CLUMBER PARK (16)                    199 for 4

THORESBY COLLIERY II (5)        148 for 6

A wet morning gave way to sunshine and drying wind by 2pm and the game was able to start promptly. There was trouble on the pitch though, since the wind had forced some rain through the covers leaving large damp areas. A light coating of cement, on the face of it, wasn’t doing that much good.

Woody won the toss and inserted Clumber. Missing our two opening bowlers Jepson and Hutchinson from the previous week, Stuart Evans and Billy Lippeatt started off for us. Delaney and Deaves, who had put on 170-odd on Saturday, began cautiously and were wary of the variable bounce. So well did Stu and Billy keep their accuracy that when Evans came off after 10 overs, only 36 was on the board. Lee Willis replaced him, the theory being that his low trajectory would prove troublesome. Despite some good balls he went for 19 in his two overs and this gave Deaves ‘n’ Delaney some much needed momentum. Woody replaced Lee but, by this time Clumber were looking to accelerate with wickets in hand.

Meanwhile Billy continued to wheel away without any luck at all until the 36th over when Deaves played all round one for a solid 48. Delaney had passed 50 and was supported by Gareth Beard, who lofted Billy for one big six. However the boy Lippeatt came back at him and bowled him three balls later. In the final push for runs Delaney was well run out with some swift work by Stuart Evans from deep gully. John Edgar, with his first Bassetlaw bowl of the season, looked nervy to start with then bowled well to finish the overs from the top end. But young David Beard played a gem of a knock (4x4), supported by Jervis and Wilde, to take the final score to 199. Billy’s superb effort of bowling right through deserved more than 3 wickets and, in his final analysis, it’s worth noting that his last three overs went for 20.

So, perhaps a few more than Thoresby would like to have been chasing, but this had been a persevering effort in the field with minimal luck at times.

In reply Thoresby began brightly, helped by Gareth Beard’s succession of no-balls; he found the down slope and following wind hard to cope with. Unfortunately Halfpenny got one from David Beard that pitched half way down in a damp patch, stopped altogether and struck him on the shin of the back leg. No problem for the umpire. The introduction of spinner Harrison from the top end slowed Thoresby slightly, indeed Chatterton survived a chance off his first ball when Delaney dropped him at mid off. Evans was then bowled and Chatterton later obliged the same bowler and fielder who, this time, took a slightly more difficult chance. However at this equivalent stage Colliery were 60 for 3, well ahead of Clumber’s score, with the pitch drying.

By this time Alan Wilkinson was going well, supported by Rob Walker, and they took us to requiring 100 off the final 16 overs before Walker was bowled in Jervis’ fourth over. Unfortunately it wasn’t long before Wilkinson (4x4) was marginally run out at the top end after Mick Case’s sharp call and when Case himself departed 97 for 3 had turned into 104 for 6. Victory looked a long way off at this point but skipper Woods and Godfrey did a good job in taking us past 120, then 140 for batting points, Woody (5x4) finding some real fluency for the first time this season.

In all then perhaps a fair result – a pleasant game played in a good spirit. But you never know, we might have shaved 30 runs off their total with Hutchy and Jeppo in the attack which would have pushed Clumber harder. It was certainly their toughest game so far and, on another day, 200 was certainly gettable by Colliery.

If Thurcroft has dried out we move on to Saturday without Chatt, Wilko and Robbie but with Jeppo and Hutchy returning.

 

ROBBIE’S ‘SUNDAY SPORT’ MATCH REPORT

THORESBY COLLIERY 2NDS V CLUMBER PARK 1STS

There were plenty of aching limbs as Thoresby’s less than youthful side (Wilko 2nd youngest player at 35!) contemplated their 2nd game in 3 days against fellow promotion contenders Clumber.

After much sterling work by Groundsmen Cheshire and his underlings Nige and ‘Hansie Hughes’ the ground was fit to play and Bri won the toss and inserted Clumber.

Clumber’s success is built around there opening pair of Deaves and Delaney, Deaves - rock solid in the mould of Stu Evans but with a few scoring shots thrown in for good measure, Delaney – unorthodox but effective and never scared to hit over the top.

Stu and Billy opened up and soon put the shackles on Clumber and after 15 over they had less than 30, gradually though the batsmen got on top and despite trying 5 bowlers Clumber reached 199 for 4 at the end of 46 overs.

Spare a thought for Billy, 23 overs uphill into the wind, at tea the other 10 players discussed putting him out of misery and shooting him but we thought the better of it and let him live – after all his 2003 batting average of 1.34 could have made all the difference in a close run chase!!

Faced with a daunting total Bri went for veterans Halfpenny and Evans to open, they were soon in control, quietly but effectively pushing the required runrate up from 4.3, firstly  up to 4.5 and then to 5 without to much risk being taken!!

Ian departed to one that kept low and Murilihatterton came to the crease, he was in a brash mood and hit 3 boundaries before being dropped and then giving the same fielder another chance and this time being caught.

Murilihatterton has played the game for years and always, yes always has the ultimate respect for his opponents, he demonstrated this clearly  as he walked past bowler Harrison  who had just dismissed him

Did we say??


“Well bowled young man, that was a spiffing good ball, let me buy you a wholesome cup of mead after the game and let us talk, sing and dance into the evening while watching the sun go down and the stars in the clear Edwinstowe sky”

NO!!  he said something very similar though:

“You are a joke bowler, how the hell have I got out to a bloody flan flinger like you”


After that Wilko threatened with an innings of 38 supported by Robbie and then Bri and Godders did good work in earning a Losing Draw, I felt 200 was 25 to many although not impossible to chase on a drying wicket but we lost to many wickets at key times to enable us to chase that kind of total.

I leave you once again with the words of William Shakespeare (A prize if anyone tells me which one of his works it is taken from before 6pm Sunday!)


"Out, out, brief candle! Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player that struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more: it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing."

 

Thoresby Colliery II

v  Clumber Park

 

 

Mon 3rd May ‘04

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clumber Park

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BATSMAN

HOW OUT

SCORE

 

BOWLING

O

M

R

W

Delaney

Run Out

64

 

S Evans

10

3

19

0

Deaves

b Lippeatt

48

 

Lippeatt

23

4

84

3

G Beard

b Lippeatt

14

 

L Willis

2

0

19

0

D Beard

Not Out

39

 

Woods

3

0

16

0

Jervis

c Halfpenny  b Lippeatt

15

 

Edgar

8

0

55

0

Wilde

Not Out

8

 

 

 

 

 

 

? ?

DNB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Booth

DNB

 

 

FoW

1-119

2-134

3-142

4-176

Harrison

DNB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Plumley

DNB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shelley

DNB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXTRAS

11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

199

for 4

WKTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TCCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BATSMAN

HOW OUT

SCORE

 

BOWLING

O

M

R

W

Halfpenny

LBW b D Beard

6

 

G Beard

6

2

19

0

S Evans

b Harrison

8

 

D Beard

7

1

18

1

Chatterton

c Delaney  b Harrison

20

 

Harrison

17

5

46

2

Wilkinson

Run Out

38

 

Shelley

4

0

20

0

Walker

b Jervis

13

 

Jervis

9

3

18

2

Case

LBW b Jervis

2

 

Booth

3

0

17

0

Woods

Not Out

32

 

 

 

 

 

 

Godfrey

Not Out

9

 

FoW

1-15

2-47

3-54

4-97

Edgar

DNB

 

 

 

5-99

6-104

 

 

Lippeatt

DNB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L Willis

DNB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXTRAS

20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

148

for 6

WKTS

 

 

 

 

Other result in Division 6

At Staveley Lane BILSTHORPE (20) 164 all out, beat ECKINGTON 2nd (6) 155 all out by 9 runs