Dan's Dynamos (124-2, Fardell 25*, Stu 24*, Jones 21, Mann 1-11) beat Matt's Marauders (120-10, Parrish 32, Brolia 27, Jack H 4-17) by 8 wickets
This was going to be a Histon v Dobblers fixture, but owing to some difficulty getting the requisite number of players, we searched far and wide for recruits to get a full 22 in to play. The Histon 3rd team comprised a lot of the players in attendance tonight, played in lovely conditions on the 1st pitch. Dobblers and Jags made up the rest in two invitational XIs.
Ant showed his pre-game athletic temperament by consuming what we approximately believe to be north of 4000 calories, none of which comprised any fruit or vegetables. This diet might explain his lack of enthusiasm for 2's and singles when batting. Dan and Matt had spent the day carefully selecting two finely balanced XI's from the deep array of talent on offer. This included some actual blasts from the past, as Messrs Kris Jones and Neil Tween, two founder members of the Jaguars no less, dusted off the cobwebs, broke from retirement and returned to the field of battle. Brett, despite being seriously injured, turned up to spectate and engage in beard maintenance tips with the other hirusute warrior, Tom Parker. Bear Grylls would have been proud.
The pitch was very green, suggesting that fast bowlers who bowled full and straight would get a lot of lateral movement and backing away to leg was going to be a bad idea. I fancied making this point early in this report, given what followed.
See that green tinge, that means you need to be forward to fast bowlers.
Matt's Marauders (I write the reports, so I get to pick the team names) opened the batting on a lovely evening on the Histon ground. Wilde opened the bowling one end, and after a quick scurry of runs, found his range to dismiss Langley with a ball that moved in slightly to the left hander and dislodged leg stump. This brought Coslett to the crease early to support Mr Parrish. Parker was the other opening bowler, a considered choice from the skipper, Dan, who was taking duty behind the stumps and adjusting the field studiously throughout. Dan's gruff instructions and disappointment at people not carefully following his precise fielding intructions were an ever present part of the innings. Matt enjoyed the Parker bowling more than Ant enjoys beef jerky, and hit two large 4's before launching into a monster 6, straight down the ground and back over the bowler's head. Coslett found his range for the first time this season, plundering a couple of 4's.
Matt doing a typical Matt there. Wallop.
Matt was in typical swashbuckling form, true to his team name. Harry was economic and focussed throughout, and probably justified more than a single wicket with a targeted and direct opening spell. Parker was Parker, and Matt enjoyed his bowling immensely - he even thanked Dan behind the stumps for giving him a bowl. Matt's team had raced to a good start, 55-1-5, and a big total loomed with these long 8 ball overs taking their toll on the bowlers. Matt's retirement bought Ant to the crease, with Dan setting a very offside field to contain him.
Then came the 6th over. In truth, this over was probably the high point of this or many a season and turned the game completely on it's head. Jack H was tossed the red cherry, and thought that perhaps bowling full and straight with the seam up would be a good idea. It certainly was. Coslett was clean bowled, backing away to leg, as the first full length ball crashed into the top of off stump. Zak saw out one ball, before trying to tickle one to leg and being clean bowled from a full straight one that hit the top of leg stump. Cam came in, backed away to leg and was bowled by a full straight one that took the top of off stump. Joe strolled in and saw out the hat-trick ball before backing away to leg, and being bowled by a full straight one that hit the top of off stump. 6 balls. 4 wickets. 2 dots. Being 8 ball overs, to earn his maiden, Jack had to bowl two more dots, which he did with the minimum of fuss.
A four wicket maiden. In 20/20 evening cricket. I would have loved to have known what Ant, watching helplessly from the other end, was thinking at this point. I would wager it was somewhere between, "I can still taste my lunch" to, "it's a shame we're losing wickets, but at least I haven't had to run for an over". From 55-1-5 to 55-5-6 - Jack, whatever fine Ales they serve at the Dobblers, I need to partake.
Here is Zak's dismissal. Note the contrast in girth between the batsman and the fielder lurking in the background.
There was some fielding that was good and Dan shouted lots at fielders to move where he wanted them and put effort in, but honestly my memories of these points are all erased by a 4 wicket maiden, with all clean bowled.
Luke and Ant then hung around for a spell, with Ant demonstrating that even if you set a field to him, he will still score in his favoured off side area, with some lovely cut shots and excellent poise. Once he became aware of a distant photographer, he started posing more and looking more regal and balanced
Hold the pose.
Luke and Ant did a rescue job on the innings, helping Matt's team start to claw its way back to a total. Jack continued, economic throughout, and Oscar bowled a tidy spell. 84-5-10. Ant retired, and then some more excitement happened. Nick was briefly in before Sam came in to bowl, and enticed an airy shot which was well held by the fielder at deep point, Oscar I believe, making good ground to clutch the ball close to the turf. Neil Tween managed a cheeky 4 from the outside edge of his bat, streakier than bacon, before being clean bowled. Steve Mann then entered the fray, and perished bowled top of off, after managing an elegant pull for four, again from the normal Dobbler's Captain, Sam.
Luke was briefly rejoined by Matt, who managed another 5 runs, before being bowled by, you guessed it, a full and straight one that hit the top of off. Madness this bowling at the stumps malarkey, who would have thought it?!
A Dobbler's bowler had absolutely begged Dan for a slip fielder in response to a streaky edge. He duly got one, and Ant obliged, by top edging a sweep over the keeper's head and into the waiting arms of the slip, which is quite clearly why you need slips. Matt's Marauders finished at the start of the 14th over on 120 all out - 14 balls short of the total potential balls bowled. Not batting out the full innings is not to be advised at this level, not least given the number of extras that are often conceded.
The sun dipped below the graceful Histon trees and in the enveloping gloom, Captain Dan decided on his batting lineup. Digging into the annals of previous Jagex teams, he chose Kris Jones and Mark Fardell to open the batting, who had last batted together in approximately 2013. The pink ball made an appearance, given the current light situation, and Matt's team set about terrorising the opener's, needing to be economic and wicket taking to have any chance of defending what looked a low total. Nick opened the bowling from one end, and was an absolute terror, fast and accurate, with good lateral movement, making scoring very challenging from the start. Ant started at the other end, and bowled a venomous single over, before being held back for later in the game.
Kris and Mark both struggled to score at the start of the innings, with a fair few played and missed chances, and lots of chirp from the fielders - well, Ant mainly, chivving Fardell with his "swing badadadada... swing..." chatter. Scoring was proving challenging, as both batsmen clung on against a committed bowling and fielding performance. The bowling change to Zak loosened the shackles somewhat, with Jones punching a nice off side four down the ground and Mr Extras taking his highly valued place in the scorebook with a couple of wides. Neither batsman fancied trying to hit anything Nick bowled, with his 3, 8 ball overs going for a total of 11 runs. He deserved a wicket to go with it, in all truth.
As Nick ran out of balls and Jones and Luke came in to the attack, both batsmen freed up their arms a little and started to get a few runs. Fardell was graciously dropped by his good friend Mr Coslett, demonstrating that the Crocodile catch technique really doesn't work. He eventually made the drop pay, cracking a couple of 4's and retiring, slowly again, at 25*. Jones and Oscar Fry picked up the pace with the scoring, including an imperious straight drive from Mr Jones. Oscar sadly pushed a little too hard on the singles, and tweaked his hamstring, forced to retire hurt. This brought Holt to the crease, and he definitely took his time to get his eye in. Jones fell bowled, having done the hard work against the openers, to the left arm seam of Luke.
This brought Stu to the crease, who hadn't even got any cricket gear with him and had just been milling around the ground, hoping a game might happen and that someone would be short and ask him to play. The fourth delivery he faced was dispatched for a monster 6 over midwicket, almost threatening the kids in the playground or the assembled spectators, depending on your perspective. Holt eventually departed, caught from Mr Mann's devious and conniving bowling action, leaving Stu and Captain Fantastic Dan to get us over the line.
Ant hadn't read the script, with 19 needed from 3 overs, he combined with Steve to push the game to the final over. Dan and Stu struck a few lusty blows, before Ant took the cherry for the last 8 ball over, with 3 needed for the win. He bowled a couple of deliveries that were fairly wide of off, but Sam in the umpiring hotseat stretched his arms, but didn't give wides as it just wouldn't be how you'd want to win. Apart from a cheeky scampered bye, two balls left and 2 to win, 1 to draw - Ant had done a commendable job of pushing it to the wire, aided by some generous umpiring. The 7th ball offered a tiny bit of width, and was duly dispatched through point for 4, to give Dan's Dynamos the final victory that the assembled throng of spectators were clearly hoping for.
In truth it was an enjoyable game, with some good performances, a lovely setting and some very crickety things happened. Matt's team probably had the stuffing knocked out of them by Jack's legendary over, and not having managed to bat out the overs probably, meant they were 20 shy of a defendable total.
As you might expect with lots of Dobblers being part of the game, pub attendance at the Railway Vue was excellent, with decent chirp. My personal favourite was Ant declaring that he was clearly the man of the match as he had batted and bowled well. This was somewhat disputed by those at his table, but he insisted, "I feel like a winner", to which Kris replied, "did you feel like a winner when your team lost as we scored the final runs off your bowling", "erm no...". He then went home to eat 12 Scotch Eggs, as he had quite clearly not had his daily 5000 calorie intake.
Old Jagex faces reunited. Look at that vintage Jagex top Kris is wearing.
So, that's it, season at an end after a paltry 3 games, and not a single college ground graced. At least we got something in this year.
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