balls over the course of the season. It looked like another would be added to his collection when he lifted Tyler toward mid on. For once the ball dropped safely. Jamie tried to attack Berry, but Berry’s better ball bowled him for 13. Tim House came in at number 6 to steady the ship. Ifley began to change the bowlers and scoring became easier. But once again Matt was unable to take advantage becoming the fifth victim clean bowled.

Shaan helped Tim take the score past three figures but was the first to fall caught for just 8.  Mukhtar should have been Olly Ross’s, (today like Ali Meier playing for Ifley) first victim, but the keeper failed to hold on to a regulation chance. Added to the three dropped last week, Olly was beginning to thing no-one could catch. Two balls later Mukhtar did fall, and was caught. Olly catching off his own delivery, very, very carefully.

Tim Riley joined  Tim H. They both took advantage as Ifley gave some less regular bowlers an opportunity. Runs came rapidly, Tim H playing the best shot, a back foot cover drive as pure as could be while Tim R found the gaps behind square on both sides of the wicket. With tea approaching Tim H reached 50 and as agreed at the start of the innings retired. Hamidullah added 2 runs to the total as the innings finished on 190 from exactly 40 overs.

It is possibly a first that a member of the opposing team provided teas for an away match. Olly put on a spread that fed not only the two teams and a hungry umpire, but also the many Ifley visitors. The red velvet cake drew admiring glances, the cheese and pickle were gleefully devoured and the massive spread was hoovered up in good time as lips smacked and waist bands were loosened. 

The annual club photograph was taken at the end of the tea break. There were no jam stains on shirts, but some sweetness on Simmo’s fingers attracted a specimen of Vespula vulgaris. Clearly thinking that Simmo was a threat the stripey creature stung on the back of his hand. Being Simmo he barely mentioned it over the next five hours, stoically volunteering to join Richard Lumb in umpiring to take his mind off the acute pain.

With Ahmad out of action, Shaan shared the new ball with Hamidullah. Two boundaries in the opening overs showed that Ifley were going to make every effort to reach the target. Shaan was the tidier, Hamidullah the most likely to get a wicket. Hamidullah did strike first picking up two wickets before the score reached 30. One bowled and one caught by Shaan, who had only been moved into position for that delivery.

Mukhtar led the way with some enthusiastic fielding, fast to reach the ball and chasing aggressively. Second fastest to the ball was Ahmad, somehow covering the ground on one leg quicker than most could manage on two.

 Without taking unnecessary risks Ifley continued to score just above the required rate. Winter was leading the way, but unused to batting for long was tiring quickly. A poor shot saw him bowled to become Hamidullah’s third victim. Mukhtar came on to replace Shaan  and Tim House took over from Hamidullah. They had contrasting first overs, Mukhtar dropped short and was punished, Tim saw a catch dropped behind the wicket, but struck having Morton LBW for 10 next ball. At 73 – 4 the game could go either way and Middleton were now faced with Olly Ross and Ali Meier. 

Olly was in prime form. Sensible defensive play to good balls was matched with aggression to anything off line or length. The boundaries were flying as the scoreboard ticked over all to quickly. One of them came from the bat of Ali, many from the bat of Olly.  Tim R replaced Mukhtar. Ali should have been caught and bowled from the second ball, but Tim failed to bend low enough to hold the straightforward chance. Ali knew he had been reprieved and plotted how he would lead the chase to victory.

His plotting had not included flamboyantly hitting his own wicket as he tried to flay the ball through the covers. Knowing that support was limited Olly increased his scoring rate, punishing Tim repeatedly over square leg. Hamidullah was summoned for a second spell as Tim was exasperated. Olly reached 50 and had to retire temporarily to a generous hand.

Those who had played this fixture and format before were wary! Don’t take wickets too quickly, we don’t want Olly back in!

Hamidullah took no notice and bowled at the stumps. Three time in nine balls he hit the stumps and Olly was walking back to the crease with ample time to win the game. It was a case of managing the strike so that no 11 Trinder was facing at least some part of the over. 

The fielders came in for the last ball of an over, knowing that if it went for a boundary Olly would be stranded at the non strikers end. The boundary was scored and Hamidullah had six balls to do the necessary. It took 4 balls and victory was won with Hamidullah finishing with 7 – 40, his best figures for the club. Just as the first five Middleton wickets had been clean bowled so were the last five of Ifley.