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Datchet
SLOUGH
Berkshire
SL3 9JW
Tel: 01753 544352
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Match Report
Cove 2
Date: | 18/07/2009 |
| Venue: | Away |
Datchet snatch victory from the jaws of defeat
Datchet welcomed back 2 Dicks to their ranks, James having been released from Dragon duty on the South coast and elder brother Andy having passed a late fitness test involving a cider-induced day at Lords on the Thursday prior to the match. Still missing were Adam Jones who was in the middle of his own alcohol frenzy in Ibiza (or some other such youngster’s paradise), and Mario Stapleberg, whose meeting with Shane Warne’s hair replenishing clinic had overrun.
The Cove wicket looked to be sporting, the outfield looked to be very ‘up and down’ and the opposition looked angry to say the least, all this from a team who had played 10 and lost 10. At least the arrival of a sumptuous-looking tea had put a smile on the face of several members of the team, not least Thomas Jones. A nervous looking Datchet captain had spoken to several senior members of the Datchet team to try and formulate the plan for what to do should he win the toss. However, upon speaking to Luke ‘Hair Like The Clubhouse Roof’ Shepherd it appeared that, against the better judgement of the majority of senior pro’s, Datchet ought to bat… A decision greeted with firstly disbelief and then derision by at least one member of the aforementioned senior pros.
However, Datchet did bat… to a certain degree… Things started brightly with the effervescent skipper and his rock-like partner putting on 43 for the 1st wicket on what did turn out to be an ‘interesting’ wicket. Their running between the wicket did not, as usual, disappoint as our beloved leader made another interesting attempt to run his partner out, the latter self-proclaimedly ‘losing his head’ after this indiscretion and ,but for some better Cove catching, would also have lost his wicket…
Once Tilley had departed, the mercurial Alldis joined the elder statesman George at the crease. The best partnership of the day thus ensued, with Alldis scoring 41 flowing runs until he went back to a short ball and was bowled. Oram joined George for 15 well-hit runs and Datchet looked well-placed with 2 wickets down for 130. Unfortunately, once George and Oram had departed for 57 and 15 respectively, a mediocre performance from the Datchet lower order left Datchet well short of a decent total, despite the inadequacies of the pitch. A quickfire 26 from left-hander Luke Shepherd was the only score in double figures below Oram batting at number 4. Certain members of the middle order should certainly look at the way they were out and make some improvements before next week’s fixture. It was left to club stalwart, Andy Dick, playing in his 25th season of Datchet cricket, to try and play out the 52 required overs, but he was unfortunately left high and dry on a very well-made 2 as wickets tumbled at the other end. This left Datchet on a below-par 183 all out.
During the batting debacle, much was made of what would happen should Datchet not win the game. There were several calls for the skipper’s head, along with rumours that Dingi (Datchet’s veteran new-ball pairing) would retire after 50 years service to the club. Tim Alldis would potentially return to Devon, Thomas Jones to the nearest McDonalds, and Arun Oram would continue his good work in promoting a certain brand of instant potato mix. In fact, it was widely believed that next week’s Datchet team would see an unlikely, but highly entertaining, new captain in the guise of Luke Shepherd, and only Mark George and Samantha Finn would remain from the current team.
After a superlative tea, especially enjoyed by Messrs Jones and Alldis, the decision to take the new ball met with dismay by stalwarts Dick and Lambert who were about to tuck in for fourths, Datchet took the field with high hopes of capturing victory and consigning Cove to their 11th consecutive loss.
Wickets began to tumble with regularity to Dingi, James Lambert especially bowling with more of his newly found pace and venom. With 4 wickets fallen for 60 runs, it appeared that the game was there for the taking. However, Cove opener Reed, and number 6 Tomsett, batted sensibly for their 60 and 41 respectively. Reed was lucky to survive being bowled off a no-ball from youngster Sam Finn.
After overs from Finn, James Dick and Shepherd, and with the wet ball meaning that the spin twins of Alldis and Tilley were not options, the wily skipper threw the ball back to his opening pair once more. Lambert trapped Reed with a delightful slower ball which led to him being caught and bowled, and when Tomsett was LBW, things once more looked bright for the Datchet lads. However, the lower order of Cove batted far more sensibly than the lower order of Datchet, and they managed to scramble to 181 for the loss of 7 wickets. This meant that they needed 3 to win from 7 overs, and record their highly awaited first victory of the season.
The sky blackened and James Lambert once more surged in. The ball pitched on middle and off, and straightened beating the defensive Cove shot and uprooting his off stump. Datchet believed again! 3 runs still required, but only 2 wickets remaining. Lambert, as single-minded as Bob Willis in the famous Ashes of 1981, once more bustled in to the Cove number 10. A short-pitched ball was far too quick for the batsman (who later claimed it was upward of 85 miles per hour), who succeeded only in playing the ball onto his stumps, 9 down and Datchet sniffing an unlikely victory.
Unfortunately, the umpire then called over! This left Andy Dick to attempt to take the last wicket, or at least stop the batsman scoring any runs to allow Lambert to bowl at the number 11. In he paced, bowling line and length from stump to stump, warning the Cove skipper that should he miss one and it hit him on the pad the game would be over, and Cove would be consigned to another defeat. 3 balls passed without incident. As he trundled in for the 4th ball his heart was pounding, hoping not to deliver a scoring opportunity. The ball was bowled, the Cove skipper stepped across his stumps for the umpteenth time and missed it, he missed it, it hit him on the pad smack in front of middle stump, and the noise was deafening as 11 Datchet voices appealed as one. After a lifetime, the umpire finally raised his finger and Datchet had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Lambert finished with the great figures of 18 overs, 5 wickets for 69 runs, and Andy Dick with 4 for 57 from 19.4 overs.
The celebrations that ensued should have been saved for a team winning the league, but such was the manner of victory that the team was understandably overjoyed. However, later analysis will show that this was a poor Datchet performance, not enough value was placed in their wickets by members of the lower and middle order. The fielding and bowling was, on the whole, of a decent standard, but Datchet will have to raise their game if they are to be considered contenders, despite their 2nd position in the table. Without three stalwarts, who have over 75 years playing experience with the club, the result may not have been so positive. A point that should be noted by some of the younger members…
Andrew DickSquad
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