Surrey Slam vs Emanuel Rumdog Millionaires
Author: Jeffries
Match Report |
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In true Beedle style, this match report is written from inside my mind. We’re away at Old Emanuel CC in the north-east regional plate final of the Surrey Slam. Could the stakes be any higher? The ground is fantastic, covers are on, I’ve already won the toss. There’s rain in the air and the outfield is lush, but batting in the dark is hard going. I confer with my team, they all say bat. If in doubt, bat. I stride to the middle. My partner, Ricki, fresh from a not-out 50 in the semi final. Left arm over is always a test, but I’m relieved to block the first ball up. The second, wider, is driven through mid off for 3 and I’m away. Ricki twice forgets to use his bat and is out lbw, but don’t panic, because Tush is on his way to the crease. Tush tries to pull a length ball from the lefty and gets bowled. This wasn’t in the plan but don’t panic, because Dev is here. My partnership with Dev proves fruitful as we rack up 40 in 6 overs, moving the field around and running hard. They bring their first team bowler on and he’s darting the ball in at the stumps. I feel the need to hit a boundary, we’re only going at 6 an over. My eyes light up at a full one and I’m left swishing at thin air as it moves off the seam and smashes leg stump. Oh dear. Don’t panic though, Piers is here to show us all how it’s done. I’ll just take my pads off… what do you mean Piers is out?! Christ, now we’re struggling. It’s 64/4 after 10 overs and we haven’t had a boundary for a while. Best send out a Tweet so the universe knows that we’re in strife. Their bowlers are tying us down and restricting the runs. Sam can hit and run, I’ve seen him do it before, but he’s struggling with the hit part of the equation. Decision making is inconsistent – easy singles turned down and suicidal runs somehow scampered. Maybe a smoke will help. Dev perishes in the bizarrest of ways, run out by first slip while the rest of his team appeals for lbw. In comes Alex Ibbotson. We all know he can hit a long ball, and he does – straight into long on’s hands. Luckily long on drops the ball then steps on the rope giving Alex a 4, and our first boundary for ages. Surely, surely it won't be our last. Alex is out a few balls later, caught behind, and now I’m starting to panic. Will we make it to 100? Hugo, Charlie and Macca all waste their best shots during nervous throwdowns and save their air shots for the middle. There are no more boundaries and we’re bowled out for 91 in the final over. Don’t panic though, we have 9 bowlers, we’re not out of this yet. A quick huddle and clear instructions – bowl full and straight, field like our lives depend on it. Macca wasn’t listening and misfields the first ball for a single. I’m trying to stay agile as with my captaincy and demonstrate this by not telling anyone who’s bowling the second over. Mainly because I haven’t decided yet. Hugo’s first over goes for just a couple of runs though, and we dare to hope. I go for Alex second over, his pace might cause problems. It does cause problems, but mainly for me as I dive full length to take a wayward leg side bouncer. Old Emanuel’s opener decides that walking down the wicket is the plan, and hits Alex for two 6s. Time for plan B. B for Beedle. Plan B doesn’t go too well either, so I’m swiftly onto plans C, D and E. Eventually Macca makes the breakthrough in the 5th over, which is enough to get him another over. We continue to disregard team tactics as the ‘full and straight’ plan is cast off and batsman 3 shows off his late cut to every ball. We’re now into pride salvation territory and the chat reflects this. “Let’s at least get to 10 overs” was the lofty ambition. Macca’s second over yields another wicket so I suppose I should let him bowl again. He doesn’t want a fine leg, he doesn’t bowl down leg. His spell finishes with 6 wides down the leg side. Ricki bowls the 9th over, and throws down a couple of pies first up, going for back to back 4s. They’re now within 3 runs of the target and we’re still short of our 10 over goal. Ricki manages to give away just one run from his final 4 balls and we have done it! We’ve made it to 10 overs! As we change ends I call Beedle to the wicket. I’m entrusting him with the ball in the 10th over. I’m giving him two slips, a gully, two men on the drive. Full and straight Jason, there’s Putney pride at stake here. Jason runs in off the world’s longest run up. His run up is so long, Charlie starts and finishes a joke and he still hasn’t reached the popping crease. Finally, exhausted from his travails, Beedle propels the ball towards the batsman with all the effort he can muster. It’s short, wide and smacked for 4 through cover point. Old Emanuel Rumdog Millionaires (what?!) win by 8 wickets. |
Date | Time | Team | Opposition | Location | Putney | Opposition | Result | Scores | Points | Toss |
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07/08/2019 | 6pm | Putney Super Vikings | Emanuel Rumdog Millionaires | A | 91/10 | 94/2 | L | 0 |