Club cricket thread

Pedro45 said:

Addick Addict said:

PaddyP17 said:

@Addick Addict hope Krishna is okay - my vice skip ran into him in A&E. Rory split his webbing but sounds like your man got a toe cruncher and also wore one in the face while fielding! Ah no.

Thanks @PaddyP17. I haven't had an update but he did, bravely, finish the game. The second incident was the worst as he split his lip as a result of a drive rearing off the edge of the artificial strip and hitting him in the mouth. Hopefully he will be able to play next week.

As for the game, I can only say that it was an occasion where, at several points, we were all over Minster - only to lose it and that was without our two strike bowlers too (Max Luckett and Dan Magin), a hobbling Elliot Hooper as a result of an injury sustained while batting and the aforementioned Krish having to deal with blood pouring from his mouth. That's four of Bickley's normal bowling attack. 

Bickley won the toss and batted. At the half way stage we were 122-2 with a platform to get us to 250 and quite possibly substantially more. Then the usual collapse with three LBWS, all from players sweeping on a deck of inconsistent bounce - none could have any complaints - and we limped to 203. A par score for Bickley but one that was always going to be difficult to defend against Minster on a ground with short boundaries and a fast outfield.

Imagine having Minster 8-3 then and those three being Ed Moore (S Africa A), Sean Irvine (Zimbabwe) and James Thompson (one of the best all time all rounders in the Kent League). Unfortunately Joe Parry and Nijjar (Essex) steadied the ship but when I say "steady" that is what I do mean to the extent that Minster crawled to 42-3 off 21 overs. Bit by bit, however, those two took a stranglehold on the game and they started to become immovable objects. Parry isn't a spectacular batsman but a stubborn accumulator and was eventually out for 70 off 120 balls (just four boundaries) and Nijjar was there at the end for 97 not out off 140 balls. Minster won by 6 wickets with 4 balls to spare. The one that got away for Bickley! 

Hayes won too (thanks partially to a ton from Blake) and one point separates them from Minster with a 25 point gap to Blackheath. Beckenham look likely candidates for the drop but there is going to be a real dogfight for that other relegation spot with just 20 points separating the next five teams - so much so that there could be an precedented situation where a team goes down with as many as seven wins to their name.  

I'm doing the Beckenham vs BP game next week which is a real six pointer for both teams IMO. 

Addick Addict said:

Pedro45 said:

Addick Addict said:

PaddyP17 said:

@Addick Addict hope Krishna is okay - my vice skip ran into him in A&E. Rory split his webbing but sounds like your man got a toe cruncher and also wore one in the face while fielding! Ah no.

Thanks @PaddyP17. I haven't had an update but he did, bravely, finish the game. The second incident was the worst as he split his lip as a result of a drive rearing off the edge of the artificial strip and hitting him in the mouth. Hopefully he will be able to play next week.

As for the game, I can only say that it was an occasion where, at several points, we were all over Minster - only to lose it and that was without our two strike bowlers too (Max Luckett and Dan Magin), a hobbling Elliot Hooper as a result of an injury sustained while batting and the aforementioned Krish having to deal with blood pouring from his mouth. That's four of Bickley's normal bowling attack. 

Bickley won the toss and batted. At the half way stage we were 122-2 with a platform to get us to 250 and quite possibly substantially more. Then the usual collapse with three LBWS, all from players sweeping on a deck of inconsistent bounce - none could have any complaints - and we limped to 203. A par score for Bickley but one that was always going to be difficult to defend against Minster on a ground with short boundaries and a fast outfield.

Imagine having Minster 8-3 then and those three being Ed Moore (S Africa A), Sean Irvine (Zimbabwe) and James Thompson (one of the best all time all rounders in the Kent League). Unfortunately Joe Parry and Nijjar (Essex) steadied the ship but when I say "steady" that is what I do mean to the extent that Minster crawled to 42-3 off 21 overs. Bit by bit, however, those two took a stranglehold on the game and they started to become immovable objects. Parry isn't a spectacular batsman but a stubborn accumulator and was eventually out for 70 off 120 balls (just four boundaries) and Nijjar was there at the end for 97 not out off 140 balls. Minster won by 6 wickets with 4 balls to spare. The one that got away for Bickley! 

Hayes won too (thanks partially to a ton from Blake) and one point separates them from Minster with a 25 point gap to Blackheath. Beckenham look likely candidates for the drop but there is going to be a real dogfight for that other relegation spot with just 20 points separating the next five teams - so much so that there could be an precedented situation where a team goes down with as many as seven wins to their name.  

I'm doing the Beckenham vs BP game next week which is a real six pointer for both teams IMO. 

An incident free game on what was at times a spicy wicket at Foxgrove which was eventually won by Bickley by 5 wickets. Seb contributed a few stops in the field but failed to get in despite Bickley being 61-5 at one point in chasing just 108 to win. Sam Smith's younger brother, Charlie, opened and stood firm against the fast bowling of David Moody (nephew of Tom), ending up 33 not out off 99 balls. Just what the Dr Bickley ordered!

That win probably consigns Beckenham to Div 1 next season but there is another big "clash" this weekend for Bickley - against Lordswood. Hopefully I won't get into any trouble unlike what happened at their place earlier in the season.

PaddyP17 said:

We visit Beckenham's astro wicket at Forster Memorial Park tomorrow.

Can't say it's one I've had pencilled in since the fixtures came out, but... well. Let's get it done. We need 37 points to guarantee the championship and I have every intention of getting another 20 of them tomorrow.

We beat Blackheath by nine wickets last week. 131 all out was never enough on a road of a pitch, and our opener followed up his 118 with 62*. Our slow loopy spinner got three; I managed to run someone out (they were backing up and it was basically a dropped catch); easy peasy.

Our one wicket was... I mean, incredible doesn't begin to justify it.

On 122-0, our bat on 45 pats one down into the ground from an off spinner. It bobbles a bit in the crease, bouncing and looping back toward the stumps. Time stands still. The ball caresses the leg stump with all the delicacy of a feather coming gently to rest on the forest floor. The bails are not dislodged.

The ball then bounces away from the stumps - at which point the batsman realises he's sort-of in trouble. He decides the best course of action is to volley, as hard as he can, what is basically a near-still ball into the stumps, taking out leg stump, and thus being "bowled". We think.

PaddyP17 said:

We chased down 252, winning by two wickets. Our Saffa, Deano, got his maiden club ton and given he was contemplating giving it up entirely two weeks ago, we are over the moon for him. He's a brilliantly destructive bat on his day (indeed, the ton came off about 75 balls) and it was lovely seeing it come off. 

Weird chase, though. 65-3 became 215-4 became 240-5 became 250-8, or something. Nearly threw it away!

Hayes lost, which is great news for us. Fifteen points and we are mathematically up, and it is also completely ridiculous that it'll take fourteen games for us to be assured of the championship, given we've won 12 and lost 1, while every other team pretty much is even on wins and losses.

Up the 4s!