In this first instalment of my RUASCC 2010 Season Review I focus on those brave men who step out into the middle armed with nothing but gloves, pads, thigh pads, arm guards, a groin protector, a helmet and a kilo and a half of wood.
Andrew Eagle
510 runs @ 26.84
Opening batsman Eagle played in every match for RUASCC this season which means that for every minute we were fielding he was there questioning the field settings. He did manage to make himself useful though: in the first game of the season he took quite a remarkable one-handed catch on the Farley Hill boundary, the first of his five catches in 2010.
With the bat this was something of a comeback season for Dr Eagle - he passed fifty no fewer than four times (including his career best 86 at Highmoor) and topped 500 runs for the season during his 59 in the penultimate game of the season at Peppard. Against Tilehurst on an artificial pitch he was almost knocked out by a bouncer but went on to score 43 not out and save the draw.
This was an excellent season in which Eagle passed 7,000 runs for the club - it also saw a marked reduction in the number of times he threatened to give up cricket.
Michael Ward
348 runs @ 21.75
Wardy recorded his highest career score of 90 in the second game of the season on a freezing cold day at BBC Caversham – a game which saw the opposition reach only 64 runs between them! His one other fifty came in quite a remarkable performance at Peppard when, having kept wicket for 40 overs without conceding a bye, he opened the batting and scored 68 not out in the run chase.
A quick 30 from Wardy is a feature of several of RUASCC’s better batting displays this season and it’s perhaps no coincidence that our two scores of under 100 (Woodcote and Stonor) were in matches that he missed while off on some sordid adventure.
Wardy holds a 100% winning record as Captain having overcome Hambleden in his one match in charge, and although he can’t quite claim all-rounder status yet, it should be noted he also took two wickets (both clean bowled) as well as five catches and a stumping.
Ian Carpenter
341 runs @ 24.36
No one came closer to scoring a century this season than Carpo who was cruelly run out for 98 at Braywood. The innings included 15 fours and one six and helped to take RUASCC from the desperate position of 45-4 to 212 all out. Although this was his only fifty of 2010, Carpo posted some particularly useful scores towards the end of the season – his 34 against Greys and 39 not out against Hambleden were both vital in securing victories when chasing relatively low totals.
Like Ward, Carpenter also maintained a 100% record as Captain – and few who played at Hambleden will be able to forget the skipper bellowing out orders from the deep cover boundary before bringing himself on to take the last two wickets. Perhaps under-used as a bowler, he took 4 wickets in just 13.4 overs all season. He also contributed four catches, mainly from the slips.
Chan Malde
170 runs @ 24.29
A quite spectacular performance at Farley Hill brought Chan almost half his season’s runs in a single innings. Coming into bat at 34-4 Channy helped himself to 80, using his new B52 bat to its full potential, in RUASCC’s highest 2010 partnership of 125. It was enough to put the game comfortably beyond the reach of the home side.
An altogether different kind of knock earned Chan another 39 runs at Warborough in the final game of the season. With RUASCC again in trouble Chan carefully supported Zia on a wet, tricky wicket while the pair added 111 to give the bowlers a sufficient total to defend.
On tour in Portsmouth Chan also made a notable contribution on the golf course as he and Wardy were victorious in the fourballs.
Dip Patel
160 runs @ 12.31
A Captain’s Performance at Tilehurst was the season highlight for Dip, as his knock of 77 helped RUASCC to a useful but ultimately beatable total of 219-7. The partnership of 98 with John Baker was a feast of beautiful strokes on a hard-baked outfield - one drive in particular was so well timed it didn’t make a sound off the bat. In the game at Hambleden Dip hit his very first ball for six over fine-leg, an act which further demoralised the home side after they’d only just dismissed Zia for 70.
During the course of the season Dip passed 2000 runs for the club, took five catches (and a stumping) and completely lost his rag with Andrew Eagle. Now that’s what I call a summer.
Sam Griffiths
133 runs @ 19
Restricted to just nine appearances due to work commitments in London, Young Sam won’t put this season down as one of his best. We saw glimpses of his superb eye and wonderful timing at Stonor where he scored 28 in a total of 98-4, and also at Farley Hill where he timed a cover drive so well it would have gone for a flat six had there not been a man to catch it on the boundary. On the plus side, I understand his university football career is going very well.
Sam’s wicketkeeping can always be relied upon and he can boast six catches and a stumping for the season. One catch he didn’t quite make was halfway down the track at Portsmouth where he was flattened by Bruce Main.
Dersh Patel
96 runs @ 19.2
Dersh can claim two unique records for the 2010 this season. Firstly, he was the only RUASCC batsman to play against RUASCC. Looking very relaxed and confident, he came out to face us at number 11 for Greys Green, but to everyone’s relief Zia dismissed his partner before he’d managed to hit a significant score.
Secondly, he is the only RUASCC batsman to retire hurt without facing a ball, blaming an arm injury for his reticence at Farley Hill. His departure left the last wicket stand of Withers and Koslicki to block out the draw, which they did, but were tempted not to just to see if he would come back in again.
In just six innings for the club this season his highest score was 42 not out, contributing to RUASCC’s highest score of 235-5 at Hambleden. His partnership of 115 with Zia was the record for the 4th wicket. We understand that in the few games Dersh played for Wokingham this season he averaged 80 with the bat – which is nice for them.
Coming soon: The All-Rounders
Sunday 31 October 2010
Saturday 9 October 2010
Season Review – Bowling (Part 2)
Right, let’s get this over with, shall we?
Wargrave 11-1-50-1
In my first game post-holiday I started with a maiden and took a wicket (a slip catch by Zia) in my third over – both promising signs that a recovery of form might be on the way. But while nothing went disastrously wrong in this spell, nothing went particularly right either. Wargrave were nudging ones and twos at will towards the end and as they found me about as threatening as a heap of well-fed guinea pigs.
Portsmouth 7-0-44-1
A poor performance in this game could easily be explained away by the fact we were on tour and quite a lot of drinking had gone on. We’d been out clubbing all night and I was a bit jaded – certainly not at full strength. It is a bit of a worry, therefore, that this performance was indistinguishable from most of the others in 2010. My one wicket came thanks to a catch by Johnny Baker at point and everyone was so relieved we all forgot to congratulate him.
Hambleden 8-0-47-0
I don’t remember bowling a single good ball in this game, which is up there with the first Peppard game as contender for my worst showing of the season. I do remember being hit for two straight sixes and I also remember that the same two batsmen couldn’t get Zia off the square from the other end. Yes, I was bowling up the hill, but I can’t place any blame on the conditions – Dr Ashman replaced me and took three wickets.
Frieth 0.4-0-8-0
Defending a total of 112, I was brought on to bowl with Frieth at 105-9. As I said in the match report, some players would rise to the occasion and shatter the middle stump with the first ball of the over. That’s not really been the story of this season for me, and I needed only four balls to make a complete cock up of it.
Stonor 10-0-62-0
Stonor finished on 212-1 from 35 overs so I certainly wasn’t the only bowler to get hit about that day. In fact, this was a significantly better spell than any other I had bowled in the last few weeks. There were still too many four-balls, but with two very confident, hard-hitting batsmen there wasn’t much margin for error. Probably the first time in my RUASCC career I’ve gone three matches without taking a single wicket.
Greys Green 8-3-23-1
My first over went for 12 runs so the final figures actually represent a decent recovery - after clean bowling the other opening batsman in the second over everything seemed to tidy itself up and I didn’t get hit much again. Greys were dismissed for 116 with Main taking 1-7 and Zia 3-10 from similar spells.
Hambleden 8-1-20-3
Finally! It turns out Withers can bowl properly after all. The Hambleden openers would have been looking to fill their boots when they saw me open the bowling again, but something really clicked that day. Only one boundary came from my eight overs (a cover drive from the very last ball) and three top order batsmen were sent packing. This sort of thing used to happen a lot more often. I don’t know if there’s one specific thing I did differently, but more than one teammate commented afterwards that I ran in “with intent”.
Peppard 8-1-45-1
Having conceded 40 runs in just 5 overs here two months before there was room for improvement against Peppard. The opening pair set off like a train though, and after my initial 7 over spell I had conceded another 42 runs with nothing in the wickets column - I’d beaten the bat a few times but the batsmen were well in control. It wasn’t until I returned for the penultimate over of the innings that I managed to sneak a leg stump yorker through for my only success.
In the final match at Warborough I was unable to bowl due to a leg injury and an underlying inability to bowl. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, we won our fourth consecutive game to finish the season on a high.
The Stats
• I bowled 133.4 overs, more than anyone else for the club, and finished the season as only the fifth highest wicket-taker.
• My 13 wickets cost an average of 43.8 runs, the worst bowling average of anyone who qualified for a bowling average.
• My best figures were 3-20 and that was in one of the two matches I took more than one wicket.
• I conceded an average of 4.26 runs per over and only bowled 18 maidens in the entire season (average of just one per match).
It was without doubt my worst season since I started playing cricket and only on rare occasions did I feel like the same player I was in 2009. One thing that is patently obvious to me now is that I need to put in more effort: run in faster, hit the pitch harder and show that same “intent” that revealed itself in the return match against Hambleden. When I slow down to try to find the right line and length I get hit for more fours because the batsmen don’t feel threatened and just need to wait for the short ball, wide ball or full toss – which will inevitably come. I get away with a lot more when I bowl quicker, however my tendency to over-pitch does get found out when I meet a batsman who can drive the ball.
My problem is that I knew all this halfway through the season when I wrote the first part of this review - http://keiwitcricket.blogspot.com/2010/07/season-review-bowling.html - and yet I seemed quite unable to act on it. I’m optimistic that next season will be better and I’ll put in a strong pre-season from early in 2011 to make sure. Then you’ll see a much happier, fitter, stronger, wicket-taking blog.
Wargrave 11-1-50-1
In my first game post-holiday I started with a maiden and took a wicket (a slip catch by Zia) in my third over – both promising signs that a recovery of form might be on the way. But while nothing went disastrously wrong in this spell, nothing went particularly right either. Wargrave were nudging ones and twos at will towards the end and as they found me about as threatening as a heap of well-fed guinea pigs.
Portsmouth 7-0-44-1
A poor performance in this game could easily be explained away by the fact we were on tour and quite a lot of drinking had gone on. We’d been out clubbing all night and I was a bit jaded – certainly not at full strength. It is a bit of a worry, therefore, that this performance was indistinguishable from most of the others in 2010. My one wicket came thanks to a catch by Johnny Baker at point and everyone was so relieved we all forgot to congratulate him.
Hambleden 8-0-47-0
I don’t remember bowling a single good ball in this game, which is up there with the first Peppard game as contender for my worst showing of the season. I do remember being hit for two straight sixes and I also remember that the same two batsmen couldn’t get Zia off the square from the other end. Yes, I was bowling up the hill, but I can’t place any blame on the conditions – Dr Ashman replaced me and took three wickets.
Frieth 0.4-0-8-0
Defending a total of 112, I was brought on to bowl with Frieth at 105-9. As I said in the match report, some players would rise to the occasion and shatter the middle stump with the first ball of the over. That’s not really been the story of this season for me, and I needed only four balls to make a complete cock up of it.
Stonor 10-0-62-0
Stonor finished on 212-1 from 35 overs so I certainly wasn’t the only bowler to get hit about that day. In fact, this was a significantly better spell than any other I had bowled in the last few weeks. There were still too many four-balls, but with two very confident, hard-hitting batsmen there wasn’t much margin for error. Probably the first time in my RUASCC career I’ve gone three matches without taking a single wicket.
Greys Green 8-3-23-1
My first over went for 12 runs so the final figures actually represent a decent recovery - after clean bowling the other opening batsman in the second over everything seemed to tidy itself up and I didn’t get hit much again. Greys were dismissed for 116 with Main taking 1-7 and Zia 3-10 from similar spells.
Hambleden 8-1-20-3
Finally! It turns out Withers can bowl properly after all. The Hambleden openers would have been looking to fill their boots when they saw me open the bowling again, but something really clicked that day. Only one boundary came from my eight overs (a cover drive from the very last ball) and three top order batsmen were sent packing. This sort of thing used to happen a lot more often. I don’t know if there’s one specific thing I did differently, but more than one teammate commented afterwards that I ran in “with intent”.
Peppard 8-1-45-1
Having conceded 40 runs in just 5 overs here two months before there was room for improvement against Peppard. The opening pair set off like a train though, and after my initial 7 over spell I had conceded another 42 runs with nothing in the wickets column - I’d beaten the bat a few times but the batsmen were well in control. It wasn’t until I returned for the penultimate over of the innings that I managed to sneak a leg stump yorker through for my only success.
In the final match at Warborough I was unable to bowl due to a leg injury and an underlying inability to bowl. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, we won our fourth consecutive game to finish the season on a high.
The Stats
• I bowled 133.4 overs, more than anyone else for the club, and finished the season as only the fifth highest wicket-taker.
• My 13 wickets cost an average of 43.8 runs, the worst bowling average of anyone who qualified for a bowling average.
• My best figures were 3-20 and that was in one of the two matches I took more than one wicket.
• I conceded an average of 4.26 runs per over and only bowled 18 maidens in the entire season (average of just one per match).
It was without doubt my worst season since I started playing cricket and only on rare occasions did I feel like the same player I was in 2009. One thing that is patently obvious to me now is that I need to put in more effort: run in faster, hit the pitch harder and show that same “intent” that revealed itself in the return match against Hambleden. When I slow down to try to find the right line and length I get hit for more fours because the batsmen don’t feel threatened and just need to wait for the short ball, wide ball or full toss – which will inevitably come. I get away with a lot more when I bowl quicker, however my tendency to over-pitch does get found out when I meet a batsman who can drive the ball.
My problem is that I knew all this halfway through the season when I wrote the first part of this review - http://keiwitcricket.blogspot.com/2010/07/season-review-bowling.html - and yet I seemed quite unable to act on it. I’m optimistic that next season will be better and I’ll put in a strong pre-season from early in 2011 to make sure. Then you’ll see a much happier, fitter, stronger, wicket-taking blog.
Tuesday 5 October 2010
Warborough (A) – 26.9.10
RUASCC 149 all out
Zia 66, Malde 39
Warborough 123 all out
Zia 4-39, Main 3-48
RUASCC won by 26 runs
Full scorecard can be found here.
On a grey, wet and cold day in the beautiful setting of Warborough, the final game of the season was a low-scoring affair decided by one key batting partnership. The rain did fall but only lightly, and the long, green outfield gave poor value for any shots along the floor. RUASCC’s fourth consecutive win to end the season was quite an achievement with only ten players - as well as being a man short, a calf muscle injury had rendered Withers unable to run thus reducing him to the fitness level of the rest of the team.
TRANTER LOST THE TOSS AGAIN.
Warborough chose to field and, with Ward running late due to a morning football match, Carpenter opened the batting with Eagle. Against good, accurate swing bowling the RUASCC innings began slowly and Carpenter was the first wicket to fall with the score on 7, bowled by a leg-cutter that just clipped the off bail. Eagle followed for a duck in the next over, caught down the leg-side by the keeper having been cramped for room. An early trip to the pub looked odds-on at this stage.
Fortunately for RUASCC, Zia is in such good form with the bat that he went on to score 66 despite being bowled for nought. Early in his innings he ducked a full toss only for it to crash into his middle stump, but with neither umpire clearly announcing a no ball Zia began to make his way to the pavilion. In a show of sportsmanship Warborough might well now regret, they called him back for another chance and he soon pummelled successive sixes in a partnership with Chan that got the visitors out of trouble.
In fact they added 111 in just under 21 overs, Chan scoring mostly with delicate glances down the leg side, Zia scoring mostly in fours just about anywhere in the park. Zia passed fifty for the third time this season and was coasting along on 66 when he charged down the wicket and was stumped. Next batsman Ward, clearly unused to having to wait for his chance in the middle, only scored 5 before he fell to the same bowler.
Bruce Main briefly showed some of his powerful hitting and made a rapid 14 before Chan turned down his request for a single. Main, slipping as he turned, suffered the misfortune to be run out while lying face down in the middle of the wet pitch. 139-5.
Joined at the crease by Tranter and staring at a long tail, Chan decided it was time to hit out. Sadly he missed a straight one and was bowled for 39, and that was about all RUASCC had to offer: Tranter was bowled for 3, Jagesh run out for 4 and suddenly it was 148-8.
Last man Withers, bravely batting without the aid of a runner, pushed his fourth ball into the covers, called for a single and had just succeeded in dragging his wounded leg to the non-striker’s end when he realised Ashman was enthusiastically calling for a second run. Hampered by his injury and also by his lack of a jetpack and/or time machine, Withers failed to make his ground by about 18 yards and was hopelessly run out. During a lively teatime discussion The Once Good Doctor Ashman insisted he was only carrying out the Captain’s instructions which were, presumably, to bring the innings crashing to an embarrassing conclusion on 149 all out. The News of the World is investigating.
Chasing 150 to win the Warborough innings started strongly with the openers seeming to have none of the trouble getting the ball away that affected 80% of the RUASCC team. They raced to 47-0 before Main made the breakthrough thanks to a sharp catch by Tranter in the gully and it was soon 51-2 as the other opener tried to hit Zia over long off and only succeeded in finding Main who judged the flight well to take a good catch. Zia, not for the first time this season, took a wicket in his first over then after another 14 runs had been added he took his second, clean bowling Whitty for 5.
Three overs later Bruce Main reacted superbly to adjust his follow-through and pick up the loose ball to run out Martinus at the striker’s end, and the very next ball he caught-and-bowled Thompson to leave Warborough 66-5. This left the match intriguingly poised with the home side needing 80 to win from the final 20 overs with five wickets in hand.
The situation swung dramatically in RUASCC’s favour again within the space of two overs as first Zia took a return catch for his third wicket then Main won an LBW decision with a full-pitched straight one. However, Main’s body rebelled against being asked to bowl a thirteenth consecutive over and he suffered a calf injury seemingly remarkably similar to the one Withers was already carrying. Withers, who had been hidden in the slips all afternoon, was sent out to mid-off as Main (3-48) took his place next to ‘keeper Ward.
Warborough had just crept past 100 when Zia took his fourth wicket, another hapless victim clean bowled. In the next over Main’s replacement Jagesh found an edge and the chance went straight to the big Kiwi who claimed his second catch of the game. Like I said last week, Main never drops them.
Zia, desperately trying to fit his overs in before leaving for work at 6pm, was still causing problems from the other end and he found an edge which was put down by Main at slip. While a Warborough win looked increasingly unlikely the draw remained a distinct possibility as the last pair understandably shut up shop. Five fruitless overs followed and time was running out, but as the batsmen blocked everything straight and left everything wide, Jagesh (2-30) produced the perfect ball: the one that starts wide and comes in. It proved too good for Johnson who politely allowed it to pass and peg back his middle stump. Warborough 123 all out with just two overs to spare.
RUASCC Highlight: The post-match curry.
RUASCC Man of the Match: Zia (66 & 4-39) - another superb all-round performance.
RUASCC Team: Carpenter, Eagle, Malde, Zia, Ward (wkt), Main, Tranter (capt), Jagesh, Ashman, Withers
Zia 66, Malde 39
Warborough 123 all out
Zia 4-39, Main 3-48
RUASCC won by 26 runs
Full scorecard can be found here.
On a grey, wet and cold day in the beautiful setting of Warborough, the final game of the season was a low-scoring affair decided by one key batting partnership. The rain did fall but only lightly, and the long, green outfield gave poor value for any shots along the floor. RUASCC’s fourth consecutive win to end the season was quite an achievement with only ten players - as well as being a man short, a calf muscle injury had rendered Withers unable to run thus reducing him to the fitness level of the rest of the team.
TRANTER LOST THE TOSS AGAIN.
Warborough chose to field and, with Ward running late due to a morning football match, Carpenter opened the batting with Eagle. Against good, accurate swing bowling the RUASCC innings began slowly and Carpenter was the first wicket to fall with the score on 7, bowled by a leg-cutter that just clipped the off bail. Eagle followed for a duck in the next over, caught down the leg-side by the keeper having been cramped for room. An early trip to the pub looked odds-on at this stage.
Fortunately for RUASCC, Zia is in such good form with the bat that he went on to score 66 despite being bowled for nought. Early in his innings he ducked a full toss only for it to crash into his middle stump, but with neither umpire clearly announcing a no ball Zia began to make his way to the pavilion. In a show of sportsmanship Warborough might well now regret, they called him back for another chance and he soon pummelled successive sixes in a partnership with Chan that got the visitors out of trouble.
In fact they added 111 in just under 21 overs, Chan scoring mostly with delicate glances down the leg side, Zia scoring mostly in fours just about anywhere in the park. Zia passed fifty for the third time this season and was coasting along on 66 when he charged down the wicket and was stumped. Next batsman Ward, clearly unused to having to wait for his chance in the middle, only scored 5 before he fell to the same bowler.
Bruce Main briefly showed some of his powerful hitting and made a rapid 14 before Chan turned down his request for a single. Main, slipping as he turned, suffered the misfortune to be run out while lying face down in the middle of the wet pitch. 139-5.
Joined at the crease by Tranter and staring at a long tail, Chan decided it was time to hit out. Sadly he missed a straight one and was bowled for 39, and that was about all RUASCC had to offer: Tranter was bowled for 3, Jagesh run out for 4 and suddenly it was 148-8.
Last man Withers, bravely batting without the aid of a runner, pushed his fourth ball into the covers, called for a single and had just succeeded in dragging his wounded leg to the non-striker’s end when he realised Ashman was enthusiastically calling for a second run. Hampered by his injury and also by his lack of a jetpack and/or time machine, Withers failed to make his ground by about 18 yards and was hopelessly run out. During a lively teatime discussion The Once Good Doctor Ashman insisted he was only carrying out the Captain’s instructions which were, presumably, to bring the innings crashing to an embarrassing conclusion on 149 all out. The News of the World is investigating.
Chasing 150 to win the Warborough innings started strongly with the openers seeming to have none of the trouble getting the ball away that affected 80% of the RUASCC team. They raced to 47-0 before Main made the breakthrough thanks to a sharp catch by Tranter in the gully and it was soon 51-2 as the other opener tried to hit Zia over long off and only succeeded in finding Main who judged the flight well to take a good catch. Zia, not for the first time this season, took a wicket in his first over then after another 14 runs had been added he took his second, clean bowling Whitty for 5.
Three overs later Bruce Main reacted superbly to adjust his follow-through and pick up the loose ball to run out Martinus at the striker’s end, and the very next ball he caught-and-bowled Thompson to leave Warborough 66-5. This left the match intriguingly poised with the home side needing 80 to win from the final 20 overs with five wickets in hand.
The situation swung dramatically in RUASCC’s favour again within the space of two overs as first Zia took a return catch for his third wicket then Main won an LBW decision with a full-pitched straight one. However, Main’s body rebelled against being asked to bowl a thirteenth consecutive over and he suffered a calf injury seemingly remarkably similar to the one Withers was already carrying. Withers, who had been hidden in the slips all afternoon, was sent out to mid-off as Main (3-48) took his place next to ‘keeper Ward.
Warborough had just crept past 100 when Zia took his fourth wicket, another hapless victim clean bowled. In the next over Main’s replacement Jagesh found an edge and the chance went straight to the big Kiwi who claimed his second catch of the game. Like I said last week, Main never drops them.
Zia, desperately trying to fit his overs in before leaving for work at 6pm, was still causing problems from the other end and he found an edge which was put down by Main at slip. While a Warborough win looked increasingly unlikely the draw remained a distinct possibility as the last pair understandably shut up shop. Five fruitless overs followed and time was running out, but as the batsmen blocked everything straight and left everything wide, Jagesh (2-30) produced the perfect ball: the one that starts wide and comes in. It proved too good for Johnson who politely allowed it to pass and peg back his middle stump. Warborough 123 all out with just two overs to spare.
RUASCC Highlight: The post-match curry.
RUASCC Man of the Match: Zia (66 & 4-39) - another superb all-round performance.
RUASCC Team: Carpenter, Eagle, Malde, Zia, Ward (wkt), Main, Tranter (capt), Jagesh, Ashman, Withers
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