Tetherdown Trundlers Cricket Club

Scorecard

Archway Ladder CC v Tetherdown Trundlers Cricket Club on Sun 01 May 2016 at 1 pm
Tetherdown Trundlers Cricket Club Lost A game we could and maybe should have won

Match report On this weekend, it will go down in history that team came from nowhere, with nobodies, to prove that with teamwork, organized dedication and clear leadership they can win one of the greatest games on earth. Yes, rank outsiders, Leicester City FC won the Premiership.


An inspiration to any team fighting their way from humble beginnings to the top. A shining light for the Trundlers to emulate. Dream the impossible - don't just think the possible....or something like that.


And so with hope, a spring in their step, a drone as 12th man and the usual dose of over-excitement (let's hope that never wears off) The Trundlers took to the field for their first game - "field" being the operative word.


Archway Ladder - a friendly side but wearing a thin veneer of arrogance in the knowledge that only on one occasion have the Trundlers made a game of it in the last five years.


Well, a new respect slowly crept out of the long grass as the Trundlers won the toss and opting to field, opened the bowling line-up with two generations of Buxton - Messrs Olly & Alfie. On paper the pair may sound like harmless gents from a 1930's ballroom dance but in reality the opening batsmen faced a steely determination from two professionals (in our world) who take the love of cricket to a new level.


A word for Alfie Buxton - the record books will say that he is the youngest Trundlers debutant. Alfie displayed the kind of maturity never seen before in a Trundlers shirt - possibly because we didn't have one small enough for him to wear. And surely his talent is a sign that in years to come the Trundlers Youth Academy will become a household name in Britain and potentially in World Cricket.


And so it begins. The Buxton double act keeps it tight for the first 12 overs, with a few wickets and only 25 runs to show for it. The oppo's best batsmen was caught for a duck by Grays at square leg. An agile catch was met with cries of "Lucky wife" when the rest of the team collectively paid homage to the size of his "huge" bucket hands. In the same way as Australian Ian Thorpe "The Torpedo" was genetically gifted with the physical attributes made for swimming, so Rob Grays possesses hands made for catching cricket balls - strangely though, we had never noticed before!


Such was the opening spell that a huge weight of responsibility lay on the first bowling change. Usually Buxton passes the ball to Binns, who has many strengths, one of which is that he's blissfully unaware of Trundlers' responsibility and just goes out to have fun - usually this results in wickets. However, Mr Binns was unavailable so a broad pair of shoulders was required to maintain the high level of focus, accuracy and ultimate pressure on the batsmen. Up steps the skipper, el-Capitan, our leader and example, Mr Frais. And of course he delivered an accurate spell which didn't give the batsmen an opportunity to relax. Followed by vice-captain, yours truly - I felt as nervous as I do when I walk out to bat. Apart from the odd wayward delivery, this Trundlers pairing managed to maintain the pressure, ably backed up by another debutant David Proctor who has the look of a man with a good right arm and from what I heard later in the pub, a decent right hook too!


At 87-8, the Trundlers had put in a solid bowling and fielding performance. Just as the skipper warned us of complacency so a couple of sloggers took to the crease. This led to an unfortunate run of quick boundaries - myself and Sam being the main victims - this would ultimately prove fatal. However, Ladder ended at 142 all out after 31 overs. Only 3 of their batsmen got into double figures and we would rue two early dropped catches in consecutive balls to dismiss their only batsmen to score big (78 in the end) but all in all, a good session in the field.


Run rate was not going to be an issue. We just had to see it out...........just had to see it out. You will sense the author's mood dropping. It is why this game is so great - the highs and lows of cricket are extreme and can be rapid.


As the skipper with his loyal servant & vice-captain strode out to the crease with purpose, little did they know that their contribution for the afternoon was over. Mr Frais elected to take the first ball. Well, in fact he elected to leave the first ball and watched in horror as it drifted in off the seam to clip the bail of the off stump. All the heads of the Trundlers went down - with the exception of one Rtterband who gleefully jumped with joy as his drone (hovering no more than 10 feet from the action) had caught the whole thing on camera.


The vice-captain was having none of this. It was time to get on the front foot....or back foot. I struck my second delivery decisively through the covers for 4. The third struck my middle stump - a skidder, the one that lands short and never leaves the ground. So, the openers were gone within two overs and the fight was on.


A noble fight followed with Sam, Luke and Duncan digging in and putting on 33 between them. We won't talk about the manner of dismissals because it will become disheartening. You could say that we got unlucky on occasion but could also only blame ourselves on occasion.


We put up a good fight and still looked in with a shout at 109 for 7. In fact, Ladder were noticeably shaky. David Proctor was digging out a tidy score and JP was swiping and connecting. Little did they know that, on the boundary Laurel & Hardy (aka Grays & Ritterband) were sipping a large whiskey each, as if they were about to come face to face with the grim reaper. There was a sense of reckoning.


They came and went with a blink of the eye.


It was left to the debutant, Alfie Buxton. He looked good at the crease but was done by the return of the skidder to his middle stump (sounds worse than it was).


We were all out for 112 runs. Extras were second highest scorer with 35. However, man of the match from the Trundlers was without doubt David Proctor with a valiant 41 not out.


So, another season begins. We got in a position to win the game but couldn't quite see it out. There is hope. It was our first game and we were rusty - unlike previous seasons, we did not take the loss easily. It hurt. This proves that underneath the nice exterior, the Trundlers have a determination and grit that in the long run will see us as Champions one day.


It did however remind me of one quote from Spurs legend, Jimmy Grieves - "I don't mind the despair of losing, it's the continued hope of winning that I can't take!"


Keep on dreaming....


Guy

Archway Ladder CC Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
10w 4b 5lb 
for 0 wickets
19
142 (0.0 overs)		     
Laddie lbw  Proctor 78
Parry b  Buxton O 1
Yates ct  Buxton A 0
Patel ct  Buxton O 0
Walsh b  Frais 11
Reeve b  Grainger 1
Goodman ct  Proctor 7
Saif b  Grainger 0
Tait b  Grainger 0
Usman ct  Buxton A 25
Hooper Not Out  0

Tetherdown Trundlers Cricket Club TTCC 1st XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Olly Buxton6.031025.001.67
Alfie Buxton7.0125212.503.57
Adam Frais5.0121121.004.20
Guy Grainger8.0141313.675.13
David Proctor5.501527.502.57
Sam Ball1.002000.0020.00

Tetherdown Trundlers Cricket Club TTCC 1st XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
2nb 27w 2b 2lb 
for 10 wickets
33
122		        
Adam Frais b  Tait 0
Guy Grainger b  shani 4 1
Sam Ball lbw  Faisal 13 1
Luke Collier st  Tait 5 1
Duncan Bonfield b  hooper 15
Olly Buxton ct  Faisal 0
David Proctor Not Out  41 4
Jon Plimley b  Saif 6
Rob Grays b  Tait 1
Simon Ritterband b  Saif 2
Alfie Buxton b  Saif 2

Archway Ladder CC Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.