Your Cricket Maney2k9's Season Diary

Played an inter-firm game last night, these don't count towards averages, but I hit a rapid 21 off of about 10 balls to take us to a competitive total, before being skittled by some bloke that plays for Ireland.

We won the game, there was some fantastic death-bowling, and I helped the cause with a runout.

Bowling? I got 1 wicket.
 
Wow July 1st the last update haha.

Here is my July:

The half-way point of the Saturday season was between Dedham and the 4th July vs Witham. We started brightly, batting first, our openers putting on 76 before the first wicket went down. The second followed the very next ball, Manish registering yet another first-baller. The 57-year-old Simon fell for just three, bringing me to the crease, once again joining captain Steve. We only put on 23, before he was caught, and I then got out, spooning a catch to point for 11. We finished 245-8 off of 45 overs, a fantastic cameo from Imran hitting 10 4s and a 6 in his 55.
We bowled them out for 140, 5.4 overs short of their allotted overs. I picked up 1-25 off of my 5 overs, and I also took a catch which dismissed their number 9.

Sunday 5th July

Once again I was selected for the Sunday 1sts, but for the life of me I don't know why. Down to bat at 9, and only bowled one over for 11. We won the game by 45 runs, but missed out on maximum points because we only had them 9 down. The last two overs consisted of everyone around the bat waiting for the catch! Took 2 deep catches in consecutive balls, which was pleasing.

I was away in Greece for the weekend of the 11th/12th, so missed them games.

Both games on the 18/19th were abandoned or cancelled, so that was a waster of a weekend.

In this time I went to a couple of nets to at least try and get my eye back for the ball. It failed, and I was out many, many times.

July 25th

We made the long, boring trip to Haverhill to play the top of the league side, and the consensus amongst the 'core' of the team was that we should bowl first, given we have a team of youngsters, we only really bat down to 7, and we were missing our captain. We won the toss, but the captain had a pang of 'inspiration' and batted first. Wickets fell at 1-31, 2-42, 3-82, 4-128, 5-133, 6-133, 7-142, 8-151, 9-153, 10-171. Their WK told us that we were "50 short at least". Imagine his surprise, then, that the scorecard read: Kesgrave CC win by 2 runs. We had bowled them out for 169!!

Sunday 26th July

Suffolk Cup Semi-Final against Wortham, the team who have won the competition 3 times in 3 years, but we had a very strong team out. I went in at number 8 with the captain saying "get as many as you can, doesn't matter if you get out." I had 10 balls to get as many as we could. Ideally, 200 was the target to get, but we could only muster 194, even with Dom missing 4 consecutive deliveries. In the final over we were running singles to the keeper, and I have the scar to show where I slid over a stone. Bad times.

Their innings was extremely boring from my point of view, the ball came to me once. But, we won quite comfortably and are through to the Final!!! Which is this Sunday.

August 1st

Eight Ash Green came to town, those of you who actually read this will know that I hit 82 against these guys in my first game of the season. I was bumped up to number 4 for this game, and once again came to the crease to join Steve. To add to our 117 partnership against EAG earlier, and 99 against Stowmarket, we put on 64 to rescue the innings. I was caught behind on 44, and the score was 130-5. We finished the innings on 180-6, and I was fully expecting a win. Which we delivered. They finished 145-9 off of 45 overs. I finished 1-28 off of 6, pretty good for me, and we kept up our charge on 2nd place, and the other promotion spot.

Sunday 2nd August

I don't want to dwell on this game, I got a 4-ball duck.

It is worth saying though, that earlier in the season we put on 450-2 batting first off of 45 overs, and this season we put them in, and bowled them out for 72. We had a good season against them.

Last Saturday, we made the trip to Kelvedon, to play on a pretty good pitch. We bowled first, restricting them to 175-8, I took 2 catches, one skied, and the other drilled low, so that was a positive for me. Another positive is that I hit 33, but the negative is that I nearly lost the game by running myself out. As it happens, we won by 2 wickets.

Sunday we played at Stradbroke, I went in at 9, and won/saved the game for the team. We were 106-7 off of 22 overs, about halfway through the innings, and when I was caught at point, I had eaten 20-odd overs, and made 42, including a 6 over mid-wicket on one knee. I also apparently took a catch as we won by 27 runs.
 
Suffolk Cup Final

We made the journey to Easton to play Easton, nothing in that you may think, but as it turns out, Easton were the only team to offer the facilities for the final this year.

We won the toss and batted, but with wickets falling swiftly things were looking bad. At 115/6 I strolled out to join Captain Mike who was unbeaten on 44. His instructions "Stay in with me."

No problemo. Our target was 180 with 10 overs left, and with 6 left I got those magic words: Go.For.It.

Fantastic. They brought their Division One spinner on (I play Div 7) and I hit him for a 6er over mid-on, which the fielder caught but was on the line, before bunting a 2 to extra cover, before again lifting him over mid-on which sailed over the rope!! 14 off 3!! Wheyy!

We finished with Mike 82*, a high-score for him, and me 33* off 26, which pushed the target to 202.

Wickets fell semi-regularly, but I was only involved in the first one. Fielding at mid-on myself, the ball was crushed my way, and I flung myself, Collingwood-esque, and made a 1-handed grab above my head.

We ended up winning by 9 runs, and are Suffolk champions!!!
 
Well congrats on being Sussex Champions! You look as if you played a good knock.
 
Shhh, I've moved to Swizterland now, so my english geography doesn't matter! :p
 
Saturday August 29th

Home game against Sudbury today, the third last game of the season, and my penultimate Saturday game due to rugby 1st team commitments for the last game of the season.

We went into the day in second, and somewhat fortuitously finished it there too! We won by 6 wickets, but that doesn't really tell the story.

We fielded first (for the first time in a long time) and managed to shell 5 catches in restricting them to 182-9. I didn't get any catches unfortunately, but stay top of the fielding charts.

Batting, the openers got off to a non-start, the Captain getting only his 2nd duck of the season, bowled all around. Number 3 went in, and he and Andy set about the bowling. Andy reached his 50, and Imran was supporting with some lusty blows.

Imran did unfortunately fall, can't remember how, but it happened, and JP sauntered to the wicket having been padded up for the best part of 80 minutes all told. That didn't last too long, as he was bowled middle peg, and so in I went! Score was 90-odd for 3, and I was pretty confident of helping the side to victory.

But boy did I make it hard for myself.

I think I middled one shot the whole innings, a clip off my legs for 4 through square leg which absolutely raced away!

I hit the winning four, and walked off to various scores: 42*, 39*, 38*. Officially I got 39*, which means I have hit 72 unanswered runs. Good times.

Stowmarket next week, who I hit 44 against earlier in the season, so I want to go out with a bang!
 
September 5th - My last Saturday game

Full report tomorrow, but a summary: Bowled for 5. Took 3/16 off 4, and snagged 3 catches (including a c & b)
 
Saturday 5th September 2009 - My Last Saturday Game - Part 2

We went into the game yesterday knowing that 15 points would get us promoted. Batting first, we got off to an OK start, hitting at a run a ball for the first ten before the first wicket fell at 81. Stowmarket brought on two left arm spinners to rein in the run rate, which they did, for combined figures of 30-2-118-7. I fell on 5, deciding, once again, to leave a straight one.

We finished on 222, and were pretty confident of a victory. Our openers bowled very dilligently, Bealesy picking up 2 wickets, and finding numerous edges past the slips.

It was a running joke throughout the season that I warm up ready to bowl as soon as anyone finishes a spell, and this time I was actually asked to bowl! Fantastic.

I started off with a wicket-maiden, the wicket coming from a ball that was outside the tram lines, smashed back towards me, where I took a catch above and to the side of me.

Second over, bowled one of the aforementioned spinners, getting one to nip from middle to hit the top of off.

Third over, no wickets, and went for 8 runs.

Fourth over, another bowled wicket, but another 8 runs, taking figures to 4-1-16-3, my best ever.

Along with my caught and bowled, I got 2 other catches. One that went straight up, and any one of four of us could have taken it. But, given my near perfect record this season, I called loudest and took it.

It seemed like we weren't going to get all 20 points, until, fielding at backward square leg, I took a 'blinder'. Going one-handed low to my right, I caught out their Suffolk Over 50s keeper. Happy days!

We got the points we needed, and have now been promoted to Division 6, which is back-to-back-to-back promotions. Not bad for a Club that's only been around for 3 years!
 
A new year

So, at the start of 2009 I said I would like to hit a 50, which I managed 4 times last year. This year, I want a ton.

During the winter years, another form of indoor takes place at a local sports center. I started out with a golden duck, but have since come up with 17, 17, 15. (You retire at 25).

Anyway, during the most recent game, I got chatting to one of the opposition blokes, who, at the end of the game, said to me "If you fancy Div 2 cricket next year, give me a shout."

It is worth noting at this point, I played Division 7 last year, so a 5 division jump was in the offing.

However, after much discussion with numerous parties, I have decided to stay with Kesgrave for the coming season, starting with a net session on Sunday.

Hopefully I can help get KCC promoted again, and not need to leave come 2011.

Keep it here, because I will need to do some proper reports for practise for Uni and the like :)
 
Just got in from a bowling machine session in Colchester. Not too successful, heard the death rattle too many times, but I had it up at 80-85, which is probably 15mph higher than I will face this season.

April 11th is the first game :)
 
Great Diary mate, I had my first net session today but I wouldn't have the patience for a Thread like this.

Good Work and Best of Luck for this season :thumbs
 
Haha cheers, not really about patience as such, just had a spare minute. No doubt when the season comes I will forget all about it...

Best of luck to yourself also :)
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top