Coaver Gerries Cricket Club

On 26th April, the team arrived at Stover School full of confidence after a decent start to the season, the Dartanians hearing about our impressive start added some interesting changes to the Laws of the game.

They had 15 players but only 11 on the field at any one time, all of them could bat and retirement was 20. All could bowl but only a maximum of 4 overs. Simple we score more than them and take 10 wickets.

The toss

Gordon is his second game as Captain (also against the Dartanians) lost the toss and we were put into bat. A good toss to lose as I suspect the Landlord would have batted first.

Guesty and Skins opened the batting and looked confident until Skins eyes lit up and he was caught trying to find the boundary. John Wright fresh from his 25 on Tuesday came out and hit some lovely shots before being bowled by the impressive Morrish.

After a reasonably slow start the game changed with Guesty increasing the strike rate with a fine innings ending on 35 retired. Krish and Jim Masters then really took the attack to the Dartanians with some explosive hitting and hitting boundaries all over the ground until their retirements on 30 and 32 respectively. Both hit boundaries to reach their milestones.

The next significant partnership was between Ahmad and Beano, Beano rotating the strike to give Ahmad the strike. In his 19 balls, Ahmad hit 5 fours and 2 huge sixes, with an amazing strike rate of 184.21. Beano may only have scored 7 but looked good at the crease and gave the strike unselfishly to Ahmad.

There were further contributions from Dom (12), Simon, Gordon and Phil and the Gerries finished on a very respectable 198.

The second innings

The Dartanians went into bat knowing they’d have to hard to best the Gerries score but the 15 men started positively putting on 33 for the first wicket effectively 53 after the retirement of Cox. Krish bowled Smith for 0 and Sell was caught by Wright to take a 2-wicket haul. Ahmad bowled with pace and skill but no luck.

The game was going away from us until the Skipper brought on Magic Man Beano, who struck bowling the dangerous Blanchard for 15. The Dartanians couldn’t cope with his skill and guile. This led to a run out with great fielding from Ahmad and Guesty.

In came the Dartanians Captain and dangerman Chatfield who looked confident. Luck was favouring the Dartanians or so it seemed with the Landlord having a very close LBW turned down and a difficult slip chance put down. Guesty then sensed Ahmad was out of position and moved him. Chatfield went to go big over mid-wicket but who was waiting for but Ahmad who took a good catch. Beano then had this 3^rd wicket with a plum LBW and finished with 3-14. The Landlord finally picked up a deserved wicket bowling Adams for 15.

The Dartanians were 93-7 but still had 8 batsmen left and the Gerries needed 3 wickets. Gradually the Dartanians got themselves back into the game with some good batting and 20 wides from us.

Cometh the hour cometh the man, Simon after a tricky start found his line and bowled Morrish and then had B Morrish stumped by Guesty. 1 wicket needed. Could the Gerries get over the line?

Yes, they could Musannif the hero as batter number 15 was neatly stumped by Guesty! What a spell from Simon ending up with 3-32 and certainly a match winning performance.

A fantastic team performance well led by the Landlord supported by Guesty. An after-match huddle with Guesty making a Churchillian speech that this Gerries squad could/should win more than we lose this season.

Player of the day

The Chairmans player of the match was Simon but others, my faithful readers, contributed to our glorious victory.

Onwards and Upwards.