Match Reports Archive 3rd XI 2007

3RD XI V BRAMHALL (A) LEAGUE CUP 22ND APRIL 07

It was a typically wet and cold start to the season for the third team at Bramhall. Our new skipper Geoff Mountford started the season well winning the toss and sticking them in stating we could bat to 11 so could chase any target, famous last words. Another typical start was Gaw turning up without his boots, more on the prince later. The opposition started their season against an aggressive opening spell from Stu “the pace man” Ryan and The mullet himself Tony Cox. Both were unlucky to see the ball fly through slips on a number of occasions shame Mellor, Mounty and Furn couldn’t see the ball. Soon one of the openers gave a chance to Symbols who lived up to his name and dropped the catch. After they reached 50 off 6 overs Mounty took the pace off the ball bringing on the silver fox and Barls. Although the pace came off the ball Barls pitched it half way down the track so that the batsmen could add pace to the ball and we could all watch it fly to the boundary.

Mounty then opted for experience at both ends and brought himself on for Barls and immediately struck taking out one of their openers. By this stage Bramhall were 100 for 1 off 13 overs. The run rate soon dropped as the weather turned for the worst and we played through heavy showers. Most of the players wanted to leave the field but kept their composure and fielded extremely well in the conditions. When Mounty asked how many overs he had bowled the cry was too many and there followed 3 consecutive boundaries. So Barls returned to the fray and took the vital wicket of a young opener who batted extremely well although he did try digging the pitch up making his mark.

Barls took another wicket and the return of Stu, after an excellent 9 overs from the silver fox, prompted the ‘Romanian Prince’, now a member of the EU so we don’t need a visa for him to play, to make some funny noises in the field. Another comical display by the prince saw him try to stop the ball whilst immerging from a swamp with his arms waving as if he was about to be shot. The Prince then bowled one his best spells for a couple of years bowling at the death 4 overs 2 for 14 including a wicket maiden for the 44th Over. The relief of not being captain obviously helped him or the relief he had whilst Stu was bowling. Even his mum took the mick out of him during tea, what a legend.

We started our innings very well being 14 for 0 off 2 but strangely Furn retired hurt due to going over on his ankle, what a lightweight or maybe super heavyweight. That followed two balls later with Paul ‘No.2’ Mellor giving catching practice. Up stepped Smokey and Ben who both played subdued innings, for 16 and 37 respectively. Being 40 for 2 off twenty Mounty sent himself in to up the run rate as only he can, by boring the bowlers into throwing long hops and half volleys. When Ben fell Furn annoyed young Keys by batting again when we needed to accelerate, just the men we need Mounty and Furn, what a laugh. Unsurprisingly the dot balls rose until Furn hit the first six of the game, must have been a tiny boundary or he brought the rope in. Mounty fell and was soon followed by Keys how was very annoyed at the opposition bowler bowling it straight. In came Stu who blasted 28 in no time including 21 off one over. He fell going for a big one and Furn followed next ball. Barls and Gaw through their wickets away going for it but we fell 35 short.

Not the start Mounty wanted and lines seemed inevitable for the team so we soon scarped home. Some good points to be taken from our never say die attitude we need batsmen to go on and hit 50’s with four players hitting 28 or more and no half centuries.