1st XI v Craigclowan
This, the first match of the season, here at Belhaven, went against the norm in many ways. Firstly, it was not freezing cold. Secondly, we won the toss. And thirdly, we won the match. Convincingly.
Tom, our captain, put Craigclowan in to bat, hoping that they would be rusty from the long trip down from Perth, and hoping to take advantage of the bit of moisture in the pitch. Tom G and Will opened the bowling for Belhaven in a quick-slow combination that has proved effective in the past and did again today. Both bowlers had good opening spells and the batsmen struggled to get to grips with them. Will in particular bowled very accurately and really bamboozled the opposition. It was Tom though who picked up two wickets. Both of these were caught, one by Tom and one by Dougal and were the result of sustained pressure by both bowlers.
Tom D and Caspar came on next and they too bowled very well. Both of them kept things very tight and I was particularly impressed with Caspar as it was his first match for the 1st XI. George and Freddy took over with sixteen overs bowled, and suddenly wickets started to fall. George struggled a bit to find any kind of rhythm or consistency but managed to pick up wickets in his first and second overs. Freddy bowled very well and the batsmen didn’t know what to make of him. Freddy also picked up two wickets, one of them when Tom S. took a good catch down the leg. Another wicket fell in this spell when Caspar assisted in running someone out.
Tom G. re-entered the bowling attack and his first over ended as a wicket maiden. Tom D. then polished them off, collecting two wickets on the way.
All in all it was an excellent performance in the field. It would appear that we have good depth of bowling and I was extremely impressed with how the younger boys coped. All three spinners – Will, Caspar and Freddy – were very good today and it was their bowling that really put the pressure on the batsmen. The fielding too was very good. Yes, there were a few dropped catches but overall I was pleased with the enthusiasm and ability shown.
With nearly two hours to play and only 102 runs to get for victory, my instructions to the batsmen were simple: don’t get out. I was certain that if we had batsmen at the crease at 6pm, we wouldn’t lose. I was confident that as long as we had batsmen in hand, the runs would come.
Tommy G. and Tom D. opened the batting and made an excellent start. They saw off the opening bowlers and looked set for the afternoon. Unfortunately Tom D. suddenly forgot to move his left foot and started to waft his bat at the ball. This was a crucial error and eventually the inevitable happened – he nicked one and was out caught behind. This brought Lochy to the crease, a suprise number three but he did well, playing some solid defensive shots. Lochy stuck around for quite a while and entertained us with some nimble (if unconventional) footwork. Despite not scoring many runs himself, his partnership with Tom G. was worth 25 runs. Eventually he was run out after being dropped by mid-wicket. It is a golden rule boys – never run on a dropped catch.
Lochy’s dismissal brought George to the crease and fortunately his batting seemed to be a bit more comfortable than his bowling. George too, took his time and played each ball on its merit. I was impressed with both boys’ patience and they left a good number of balls, refusing to be drawn into rash shots. Our scoring was slow at times but time was on our side. Ignorant spectators may want big hits and a quick win but cricket is a game of patience and concentration – if a few wickets had fallen, our confidence may have tumbled allowing Craigclowan back into the game. As it was, I was proud of how the boys closed Craigclowan out of the game, thus ensuring an emphatic, eight wicket victory.
This was a fantastic start to the season boys and a victory that you can all be proud of, as everyone contributed in one way or another.
Batting Bowling
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Tom G
|
42
|
Not Out
|
|
Tom D
|
7
|
Caught
|
|
Lochy
|
1
|
Run Out
|
|
George
|
22
|
Not Out
|
|
Peter
|
|
DNB
|
|
Tom S
|
|
DNB
|
|
Will
|
|
DNB
|
|
Freddie
|
|
DNB
|
|
Rory
|
|
DNB
|
|
Caspar
|
|
DNB
|
|
Dougal
|
|
DNB
|
|
Extras
|
30
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Overs
|
Maidens
|
Wides
|
NBs
|
Runs
|
Wkts
|
|
Tom G
|
8
|
2
|
4
|
0
|
21
|
3
|
|
Will
|
4
|
2
|
0
|
0
|
10
|
0
|
|
Tom D
|
7.5
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
22
|
2
|
|
Caspar
|
4
|
1
|
0
|
0
|
11
|
0
|
|
George
|
3
|
0
|
2
|
1
|
21
|
2
|
|
Freddie
|
4
|
1
|
0.
|
0
|
8
|
2
|
|
Peter
|
1
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
2
|
0
|
Craigclowan: 101 all out.(32 overs).
Total: 102 for 2 (27.1 overs)
Result
Match won by 8 wickets.
Man of the match: T. Galbraith for carrying his bat right through the innings.
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