Prior to the game, the captain had received compelling intel that suggested that the pitch had plenty of demons and the opposition side were on the weak side. Therefore, with 8 players present at the toss, the natural decision was to insert the opposition and stick to this hunch.
Charging into gale force winds from the top end, T Jones and his accompanying tripod (the camera stand variety) struggled to stay upright in the early exchanges at a windy Netherne CC, despite Ransom’s encouraging plea to “pump those legs!” It seemed runs off the bat might be at a premium – a view cemented by some officiating straight out of the Surrey Cricket League and a surprise return to automatic leg-side wides. Mackay also huffed and puffed at the other end but the ball either dropped into gaps in the field or slipped through the fingers of Hill’s fielders, who appeared to be moonlighting at a Birds Eye processing plant, as numerous chances were shelled over the course of their 40 overs! The first culprit was Srivastava, who might have been ruminating over his wasted petrol having initially driven to the wrong ground near Gatwick!
Comedic officiating was very much the order of the day as Stupples completed a routine stumping from Chipperton; the square leg umpire staunchly avowed that the batsman’s foot was “on the line”, much to the chagrin of the exasperated bowler and it left Stupples chuntering into his helmet. A change of ends for T Jones failed to yield a wicket and the introduction of Ransom also failed to break the deadlock, although the hosts were meandering towards a mediocre score with 50 runs accrued over the first 20 overs.
Smith was introduced in the hope that he could make a breakthrough; this paid dividends shortly after as Srivastava gobbled up a catch at square-leg after one opener swatted the ball straight to the fielder. The old adage of “one brings two” came to fruition as Smith, unhindered by his lack of winter nets, dismissed the other opener to claim his second scalp. The initial dry spell had been well and truly ended as Smith helped himself to 2 more victims in quick succession.
With the hosts on the ropes, Jacobs was tossed the ball and he produced a controlled spell that tested the batsmen from his first delivery. A well-deserved first league wicket his just rewards for his accuracy and consistency. The sixth wicket saw Ransom’s footballing prowess coming to the fore as he cushioned Chipperton’s throw onto the stumps to leave Salfords precariously positioned at 6 down.
The final three wickets were shared amongst Jacobs, Chipperton and Smith – although the latter did not replicate his knee sliding antics this time around! The final two batsmen weathered the late onslaught and stubbornly denied Hill their final wicket, although their modest total meant the game was Hill’s to lose!
Last week’s opening pair looked to make short work of the run chase and Chipperton came and went cheaply, paving the way for Mackay to enter the fray. With his 12-year-old nemesis of last week nowhere to be seen, he made his way out to the middle in the hopes of a longer stay this time around. Both he and Martinez calmly set about keeping out the good deliveries and punishing the errant ones on a track that was variable in its bounce.
Much like last week, the overriding feeling was that there will be sterner tests ahead, but the pair at the crease made the ensuing chase seem relatively effortless. Rather than inflicting a slow and lingering death, Mackay in particular accelerated the inevitable result with some big hitting, whilst his partner continued to manipulate the ball into gaps and score freely. With 9 wickets and in excess of 20 overs to spare, Hill’s victory was fairly emphatic (although not compared to some results in Division 4 that weekend!) and the result of fielding another strong XI – let’s hope that is a feature of the season!
Player of the match – Sponsored by Nicholls Residential = Barry Smith
Park Hill Cricket Club 