Stapleford Outlaws 125-10 (Yaxley 5-7!, Horner 3-23, Kingsmill 2-22, Badcock 40, J Rigby 31) 125-10 lost to Jags 126-2 (Parrish 59*, Brolia 38) by 8 wickets.
Man of the Match: Morgan Yaxley
It was a lovely evening, the last at Queens this year, our personal home of cricket. Tonight's opponents were Stapleford Outlaws, one of two Stapleford midweek teams. Why they have two teams, I do not know, but I hope it relates to some ancient dispute and massive falling out between former club captains. I haven't managed to glean from either captain why there are two midweek Stapleford teams, nor why one is called the "Outlaws" (a cracking name), or indeed anything interesting about this odd situation - nice fellas, but the chat is a bit lacking. I am stretching the bounds of creative writing by giving such light material so many sentences, all else I will say is that Stapleford is a village near the only official hill in Cambridgeshire and it has both a great golf course and an awesome farm shop, and two teams who must, for some reason, absolutely hate each other.
We didn't know it as we drove into the car park, but tonight for the Jags was to be a record breaking evening. We had a our first ever Michelle Pfeiffer courtesy of Histon legend Morgan Yaxley. I don't want to spoil it by the preview, but I just can't hold it in for several paragraphs. What a performance.
She's looking at you, Morgan. Meooow
Matt lost the toss and opted to bat. The opposition organiser pointed out to him that if you lose the toss then you don't get to choose what you do, and reversed Matt's decision. It was ballsy on Matt's part, he was very insistent we were batting, even going so far as to start putting his pads on, despite the coin telling him otherwise. Jags were bowling first.
The tried and test opening bowling partnership of Liam and Tyler were in for some difficult treatment early on as, despite bowling some very good lines, the opening batsmen were on one for Stapleford. J Rigby batted well; James Badcock was insanely good. Withing the space of 4, 8 balls overs there was not really a chance to note, and we all thought we were going to be staring down a total of 200 plus to chase, such was the measured ferocity. Badcock hit one particular legside glance/clip/tickle/oh my goodness 4 that was literally the epitome of amazing batting skill. The field was quiet: there was no chirp. The bowling was good, the batsmen were equal to it, we just all looked a bit concerned for several overs.
Then, finally, the breakthrough. Tyler sloped off after bowling well, and Kingsmill, the Lord of Longstanton Manor, came in and within the space of 7 balls, gave us hope. His previous 6 balls were, well, let's just not talk about those. His 7th ball was full, straight, and homing in on leg stump (thank God for 8 ball overs). The batsman missed it, and it hit the pads. We all went up appealing, the first noise we'd made that evening, and the umpire gave it. It was full, it was straight and it was certainly hitting leg, but a certain other Stapleford team may not have made the eminently correct decision, should we have found them umpiring this evening. LBW.
Then the chat commenced. As nice as it was seeing a top batsman playing beautiful shots with effortless ease, we were very, very happy to see the back of him. Horner came into the attack and dispensed the other batsman, after getting some tap first, he uprooted legstump with a nice full length delivery with some inswinging shape. The fielding improved from a previously lethargic effort, with Horner stopping one behind point that sticks in my mind, and Cozzie doing some sterling work at mid on that I also remember for some odd reason. Will continued with some very nice lines, James carried on bowling the ball in a legal fashion, and the insane opening scoring rate got back to "vaguely sensible".
We were then treated to our first outstanding catch of the evening. The new batsman hit a lovely clip to deep midwicket, so good in fact that the assembled Stapleford supporters started clapping for a certain 4. Tyler had other ideas, skipping perfectly into position rapidly and keeping his eye on the ball, he demonstrated perfect technique, steadying himself and grasping at waist height. A top contribution.
Jamer Horner extracted the next batsman first ball for a slightly odd wicket. Short, outside off, looking to be slapped, the batsman tried to do a pro glide shot to 3rd man, but just popped it to Morgan in gully. Morg's first contribution of the evening. James then rather ruined our otherwise competent fielding with a hilarious overthrow for 2, checking first that no one was backing up, before launching the ball towards the stumps, and missing obviously.
Will extracted the other batsperson, who had looked very technically good, with another legstump uprooter. He also managed to hit a batsman in the region which causes all men to both laugh and wince at the same time, causing him to retire hurt.
Horner then conceded the bowling attack to Morgan Yaxley and the fireworks began. With a deft display of control, Morgan bowled the best spell I have seen as a Jag. We've had Piers Morgan bowl really well; Steve Morgan bowl some mental spells in his David Beckham shirt; and we've had Jay Atkinson bowl insanely well as one of our best South African players; and then there was this. 4 convential overs, 7 runs, 5 wickets. Let that sink in.
Having the tricky task of facing a left hand and right hand combo, he maintained control, composure and an almost zen like calm. Bowling mainly full, sometimes good, and always threatening, he took out batsmen 6-10. The first was a good length ball in the channel outside off that was edged to Horner at gully, high in the air, an easy catch, which James made look anything but easy. The second was a catch for the ages, the batsman hitting it low to covers, where Will lurked. Will glided, and fell at the same time, his long limbs in perfect unison, clutching the ball just above the turf. James makes easy catches look tricky; Will make tricky catches look easy. Teamwork makes the dreamwork. I'll stop now.
Phillips held up the other end with some solid bowling all rounder stuff, such is his role in life nowadays. Morgan then bowled one top of middle, and Will held a much less dramatic, much more regulation, catch to get him to 4. History beckoned, albeit a tiny slice of history, but Jags history, so important to those who find themselves reading this blog.
Scoring had slowed incredibly at this point, and Matt did a fantastic legside stop that I can recall behind the stumps. The final over saw Morgan get the 5th with some pressure and a precision ball, full length, top of off to leave Stapleford all out at 125 with 2 balls to spare. We celebrated like it was New Years' eve in 2000 and everyone (*except Tyler) waited for Morgan to walk off with the match ball as both teams clapped with his parents looking on. It was a very nice moment, one of the things that makes me very happy to be organiser in chief of this ragtag crew.
Matt and Ant opened the batting, chasing a run a ball total, and decided that getting ahead of the rate was the best strategy for ensuring we got to the pub in time for pizza. Both hit some glorious shots, Matt was very ground based, hitting a lovely on drive and a lovely off drive that I can recall. Ant was very good as well, clubbing to the on side, moving his feet extremely well, and keeping ahead of Matt in the scoring. The running was great as well, I cannot recall a single chance being offered and Ant was particuarly good at running and rotating the strike. Those are words I genuinely never thought I would write in that order.
Ant even ran out of his wicket, having been briefly tied down for a couple of balls, to hit a single to the offside from the very good spinner they had. We all languidly enjoyed from the sidelines. They were 75-1 from 6, and we got to 77-0 from 6.
If you know, you know
The serenity of the biggest opening partnership in Jags history had to end, and thus the spinner saw Ant depart for a very well crafted 38, a full and faster ball from the spinner didn't get up, and hit him plumb in front for LBW. Cozzie joined Matt, hit a nice boundary, and then swiped wildly at one that was not to be swiped at, seeing his stumps uprooted. George Anderson made his Jags debut, and hit a nice couple of offside 4's, and generated some odd controversy when he was given not out stumped, mainly as he hadn't left his crease, but the wicket keeper was very animated, as though some great cricketing injustice had just occurred. Not a single other soul appealed, so it was proper weird.
There was just enought time for Matt to get his second Jags 50 of the season, before we cantered to the total with the best part of 3 overs to spare.
On any other evening there would have been several man of the match candidates. Skip got a 50, Kingsmill got two wickets, an amazing catch, and crucially extracted the top Stapleford batsman. Tonight there was no vote necessary. Tonight belonged to Morgan.
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