After the flashy dismantling of lacklustre opponents in recent weeks, today it was time for The Cymru Gurgitaters to show some metal against a Victoria Drivers side with plenty to prove after being condemned to a playoff last week. Okay, this match lacked the drama of a fourth-place decider, for which the neutrals had been craving, but make no mistake, there has not been a more fiercely competed match in IV.11 this season, despite the deceptively wide margin of victory.
The Vics opted to bat first, laying down a gauntlet on an uneven pitch which was destined to cause problems for everyone - With the run-rate only fleetingly straying above four throughout the entire game. Although one of those brief interludes came during an opening tirade from South African Burch and Ausie debutant Keehan, as they momentarily wrestled the upper-hand from Bewers and Edworthy to race to sixty in the first ten overs. But Leggie Bridges M soon applied the brakes, and Bewers eventually struck with the penultimate ball of his first spell - Producing a classical piece of away swing to lure Keehan into the edge, which was confidently pouched by Skipper Patel at second slip. With Keehan gone for 21, it fell to The Vics' middle order to build on a promising platform, but once again the only hands up were those asking to go to the toilet…back in the pavilion! Spinners Bridges M and Cash confounded the pundits predicting a seam-friendly track, by taking two wickets a piece to reduce the hosts to 112 for 5 after thirty, before a spirited rear-guard action brought them back into contention. Burch's marathon effort finally came to an end when he top-edged a pull to Cash at Mid-Wicket for 69 from 122 deliveries, but not before he'd added 35 with Mann. De Silva then did his best to marshal the tail with 14, but when Edworthy took his third wicket for thirty runs in the 46th, The Vics were left contemplating a glass half full with a total of 171 - Which could be defended, but should have been more. The other successful bowlers for The Gurs were Bewers with 2/27 from 8, Bridges M 2/25 (10), and Cash, 10/1/31/2 - Bent was once again conspicuous for the wrong reasons, turning in a comparatively disappointing 0/47 from his allocation.
With Division four safety assured last week, Vayro shuffled his pack, opening with Carey and Bennett and moving Staveley and Greening to four and five respectively. It was a move which so nearly cost him the match. Bennett can point to the freak nature of his dismissal as evidence that he possesses the luck - or lack thereof - of Best In Breed at The North Korean Crufts Show, but one is still left baffled as to the thought process behind attempting to reverse-sweep Northrop, a spinner with wages of six and a half thousand pounds, when he was on three in the second over? In the event Bennett top edged it into the sky, from whence it plummeted with unerring accuracy onto his Off bale. Sources close to The Gurs had suggested that Bennett's Concentration pop to Mediocre had secured his immediate future at the club, but tonight he finds himself transfer listed once more, for a reduced price of £1.3m.
Carey was less culpable in his dismissal, but equally inept, as he failed to pick a Northrop flipper in the eighth over, becoming trapped in his crease, plumb in front for just 12. So at thirty for two it was down to the two men in form to dig The Gurs out of the mire - And who could have dared to predict when Staveley and Patel came together, that by the time they were parted in thirty-four overs time, they'd be within nine of the finishing line. Patel notched up his fourth fifty in as many games, wearing the bruises and grinding out 68 from 112 balls in the face of a fierce and relentless Vics' bowling and fielding performance. Staveley provided the perfect phlegmatic foil, with a telepathic understanding with his Off stump, he left ball after ball - Only to launch into his trade-mark cover-drive when the delivery permitted. When West Indian quick Lisby struck a battered and tired Patel in front, Staveley had only to scorch the turf with one more drive to finish on 80* from 102 balls, Guiding his team home to 174/3 in the 42nd over.
victoria drivers
Cymru Gurgitaters
Top Order:
competent
competent
Middle Order:
competent
proficient
Lower Order:
woeful
abysmal
Seam Bowling:
competent
respectable
Spin Bowling:
strong
proficient
Fielding:
feeble
woeful
Later, Trev
