Jags 153-5 (Ant 40, Matt 39, Fardell 33) beat Cambourne 2's 140-9 (Abbott 40, Houlder 23, Mailes 3-19) by 13 runs.
MOTM - Fardell
This was one of those evening games that had pretty much everything and is exactly why we play this maddening sport. We were back at Queens (woohoo) for the first time this year and we had a strong XI for our first league fixture of the season. There was no possibility of bad weather, and we've played these chaps before in some nice competitive, good natured fixtures, so it was all set up to be a cracker, and it did not disappoint.
Matt won the toss and the tried and tested partnership with Ant got off to a contrasting start. Captain fantastic was struggling early on, but surviving, whilst Ant was off to an absolute flyer, tonking the ball this way and that, with a cow corner shot bisecting the fielders that I recall rather well, and a harumph of a six back down the ground, hit with all the disdain you might expect of the man who holds the record for "Most Just Eat Deliveries Ordered - Cambridgeshire - 2024". It was pretty much boundaries or dots early on, once we'd got off to quite a clip, being 57 without loss after 8 overs without loss, Matt found his stride, and then did a hilarious thing. He made Ant run. A lot. 2's, 3's, 1's, lots of them back to back.
Ant looked absolutely shattered, but kept going, and towards the end of a top 20/20 innings, he was just swinging. One fielder on the long on boundary just did not fancy it at all, Ant was sure he was out, but then realised he had to run some more as he'd not been caught out. He eventually fell, caught with a tired shot to Warburton and crawled off for 40 off 33 balls, and fairly chipper applause from the sidelines. It had been a monster innings, getting us to 79 without loss from 10 overs, to set up a great platform to hit 150+. Mailes went out to join Mr Parrish, who had found his range (as he often does) by hitting a monster 6.
Did somebody say, unfit
The bowling had been rather mixed, some good stuff and some really not good stuff, often in the same over. One thing to note though, the guest wicket keeper for Cambourne was absolutely brilliant, showcasing the sort of glovework you rarely see in evening cricket. We had 3 keepers (Cob, Phillips and Matt) almost taking notes throughout. Chris struggled to get going, and fell to a tricky one top of off, bringing me out. Matt gave me a pep talk about not letting wickets tumble, and I defended my wicket with graceless shots the first two balls, before clipping a 4 off my toes to a generous legside one to get goin, after having also been gently coached and encouraged, genuinely, by the keeper. Cheers chap.
Matt wasn't around for much longer as we had, for the second game in a row, let Tyler umpire. He was only at square leg so what could possibly go wrong. Well. Matt called me through for a cheeky single, and old trigger finger was there again, ready to pounce and give the run out. Matt was less than happy, although Tyler was adamant. Still 39 from 30 balls, not too shabby. Phillips joined me for a fair bit, and both of us found a few boundaries, keeping out the good stuff and hitting the bad stuff. They had one left round bowler who was brought on to do some damage as he was quite good apparently. However, with us being, both, 'ahem' less than orthodox, this proved to be manna from heaven, he just kept bowling me turny legside stuff which meant my wagon wheel could remain the pizza slice it always is without any real danger.
We then had a hilarious episode where a no ball garnered a free hit. The bench signalled for it. Phillips told me it was a free hit. Tyler did the twirly arm motion and the bowler delivered a nice full delivery. Which I plopped forward and gently did a forward defensive to. I will say that the reason was, I can be an absolute idiot sometimes (my wife would thoroughly agree with this). We then entered the period that I'm going to call the Phillips Spin Class - where, wherever the ball went off either of our bats, we were running. Singles, doubles, and a three where I turned down the fourth that was eminently on offer. At this point we were nearing the end, Phillips did a hilarous 4 where he stepped across his stumps and hoiked it to deep backward square.
Must keep running...
I then faced another free hit, I definitely knew about it this time, but I was 'not out' caught to it, so two free hits in one game pretty much wasted. At 149-3 I fell in the last over, run out without grounding my bat and off for a pint or two of water. Phillips and Barker finished us off getting us to a solid 153-5 in the end with Phillips falling at the death. It could have been more had two of our batsmen not been less than sprightly.
Bennet and Barker started things, and one of the Cambourne lads came out with a gopro on his helmet as he's doing a Tik Tok or something. At 42 I have lost interest in most things that aren't pipe and slippers and social media can get in the bin as far as I'm concerned. Camera lad hit a lovely four, before being bowled by Barker - and since he had a camera on his helmet, Barker gave him a right old send off as well so he can put it on his Myspace page or whatever. The other batsman edged one behind to Matt, but wasn't out - I don't think there was anything unsporting involved, he just didn't know he'd hit it and the umpire didn't give him.
Bennet then got the same batsman with an absolute belter of a catch, which was almost as good as Liam's last year. Tyler can, on occasion, let himself down in the catching department, but not it seems when it counts against his bowling figures. The opener absolutely creamed a fast one back at Tyler at ankle height, which he took cleanly inches from the turf.
Off his own bowling, Tyler would stop even this.
We had two batsmen at the crease and the new one gently started by chipping a ball to Phillips at covers, who promptly shelled it. It would prove a costly drop, as this lad played the best innings I think I've seen in evening cricket from there on in. He took a shine to everyone, probably most notably Barker, and hit two sixes, one of which was basically a forward defensive that just took off and hit the sight screen. He also hit a reverse slog sweep, deliberately, for 4, and was dropped by Mailes leaping like a South African salmon (which apparently was caught on camera by Mr Go Pro), for a tough chance at mid off. It was exhibition stuff all round.
Cob and Cooper did some fine work in the field that I recall, even I had a nice stop at square, and Cooper bowled an economic spell of controlled medium after some early looseners. Liam did some good stuff, but was nursing a sprain so had to look after himself. Mailes came in to bowl as well to try and arrest an accelerating partnership with his rapid stuff, replacing Bennet.
I had yet another hilarious moment of the game, although this was more successful, as their number 3 clipped it to square leg and set off for a non-single. The run out was going to be straightforward whatever happened, but I made it anything but, slowly bowling the ball underarm on the floor towards the wicket keepers end (I am getting old). Matt had no idea what to do behind the stumps, so just waited, and hoped, and waited some more. Thankfully it eventually hit legstump, gently dislodged one bail, and the chap was out. This wasn't the dangerman mind, so we were still in trouble. 74-3 after 11 overs.
Despite the injury, Liam then came to the rescue, bowling a full yorker to the tricky chap, that would have hit probably 2/3 stumps, and was promptly given out LBW. He'd scored 40 off 24 in a devastating spell of really rather gorgeous looking batting. Liam had to limp off at this point, his body held together as it is at the moment with mainly hopes and dreams. Baker came into partner Mailes in bowling, and the new batting pair included the amazing keeper, who also, quelle surprise, turned out to be a cultured batsman, hitting some correct, but devastating 4's on his way to trying to get a decent partnership going with the Cambourne skipper, re-starting momentum going after a devastating double wicket blow.
Tyler did some fine work in the field that I recall, as he was keeping one over in the tank for the end. Mailes then extracted a wicket, top edged high to square leg for an easy catch for yours truly. I'd been, "in the game" shall we say. Baker got a wicket clean bowled, and Mailes extracted the classy keeper with another clean bowled just when he'd found his range. Mr Baker did some fine work in the deep here that I recall when not bowling, and Matt kept making good fielding adjustments to keep things sensible.
We then got a little complacent at this point, as wickets tumbled and the rate accelerated, 105-7 off 15 and it felt a hard ask for the tail. I wouldn't say we were sloppy in the field, but there wasn't the killer instinct you should maintain to be sure. Perhaps we were dreaming of the pub.
Where our minds were at 5 overs left.
Abdul had other ideas though, joining Mr Ashman for a spell, he decided that he would ensure they went down swinging, moving out of his crease to most balls and bludgeoning 4,4,2,4,1 in his first 5 balls. Mailes then bowled the other guy leg stump, to leave Abdul wanting not for intent, but for partners, with only two left. Still at 130-8 from 18, 22 runs separated the teams with Abdul on strike.
Bennet came back in and got a bit of tap from him, going for 9, but taking the other batsman last ball, leaving the equation at 139, 14 needed from the last over.
Cooper was tossed the cherry, and did his absolute best Chris Jordan impression, bowling an absolutely ridiculous last over, with the game in the balance to concede one run. One chuffing run. The Cambourne throng were even stood around the scoreboard waiting to keep the score ticking over, but they were underemployed. Credit to Paul in particular for not being put off by the aggressive footwork, and adjusting his length judiciously to Abdul's tricky antics. We call him whispering death.
They finished on 140, and in a slight seesaw innings, we saw lots of good stuff all round with many contributors and a solid start to life in league one.
We retired to the Red Bull, too late for food, but not for beer and a magnificent evening was then enhanced by Steve Mann turning up at the pub to improve the chat. Cob was handed his Jags cap and shirt and celebrated with a stogie.
The beard, the cigar, the cap, the shirt - we got this
