Mandarins (H) – 15.9.12

RUASCC 182-6
Eagle 61, Dersh 60

Mandarins 154-8
Withers 4-36, Main 2-28

Match drawn

Having been bowled out for 67 on our home pitch just seven days earlier it was pleasing to see a competitive RUASCC batting performance against the Mandarins on Saturday. Mind you, any side that can afford to keep RB Tranter hidden down at number ten should definitely be making some runs.

Eagle won the toss and chose to bat first, a decision that was welcomed by Carpenter right up to the moment in the seventh over when Eagle ran him out. Carpenter pushed the ball into the off-side and called a single but Eagle said “no” leaving Carpenter halfway down the track with no hope of salvation. There are two camps here: the one who think it was Carpo’s call and if Eagle had been backing up properly then a single was a formality, and the other who thinks the ball was headed straight for a fielder and the single was never on. I can confidently state that one of these views is absolutely correct.

Rupert Loader was next in and for a couple of overs he concentrated on trying to lay bat on ball while his partner obsessed about the run out. After a few careful singles Loader found the boundary twice but after this promising start he was trapped LBW for 13 to leave RUASCC 42-2.

Then, for the second week in a row, Eagle was involved in a century partnership for the third wicket – this time with Dersh who used the first few overs of his innings as net practice before growing in confidence and driving smoothly just like in the old days. The run rate didn’t really get going until after the drinks break at which point we had just 59 on the board from 23 overs - the pair doubled that in the next nine.

The two batsmen reached fifties in consecutive deliveries to warm applause from the rest of the RUASCC team in front of the pavilion – except Carpenter who’d gone for a long walk. Then the Mandarins brought on a new bowler, Porter, who clean bowled Eagle in his second over and Dersh in his third. This brought about a mini-collapse as Dip and Chan went cheaply while looking to score quickly, but Bruce Main thumped an unbeaten 15 from about six balls to boost the total up to 182-6.

Withers and Main opened the bowling and both were quickly among the wickets: Withers took a sharp return catch and also removed Porter who’d looked in good touch while Main got an LBW decision from our own umpire then clean bowled a four-year-old boy – not that the history books will make any kind of distinction, of course.

Chan Malde picked up a wicket in his first over, thanks to a good catch by Main running in at mid-off, and set up a fascinating duel between bowler Ben Loader and guest batsman Danny Loader. Almost everyone on the field was praying for a

Loader      c Loader      b Loader

dismissal but young Dan played beautifully for nine runs before he was eventually bowled by his brother.

Mandarins still needed 76 runs from the final eight overs and Frostick was giving it a damn good go - the number three eased to fifty then started hitting out and brought the visitors to within 45 runs of the target. With four overs remaining Withers returned to the attack and Frostick, looking to smear everything now, came down the track and got a top edge that would have flown through the slip area had it not been for the lightning fast reflexes of Tranter. There’s a scene in Superman where he catches a speeding bullet – it was like that. While everyone else was looking down to third man, Tranter plucked the ball out of the air and held it aloft in celebration of the most remarkable catch of the season.

With Frostick gone RUASCC could concentrate on winning the match, and Withers claimed another scalp to set up the final over showdown with Bruce Main needing one more wicket for victory. Alas, despite a ring of close fielders and failing light, the batsman resisted and RUASCC ended up in the position we’re much more used to putting other teams in: so close, but match drawn.

And now, with winter seemingly approaching again, it looks like this might have been the last game of the season. With a decent RUASCC performance and a dramatic finale, it was a thoroughly enjoyable match to end the year.

Except perhaps for Carpo.

RUASCC Highlight: The highlight of this match, this season, and possibly any other season, was undoubtedly Tranter’s remarkable pouch at slip that could have won us the game.

RUASCC Man of the Match: Trant.

RUASCC Team: Carpenter, Eagle (capt), R Loader, Dersh, Dip (wkt), Malde, Weeks, Main, B Loader, Tranter, Withers

Tilehurst & Theale (A) – 9.9.12

Tilehurst & Theale 209-8
Zia 4-46, Saad 3-53

RUASCC 191-8
Fawaz 58, Eagle 47

Match drawn

The second leg of our weekend double-header saw RUASCC travel to Tilehurst & Theale Cricket Club, a ground that’s seen plenty of runs in our recent encounters. As regular followers of the blog will know this is the fixture where I usually put songs into the match report – well, just for a change, this time I’ve put the match report into a song. With an appreciative nod to 1950s comedy duo Flanders & Swann, I present to you “The Batsman Cometh”.

(piano intro.)

'Twas on a recent Sunday we travelled down to Theale
Our skipper won the toss – and promptly chose to field
He threw the ball to Taimur, the innings to commence
But his first ball was a long-hop and was clattered to the fence.

Oh, it all makes work for the fielding team to do.

'Twas in the fifteenth over we saw a wicket fall
When Zia bowled a straight one – and Puri missed the ball
We’d been waiting for that breakthrough for an hour in the sun
And it was at least an hour before we saw another one.

Oh, it all makes work for the bowling team to do.

'Twas when he’d scored a hundred the opener retired
We’re rather glad he chose to go before we all expired
We tried some different bowlers, but all were doomed to fail
So we had to bring old Saad back on to come and clean the tail.

Oh, it all makes work for the taxi man to do.

'Twas from a Saad delivery that Wardy took a knock
While diving down the leg side, used his ankle for the block
The bruise and painful swelling made it hard to run about
So Withers took the gloves and promptly ran a batsman out.

Oh, it all makes work for the hospital to do.

'Twas when they’d passed two hundred the home side had enough
And based on recent history we could tell it would be tough
Then Carpenter and Ward got out with just five overs gone
And no one on the planet thought the victory might be on.

Oh, it all makes work for the batsmen still to do.

'Twas down to Doctor Eagle to try to make a score
And he was joined by Fawaz, who started with a four
They faced some useful bowling, which tested their techniques
So a hundred runs were added but it took them several weeks.

Oh, it all makes work for the scorer’s pen to do.

'Twas down to Brian Cooper to take the game apart
He bowled Fawaz for fifty-eight, and that was just the start
Main and Saad and Taimur were dealt with pretty quick
With Zia given leg-before despite a massive knick.

Oh, it all makes work for the umpire to do.

With forty runs still needed it wasn’t looking good
We would have liked to chase the win but didn’t think we could
With any decent batsmen we’d have won with time to spare
But neither Ken nor Withers could get it off the square.

The stubborn tail-enders simply shut and locked the door
So t’was on a Sunday evening that we finished with the draw.

RUASCC Highlight: Great to see Saad back and bowling quick!

RUASCC Man of the Match: Fawaz for his debut fifty.

RUASCC Team: Carpenter, Eagle (capt), Ward (wkt), Fawaz, Zia, Main, Taimur, Saad, Stewart, Withers, Ashman

Greys Green (H) – 8.9.12

RUASCC 67 all out
Zia 19, Stewart 14

Greys Green 68-6
Withers 4-30, Zia 2-31

RUASCC lost by 4 wickets

On a hot, sunny Saturday afternoon at the university RUASCC will feel they let this game slip away after a sensational batting performance was criminally wasted by wayward and sloppy bowling.

Eagle could hardly believe his luck when Greys won the toss and asked him to bat, and together with Mike Ward he got the innings off to the perfect start by scoring runs in the very first over. And several more runs followed before Ward was caught at slip for a magnificent three, ending a very useful opening partnership that nevertheless set the perfect foundation for what was to follow.

Zia joined Eagle and set off in his usual style hitting countless boundaries as the pair pushed the score first past 20, then past 30 as the bowlers melted and the fielders cried and cried. For Zia this was one of his very best knocks for RUASCC, a colossal performance that was only ended when a momentary lapse of concentration saw him bowled by Rooke. Meanwhile Dr Eagle was looking to convert his double-figure score into a so-called “Daddy Teen” but tiredness crept in and a lazy swing at an Ahmed straight ball saw him clean bowled for 13.

Any joy on the bowler’s part at taking the wicket would have turned to despair when he saw Loader stride to the crease, and sure enough the new batsman teased and toyed with the bowling for the best part of an over before he graciously allowed himself to retire LBW for 0. Tranter, batting up the order at number six, demonstrated all his tactical nous and experience by being caught at mid-off for 0, and Russell Turley demonstrated that he’s not overawed at this level by being bowled first ball for 0.

Through all this excitement Dip had weighed anchor and was playing the sort of mature, responsible innings we’ve come to expect – not without its fair share of aggression (he found the boundary on no less than one occasion) his guiding hand led RUASCC to the brink of scoring 50 runs before he succumbed LBW to one of the very best deliveries in the history of cricket. The honour of pushing us beyond the 50 milestone went to Alan Ward who scored just enough runs to take us there before he was bowled by Ahmed for one.

With the pressure off, the gleeful tailenders tore into the bowling and Stewart peppered all parts of the square with his monstrous pat-downs while Withers played so beautifully straight that Greys could have dispensed with at least seven fielders. A huge, free-scoring partnership ensued with a run being added in almost every one of the 14 overs the pair stayed together. Eventually Stewart got a little too ambitious and actually tried to hit one but by then the damage was done – RUASCC had amassed 66-9 and there were still 10 overs to go before the scheduled tea time.

Dr Ashman, sensing the mood perfectly, attempted a reverse-ramp-switch-scoop-drive from his third ball but he didn’t quite nail the execution and was caught at leg-gully for a tremendous 0.

With such a grand total on the board Dr Eagle knew that a win was a nigh-on certainty as long as his bowlers kept their nerve, but over the next couple of hours the captain was badly let down. Withers, usually capable of at least imitating respectability, descended to the level of a safari park chimp flinging faeces at passers-by. Zia tried hard, bless him, but it might be time to own up to the fact that he’s simply not good enough at this level.

Runs were scored from the majority of overs that the two hapless chancers threw down – sometimes as many as one or two at a time. And even when they did manage to fluke a maiden they didn’t get many wickets. But as the saying goes, even a pissed up tramp vomiting up his special brew sometimes hits a dustbin, and Withers eventually trapped Cross LBW with his first straight delivery of the day.

In the next over Zia’s absurd slower ball made Holroyd feel so miserable that he voluntarily gave up his wicket, but opener Butler continued to treat the “attack” with the contempt it deserved as Greys coasted towards victory. Not even a five over spell where three wickets fell for no runs could halt the miserable bowling collapse, and Withers, who wasted 14 overs with this filth, was replaced by Loader who kept it tight for one ball before conceding the run that lost the game. Not his fault. Not even Dennis Lillee could have rescued the sorry mess our bowlers created for us.

RUASCC Highlight: So difficult to choose one individual highlight from a batting performance so utterly, relentlessly compelling as this one, but if forced into a corner I would say that our second leg bye was as close to perfection as I’ve seen in a long time.

RUASCC Man of the Match: Dr Ashman.

RUASCC Team: M Ward, Eagle (capt), Zia, Loader, Dip (wkt), Tranter, Turley, Stewart, A Ward, Withers, Ashman

Hambleden (A) – 2.9.12

RUASCC 182-8
Main 37, Ward 27

Hambleden 70-3
Zia 2-8, Stewart 1-15

Match abandoned due to rain

It’s always good to visit the picturesque Hambleden hills - such a shame on this occasion that the weather seemed intent to ruin the occasion. What started as cloudy, overcast conditions eventually descended into constant drizzle, then a heavy shower, eerie darkness and a sadly inevitable abandonment of what was shaping up to be a likely win for RUASCC.

Dr Eagle won the toss and opted to make use of the best conditions in a limited-overs game, and this looked the right decision from the start as the captain put on a near-faultless opening stand of 64 with Mike Ward. Eagle’s first delivery, a wide long-hop, was smashed to the boundary at cover and despite some tense moments as he neared double figures (“the nervous nines” said Dr Ashman knowingly) he looked reasonably untroubled. Ward meanwhile pulled powerfully for two fours down to the pavilion where the rest of his RUASCC teammates welcomed every run.

Eagle was first to go when he chipped to mid-off for 26 and Ward (27) followed not long after when he offered a simple catch to backward square-leg. Carpenter started strongly with a couple of boundaries but having hit Walker’s first delivery for another four he was caught off the very next ball.

Zia and Chan exchanged some interesting calling and Zia just survived a run out when the man at cover just missed the stumps – then just a few overs later he called a risky second and a decent throw from the boundary sent him packing for 15. Dip was bowled for 0 in the same over to leave RUASCC 109-5 with 12 overs remaining.

What followed was the second important partnership of the innings: Bruce Main got off the mark with a boundary then hit a massive six over mid-wicket while his partner Malde played for singles at first before battering a couple of fours himself. 42 runs were added in eight overs before Malde was caught for 20, but the runs continued to flow as Tranter launched a straight lofted drive and Bruce clubbed a few more to push the total up towards 180.

In the final over Main was bowled going for another big hit, Pensioner Ken Stewart was run out for 0 as he went for a little wander and Tranter finished on 12 not out in what constituted a very decent score for RUASCC.

The rain arrived during the tea interval and never really went away; the Hambleden batsman found scoring runs difficult and Zia clean bowled both openers in his five-over spell. Withers bowled his eight overs for just 16 runs and Ken Stewart proved dangerous bowling down the hill and picked up a wicket thanks to a good catch from Eagle at mid-on. With 17 overs remaining Hambleden still needed 113 to win but conditions put an end to the run chase and after a short wait in the pavilion the whole group retired to the pub across the road.

RUASCC Highlight: Tranter and Main adding 28 in three overs towards the end of the innings.

RUASCC Man of the Match: Bruce Main.

RUASCC Team: Ward, Eagle (capt), Carpenter, Zia, Malde, Dip (wkt), Main, Tranter, Stewart, Withers, Ashman

Frieth (A) – 26.8.12

RUASCC 92 all out
Malde 16, Stewart 12 not out

Frieth 94-8
Zia 6-15, Withers 2-48

RUASCC lost by 1 wicket

It’s always a close game when we play Frieth. Two years ago, defending 112, we lost by just one wicket. Last year we successfully chased 147 with not much time to spare thanks to a superb innings from Zia. This year, despite being bowled out for 92 in just 30 overs, we really should have won.

With Eagle absent for the first time this season and two players pulling out on the day of the game RUASCC were already in some disarray before the scheduled start time of 2pm. To add to the chaos captain Zia arrived a few minutes late so Dr Ashman lost the toss on his behalf and we were asked to bat. Frieth generously donated a youngster, Peter Collins, so the teams were even at 10 aside.

Carpenter realised it was down to him to open the batting so he looked around at this sorry collection of individuals to see if any of them might be capable of propping themselves up at the non-striker’s end while he got on with the job of scoring some runs. Eventually his eyes settled on Withers who pretended to be closely studying the scorebook hoping he was suddenly invisible. Withers had already clocked sight of someone who looked a lot like a very tall, very fast bowler and he was rather hoping not to have to be within 22 yards of him if he could possibly help it.

Nevertheless, five minutes later Withers propped himself up at the non-striker’s end as “The Bowler” Boyce, a simply magnificent specimen close up, breezed in to deliver the first ball of the match which Carpenter effortlessly brushed off for a single to square leg. Withers took guard and, with a tiny trickle of urine dribbling down his trouser leg, somehow managed to see off the rest of the over before gratefully handing as much of the strike as he could back to his partner.

Carpenter had reached nine before he was bowled by Boyce (swoon) with one that kept a bit low. Malde set to work quickly, hitting three boundaries before Withers’ patient vigil was ended, by Boyce again, as he decided to leave a straight one and was bowled on off-stump. RUASCC had looked solid but unspectacular at 43-1 but by the time Withers had taken his pads off we had collapsed to 50-7 – new bowler Ben Smiley picked up five wickets in his first three overs to get rid of Malde, Greenhalf, Zia, Collins and Jagesh.

Some clean hitting from Dale Partridge helped to add 24 for the eighth wicket but he middled another Smiley delivery straight to mid-on to bring last man Dr Ashman to the crease. Ashman belted a couple of boundaries of his own as we briefly threatened to reach 100 but he found backward short-leg with the final ball of the 30th over to bring the innings to a close. Pensioner Ken Stewart was the man unbeaten with 12.

Withers and Jagesh opened the bowling and kept it tight for a few overs before Withers bowled left-handed Wright through the gate to make it 16-1. Next man in was Mr Boyce, and any doubts as to whether he could bat as well as bowl were soon put to rest as fifteen seconds later we were rescuing the ball from the long grass beyond the mid-wicket boundary. Carpenter replaced Jagesh and started with a maiden but any hopes of a breakthrough were dashed as four quite presentable chances were put down in quick succession – most notably when Boyce skewed to Jagesh at point. It was only when Zia brought himself on that Boyce eventually perished for 27, a big score in the circumstances, with keeper Partridge just stealing the catch from under Ashman’s nose.

Zia then picked up his second, bowling Webber for two, and Withers held a diving return catch to dismiss opener McKenzie to leave Frieth 51-4. Once again the arrival of Ben Smiley turned things in the home side’s favour and soon enough without further loss Frieth were just seven runs from victory. Then Zia came on to bowl his fifth over.

With the first delivery Koslewski offered a simple catch back to the bowler. The second delivery saw Hanson clean bowled for a golden duck, leaving Zia on a hatrick. The RUASCC field closed in, Zia sent down another quick, straight one which rapped the pad bang in front – to a massive roar the umpire raised his finger and Zia had his hatrick.

After a long wait for a new batsman Zia sent down another corker – plum in front again, loud appeal – OUT! Four in four for Zia and Frieth were down to their last wicket still with seven runs to win.

In the face of intense pressure the home skipper saw off the remaining two balls of Zia’s over, a quadruple wicket maiden, to bring Smiley back on strike to Withers. After the first delivery went for two runs there was another massive appeal for LBW, this time turned down by the umpire, and eventually Smiley won the game with a slash down to third man.

BEER MATCH

The early finish prompted a ten-over beer match in which Withers took the gloves and claimed his first ever stumping in Dr Ashman’s over. There were notable performances from Carpenter who took 2-2 and Greenhalf who made up for his earlier first ball dismissal by hitting 22 including a six at the top of the innings. Chasing 68 to win RUASCC eventually stumbled over the line with just one ball to spare, guest star Peter Collins hitting the winning runs.

RUASCC Highlight: Zia’s four-wicket maiden that almost won us the match.

RUASCC Man of the Match: Zia.

RUASCC Team: Carpenter, Withers, Malde, Zia (capt), Greenhalf, Stewart, Collins, Jagesh, Partridge (wkt), Ashman