OSA magazine Issue 90

T h e O l d S t a t i o n e r - N o 9 0
PRESIDENT's DAY
OS President's XI 162-5 off 35 overs - Botany Bay 146-4 off 35
overs. President's team won by 16 runs.
Team: Mitch Brown, Tony Pigden, Richard Slatford, Colin Lane,
Ross Blackmore, Dave Hudson, Matt French, Keith Munroe, Barry
Soames, Geoff Blackmore, Tim Westbrook
So on a lovely summer's day the President's team won by 16 runs,
which on the face of it seems like a closely fought game, but
more of that later.
The new skipper/match-manager was helped out this year by
Peter Thomas not only having some relatives who wanted to play
but also very good ones to boot. This meant the usual frantic
struggle for players was not required this year. Our thanks to
Matt French, Keith Munroe and Mitch Brown coming down
from Hartlepool to play.
On a lovely day certainly too hot to field first the skipper
discussed with BB's skipper JJ that the normal form in this
match is we bat first , he was having none of it and wanted to
field in the cooler conditions later. Luckily the coin went our way
and we elected to bat with Hartlepool CC second team batsmen
Mitch Brown and the reliable Tony Pigden opening. It was
decided that due to the age of some of our team and the very hot
conditions a 35 over game was to be played.
In the first over Mitch struck two fours and it appeared that we
could all relax and enjoy his innings when the very next ball he
slashed at a widish delivery and was caught at gulley the quality
of the catch was above this level.
With little batting to come Richard Slatford joined Tony to try
and consolidate the innings before we pushed on. Against very
tight bowling by the Bay's Warner and Swanton scoring was
difficult and in truth both batsmen looked out of form and Tony
was forced to call for very dubious singles at one stage he
announced "I'm playing that badly I can't get myself out"!
The score moved to 38 before Tony succumbed to the inevitable
for 9. Colin Lane then joined the skipper and despite tight
bowling and watchful batting the initial target was to get the
team to a hundred. Colin and Richard started to hit some nice
shots although the spectators seemed either to be asleep or
listening to the Stokes test match unfolding as after a lovely
cover drive by Lane he commented that " he thought that shot
was worthy of some applause".
The President's winning team.
As the innings progressed,
both batsmen started to get
the measure of the bowling
using their feet nicely when
first Slatford and then Lane
reached their fifties. There
was also I suspect a first in
the Presidents game when
Colin successfully attempted
a reverse sweep. With two
overs to go and with the
Captain in full flow total passed 160 (a
partnership of 121) both
Richard (72) and Colin (61) decided to retire hoping that fresh
batsmen might run a bit quicker and get us to over 170. This did
not quite work as 3 quick wickets for three runs left Huddie
stranded and a score of 162 for the Bay to chase at 4.5 per over.
After tea and the obligatory team photos we opened the bowling
with Keith Munro and Tim Westbrook. This opening spell went
some way to us winning the game as both bowled very tightly .
Keith getting a wicket (bowled) in his 4th over and Tim bowling
out what may have been their best batsmen, shouldering arms for
three. After 11 overs the opposition were 28-3.
Geoff Blackmore came on first change and bowled tidily (6 overs
for 17) and Keith bowled out his allotted 7 overs (2-9). We were
very much in control as Bay's batsmen Wright and Epton could
not seem to hit the ball off the square let alone to the boundary.
An over from Barry Soames followed but when his arm gave
way Colin Lane came on to bowl his left armers and the scoring
slowed to a snails pace. With little other bowling options
remaining the skipper reluctantly used Matt and Mitch both of
whom bowled above this level of cricket. Mitch bowling off
about three paces was quite sharp (certainly the quickest the
skipper had kept to all season) .
At one stage we had three slips and one gulley and a fly slip.
Prompting the Bay's Epton to enquire that we should take the
bowlers off as it was only a friendly this irked Geoff somewhat and
he replied if you batted better you might be able to hit it. Eventually
Wright was out bowled French for 10 off we believe @ 80 balls.
This brought in their young opening bowler Swanston who did
score a bit quicker but with one over to go and the game won at
112-4 the last over was to be bowled by Dave Hudson.
A veteran in these matches, I think this was the first
time Huddie had turned his arm over in a Presidents
game. Unfortunately it showed, as he struggled to
get the ball to bounce less that 3 times and the
umpire was giving these as no balls. At one stage a
comment of "a legitimate ball going for six is a good
one" could be heard.
In effect Huddie's over was the equivalent of just
over three overs with his 21 balls costing 34 runs
giving the game a closer scoreline than we anticipated.
Once again our thanks go to the President, Botany
Bay for providing the opposition and Dick Hersey
who umpired in the heat without complaint and to
his usual high standards.
RS
10