Thoresby Colliery II (20)       147-6

Ashover II (2)                         81 a.o.

 

 

This turned out to be a comfortable win for Thoresby in the end, but the pendulum swung both ways on several occasions throughout the game.

 

An emerald green wicket and brisk wind were evident as we trudged up the hill to the pavilion. Had Brian won the toss he would surely have invited the struggling Ashover to bat, but fortune was not with him this week and it was Thoresby’s task to take the blade. With Tony Wheeler arriving as Evans and Halfpenny strode to the wicket, and Garden appearing as the first few balls were bowled (having been up every hill in Ashover to find the ground), Thoresby had a full complement and a long batting order.

 

The first over went well, with youngster Martin struggling to find length or line and Halfpenny taking toll with 3 fours. However Hammond, running up the hill, was using the breeze to his advantage as every ball found significant swing and some cut off the wicket. Indeed, so well did he bowl that his first seven overs cost only two runs! However, Thoresby kept wickets intact and, slowly but surely, the run rate began to increase.

 

As home skipper Alexander changed the bowling around more fourballs were forthcoming and despatched, and numerous singles were pinched. Evans and Halfpenny duly completed their first century opening partnership for some years [Stu, Alfreton, June 2000?] and Ashover became more frustrated.

 

The introduction of seasoned campaigner Charlie Gwillim to the attack (strangely held in reserve by Alexander who was by now fielding under a tree and barking his commands from long on), caused a change in affairs. He had Halfpenny dubiously LBW, but this triggered a succession of wickets. Chatterton slashed to gully to register his first duck of the season. Evans was bowled by the returning Hammond for a mature 45. The three W’s (Woods, Walker and Wheeler) all fell when trying to force the pace. Naturally the run rate slowed and Thoresby scrambled their way to 147, losing six wickets for 28 runs in the process.

 

However, this did show how difficult batting could be against accurate bowling on this track and surely Thoresby could not bowl as many bad balls as Ashover.

 

Tea was a magnificent affair.

Not only were there several accompaniments for the cheese sandwiches – piccalilli, beetroot, pickled onions – and a multitude of beautifully prepared cobs – beef, salmon, egg – and a variety of crisp salad choices …….. the ‘cakes’ table (for there it was, much to Robbie’s glee, a separate cakes table) was a sight to behold. Fruit pies, Victoria sponge, egg custard, fresh cream éclairs, malt loaf, biscuits too numerous to recall in detail ….. this was a panoply of puddings, a concentration of confectionary, a superabundance of sweets.

At one point Walker made an almost fatal error – torn between the sight of the savouries and the sweets, he placed TWO beef cobs on his plate and almost immediately realised this would put him behind schedule in the race for the puds. Never one wishing to offend (except in the case of Hutchy) Rob politely scoffed one of the cobs but then approached the cakes table and hid the other offending beefie under a mountain of pies, cakes and biscuits. What a rascal!

And when the extraordinary tealady, all four foot six of her, appeared with the weekly raffle AND a can of squirty cream, Walker plied all his charms with the female race to negotiate a discount on his raffle ticket but ‘extras’ in the cream department!

Such was the conviction of his chat that Walker, remarkably, secured the retention of the squirty cream. Moreover, the Ashover players had to request, nay beg him, for a squirt that he measured in milliseconds rather than centimetres.

Not that Robbie should be seen as the only ‘pigout’ offender here. Hutchinson was trying hard, Wheeler was to play a quiet but prolonged game (more of this later) and Godfrey, as if a week of Devon cream teas had been only a prelude for this afternoon, appeared late for the team meeting, spitting crumbs and with a fistful of spongecake.

 

A cunning ploy, then, by the Ashover team, to make their opponents hyper-glycaemic and carbohydrate-heavy for the second half of the game.

 

And for a while, perhaps, it worked. Thoresby were a little lethargic without conceding too many runs. Hutchinson and Evans considered whether a change of ends might be beneficial. Just when Woods was about to make the change Evans duped young opener Fletcher into spooning one to Chatterton at point. Hutchy did take a rest and Woody began a superb and prolonged spell where, such was his line, that scoring was almost impossible. This, coupled with some excellent catching, was to bring about too much pressure for Ashover.

 

First, Halfpenny took a left handed effort inches from the floor at slip to dismiss captain Alexander [it’s no use asking your own square leg umpire if it’s carried when the proper umpire’s got his finger up, youth]. Then Chatterton took his second catch, this time at slip, making it look simple.

 

A promising partnership between Alexander (jnr) and veteran Champion was severed by a run out – Paul ‘Patrick Swayze’ Swain launching a superb throw right over the stumps from the cover boundary to strand Champion who was returning, in wonder-horse fashion, for an ambitious third run. So delighted was Wheeler that he mysteriously asked the umpire if he could leave the pitch for a moment. We naturally thought this was for a comfort break, but he was far cleverer than that.

 

The run out unsettled Alexander and very next ball he drove firmly at Woods to be well caught by Tony ‘Wheels on Fire’ Wheeler at mid on. Everyone converged to congratulate him on the catch and shake his hand …………….. but it took the eagle eye of Walker to spot a rectangular shape in Wheeler’s pocket. Quick as a flash Walker was in there to pluck out ……… a prime piece of flapjack! Wheeler was powerless to stop the gluttonous Walker from munching half of his prized possession but before a fight could break out it was “Man in, lads” and the field had to resume its position.

 

Bradford was soon undone by Woods’ quicker yorker and then Carline, who had batted well in the first fixture at Edwinstowe, was superbly taken by Chatterton at slip, this time a reaction catch in front of his throat. Within ten minutes 56 for 3 had become 58 for 7, and Thoresby were well on the way.

 

Buoyed by his fielding, Chatterton came on to bowl against the Ashover tail. At the other end Norm Garden was finding his rhythm and starting to drop the ball enticingly on a length, as in days of yore. But it was Chatt who would prove to be too hot to handle – his googlies producing two LBWs and then taking a simple return catch to close the innings.

 

So despite a fluctuating batting performance our strength in bowling and, today, fielding, produced a satisfactory outcome. Such a shame that, almost to a man, the Thoresby side have decided they will all be leaving the club next season and joining Ashover but will only be available for home games. Either that or we will have to kidnap the tealady.

 

 

ASHOVER

v THORESBY COLLIERY II

 

 

Sat 24th July ‘04

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TCCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BATSMAN

HOW OUT

SCORE

 

BOWLING

O

M

R

W

Halfpenny

LBW  b Gwillim

64

(7x4, 1x6)

Martin

9

2

36

1

S Evans

b Hammond

45

(4x4)

Hammond

17

5

42

1

Chatterton

c Hammond  b Martin

0

 

Bull

5

2

19

0

Woods

c Hammond  b Gwillim

6

 

Synan

5

0

13

0

R Walker

st Carline  b Gwillim

7

 

Gwillim

10

2

29

4

T Wheeler

b Gwillim

11

 

 

 

 

 

 

J Whiteside

Not Out

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

Godfrey*

Not Out

1

 

FoW

1-118

2-119

3-120

4-130

N Garden

DNB

 

 

 

5-141

6-146

 

 

P Swain

DNB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

P Hutchinson

DNB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXTRAS

11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

147

for 6

WKTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ASHOVER II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BATSMAN

HOW OUT

SCORE

 

BOWLING

O

M

R

W

P Alexander

c Halfpenny  b Woods

12

 

P Hutchinson

10

1

17

0

Fletcher

c Chatterton  b Evans

2

 

S Evans

10

3

18

1

Champion

Run Out

22

 

Woods

13

7

16

5

Synan

c Chatterton  b Woods

6

 

Garden

4

1

16

0

J Alexander

c Wheeler  b Woods

6

 

Chatterton

3.4

0

4

3

Bradford

b Woods

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carline*

c Chatterton  b Woods

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

Martin

c&b Chatterton

13

 

FoW

1-13

2-24

3-38

4-56

Hammond

LBW b Chatterton

5

 

 

5-56

6-57

7-58

8-70

Bull

LBW b Chatterton

2

 

 

9-80

 

 

 

Gwillim

Not Out

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXTRAS

11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

81

for 10

WKTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other results in Division 6

At Eakring Road: BILSTHOPRE (20) 116 all out, beat ANSTON 2nd (4) 69 all out 47 runs.

At Burmah Road: ECKINGTON 2nd (15) 233 for 5, drew with BLIDWORTH 2nd (8) 198 for 4.

At Lea Village Green: LEA PARK (20) 164 all out, beat ROSE LEISURE (4) 73 all out by 91 runs.

At Middlefield Lane: MARSHALLS 2nd (2) 71 all out, lost to KILLAMARSH 2nd (20) 74 for 6 by four wickets.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wthr

 

 

 

 

 

Division 6

 

 

 

Tie

Draw

 

 

Bonus

Pts.

Total

 

P

12

10

6

6

2

0

Bat

Bowl

Points

Clumber Park

14

8

3

0

1

0

2

46

42

220

Bilsthorpe

14

9

0

0

2

0

3

38

45

203

Thoresby Colliery II

15

7

1

0

3

1

3

37

39

190

Killamarsh II

14

5

3

0

2

2

2

39

39

184

Lea Park

14

6

2

0

3

0

3

35

37

182

Eckington II

15

5

2

0

3

0

5

33

39

170

Marshalls II

14

6

1

0

2

2

3

26

43

167

Rose Leisure

15

5

0

0

1

0

9

20

49

135

Anston II

15

3

0

0

3

5

4

26

27

117

Thurcroft II

14

1

2

0

3

2

6

18

30

102

Blidworth II

14

2

0

0

2

2

8

15

32

87

Ashover II

14

0

1

0

3

1

9

8

23

61