T20

Our annual T20 Club Day takes place on Bank Holiday Monday. A Junior T10 game will precede the main T20 match.

Licensed bar, BBQ and more. All the fun starts from 1pm at the Field of Dreams.

Field Of Mud

Tinno had a sense of deja vu as his pitch inspection resembled his trip to the Leeds Festival the previous day. Sadly the Firsts home game to Bramcote was called off.

Stiffs In A Spin

With the Firsts rained off, The Postman and Chairman made their way to Carrington Caribs, via Trumpton, happy in the knowledge that the Stiffs were on the verge of posting a big score batting first. Sadly 60-2 on departure had turned to 73-8 on arrival as Caribs young spinner ripped through our middle order.

All out for 75 was about 50 short of a half decent score.Tea was without doubt the highlight of the day, and perhaps the season.

An enormous fruit platter was the 5-a-day centrepiece with juicy melon slices, joining kiwi fruit and freshly cored pineapple. Not to be outdone the cake tray sagged under the weight of retro angel cake and coffee sponge. The Youth Policy were also satiated with pizza slices and sweet popcorn. Leggy stocked up on Starburst and Parma Violets from the sweet tray to keep him going for the reply. A 10/10 was denied only by the absence of celery and dips.

Sam and Liam bowled tightly keeping the young openers to only 15 off the intial 10 overs. Liam made the breakthrough hitting leg stump, then Beakey made a great leg side stumping off Big Ted, appealing to our square leg fielder as the umpire had wandered almost to leg slip!

A scoreboard discrepancy nearly turned into an international incident, with Leggy wagging his finger like Shakoor Rana, as frustrations boiled over.

The odd run didn't matter as Caribs sent in their big hitter to finish the contest quickly, smashing three massive sixes off Benji, off good balls!

Toss Crucial In 14's Season Finalé

Gedling won the toss and decided to bat first at the Field of Dreams, needing to beat Keyworth to keep alive their hopes of winning the Notts Youth League Under 14 title and began cautiously scoring only 39 runs off the first ten overs thanks to good length and line bowling by Ben Healey (4 overs 1 for 13) and Issac Brown (4 overs 0 for 14).

Gedling’s star opener began to hit out and was retired on 51 yet during this Tom Rock from the KCC Under 12s bowled a 4 over spell up the hill in very tidy fashion, finishing with 1 for 15 and Gedling progressed to a total of 102 for 4 wkts at the end of their 20 overs, a total thought to be within the compass of Keyworth’s ability.

Harry Normington and Sam Machin matched Gedling off the first ten overs scoring 44 runs but the light was fading fast and they were having difficulty getting their shots past the alert opponents in the field. Both perished on 16 attempting to up the run rate and although Ben Healey (11), Zack Tudor (7) & Issac Brown (6) did manage to see the ball enough to strike some runs a ‘miners helmet with a lamp’ would have been more helpful than cricket helmets as all the lower order struggled to sight the ball and the run chase petered out on 81 runs for 9 wickets.

If the toss had gone the other way, Keyworth would surely have made Gedling fight for the precious points but there were many erstwhile performances to end a highly productive and promising season.

Postman Tons Up As Firsts Deliver 300

Absentees this week were Drurs, desperately trying to find Radio 4 LW in France, Strongy, still suffering from his groin injury, and Jay, probably out for the season with knee ligament damage from last week.

Keyworth welcomed back Degsy for an unexpected cameo and Bobby Baker, back from his 8week mid-season sabbatical.

The Field of Dreams wicket resembled a Calcutta dust bowl, and the Southwell skipper didn’t hesitate to insert the hosts after winning the toss, a decision which meant a long afternoon chasing the ball around in the sun.

XX and IG opened up, hoping to bat more than a couple of overs together – not something they had done so far this season. Dale kept his part of the bargain, but IG soon departed for unlucky 13, miscuing a drive high to mid-off. Skipper Tinno came in to put on a 106 run partnership before DC (65 off 80 balls) edged one behind at 126-2 off 24. Benji then came in and quite literally took the attack apart (64 in 39 balls including 5 sixes), with the undulating KCC outfield proving too difficult for the visiting fielders to cope with in the 104 run partnership. At the other end the normally cultured Tinno was in the 80’s and resorting to horrible slogs to keep up with Ben. He reached his deserved hundred before finishing on 111* (113 balls), with the firsts posting a massive 305-7 at the break. It’s also worth mentioning that Sam Wood’s mates and his dad had a good laugh at him when he got caught out by the girl fielding for the opposition.

Tea was a strong contender for Mastertea 2011, with Tuckers and Mrs Tuckers pulling out all the stops. It was a fine effort, with gherkin being an inspired addition to the tuna mayo open sarnies. The fruit platter was fit for a king, with watermelon being the taste of summer and the mother-in-law’s cake a chocolaty treat. With our Greg Wallace (Drurs) off duty it was left to a committee decision to award the tea 9/10, with Tuckers £1 short from a perfect 10, with no dips being a schoolboy error.

In reply young Sam elbowed Rendu out of the way to get hold of the new ball down the hill, and he immediately struck to bowl the visitor’s skipper in his first over. The KCC spinners were chomping at the bit to see how much they could get it to turn on the sub-continental surface.

Fielding point went to Degsy whose Opta index stats clocked up over 10km’s and took a great catch in the deep to end the Southwell opening bat’s attempt to knock off the runs single-handed (hitting 50 out of the first 60 from 45 balls).
Bobby bowled like he’d never been away, and took a wicket in his first over, before mopping up the tail with 5 for 37 off 11, three of which were LBW’s given by Dimps, a feat never seen before in KCC history.

The 20 points kept the Millers top of the league with 2 games remaining. Still all to play for at the business end of the season, but the right end of the table for a change this year.

Run In

With three to play, here are the remaining fixtures at the right and wrong end of the tables....

Basement Battle

Sadly the Stiffs slumped to another defeat at home to Lambley. Just a few years ago we were playing Lambley's 2nd team, but now up against their 1sts, the gulf in class was too big for our young side.

We batted first and mustered 79. We were struggling once we lost Ernie and run machine Beakey for single figures. Paul 'One-Gets-Two' Lay battled well for an unbeaten 29 but ran out of partners.

Duncan's tea was a tale similar to the loaves and the fishes. Boss Hogg was most concerned that just three trays of sandwiches wouldn't go round, especially given his own appetite, but the Lambley boys weren't hungry, and there was more than enough for seconds.

We tried hard in the field but could only take one wicket as Lambley eased to victory.

We stay out of the relgation places, but only just. We face a key basement battle next week as we travel to Yorkshire to play at Edingley.

Woeful at Willoughby

Another dreadful run chase saw the Firsts slump to defeat to Willoughby at Platt Lane. But such is the mad world of Keyworth cricket that we jumped to the top of the Division after Risley also lost to bottom of the table Southwell.

As usual the pre-match banter was full of ill-discipline and sob stories. Skipper Tinno set a fine example with a 3am finish and a poor night's sleep on the sofa. Tuckers had a stomach like a Hotpoint washer after filling his face with a week's calories in one sitting at Miah's. See-Soar meanwhile was all of a wobble at Trent Bridge after a couple of shandy's. Cowlard got an early sight of Platt Lane but inspected the football pitch by mistake after a night on the sauce. Strongy failed a late fitness test to protect his average, while Tom was missing on the hunt for a decent standard of Saturday football, though a run out for Keyworth United Stiffs wasn't quite the tier we'd expected!

Rocket hadn't touched a drop but still managed to put his trousers on the wrong way round for the third time in a row. At least this was a step ahead of See-Soar who had turned up without his whites, then rushed up to the FOD to see if they were there, only to find they were in his kit bag all the time. With sister Angry serving a ban for foul and abusive banter, sister Day was reminded of the need for respect and to swap F's and C's for F and G.

Phew: somehow we made it onto the field and actually turned in a fine display.

Rocket was licking his lips at a hard track and reduced the home side to 3-2; Jay-Vee taking a smart catch at 2nd, followed by a clean bowled yorker. Cowlard bowled like a dream but couldn't make a breakthrough, at one stage causing five play-and-misses in a row. 12 straight overs for just 21 was a great effort. We were well on top, and could even afford Tinno reaching double figures for the season for spilled chances.

The score had reached 62 when the new DJ Sammy removed home skipper Ben Boot when well set. Sam recovered from his first two balls going for boundaries to post fine figures of 1-23 off 6 overs.

Day Hiller was first choice spinner with Bobby and IG still away on beach cricket duty, and bowled some fine flight, with two yorkers in great figures of 10-0-22-2.

Tinpot took the second spinner's slot. While Leggy was dismayed a few weeks back for being out c. Tarran b. Soar, league batsmen would be considering retirement for falling c. Drury b. Tindsley. But that was the fate of two lower order lemmings, with the Chairman taking a remarkable diving catch at silly mid on, unlikely to be repeated this decade.

Fortunately Cowlard took a safe catch in the deep, to go with some great throws, to take the fielding point off Drurs. Tinno finished with fine figures of 3-22 off 6. Rocket returned to mop up the tail to finish with 4-33 off 10.3.

Willoughby ended with 126, which felt about 100 below par. Hmmm.

Tea was an old-skool sit down plated affair, and comfortably made it through to the next round of KCC Mastertea 2011, Pate made a fine accompaniment to French baguettes, while samosas were wolfed down by all apart from Tuckers, who managed a few crisps. Cherry bakewells were exceedingly nice and offset the lack of fresh fruit.

In reply, we were soon batting with as much nouse as the Indian tourists. Jay had pulled up lame when making a great save on the boundary, and went down as if shot when going for a quick single, literally doggy-paddling to make his ground. Poor Jay had to retire hurt on 0. The home side's tearaway quickie removed Dale for 3, then Drurs was LBW for 0, and we were effectively 11-3. The Postman was batting well, but had a rush of blood and holed out to deep square for 20. Benji was bowled for 8 and at 41-5 we were in a hole.

Sam smashed a quick 20, including the shot of the day, a six that almost reached the railway line, before being harshly judged stumped. Rocket made just 1, Cowlard 0, and Day 5 as we fell apart. Tuckers was last out for 4, with See Soar unbeaten on 4.

Extras top scored on 24, summing up a dreadful batting display, as we were all out for 86. Village.

PLUMS consumed in twilight feast

Brought to you by roving reporter, President Baker

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Another confidence boosting victory for the Under 14s and this one produced under a leaden sky with a cold wind and constant drizzle and by the end, almost in pitch black light.

Batting first Keyworth were cruising along nicely at 37 for 1 after 7 overs when Sam Machin and Tom Newell decided to do an audition for ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ in the middle of the pitch and the prolific scoring Newell departed.

From then on some loose wafted shots through mid off and mid on provided the Plumtree lads with plenty of catching practice, most of which they hung to and another candidate for ‘Strictly’, Harry Normington also departed.

But, thanks to some hurrying and scurrying and a little lower order cameo from Josh Coulthard (8) and Harry Stolworthy (9), a score to bowl with of 82 materialised – probably 20 runs under par.

Coach Leggy was unhappy at the interval – “you can tell they are on their school holidays, they are just not with it tonight” he was heard to utter but the inspirational legend must have said all the right words behind the closed doors of the dressing room for a different team emerged to bowl tight.

This was backed up by alert and enthusiastic fielding, accurate throwing and in Pete Hennessy a wicket keeper on the top of his game, which all combined to strangle the Plumtree batsmen’s scoring opportunities.

Ben Healey (2-1-4-0) and Isaac Brown (2-0-5-0) opened up, then Mackenzie Shepherd (4-0-17-0) and Newell (4-2-7-1) kept up the pressure before gradually the Plumtree players realised they were badly behind the run rate and switched to some lusty hitting.

For a while the game was in the balance until a superb piece of thinking by Normington changed the momentum of the game. Fielding at deep mid wicket, a big shot was looking all the way like a six when Normington realised he could catch the ball but he would carry it over the boundary so he did get his hands to the ball and flicked it to Healey who was in support and he held on to the catch. The Plums supporters were not amused !

With Stolworthy and leg spinner Toby Kitching now operating as the light was too bad to bring back any of Keyworth’s quicker bowlers, the visitors continued to chase for runs and wickets fell steadily.

Not for the first time this season the home players held on to the catches including an especially smart one by Joe Nice and in the last over Plumtree were all out for 78in an exciting finish.

By which time Paul Newell (the scorer) was wrapped up for the winter with his hood up and needing some light to see the book he was writing in!

Kitching finished with seasons best figures of 4-0-15-3 while Stolworthy produced the best ever figures by a current KCC junior with 4-0-27-6. This also propelled him to second in the top bowling performances in the whole of the Notts Youth League for 2011.

A thoroughly exciting and rewarding evening and a double season victory over our neighbours!

Great Club Effort

A sterling effort from the KCC junior section, mirroring senior selection, saw a youthful looking U14 side head to Kimberley.

With the holiday season well in the swing it was a case of fielding 11 players. Steiner, Machin, Healey, Brown and Mills were the recognised 14s and were joined on seasons debut by the popular Coulthard. The 13s of Nice, Shepherd and Kitching made 9.

Without hesitation the Under 11s of Sam Foster and Oscar Brown jumped at the chance.


Kimberley won the toss and elected to bat. The opening 10 overs were very pleasing from both sides with the hosts reaching 51-0 at the half way stage. Steiner, Healey, Brown and Mills all bowling tidy spells. The KCC fielding was excellent with Foster, Oscar Brown and Coulthard all setting the standard.

Coulthard and Kitching: relaxed.

The fielding remained solid during the second half but the Kimberley opening pair tucked into some leg side short deliveries that were hammered to all parts of the ground.

Brown did create a break through in the 14th over with Steiner taking a regulation catch at mid on. The other opener retired after a chanceless knock of 50 as 10 runs an over were being amassed.

Kitching was the pick of the bowlers, with 2 tidy overs at the death. Machin taking a neat caught behind to leave Kitching with figures of 2-0-11-1.

Steiner returned for the last over and cemented himself at the top of the wickets taken chart. Shepherd holding on to an up and under in the covers, then rearranging the stumps with his final delivery.

Kimberley: 145-4 off 20.

Steiner and Machin opened and were relatively untroubled before Steiner picked the wrong fielder to return for a second run and was half a track short.

Machin (13) was well set before a piece of huge misfortune whilst attempting a pull: the ball rolling up the pad, glove and bat before coming down the elbow and dropping with the faintest of touches onto the stumps.

With the run rate well below, Nice and Healey started to panic the fielders with a full repertoire of shots as the scores were tied at the halfway stage.

Nice (13) fell to the only fielder capable of taking such a catch who was deliberately positioned at deep midwicket. Looking like a 6 all the way the fielder plucked it out of the sky, sending Nice back to the pavilion.

This appeared to be the turning point of the evening as Brown came and went, being run out by the same fielder! and was immediately followed back by Coulthard, caught in the covers, and Shepherd who was clean bowled.

Healey, looking for his second half century of the season, found runs hard to come by and was run out after a fine knock of 40 - and the score on 84.

Mills played a beautiful square drive before departing and was followed by Foster, who connected but was caught.

This left Kitching and Oscar Brown for the final 2 overs, and what a 2 overs, the pair finding 4 boundaries as the score passed 100, Kitching (12*) registering his highest score and perhaps the biggest cheer of the night - Oscar out scoring his older brother!

Keyworth: 103-9 off 20

How many runs did you get big brother? I got 5 not out!

A Good Loss

It's not often you concede 270 runs, lose by over 100, and still have a good day. But that was the case for the Stiffs away at Bingham.

With Ted away, Boss Hogg led a young side. We tried hard in the field but were punished for one bad ball an over.

Batting wise Beakey was once again the star scoring 69 at no.4.

Youngsters Ben Healey (14) Dominc Steiner (14) and Tom Newell (13) all showed what an exciting time the future holds and not only ensuring the Second XI have been at a full compliment each week.

Ben (12) shared a valuable 50 partnership with Beaky while Dominic took 2 wickets -clean bowled, a steepling catch at cow and scored 11 runs with bat.

With another growth spurt over the winter and some good nets it will be these youngsters and others who appear on the South Notts Cricket website each Sunday Morning.

We picked up 5 points which was more than the two sides below us in the Division.

In The Balance

Rain denied an exciting finish in the table topping clash at home to Risley.

Tinno had selection problems. Bradman was away in Spain sulking that despite an average in the 90's he wouldn't play enough times to qualify for the League averages, Bobby was resting up his weight bearing injury in Portugal, while Day Hiller was in a field watching NDubz. Angry Hiller started a five match ban for foul language. So, with Drurs as the only spin option, the Skip went in with an all seam attack, in a match redueced to 40 overs.

We lost the toss and were delighted to have a bat. Jay-Vee was starting to find form when bowled by a full toss for 9. At the other end XX Dale warmed up for his pro-am slog with a run-a-ball 43, and would have got more had we not asked how many he was on, and was predictably out next ball. Shelley was all of a quiver in the scorers' tent having not realised IG was sporting a pink box in last week's picture.

Tinno as usual took time to get going, scratching to double figures in 26 balls. Benji meanwhile couldn't resist a slog at the Risley spinner and went for 4, then Drurs was triggered LBW for 13 with the 'keeper almost standing at leg slip when the appeal went up.

News in the week that the Smartphone Generation are addicted to their handsets was clearly demonstrated as the Youth Policy ignored the live action and kept up-to-date with the score through CricInfo. Meanwhile the Silver Surfers kept track by getting hand written notes with carbon copies from Shelley, in-between discussing which of the Pike family had the highest left elbow in the 1920's.

Rocket played his best knock of the season, smashing 38 off 24, including a straight six that had the scorers ducking for cover. The Postman anchored the innings and eased through the gears with some trademark fetches to mid wicket to deliver a super 74 off 80 balls.

Tommy blasted a valuable 16 n/o, while Strongy sensed that IG's lack of appearances could work in his favour, and blocked out the last over for another red-inker on 2 n/o.

213-6 at the break was above par.

Tea by the Strongs had been talked up during the week and didn't disappoint, easily making it through the Mastertea 2011 heats. The watching Dan Miller and overseas chums were so impressed that they helped themselves before the players arrived! Home made coleslaw was dreamy, but was rejected by the Youth Policy on nutritional grounds in favour of cocktail sausages and twix's. Corned beef and pickle on white took the captain's retro eye, while coronation chicken and wholemeal tuna wraps were a joy. Dimps was slavering over the home baked cakes, moist carrot followed by triple artery chocolate. A feast well worthy of 8/10, and would have delighted Paul Griffiths at West Essex CC, denied a season leading 9 only because the juicy chilled melon slices arrived late.

In reply we got off to a tight start. Strongy found his favourite jugglers in normal butter-fingered form, but Liam had more luck getting a clean bowled with a late in-swinger. On first change, Rocket made a second breakthrough with Tom taking a great one handed catch above his head. Some other great fielding supported the cause from Tuckers, See-Soar, Dale-O and even the Chairman, but Benji took the fielding point with some great diving stops.

We had to content with the normal pitch invasion from local kids behaving badly. However, for a change it wasn't the local yobs, but the Rendu children trying to evade the clutches of mum Louise in search of Dad Steve!!

The match was finely balanced with 100 needed off 14 overs with 8 wickets left. Showers then arrived and time ran out to get the remaining overs in. A frustrating end to a good day.

Keyworth pair take on Pro's

Next Tuesday 9th August, Dale (XX) Collison and Simon (Tuckers) Tuckwell will be facing up to half the current Notts side in a Pro-Am Twenty20 at Car Colston CC.

The game, organised by Notts skipper Chris Read, is in aid of Bowel Cancer UK and kicks off at 4.30pm if you can make it, with food and entertainment from Graham Swann's band after the match...

If you fancy sponsoring our two heroes please do so via www.justgiving.com/pro-am-charitycricketmatch

Stiffs Slip Up

The Seconds almost pulled off an upset at home to table topping Thrumpton. Thanks to John 'The Adonis' Beeton for poking his long lens into the action to provide a guest report and photo.

Bowling first we were well on top reducing the visitors to 41-7 at one stage. We were scuppered by a great rearguard action, and a lightning fast outfield, that allowed Thrumpton to reach 148 all out. Sam Wood (5-33) and Liam Elliott (4-33) took the bowling honours

Ted and Liam Savage opened the innings and both looked in no trouble, the ball finding the middle, but also finding the fielders. Progress was slow with only an occasional boundary when the inner ring was pierced and after 14 overs we only had 25runs on the board, but more importantly no wickets down.

Ted perished without really getting going and Leggy came in. Liam batted well and began to take on the bowling attack. A young spinner came on at the top end and bowled a good line and length, On 20, Liam had a rush of blood, charged a shorter delivery and was smartly stumped. Sam Nice who was umpiring at square leg was unsighted and said so. Liam did the gentlemanly thing and walked, but this was not sufficient for one of the fielders, and some red mist descended on the F of D for the second week in succession.

The match then resumed, with Leggy, in his own agricultural style, carving some quick runs. Then he got a straight one. Enough said!

'One-makes-two' played carefully for a while, then he hit over another straight one and was back in the hutch. The next wicket fell after a juggling act at mid-off. Then Liam E got a straight one and Billy got another.

We fell to 99 all out, a good effort all round from our young side, against a strong opposition.