Peppard (A) – 15.7.12

RUASCC 127-9 dec
Ward 29, Dip 18

Peppard 128-5
Withers 3-51, Jagesh 1-16

RUASCC lost by 5 wickets

As everyone is well aware it had been raining constantly for six weeks leading up to this match and it certainly had an effect on the Peppard wicket which Dr Eagle referred to as being “worse than Highmoor” and “like a chocolate torte”. So you can imagine our delight when the skipper lost the toss and we were told to bat on it.

Openers Ward and Eagle were quick to notice that the ball wasn’t travelling well over the outfield, on the rare occasions that they got the damn thing off the square, so even when Wardy middled a couple of straight drives they still had to run threes. Dr Eagle refused to work in these conditions and got himself out, as did several more RUSACC batsmen - including Zia who was half-way through walking what should have been an easy leg bye when a fielder’s throw flew back over his head and hit the stumps at the non-striker’s end.

Ward showed impressive levels of concentration to reach 29 in 29 overs but following a change of bowling his eyes lit up and he chipped a dreadful long hop to square leg. Debutant Dale Partridge showed plenty of enthusiasm and a good eye as he made 10 but once he was dismissed RUASCC were eight wickets down with barely a hundred on the board. Jagesh gave it some welly in the last few overs, supported by the ever-watchful Withers, but when Tim Vines brought himself back on to give us some easy runs (deliberately, I mean) Jagesh slapped his first ball straight to mid-on and it was time for tea.

In the same fixture last year Peppard chased down a similar total for the loss of just two wickets with an imperious unbeaten half-century from opener Legg. Well, they dropped Legg for this match to give one of the youngsters a chance and as it turned out they almost gave RUASCC a chance too.

New boy Partridge was given the gloves and he got to use them straight away – Withers finding the edge with the fourth ball of the first over. Soon afterwards Jagesh somehow got one to spin through the gate for the second wicket before Withers followed that with a double wicket maiden, removing Vines for a duck three balls after Carpenter took a neat low catch at slip. Peppard were 16-4, Withers had 3-6 and suddenly we had a game on our hands.

Unfortunately RUASCC couldn’t turn that early dominance into more wickets. The two new batsmen stuck around, the sun shone, the ground dried out and conditions became easier for playing shots. Withers bowled another 11 overs without success and it was only when Zia reacted quickly to run out Chard Junior that we managed to break through.

As usual a couple of catching chances went down and Eagle told a few people to go and field at “sort of um… there-ish” but ultimately, mostly due to the squelchy conditions early on, we didn’t have enough runs to protect and Peppard reached the total with time to spare. Good tea though.

RUASCC Highlight: The opening burst from Withers (3-6 from 4 overs) that left Peppard struggling on 16-4.

RUASCC Man of the Match: In conditions that were decidedly anti-batsmen Mike Ward played a welcome and unusually patient innings.

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

Highmoor (A) – 24.6.12

RUASCC 74-9 declared
Baker 16, Law 14 not out

Highmoor 75-5
Waqar 3-38, Law 2-22

RUASCC lost by 5 wickets

Before we begin I should probably point out that I didn’t play in this game; in fact I wasn’t even there. I don’t say that to absolve myself of any of the blame for the hugely embarrassing and demoralising defeat (although it certainly helps) but rather to explain any factual inaccuracies that may potentially sneak into the report.

I arrived home on Sunday evening after a lovely weekend in Dorset and immediately asked Dr Eagle how the match had gone. He said it had gone badly. He said we lost the toss and we were bowled out for 74 on a wet, slow, sticky pitch with a puddle outside off stump. I was forced to agree that yes, it did indeed sound like it gone badly.

But it’s really only now, with the benefit of seeing the scorebook, that I can begin to understand the full crippling extent of the badness to which Dr Eagle was alluding. It looks, I have to say, very bad indeed. But then I suppose any team, even one with the strength in depth that RUASCC possesses, would struggle without the trio of Zia, Ward and Withers – you simply can’t replace sportsmen of that calibre.

That’s not to say there aren’t positives to be taken from the batting performance, and some of these statistics do give reason for optimism:

• Yes, we only scored 74 – but we managed it in just 48 overs! That’s an impressive run rate of more than 1.5 per over. 
• Not just one, not just two, but an incredible THREE partnerships got into double figures!
• We weren’t bowled out! Law and Ashman put together a beautifully crafted unbroken stand of nine before the rather sporting declaration.
• None of the opposition bowlers got a five-for. Yes, Guyan took 4-15 from 13 overs but that doesn’t get you on the honours board, does it.

There’s not much more to say about the scorecard except that with scores of 0, 1, 3, 16, 1, 14, 2, 7 and 2 RUASCC’s batsmen curiously managed to spell out the phone number of a car rental station in Kirkcaldy where Ken Stewart used to work as a toilet brush.

The home side certainly didn’t have it all their own way in the run chase as five batsmen fell to the opening pair of Waqar and Dave Law for a total of just nine runs. Waqar’s line and length bowling evidently proved difficult to get away while Law, playing in his first RUASCC game of the season, frequently touched 90mph in an 11-over spell of raw hostility. Which oddly included a stumping. But anyway, in the end RUASCC’s 74-9 proved to be not quite competitive enough, possibly 10-20 runs short of a decent total, and Highmoor sealed the victory in the 24th over.

RUASCC Highlight: Feeding the ducks in the pond outside off stump.

RUASCC Man of the Match: Might be going out on a limb here but I would suggest it was one of the bowlers.

RUASCC Team: Eagle (capt), Dersh, Carpenter, Baker, Dip (wkt), Chan, Law, Waqar, Tranter, Jagesh, Ashman

Farley Hill (A) – 17.6.12

Farley Hill 118 all out
Withers 3-14, Carpenter 2-8

RUASCC 119-6
Zia 33 not out, Dersh 18

RUASCC won by 4 wickets

Allow me to begin by apologising for the unacceptable delay in posting this match report. In my defence it’s taken me six weeks to get over the shock of RUASCC winning a cricket match.

Eagle made three good calls early on: he won the toss, he put the home side into bat and he gave the new ball to brothers Zia and Waqar who repaid his faith by conceding 46 runs in ten overs before Zia eventually stopped bowling his slower balls and removed Jalil for 17. Waqar removed the other opener in the very next over at which point Eagle took pity on the batting team and threw the ball to Withers.

But Withers, possibly affronted by being relegated to first change, unleashed the beast within and took a wicket in each of his first two overs (one bowled, one LBW). From 46-0 Farley Hill were now 58-4 and Withers, unplayable in this sort of form had 2-2.

Jagesh came on to replace Waqar and he too picked up a wicket, then Carpenter got in on the act, starting with two maidens before finding an edge to Dip and an LBW to leave Farley Hill 91-7. Jagesh grabbed his second of the day (another clean bowled) to finish with 2-22 before making way for Tranter who quickly settled into his line and length peppering the square leg umpire and any low-flying pigeons. But, as Eagle correctly predicted, the third legitimate ball of the over rapped the pads in front of middle stump and the ninth wicket went down.

A snarling Withers was brought back on to finish the job and he only needed two balls before Harvey slashed at a wide one and was brilliantly caught by Jagesh diving to his right at fly slip. 118 all out, and it was a decent performance from the well-honed, disciplined, athletic fielding unit.

The RUASCC response lacked fluency, and although the required run rate never became an issue the regular clatter of wickets was a worrying sight at times. Ward was first to go, mis-timing a drive to mid-on for 9, before Eagle was bowled for 15. Dersh and Carpenter added 29 but were both dismissed by Harvey to leave RUASCC 80-4 with sixteen overs remaining.

Zia and Dip put together the most important partnership, although a brutal drive from Zia nearly put an end to Umpire Sewell as the ball ricocheted off the stumps at the non-strikers end and hit the startled Professor squarely in the shoulder. Sewell was escorted from the pitch and encouraged to rest while Eagle went inside to fetch a cup of tea but, unable to find a teabag, Eagle instead returned with a Twix. At first Sewell was visibly unsettled by the shiny wrapper but, once inside, he was pleased with the parallel nature of the high-energy snack bars and wolfed them down, making a mental note to add them to his next Ocado shopping order.

Meanwhile on the pitch RUASCC passed 100 and so needed only 19 to win with ten overs remaining. Easy, you might think, but Dip was too eager to get the job done and got himself out with the score on 116. He was followed first ball by Turley but just when we were starting to wonder if we could pull off a most inexplicable collapse the winning run was given to us with a no ball.

Zia finished unbeaten on 33; Sewell finished slightly beaten but soon regained use of his legs.

RUASCC Highlight: Jagesh’s flying catch at fly slip.

RUASCC Man of the Match: Prof Sewell

RUASCC Team: Ward, Eagle (capt), Dersh, Carpenter, Zia, Dip (wkt), Turley, Waqar, Tranter, Jagesh, Withers

Wargrave (A) – 10.6.12

RUASCC 167 all out
Carpenter 47, Ward 20

Wargrave 168-5
Waqar 2-38, Jagesh 1-27

RUASCC lost by 5 wickets

We were promised rain, lots of rain – indeed we were led to believe that there was supposed to be some kind of monsoon on Sunday afternoon. Once we arrived in cool, grey, breezy Wargrave at 1.30pm we were expecting to either bat or bowl for a couple of hours and then call the whole thing off. But no, the rain didn’t come. And then we lost. I’ll never trust the BBC Weather website again.

Suspecting rain, the captains agreed a 35-over match and Eagle opted to bat first almost certainly hoping to reach 20 not out and boost the old average. A big swish across the line in the sixth over put an end to that as the skipper was bowled for 10. Carpenter got off the mark with a boundary and with opener Ward added 35 in six overs before the left-hander fell LBW to Moss in the youngster’s first over. When Chan was bowled second ball by Owen RUASCC were 59-3 but with Zia joining Carpenter at the crease there was still reason to be optimistic.

Zia creamed a straight four off Moss while Carpenter took a few more from the other end but with the partnership building nicely Zia (12) mistimed one straight to mid-on. Then Waqar (4) attempted an unlikely second run and was found wanting before the fall of the big wicket, Carpenter caught and bowled for 47. With 12 overs still to bat RUASCC were 105-6.

Waseem and Obaid added a useful 28, including the only six of the RUASCC innings, but both batsmen were dismissed in their attempts to force the pace against the slower bowlers. Jagesh and Withers were given the task of trying to push the score past 150 and they managed to achieve it in their own leisurely fashion before Jagesh skied a full toss to the wicketkeeper with four balls of the innings remaining. Dr Ashman contributed three runs from the first two deliveries before Withers finished things off nicely by first hitting a boundary and then by running out Dr Ashman.

With the rain still holding off the teams grabbed a quick tea and RUASCC were suddenly faced with the very real possibility of having to actually defend 167, a total that didn’t feel quite enough – slightly disappointing that of the five partnerships that reached 23 none got any higher than 35.

Withers sprayed it all over the place against the left-handed Drew and was despatched for 14 in one over – entirely the fault of the rain that didn’t arrive when it was supposed to – and was hauled off very quickly to be replaced by the dependable Waqar. The switch worked immediately as Drew was trapped LBW for 39 (from the opening stand of 48).

Zia struck soon after, then Waqar induced a false stroke from Davies but Withers dropped a fairly simple chance at long-on, something which wouldn’t have happened had we been forced back into the pavilion because of the rain that didn’t exist. A Malde stumping gave Waqar his second wicket and another inspired bowling change brought success in Jagesh’s first over: 74-4 in the 16th and the match was still in the balance.

Not for long though. 30 runs were added in the next five overs by Moss (a grown-up) and Woods (a small boy); 40 runs were added in the five overs after that. The batsmen were seeing it like a football, hugely aided by the excellent visibility provided by the lack of rain, and looked to be cruising to the victory total when a calling mix-up and quick work by Zia led to the senior partner being run out on 49. It proved only a temporary setback as Woods hit the winning boundary in the very next over. AND STILL THERE WAS NO RAIN!

So a second consecutive defeat and back home to the regular Sunday night job of putting the bins out. Took one step outside my front door and suddenly it’s pissing it down.

RUASCC Highlight: The lovely weather.

RUASCC Man of the Match: Carpo.

RUASCC Team: Ward, Eagle (capt), Carpenter, Malde (wkt), Zia, Waqar, Abbas, Obaid, Jagesh, Withers, Ashman

Tilehurst & Theale (A) – 27.5.12

Tilehurst & Theale 216-6
Zia 2-35, Waqar 2-43

RUASCC 211 all out
Dip 58, Eagle 32

RUASCC lost by 5 runs

Click here for the wonderful Tilehurst & Theale match report.  It’s The Boss.

After last year’s award winning* (*not really award winning) musical-based match reports it seems a new tradition has begun: any sports journalist wishing to describe the action in a RUASCC v Tilehurst & Theale match must be hamstrung by trying to shoehorn song titles into the write-up. This inevitably leads to tortured prose, exaggeration, outright lies and dreadful puns, but fortunately for the Keiwit Blog no one has yet been able to notice the difference. Anyway, to celebrate the return of the nerdy-piano-rock combo to the UK later this year, I have included in this report all 17 songs from the album Ben Folds Live. If you haven’t, you really should.

Part 1

On another very warm afternoon Eagle won the toss, took a long look at his batting line-up and decided to field first; Withers opened with a maiden and the home side were one down in the sixth over when Zia bowled White for 5. In the face of this formidable* (*not really formidable) bowling attack left-hander Cooke was struggling to get the drive working with the result that all his scoring shots were flying over the army of slip fielders. When a man was placed in a catching position at short third man Cooke tried to play a shot to the leg side instead, but the strain of doing so appeared to dislocate the young man’s shoulder and he was forced to retire hurt.

The score passed 50 before Withers eventually picked up a wicket, Zia taking the catch at mid-on, and when Jagesh bowled Puri in his third over Tilehurst were 75-3. This brought Osborn to the crease and it wasn’t long before we figured out his batting philosophy: hit it very hard and don’t run too much – the only problem was we couldn’t do anything to stop it.

Jagesh (1-32) was replaced by Dr Ashman and Osborn clearly decided he was going to rock this bitch* (*not really a bitch) as more punishing drives disappeared over the hedge and into the silver street beyond. Over the next very long hour Osborn and Blake added 100 runs in about 17 overs before Waqar removed them both. Waqar, this season’s leading wicket-taker, bowled 12 overs of consistent emaline and length in another highly impressive spell. After that there was just enough time for Zia to take his second wicket (a Dip stumping) as T&T finished on 216-6.

At this point the match sponsors would like to wish a very happy 25th wedding anniversary to Jane and Fred Jones.

Part 2

Eagle followed up his fifty at Greys with more runs, setting off at a decent pace as he comfortably outscored Ward in their opening partnership of 51. He did survive one chance when he cut straight to the man at gully (lending more weight to Wardy’s theory that Eagle is the luckiest batsman he’s ever seen) but neither looked in much trouble before Ward (18) dozed off in the middle of a pull shot and ended up chipping the ball straight to square leg. Then Eagle suffered a similar spell of narcolepsy while attempting a defensive stroke and was given LBW on the back leg for 32.

Carpenter once again looked in good touch before playing on for 18 and Zia hit two boundaries but was then caught in the covers for 8. Shortly afterwards Weeks was bowled for 9 but by now Dip was starting to play the sort of innings we know he’s capable of because he does it precisely once a year. From 100-5 he was supported by Waqar (14) and Jagesh (7) and the diminutive Dip was running the show, using his feet well like a tiny dancer and belting the ball to all parts of the boundary. He passed fifty with his eighth four but then on 58 he was bowled with RUASCC just 19 runs short of the target. He was one angry dwarf, and 200 solemn faces looked on from the boundary, aware that the last of the recognised batsmen was gone.

Tranter and Ashman pushed the score past 200 and RUASCC willed the partnership to carry on for just a couple more overs, especially Withers, bricking it at the prospect of having to bat. But with six runs still needed Tranter (14) found the man at extra cover when looking to hit over the top. I went to join Dr Ashman for the last polka, still intent on winning the game, but for one full over I did the best imitation of myself trying to bat out for a draw. With the field in tight and neither batsman able to get it off the square, eventually Ashman had to go for it but he belted the ball straight back to bowler Osborn who followed up his 77 runs with figures of 3-9 and the winning catch.

So after a very enjoyable weekend of cricket we played two full games in glorious sunshine, posted two scores of 200+ and didn’t win either of them. But we got more runs than Greys, and against Tilehurst we were only 5 runs away so that’s basically the same as two wins* (*not the same).

RUASCC Highlight: Ward took a very good catch running forward from mid-on, and let’s face it any RUASCC catch is worth celebrating.

RUASCC Man of the Match: Has to be shared between Waqar’s bowling and Dip’s batting.

RUASCC Team: Ward, Eagle (capt), Carpenter, Zia, Dip (wkt), Weeks, Waqar, Jagesh, Tranter, Ashman, Withers, Zak and Sara

Greys Green (A) – 26.5.12

RUASCC 219-6
Zia 103 not out, Eagle 51

Greys Green 188-7
Withers 4-57, Waqar 3-42

Match drawn

On a cloudless Saturday afternoon with the temperature in the mid-twenties there aren’t many places I’d rather be than Greys Green Cricket Club – great group of players, the games are always competitive and the ground isn’t too shabby either:

With several of our men running late due to last minute team changes (Waqar had to be drafted in at 1pm) we were asked to bat first when Eagle lost the toss again - a great result for this scorer/number 11 who rather fancied the idea of relaxing in the sun for a couple of hours while occasionally writing down some numbers.

RUASCC suffered a bit of a West-Indies-at-Trent-Bridge-2012 start to the innings, faltering to 66-4 on a decent batting track as opening bowler Ahmed removed Ward (15), Carpenter (5) and Malde (7) in his first eight overs. Dip went on the attack and hit four boundaries before he got carried away and played an injudicious drive off Skilleter to be caught at mid-off for 17. Fear not, though, because Captain “Boycs” Eagle was still there on 20 not out after 23 overs.

Fortunately the middle order staged a West-Indies-at-Trent-Bridge-2012 recovery. The first over after Zia’s arrival produced 15 runs and, with the bowlers becoming slightly less assured of their line and length, anything overpitched was dispatched with sickening ease. Eagle focused mainly on the scoring areas through gully and backward square leg as the pair added fifty in six overs to put the innings back on track.

There was a worrying moment when Eagle crumpled to the ground after a collision with Skilliter at the non-striker’s end. A crowd gathered round and umpire Chan, fearing a neck injury, asked if Eagle was able to move his feet. “Since when has Eagle ever been able to move his feet?” Dr Ashman didn’t say until a bit later.

Anyway, Eagle was soon upright and he survived a huge shout for caught behind by cleverly edging behind without the umpires noticing. And you know Eagle: he WILL walk if he thinks he’s edged it and he thinks it was caught and he thinks Sagittarius is passing through Venus on a Thursday morning and you can see the International Space Station from the Tower of Pisa.

Both batsmen passed fifty in consecutive balls of the 35th over but Eagle did eventually give himself out when he scooped Pat Sims’ first ball straight to cover. Thanks to that 90-run partnership the score was now a more respectable 156-5.

Greenhalf became Ahmed’s fourth victim, bowled for 2, but an exciting fifty stand between brothers Zia and Waqar took the score past 200. The declaration came as Zia swept the four that took him to his century - another superb knock that included three sixes and fourteen fours in just a little under 19 overs.

And the all-rounder didn’t get much of a rest because as soon as the scones had been devoured he was back out in the hot sun opening the bowling. This proved to be a struggle for everyone: the bowlers couldn’t make the breakthrough and the batsmen ambled along at three an over to eventually reach 51-0.

Left-hander Howse was called back after a stumping misunderstanding and also survived an edge behind off Withers that no one appealed, but his luck finally ran out when he tried to defend a Withers yorker that spun back onto his stumps. Waqar continued his fine wicket-taking form by bowling Holroyd just after the drinks break, at which point Greys still needed 155 in 18 overs.

They really set about it too, taking 80 from the next ten overs before Waqar switched ends and dismissed Cusden for 27. Still, with seven wickets in hand a Greys win looked a distinct possibility until Captain Eagle did the only thing you can do when looking for containment and/or wickets – he threw the ball back to Withers.

(I’m sorry, did you say Withers? Don’t you mean Zia? Withers, really? No, nothing it’s just… I’m sure you know what you’re doing.)

Well, after a couple of tight overs the required rate reached 12-per-over and the batsmen started playing across the line to straight deliveries. First Withers bowled opener Knight for a fine 79, then Waqar took the important wicket of Skilleter.

The match was saved and Withers began the final over needing to take just five wickets in six balls to win it! Shafqat was clean bowled with the first delivery but there was to be no miracle ending – only one more fell before stumps. That left Greys seven wickets down (all clean bowled) and 31 runs behind.

RUASCC Highlight: Playing cricket on such a perfect day, not losing and then having beer.

RUASCC Man of the Match: There could be a few candidates this week but for the unbeaten century followed by ten overs with economy of 2.7 – it’s Zia.

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

Shedfield (A) – 20.5.12

RUASCC 153 all out
Eagle 34, Abbas 25

Shedfield 83 all out
Waqar 3-5, Zia 3-29

RUASCC won by 70 runs

After three weeks of rain and cancellations the weather finally improved just enough for us to complete our first game of the season, a new fixture down in Shedfield (near Marwell Zoo, for reference). On inspection of the square it became apparent we would be playing on the astroturf strip, and RUASCC were asked to make first use of it when Eagle lost the toss.

Despite some comedy calling early on (Carpenter should have been run out first ball) runs came steadily in the first few overs as Eagle used the full width of his bat to “steer” the ball through the slip and gully region. Wides also made a significant contribution before Carpenter eventually gloved behind to bring the 49-run opening partnership to an end; two overs later Eagle, having hit six boundaries, was bowled by a quicker one for a confident 34.

But RUASCC soon recovered from this encouraging start and began to collapse in style. 76-2 became 107-7 as Dip (LBW for 1), Zia (run out by the wicketkeeper for 8) and debutant Turley (caught behind for 1) all departed quickly. Chan Malde (14) showed he’s been watching too much IPL when his attempted reverse-sweep spooned high in the air and practically landed on gully. Then Waqar (2) middled a pull straight to the man at mid-on and the innings looked all but over.

What happened next was quite disgraceful: Waseem Abbas, another young man playing his first game for the club, showed a complete lack of regard for self-destruction protocol and walloped a six over mid-on for his first RUASCC runs. Two fours and another six followed in a 36-run stand with Tranter, who contributed four singles, and we suddenly had a target to bowl at. Abbas was caught for 25 and Tranter bowled for seven leaving last pair Withers and Pensioner Ken Stewart at the crease.

It was all over too quickly, alas, as Withers tipped a ball into the leg side and, apparently forgetting who his partner was, confidently and decisively called for a quick single. Halfway down the track, realising he was the only one moving, he uttered an oath in the general direction of the non-striker and was hopelessly and embarrassingly run out for 0. 153 all out.

After tea (delivered from the pub across the road) the home side’s response stuttered as Withers, enjoying the extra bounce provided by the plastic pitch, took a wicket in his first over and Zia bowled the other opener to make it 16-2. A useful partnership of 31 followed but Zia regained control and removed both batsmen in the space of three overs, the latter thanks to a catch by Eagle protecting the long-on boundary after several shots aimed in that direction.

With 20 overs remaining Shedfield (one man short) needed 100 to win with five wickets in hand but were subsequently unable to put together another meaningful partnership. Waseem replaced Withers and bowled a useful spell down the hill but it was Waqar at the other end who bamboozled the middle order to finish with incredible figures of 3-5 from three overs (one bowled, one LBW, one caught & bowled).

Eager to finish off the match Eagle turned to the senior citizens. Ken Stewart (1-1) needed only one over to remove the last recognised batsman despite seeing two chances dropped (one by a very apologetic Waqar, one by entirely unapologetic run out victim Withers) and Tranter (1-0) needed only two balls to seal the win.

And thus RUASCC’s unbeaten start to the season extends until at least May 25th.

RUASCC Highlight: Waseem Abbas scoring his first runs for RUASCC with an enormous six over mid-on.

RUASCC Man of the Match: For top-scoring with 34 and holding on to a couple of important catches, it’s Dr Eagle.

RUASCC Team: Eagle (capt), Carpenter, Malde, Dip (wkt), Zia, Turley, Abbas, Waqar, Tranter, Stewart, Withers