Surrey Slam vs Hampton Hill Phantoms
Author: Truckfist
Match Report |
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It’s a Wednesday, it’s the hottest day since records began. The nerves are settling in, on the long walk to the ground while muttering to yourself. “Nothing down leg, everything in the corridor.” While deciding it’s prudent to not get pre match beers. You need to bowl properly, you need to concentrate, turn the intensity up. This is not a Sunday piss up, this is the semi final of the Surrey Slam. Getting to the ground to find Jeffries, stroll up to him with overzealous confidence and repeating the mantra you have been muttering to yourself. It was just greeted good to hear 3 wickets please. Off the skip goes to the middle toss our future in the air. With three of our team around. Hoping that we have a bat first. Yes! we are batting first. Taking my seat to watch some glorious shot making. Maybe I can see how to play a shot, to get that 50th run for my beloved cricket club. In strolls Amogh and Ricki. I have seen big scores from both of these absolute class batsman. The opening bowler has some wheels with Amogh guessing and playing around everything. He played around one and middle stump is gone. So no instructional video, from Mr Bendre then, perhaps Ricki will show me how to hit an inside out cover drive over mid wicket. (Buy Beedle beer of the month) Jeffries replaces Amogh. There he goes the skip, to lift our spirits. With some magnificent stroke play from the middle, they put together a solid 56 partnership. Rich decides to run to the boundary to change his bat. I just think to myself “Oh shit this is it, he is going to go out now.” My bad Rich sorry I put the bad thought out there it's on me, that you got out to a catch. That's 2 down for 56. Jeffries contributed a quick 19. In goes Tush with the obligatory swing of the bat in a windmill fashion as he strides to the crease. Now I can learn how to hit a ball. Oh Amogh brought beer that’s much more important than learning how to bat. Ricki was smashing the ball to all corners of the ground as Tush was just a spectator to this display. Teeing off as one would say, until Tush’s singular 6 of the day that was slapped for a 6. Glorious shot I must say. Until Tush toed one to the covers on a cut. Caught! On your bike. He furiously walks back staring at the toe of his bat, as if it hurt him or insulted him in some way. In goes Ockers with 101 on the board for 4. With a quick fire 13 to be caught in the field. In comes Dev to anchor the innings. Ricki retires on his 50, a splendid knock to put us right in the game. With the score at 138/5 in comes Alex, with some exceptionally large hitting dispatching the bowlers for four 4’s and two 6’s. To be not out on 37 at the end of the innings. Dev smacked two 4’s for his 10 and then he was caught. Now it is time for the bowlers to defend the total of 156. As I had been umpiring for the last ten and just getting over the hangover of Sunday. I forgot a boot in the clubhouse and was searching frantically no shoe, Great start Beedle. Off I run to the clubhouse with one shoe and self loathing for such a DDJ worthy error. First up is Bri to defend this massive total. With some genius bowling he kept the runs down. Next up jogging from fine leg to try and bowl well after all the mantra reciting minimal beer intake, this should be a good over. Nope dispatched for 6. Jogging back to fine to see Bri running passed me. Hopefully he does better, and he does knocking the leg stump, dislodging the bails, batsman is gone. They are 11 - 1. No 3 comes in and is sending the ball to all parts of the ground for a quick 37 from 20 with 8 fours. Until Rickie gets him sweeping but a top edge is sent to me at fine in the ring. Mantras do work sometimes, as its about to land safely in my hands. Just say to myself “Don’t fuck it up” Big wicket gone, we are in this. Its 59 -2. In comes Big Alex comes into bowl his 100mph bowls in the corridor and into the stumps on several occasions. The batsman are surely flustered with this kind of bowling and the opener was, a beautiful ball that shaped in and took the top of middle stump. With both openers gone, its 69 - 3. Next wicket is a caught and bowled by Big Alex, oh my word he is on fire. This is some performance. No 5 is gone for 14. Its 88 -5. Next up its the big man the danger man. Ricki comes up to me and says, this guy plays for Saturday 1’s. Henry “I can bowl leg spin” Harvey comes into the attack and gets one to turn and snick the top edge sending one behind. Where Jeffries has to dive and get fully horizontal to ensure it lands safely in the gloves. Gone see ya. Its 118 - 6 In comes Tush to try and take this big wicket. The big man is scoring at a rapid rate sending bowlers to all parts and even denting a car or two. Tush bowls a slower one and he doesn’t get a hold of it. Off the toe into the air on the way to an awaiting Amogh, who snatches it safely. No thanks for coming for you boss, he hears me say as we are celebrating, neither for you is the retort. Its 136 - 7 they need another 20 to take this final away from us. NOT TODAY! With some accurate bowling from McCann he hits the wickets so hard to send the bails hurtling through the air. Some say it is still flying. Its 140 - 8 surely this is ours now. Next is a catch by Tush, retribution for him after dropping the big man Saturday 1’s player. Its 142 all out. We are in the final. I am fucking over the moon, after being hidden at fine leg all night and going for 22 from 2 overs. Shit performance by me but that catch makes it worth it. Going over the evenings events, it seems it was never close, as you all know cricket is a funny old game that ebbs and flows like an ocean. |
Date | Time | Team | Opposition | Location | Putney | Opposition | Result | Scores | Points | Toss |
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24/07/2019 | 6pm | Putney Super Vikings | Hampton Hill Phantoms | H | 156/5 | 142/10 | W | 0 |