Magrat Garlick
Rather Mad Witch
Day Four
Cricket Web Colts vs Cricket Web Red
at Fardin Qayyumi CC
Most people who had turned up to watch the first three days of play at Goffmouth expected a declaration on the fourth day. Fewer expected that it was Håkon Mørk, the beleaguered Red captain, who could make an aggressive declaration of intent, considering his side's precarious position almost three hundred runs behind at the beginning of the day's play.
Shoddy wicketkeeping had a decent hand in David Kearsley's mammoth score, but he took his chances and, along with John Heads, ensured a full compliment of bonus points for Red. A declaration was contemplated after the lunch session had gone without wickets; however, Heads and Bennett surrendered shortly after tea, earning Colts their second bonus point. Gaurav Nayak thumped 33 runs in a brief innings, before Dylan Cole took two more wickets to end with remarkable figures; however, Martin West fought off the Colts till tea, and after a stand of 31 Red declared after ten minutes of twelfth-session cricket.
Colts lost their way early on going for the quick runs, with Rai run out in the fifth over, and decided to bat out the day to reassess their options. Towns and Fitzsimmons achieved this excellently, and Colts seem in no danger of losing this unless they want to through optimistic declarations.
Cricket Web Red 538 for nine declared (148)
Kearsley 152*, Heads 88; Cole 4/100
Cricket Web Colts 592 all out & 69 for one (23)
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Cricket Web Black vs Masters XI
at Pickford Reserve
Dav Richards was by far the leading run scorer, illustrating where Black lost this game. An appalling performance by the top order on a placid wicket has given the Masters an excellent chance of scuppering the Black title celebrations, though Black will presumably already be looked to the next match.
The surrender can be summed up through the first wicket of the match; an innocuous non-spinning delivery from Warne was hoiked to Odoyo, and Daniel Smith, the captain, had failed in the rearguard. Despite a high run rate, wickets fell at the rate of roughly one an hour, though Borcich and Richards came together at 223 for seven - with the team still in arrears - and ensured that Black would post a target. The new ball, however, proved too much for Borcich and the remainder of the tail, as Borcich was caught by Odoyo near the wicket and Davis and Pickup succumbed easily to Bond, redeeming his figures somewhat. Richards, from number eight, was left stranded on 85, and the Masters required 135 runs in seven hours to secure an unlikely victory.
Cricket Web Black 308 all out & 377 all out (89.4)
Richards 85*, Borcich 56, Cloete 43; Klusener 3/46, Bond 3/82
Masters XI 551 all out & 50 for one (11)
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Cricket Web Blue vs Cricket Web Green
at PDV Dome
Scorecard
Ball By Ball
Blue required 322 runs to win the game after more embarrassment against their former colleague; Thamba Mamesh was left stranded on 246 not out, though the support from Jack McNamara in particular was decent. The new ball was too much for the tail to cope with, however, leaving the opener to carry his bat in a phenomenal effort.
No one in the Dome particularly feared the Green bowling, devoid as it was of Cunningham and Rose. They could not have been more wrong. Ethan McNamara extracted prodigious swing despite hardly prevailing overhead conditions, and with variable bounce the much-vaunted Blue top order capitulated. McNamara took three wickets in thirteen balls to see Blue whimpering at 21 for three, though Stephen Young and Liam Camps fought back to see no further capitulation before lunch.
The joy was short-lived. Having fought off one wily McNamara, another turned up around the corner, as Jack had a loud appeal against Stephen Young dubiously turned down. Undeterred, McNamara returned to bowl a corking top-spinner, smashing into Stephen Young's middle stump for the fourth wicket. Green were, bizarrely, on top.
Rob Bowen, as usual, made his appearance a cameo, this time lasting 20 balls - five of them fours - to make 31, which left Blue with 206 required and five wickets in hand. It was a monumental task, but with Morris at seven and Crampton at eight, the Dome crowd felt entitled to hope.
However, when Morris fell to a Cameron outswinger with a few overs remaining till tea, the crowd began to see the inevitable and headed for the exits, though a good third of the day's play remained. Alex Crampton survived with a couple belligerent shots, but 137 still remained of the target when a rejuvenated Green side began bowling in the twelfth session of the match.
Once again, it was Ethan McNamara who toppled the Blues. Liam Camps, for so long the leader of the resistance, faltered for an inadequate 69, caught well by Andrew Garven at long off, and Sudeep Popat stepped in with 133 still required. He had scant regard for the match situation, hooking his second ball for six over a flummoxed Dinnen at midwicket, but after Crampton had shielded him from the strike for three overs, he found it opportune to show his pad to Ethan McNamara. One loud appeal later, and the eighth wicket was down. Andrew Cameron then returned to end the innings, completing the Blues' tenth loss of the season - now they were forced to rely on a Colts win to keep the league lead, and despite Black's misfortune, they would have to achieve at least a draw in that clash to reach the final and have a claim to the championship.
Cricket Web Green 347 all out & 445 all out (89.5)
Mamesh 246*
Cricket Web Blue 471 all out & 227 all out (63.1)
Camps 69; E McNamara 5/60, Cameron 3/46
Cricket Web Colts vs Cricket Web Red
at Fardin Qayyumi CC
Most people who had turned up to watch the first three days of play at Goffmouth expected a declaration on the fourth day. Fewer expected that it was Håkon Mørk, the beleaguered Red captain, who could make an aggressive declaration of intent, considering his side's precarious position almost three hundred runs behind at the beginning of the day's play.
Shoddy wicketkeeping had a decent hand in David Kearsley's mammoth score, but he took his chances and, along with John Heads, ensured a full compliment of bonus points for Red. A declaration was contemplated after the lunch session had gone without wickets; however, Heads and Bennett surrendered shortly after tea, earning Colts their second bonus point. Gaurav Nayak thumped 33 runs in a brief innings, before Dylan Cole took two more wickets to end with remarkable figures; however, Martin West fought off the Colts till tea, and after a stand of 31 Red declared after ten minutes of twelfth-session cricket.
Colts lost their way early on going for the quick runs, with Rai run out in the fifth over, and decided to bat out the day to reassess their options. Towns and Fitzsimmons achieved this excellently, and Colts seem in no danger of losing this unless they want to through optimistic declarations.
Cricket Web Red 538 for nine declared (148)
Kearsley 152*, Heads 88; Cole 4/100
Cricket Web Colts 592 all out & 69 for one (23)
---
Cricket Web Black vs Masters XI
at Pickford Reserve
Dav Richards was by far the leading run scorer, illustrating where Black lost this game. An appalling performance by the top order on a placid wicket has given the Masters an excellent chance of scuppering the Black title celebrations, though Black will presumably already be looked to the next match.
The surrender can be summed up through the first wicket of the match; an innocuous non-spinning delivery from Warne was hoiked to Odoyo, and Daniel Smith, the captain, had failed in the rearguard. Despite a high run rate, wickets fell at the rate of roughly one an hour, though Borcich and Richards came together at 223 for seven - with the team still in arrears - and ensured that Black would post a target. The new ball, however, proved too much for Borcich and the remainder of the tail, as Borcich was caught by Odoyo near the wicket and Davis and Pickup succumbed easily to Bond, redeeming his figures somewhat. Richards, from number eight, was left stranded on 85, and the Masters required 135 runs in seven hours to secure an unlikely victory.
Cricket Web Black 308 all out & 377 all out (89.4)
Richards 85*, Borcich 56, Cloete 43; Klusener 3/46, Bond 3/82
Masters XI 551 all out & 50 for one (11)
---
Cricket Web Blue vs Cricket Web Green
at PDV Dome
Scorecard
Ball By Ball
Blue required 322 runs to win the game after more embarrassment against their former colleague; Thamba Mamesh was left stranded on 246 not out, though the support from Jack McNamara in particular was decent. The new ball was too much for the tail to cope with, however, leaving the opener to carry his bat in a phenomenal effort.
No one in the Dome particularly feared the Green bowling, devoid as it was of Cunningham and Rose. They could not have been more wrong. Ethan McNamara extracted prodigious swing despite hardly prevailing overhead conditions, and with variable bounce the much-vaunted Blue top order capitulated. McNamara took three wickets in thirteen balls to see Blue whimpering at 21 for three, though Stephen Young and Liam Camps fought back to see no further capitulation before lunch.
The joy was short-lived. Having fought off one wily McNamara, another turned up around the corner, as Jack had a loud appeal against Stephen Young dubiously turned down. Undeterred, McNamara returned to bowl a corking top-spinner, smashing into Stephen Young's middle stump for the fourth wicket. Green were, bizarrely, on top.
Rob Bowen, as usual, made his appearance a cameo, this time lasting 20 balls - five of them fours - to make 31, which left Blue with 206 required and five wickets in hand. It was a monumental task, but with Morris at seven and Crampton at eight, the Dome crowd felt entitled to hope.
However, when Morris fell to a Cameron outswinger with a few overs remaining till tea, the crowd began to see the inevitable and headed for the exits, though a good third of the day's play remained. Alex Crampton survived with a couple belligerent shots, but 137 still remained of the target when a rejuvenated Green side began bowling in the twelfth session of the match.
Once again, it was Ethan McNamara who toppled the Blues. Liam Camps, for so long the leader of the resistance, faltered for an inadequate 69, caught well by Andrew Garven at long off, and Sudeep Popat stepped in with 133 still required. He had scant regard for the match situation, hooking his second ball for six over a flummoxed Dinnen at midwicket, but after Crampton had shielded him from the strike for three overs, he found it opportune to show his pad to Ethan McNamara. One loud appeal later, and the eighth wicket was down. Andrew Cameron then returned to end the innings, completing the Blues' tenth loss of the season - now they were forced to rely on a Colts win to keep the league lead, and despite Black's misfortune, they would have to achieve at least a draw in that clash to reach the final and have a claim to the championship.
Cricket Web Green 347 all out & 445 all out (89.5)
Mamesh 246*
Cricket Web Blue 471 all out & 227 all out (63.1)
Camps 69; E McNamara 5/60, Cameron 3/46
Code:
Blue 9 10 0 67 51 244
Red 9 8 1 60 52 242
Black 9 6 3 51 51 240
Colts 7 6 5 57 52 227
Green 7 10 2 47 52 204 E
Take a look at the last, say, 5 FC games we've had full strength. You can defend yourself all you like but you've all bowled like **** when we needed to win. We started well in FC this season, but we always do. Choke like **** at the back end every year.
