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