Edison Shines on Debut

Stand by your beds for the longest ever crap match report from guest reporter Bobby!!!

After a fantastic last ball win the previous week and the mid-week signing of ex-Plum Alex Sheriston, Rocket continued to please the team by getting the game reduced to 40 overs. KCC were put in to bat by a confident Gedling & Sherwood side and our skipper ordered rain for 5pm but needless to say this would probably turn up late…

Iggy sat in the changing room and wanted to bowl first on a rock hard deck with fast outfield – not a good sign - largely due to our ‘Pro’ being on the lash around Mansfield the previous evening – boorish!!! IG drifted out to the middle, edged the first ball of the match past first slip for four, the second saw him fishing down by the Trent again and hanging his bat out to dry in the cold winds – caught behind for four, even though Dennis will no doubt stick another 8 in front for the league website records as we are a one man team after all…

Ian left the pitch and threw his helmet in one direction and the bat in the opposite. Baker contemplated gathering the attire for his close friend but thought wiser of it, claiming there is “no room for petulance in the modern game and he should fetch his own toys!” a little hypocritical after Baker demolished a beaker of water after a dismissal last year that landed all over the Keyworth pro’s three year old son!!

Enter one of last week’s heros in Boom Boom Elliott. Ted started where he left off as he flicked an effortless four off his legs to roll back the years once again, but he was soon caught out at square leg, getting a top edge to a short one whilst playing a hook in May – a reflection of the good track, even this early into the campaign!

New star signing Alex “Shero” Sheriston or Edison as Bobby likes to call him (a Plum, that like Thomas Edison, has seen the light – a gag wasted without Laddy’s private education in the line-up, but we are sure Rocket will catch on some time in August!)

Alex occupied the crease and looked composed with the added bonus that he has a leave to rival that of the Playboy Dessaur. He and Grant, who was now very fluent, having played himself into form in his second innings v Unity the week before (the 84 not out – not the 3 where he was caught behind!). After some sublime high elbow cover and straight drives our new no 1 batsman was again caught out, this time without dispute, with a top edged pull for 41. A shame that the high quality stroke play did not result in a match winning three-figure innings.

Ted & Bobby were chatting to the young Evening Post photographer, bigging up the captain Rocket Rendu as he entered the crease. If Tuesday night’s league report in the local rag quotes that the Club has a “French cricket international” nickamed the “housewives' champion” you can probably point the finger at the Big Fella’s!

Shortly after the Skipper’s arrival, Alex was removed, caught behind for 12 after being squared up by a good ball that lifted a little off a length! 75 for 4 and no real partnerships was a concern and a par total of 180 off 40 overs was looking some distance away with 15 overs remaining.

The new ball bowlers had now bowled out and two spinners were brought into the attack.
Renders decided not to let them settle and Dougie set in to play the anchor role. Rocket hit some lovely clean blows including one large six in a useful 39 before he was stumped trying to up the tempo. Shortly after Dougie swept a lovely four before repeating the shot to a full bunger which hit him on the toe and he was gone LBW for a useful supporting 12.

A virus carrying Strongie had no energy but he joined Bobby at the crease with the score at 123 for 6 with 7 overs to go and they ticked over the singles and the odd boundary for a few overs to try and reach a competitive total. A run-a-ball 23 from Bobby also ended in a stumping with 10 balls to go, but not before he had teased Simon Smith at long on by slapping their spinner for 6 only inches over the ex-KCC legend's outstretched finger tips. If only Gedling had signed the 6ft 7inch Cocko from the legendary 90’s team, and not Smudger, then they would have had Baker caught out on the boundary and Shelley wouldn’t have been etching another maximum in the scorebook!

Beakey came and went before Andy Hiller-Sister ran Strongy’s energy levels down with some two’s and three’s to leave Keyworth on a competitive 168 for 8 off 40 overs, setting the home side just over 4 an over against our well balanced bowling attack. Game on!

The new Holme Pierrpont ground had a lovely pavilion and in ten years time when the trees mature to offer some shelter, we will surely see a ground worthy of staging Cup Finals and Notts CCC 2nd XI fixtures – unfortunately at present it is more like Platt Lane, Arthur Oldham’s dwarf like showers the only thing missing!! Teas had to eaten in the same room as the adjacent Wilson’s team – the external caterers ensured a marked increase in the quality of teas provided for the Wilson’s visitors, but on the Gedling table pizza, pasties and pork pie ensured Ted and Bobby’s calorie intake was high and some jam doughnuts were offered to help Strongy and IG get some energy into their temples once again.

Rocket's eyes lit up when he saw the lively wicket and bowled a fast, aggressive opening stint, more like the bowler he was in 2006 than the trundler who rarely chipped in during last season’s title bid! Unfortunately the new Gedling pro (Samrat Sharma) also had a glint in his eye as he chanced his arm and hit the ball powerfully through the offside as soon as he was offered any width. Sharma’s opening partner was the ex-KCC legend and once Cup Final Man of the Match Smudger Smith.

Ian continued to demonstrate why we charge our pro just £5 a week as he dropped Simon whilst on four off Rocket. Smudger offered good support as the openers rattled up a 50 partnership.
Rocket treated Smith to some short stuff which had the journeyman dancing around like Ricky Hatton but we still made no breakthrough. So the openers gave way to Dave Miller and Alex ‘Edison’ Sheriston who both bowled tight spells which showed maturity and discipline beyond their years. This gives all at the Club reason for much optimism for the future.

With the score at 80 for 0 after the first 20 overs, the rate was up to 5 required per over but we needed to get wickets to stand a chance! IG was introduced to show the skills he possesses in the third department and he instantly got the breakthrough, getting Smudger out LBW for 25 after the ex-KCC man middled one onto his pad!

The turning point of the match then came as Rocket spilled a relatively straight forward chance at mid wicket off our off spinner and Sharma was given a 2nd chance whilst on 40. Dropping the batting professional twice cost us victory on the opening day against Long Eaton but just to ensure a level of consistency, the comedy of errors continued when Sharma was again given a lifeline in the 60’s… Top edging a pull off IG, the ball went 30 feet in the air and was set to land in the clutched palms of either Andy Hiller-Sister at mid wicket, or the usually rock solid Charlie Strong at mid on. Unfortunately the voice boxes were on mute and not even a hand was placed on the leather. Iggy kicked the ground and aired his understandable frustration, to confirm his knowledge that he was now playing in the Village League!

Baker and Iggy tried to take the pace off the ball and make the batsmen force the pace but Blake and Sharma chanced their arm hitting gaps and boundaries alike to close in on the total. Rocket came back for a final burst and bowled Sharma as he tried a showboat sweep off the French international, gone for 88 with only 6 needed for victory. The red ink turning to black would have had Drurs seething! The new batsman headed a Rocket bouncer first ball for 4 before hitting the winning two runs with 16 balls to spare.

A tight competitive game where dropping the Professional once again made a large difference in the potential outcome.

The positives to come out of the day were the tight bowling of Dave Hiller-Sister, the debut of Eddie Sheriston, and the news that we were far superior to the previous teams which Gedling have beaten to go top of Division A. So we have plenty to look forward to in the coming months!

Rocket dropped his man of the match award, so not one given, but don’t miss next week’s home fixture to Radcliffe as the Aussies are doing teas (including Helen’s mum's Lemington cakes) so get some prawns ready to chuck on the barbie!!