Jagex ended the season with a win against the law firm Mills & Reeve in our last game of the season - allowing us to end on a high. The game was reduced to 16 overs a side in the failing light of the late August summer.
Jagex won the toss and elected to bat. Colledge was unfortunately taken ill, so Jones and Fardell opened the batting. The first over was, well, pretty exciting. Fardell, facing first, could have been out at least twice. He edged the first ball from the quicker-than-expected Lanceman to the keeper, but the keeper couldn't hold on. He played and missed the next 2 before one clipped him on the bat and pad, made it to the keeper and was also dropped. He then missed a ball that begged to be hit, high and wide outside off, before the last ball allowed a stolen single. What Jones at the other end will have made of the shambolic no footwork rubbish at the other end, goodness only knows - but he definitely didn't look happy to see the strike pinched by someone with a strike rate of 0 from 6 balls.
The second over saw some normality return to proceedings, with Fardell and Jones alternating scoring. Fardell slogged and Jones played straight to plunder some runs, helping to make up for the slow start. Unfortunately, when Fardell absolutely middled a pull, it hit the square leg umpire on the arm (poor Mr McClarty) to turn a 4 into a 1. Fardell was less than gracious in his non-apology, accusing the umpire of getting in the way in a very slothful manner.
Both Jones and Fardell struggled to deal with the opening bowler, who proved tricky to score from. Jones was looking in more solid form, playing with a straight bat and generally being quite considered in his choice of shots. Despite looking terrible, Fardell somehow contrived to secure 24 runs, using more lives than a lucky cat living on lucky street brandishing a rabbit's foot. He eventually fell LBW to a slow one that he just missed - although he'd missed a lot of balls when all was said and done. I actually think I was already out LBW previous ball, but the umpire (McClarty) was gracious enough to not give me out because, well, he had his only personal hawkeye?!
Van Daal strolled out to the crease to join Jones and some keen running helped the score-book tick along, and hit a few gutsy 4's in his favoured cow shaped zone. Jones retired on 25 with some decent shots and nice footwork helping propel the scoring along, including a lovely square pull, which included a nice roll of the wrists and a late re-adjustment to help the ball miss the umpire. A re-jig in the batting order meant that Amoraal was in for a little bit to afford us an all South African partnership. Willem couldn't quite find his range, and was LBW after a few play and misses. Mr Brett then strolled out to the crease, and did what he always does, studiously blocking his first ball before clumping anything hittable, including a lovely straight drive that was caressed back past the bowler; Mills & Reeve's best bowler on the night no less. Van Daal found a bit of range, but was bowled off his pads whilst statuesque. McClarty moved from umpire to player for a bit and helped keep Brett company. He scored a four in his favourite area, behind backward square, and ticked the scoreboard over.
Brett was, once more, in scintillating form with the bat, with immaculate timing and excellent shot selection. He even finished on a 4 to find himself on 28*, and was only saddened that he didn't managed his weekly 6. Piers Morgan sauntered out to face the final few balls, not wearing his bandana. Piers hasn't had the best season with the bat, and this is the same year where he has done away with his Bruce Springsteen inspired headgear. Coincidence? I think not. The Mills & Reeve captain had miscounted the overs, and found himself with an over to go and no bowlers left, so he brought himself on. Piers helped himself, with a couple of 4's with plenty of humpty, and a brief return to the Piers of old. Jagex finished with 137-3 from 16, which in truth we'd often be happy with from 20 overs.
McClarty volunteered to take wicket keeping duties this week in the absence of the All American Hero, Jamy Nigri. Neil put in quite a turn behind the stumps as well - and introduced some genuine cricketing banter. Jagex opened the bowling with Steve Morgan. His first ball was a bit loose, and was late cut for 4. His second ball was a little short, but the batsman managed to gently pick out the short backward square fielder with ease. Brett, not to be outdone, continued his medium fast bowling, and bowled the M&R Captain off his bat with a great fast-ish ball. Steve responded to his bowling partner next over by bowling a peach at the stumps to splatter them. In an economic spell he returned 2-20 from 3 action packed overs. Brett conceded only 9 runs in his 2 over spell, and accounted for one key wicket. A great opening pair.
Mills & Reeve's best batsman on the night, Lanceman, buckled down when wickets around him fell, and proceeded to anchor the chase effectively, pulling together a partnership in the middle overs. His partner eventually fell to the re-juvenated Nick Cooper, caught and bowled. Nick followed this up with a next ball wicket, pitching it up to see an easy catch presented to Fardell. Piers and Willem tied things down for a while, with a large number of low-scoring overs played and M&R well behind the rate. Lanceman eventually retired, having tried to control the chase at a measured pace whilst providing some stability in the middle order.
Piers got the wicket his verve deserved, clean bowling a lower order chap. Neil "Club Man" McClarty was doing an ace job behind the stumps, including stopping some of the leg-side stuff diving at full stretch. Joseph Hart would have been proud, and he finished having only conceded 3 byes. Mills & Reeve were a little short on players, so we invited a couple of theirs back in and offered them Steve Morgan (who didn't get a bat). Amoraal accounted for one of theirs, caught and bowled. Steve hit a lusty 4 behind square, and Fardell quickly regretted offering him as a substitute. By this point the game was all but won, and Jagex did something special: we brought on Van Daal to bowl. Wide, wide (4), wide, dot, 2, dot. Both of the dots were probably wides as well. We've had some very special overs this season, McClarty, Tween: but this was up there.
Fardell then came on for the last over of the season, trying to bowl medium pace. He bowled a couple of dots, before Steve Morgan took him on and steepled the ball high into the air. The last batsman finished with a couple of 4's, to leave Mills & Reeve respectably short in the chase.
That’s it, season over, and only
the curry to look forward to before winter sets in and it enters the cold, dark
and depressing time of year - which is otherwise known as the football season.
In picking back over the annals
of Jagex cricketing history, one interesting thing does stick out that has been interrupted by this game. Until this week, we had a total of 4 LBWs across 3 seasons, all picked up by Mr McClarty.
He is now joined in the lonely Shane Watson club by Fardell and Amoraal.
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