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REPORT: P. Finkill
On a freezing cold January evening CCC kicked off their somewhat belated start to the annual six-a-side indoor season. It was belated in as much as the previous encounter between ORP's and Mallards had over run by a near half an hour, making Nick Tomlinson's 7.02pm, out of breath arrival, look almost leisurely.
After presiding over the "pants-down ass whooping" of perennial strugglers Mallards, CCC took to the field. After winning the toss I elected to bat. Now a familiar pairing, Nick and Chris strode to the crease ready for war.
A somewhat new look Mitford side seemed to be alive with new blood. A tattooed, perma-tanned spice boy and a gun-flaring Adonis opened the bowling. Despite some pace and lift the attack was, at times, wayward. The resulting wides easing the score board pressure on the batsman. Nick managed to guide the ball into the gaps with ease and seemed to cruise to 25 in no time at all. Matt replaced Nick who was soon followed by the departure of Chris who, despite some lusty blows, lacked some of his usual devastation. Matt and I managed to keep the score board ticking over before Matt retired on a well-played 25*. Simon joined myself, chipping in with 13* before I retired for 25* too and made way for Matty K to face one ball - the very final ball of our innings!
The mathematicians amongst you will see that extras helped amass a decent and apparently defendable total. All we needed to do, unlike our opponents, was not bowl any wides and keep the hot headed over throws to a minimum. Needless to say this was easier said than done.
Matt P opened the bowling and with his bounce and pace he kept the openers pinned back, limited to mostly singles. Matty K struggled using an old ball with no seam but one pearler beat the outside edge and with a nifty bit of keeping Simon W whipped the bails off for a great stumping.
Nick had a mixed spell but delivered a lovely little cutter to trap one of the Mitford boys for a plum lbw. Matt P removed another with a well-disguised slower delivery. With another batsman falling foul of a run out things were looking pretty rosy for CCC. However, old habits die hard, wides coupled over throws and my bowling getting smashed all over the place, meant we gifted Mitford a chance needing roughly 8 off the last over. With the 'Greg Tomlinson over' flashing through my mind I tossed the ball to Matt P.........who delivered with a superb over of bowling leaving Mitford 3 short in the end. If we can tighten up in the field and continue to bat well we may be able to surprise a few teams this time around.
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