Firsts Couldn’t Catch A Cold

On a warm day at one of the finest grounds in the County, our bowling and batting were competitive but the dropping of catches and a missed stumping opportunity again cost us the chance of victory against a title challenging opposition!

Skipper Rendu started the day well, BFK electing to bat on a scorching day, where runs would be a-plenty on a good, if re-used wicket, and a billiard table of an outfield! Four minutes before he was due at the crease Grant ‘Pistols’ Parker drove in from the outback for his final game for the Millers before return to the 'Convict Colony'. Unfortunately it had also been his final day at work on the eve of the match, so Grant got to bed at 4.30am on the morning of the match! He arrived looking pale, hung over and went out to bat with a Big Mac hanging from his mouth. And it was at about this time in proceedings that fellow Aussie Dougie arrived not having received the message about the withdrawal of Stuart Meek due to injury, unsurprisingly the Skipper relied on Chinese whispers & didn’t think to relay the information to his replacement as the housewives favourite himself!

So to the action, Benji and Grant opened up, facing Radcliffe and Notts Under 17 quickie Eddie Torr who sports a McEnroe headband to hide his Rocket-like locks. He soon let Benji know that “he could be serious” by testing the grill on our left hander’s helmet. Benji dusted himself down and continued to look solid in defence mixed with the odd text book drive. Grant peppered the boundary and we raced to 47 without loss after 12 overs. Radcliffe then introduced their South African Pro’s off spin. Grant’s usual respect for Spinners led to a horrible attempted slog to cow corner off his first delivery which only resulted in him being clean bowled. Boycott would have been uttering “value your wicket young man”, while Boony would have commended him on his pre-match preparations.

Mark Bailey then strode to the crease on debut after a less than smooth Bosman from Kinoulton. Only another few balls passed when Mark attempted to sweep the same bowler. As he dropped to his knee to attempt the stroke his knee popped out, and to rub salt into the wound as Mark lay sparked out in agony on the deck, the umpire raised his finger and gave him out LBW for a duck! As Iggy strode to the wicket at number 4, the ambulance arrived and the Paramedics injected morphine into Mark to numb the pain, we weren’t sure if it was for the knee or the fact that we were making this very average professional look good! Benji immediately gifted a full toss back to the same bowler for 15 to become his third victim and we had now slipped to 60 for 3 off 19 overs.

Captain Rendu and IG showed their experience adding 60 for the 4th wicket before the skipper on 20 attempted a pull to a ball that kept a bit low and he was dismissed. Sherro then joined Iggy and another useful 50 partnership ensued and Ian passed his fifty patiently of 78 balls. After Sherro was out for 19, Iggy made hay reaching 96 not out at the end with the last 46 coming off 17 balls. An entertaining knock that deserved to see Ian reach his 10th KCC hundred but unfortunately he couldn’t get on strike in the last over!

205 for 8 at tea was probably 15 to 25 runs below par but still a good total from 60 for 3 and with the Spin Twins looking forward to a receptive pitch, we tucked into a nice spread full of optimism. Tea highlights were rice salad, bhaji’s and double creamed scones!

Andy Hiller and Steve Rendu opened up and bowled well reducing the visitor’s to 20 for 1 after 8 overs, with Andy Hiller sending the pro back to the hutch LBW for 4. Unfortunately keeper Elliott then started the juggling act dropping off Andy, and Rocket was unlucky, twice finding the edge but neither chance quite carried to Ian at slip. Rocket was later counting these as drops though, showing little sympathy for those behind the wickets, even with the variable bounce!

Having identified the need to keep the runs down and then leave it to the spinners, the quality of the opening bowlers' spells meant plan B was introduced and two more seamers were given a chance ahead of the spin twins in the form of the Two Dave’s (Strong and Hiller). Both bowled some good deliveries but couldn’t get the breakthrough, sharing 8 overs for 40 runs but by now the opposition had once again reached three figures for the loss of just one wicket before the Spinner’s were introduced and both batters were on 50 not out. First ball up from Bobby took the edge and unfortunately it went between Ben and Ian at slip. This was a sign of things to come for the Big Fella as turning the ball away from the bat led to many edges but this led to numerous fours through third man as opposed to catches, this helped the home side keep the run rate less than one a ball required throughout the chase!

Ian opened his spell with some maidens and bowled tightly and he soon removed Keyworth resident but Radcliffe opener Doddy LBW for 56. Baker dismissed the Radcliffe no3 for 75 with a flighted ball that was mistimed to Strongy at long on and when Bobby snaffled the home team skipper LBW for a duck, we were back in the game at 160 for 4.Unfortunately Strongy and Hiller then dropped catches in the deep and Benji missed a stumping, all in eight deliveries from Baker!

If we were ever to close out the game and with things so tight we had to take every chance and although Baker did get his third wicket, he was then hit for 3 fours in an over to see Radcliffe complete the formalities for the loss of 5 wickets and with 12 balls to spare.

Catches win matches is the phrase that may haunt us once again but we were also beaten by a competitive and younger Radcliffe outfit! Super sub fielder Mark Hallam had to sign off call from the Fire Service to answer the emergency 12th man role for the injured Bailey and an emergency fielding practice may be in order if KCC are to succeed in avoiding the drop back to 1B!

A formal presentation of a signed cricket book to Grant was then carried out before all but the working Benji headed off into WB to give Grant and Helen a send off in a way that KCC do excel in, at the bar... Good luck to you both – you will be missed and we look forward to a guest appearance from Pistol’s in a few years time!”