Flyford toil for scant reward

Report by Joe Chapman

 

Village cricket is brilliant. It can be the highlight of your weekend, an opportunity to spend an afternoon with your pals in often glorious sunshine and can be, in a sporting sense, highly rewarding.

What sport can giveth, though, it can taketh away. It can be punishing. There'll be Sundays where you must take your medicine. Sunday away at Blakedown for Flyford Flavell was, regrettably, one of those days.

Fresh from the tanking received at the hands of Droitwich, where Flyford lost by at least 250 runs, things on the field didn't get much better at Blakedown, who advised before the Sunday that we'd be playing on the artificial track. We were put in, but on paper I didn't mind that - there was plenty of batting.

Things didn't begin well. George Teal's mammoth average for the season, in excess of 450, was practically halved when he lollipopped a ball to the covers for 1. Fellow opener, returning captain and new dad Joey Poole was watchful in the early stages and respectful of the new ball in the hands of the consistent opening bowler, which made runs tough to come by.

Mark Davy, in at three, succumbed much like George having inflicted a couple of well timed fours which provided evidence that, once you got the ball through the ring, there were runs to be had. The outfield was pretty dry and gave chasing fielders little opportunity.

Steve Beavan was next to go, gloving behind. A 'proper cricket' wicket, just not one Flyford could celebrate! That brought Mark Walker to the crease; Walks is back after injury and his stranglehold on the most runs scored trophy is under serious threat from George, but he applied himself as Walks does and held the innings together, which had been creaking.

Sean Mulvey played some excellent shots for his 18, slog sweeping for four, and climbing into one particular delivery to dispatch it for six, only to surrender his wicket the very next ball - a ball which quite literally broke the stump.

Jay Jawad was bowled too, bringing Will Cemis to the crease and with the Flav in desperate need of a partnership. Meanwhile, those on the sidelines were enjoying putting together a food XI, for which you'll have to indulge me...
1. Phil Mustard
2. Phil Salt
3. Alastair Cook
4. Michael Pepper
5. Finlay Bean
6. Joe Root (vegetable)
7. Clive Rice
8. Allan Lamb
9. Matthew Lamb
10. Graham Onions
11. Basil D'Oliveira
12. Will Beer (running drinks, naturally)

More editions of this game to come in the coming weeks, all being well.

 

On the field of play, Walks and Will were putting together a very useful partnership, steering Flyford towards something like a respectable tally which we could bowl at. Will played some really nice shots to rack up 36, his second highest score for the club when batting at eight.
Walks knocked off 70-odd not out by the end, and there was just time for the lesser spotted Michael Tibke to provide all swing, no ding when golden ducking the final ball of the innings.

We had set our esteemed hosts 166, very gettable, from 35 overs. Sadly, your reporter didn't bowl fully enough on enough occasions and, on a bouncy track, you're asking for trouble. That allowed the openers to set a blistering early pace in which they put a serious dent in their target.

By comparison Aaron Monky Monk at the other end was far more consistent and bowled through his overs with a spell which merited a wicket. For every five good balls, though, from whoever was bowling, the sixth would find its way to the boundary, alleviating the pressure which Flyford were trying to apply and increase.

Jay, Tibbers, Joey P and Will all gave it their all without any luck, despite finding a number of edges and, with the opening batters both retiring in order to allow others a go, it transpired that we were perhaps 100 runs light - and certainly tighter bowling from myself, for one - from making it a real contest.

One of the brighter points, aside from the routinely excellent company, was the chip butties laid on by the opposition as we enjoyed pints after the game in their local. Onto Eckington on Wednesday.