Copdock & Old Ipswichian Cricket Club

Scorecard

Copdock & Old Ipswichian Cricket Club 2nd XI v Mildenhall II on Sat 18 Aug 2018 at 12.30pm
Copdock & Old Ipswichian Cricket Club Won by 1 wicket

Match report The Parable of Mother Cricket

It’s a funny game cricket, many love it, some hate that they love it and others treat it with contempt. I have learnt over a few years that Mother Cricket should be treated with respect, both for the game and those who play it; for she is the scales of justice, distributed in the form of luck and coincidence in the form of a game or season.

On a grey overcast day at the premier cricketing venue in East Anglia, Captain John East won the toss and inserted our visitors from West Suffolk. Ten years ago you would have got fairly chunky odds that Felix Ward would share a new ball with James East. What heady times we live in. In the early exchanges Ward looked the more likely to get a breakthrough, zipping the ball away from the right handed Morrison who really didn’t look like getting bat on ball.

It was East who got the first breakthrough, the one “that goes the other way” went straight on and was enough to take a substantial outside edge. Hugh “Lard Hands” Thomas was the last out of the changing rooms but had presumably got muddled up between the lard and Graham’s denture glue as he proceeded to take a one handed screamer in front of first slip. Underwood might have indeed borrowed the lard such were his mishaps in the field.

East got the second wicket as the hapless Morrison left a leg stump half volley and was given LBW, out on the shot as much as anything. Mildenhall captain Graham, set an example to his players on how to play the leg stump half volley, severe on anything over pitched from Ward and East. He then punished anything short from Millions, before he tamely chipped a cut/pull (it wasn’t really either) back to Millions who caught sharply.

At drinks, the discussion was very much that we needed to build pressure with dots and in the field. The evil, younger and fatter East came on from the Pavilion End and Elliot Tyler came on at the “James East End”. Together, they bowled in partnerships and created pressure. East firstly had Francis trapped in front of all three although adjudicated not out (he’d given himself). East then had a significant caught behind shout off Allen from a smart piece of work from Lard Hands also given not out. Unsurprisingly, East and East gave the youngster a verbal working over which at times was quite funny, even the batter was laughing.

There is a lesson to be learnt here, the standing umpire Fiske, had done our previous home fixture against Little Cheatfield and warned us for over appealing, on this day we didn’t have a decision go our way. Another illustration of the working of Mother Cricket as perhaps on that day prior we hadn’t given the game due respect and it caught up with us.

Mildenhall dug themselves into a trench that even the grenades of East couldn’t penetrate. A late charge led to a couple of Jenkin like cheapies caught by Millions and the exemplary Mlambo, who looked a cut above in the field.

Mildenhall finished with 201-6 and on most Copdock pitches in the Taylor generation that would appear under par.

Copdock’s chase began in relatively circumspect fashion, the awkwardly similar in batting appearances of Storey and Mann were watchful for the first couple of overs. Mann blazed a couple of boundaries before (in his own words) “w*@%ing off” to first slip off former first teamer Morrison. Storey nuggled (a cross between niggling and nudged) his way to 15 before missing a Graham inducker. At two for not many some sides would have looked to be watchful, but the in form Mlambo took the attack to Mildenhall in true Galactico fashion, blazing the ball through the covers time and again off both Graham and Morrison.

Mildenhall kept the field up looking to take wickets even as the run rate approached 6 an over, they were rewarded as Mlambo slashed at one too many and was safely pouched at first slip, a real shame as Mlambo was at his sparkling best.

Thomas joined Ward at the crease in a partnership which looked as if it could be the front cover of a Paul Potts / Rick Waller Christmas collaboration. It was just as successful as Ward missed a straight half volley trying to boom it towards the paddock.

East and Thomas together looked as if they were the partnership that had to take the game deep for Copdock. Eager to return some of the verbals East had earlier dished out, the visitors were promptly silenced as East despatched 5 half volleys for four in no time. Lard hands was severe on anything short and in no time the pair had put on 50 for the 5th wicket.

Shortly before drinks, the captain of the visitors engaged in a highly personal verbal tirade, for which there is absolutely no place in the game, particularly when setting the standard for the young cricketers playing in their side. Mother Cricket took out her notebook and made a mark.

East was shortly adjudicated LBW from the off spin of Bowman and the game turned. Thomas and Jenkin nudged the ball around to get the runs required to below 40, with 19 overs to go. Disaster struck when the controlled Thomas tried to turn a ball to fine leg and rather timed the ball beautifully to square leg who took a sharp catch.

Jenkin fell shortly after, caught in similar fashion to Thomas. Underwood then perished for not many (0) and soon after it was left to Tyler and Millions (possibly a 70’s Ska group?). This pair showed a fine example of direction of travel Copdock and OI CC as a club is heading in. They both applied a grit and wherewithal which the England middle order could use. Using the time in hand they “took the game deep” nudging singles and sneaking the odd boundary. Coach and pupil, 38 (maybe 25…) and 15 showed what it takes to win cricket games if you really want it enough.

Going into the last five overs Copdock (and OI) needed 19 to win. A lusty blow from Tyler over the head off the off spinner brought a roar from the watching crowd. Captain East as next man in looked as nervous as someone who had left Reuben their wallet at the bar.

13 required off four overs. They sneak three singles.

Ten off three, Morrison bowls a good over. Millions gets a single.

Nine required off two. Millions gets a single. He’s taking it deep.

Eight required off the last over. Surely not… MILLIONS CRASHES THE FIRST BALL FOR FOUR THROUGH BACKWARD POINT. Elation.

Four off five. The game has swung.

Morrison bowls a brilliant Yorker to dismiss Millions. Four from four, 9 down.

Captain East in his famous Baggy Blue, slowly trudges out, shoulders in customary slouch, spectacles perched on nose, the epitomy of unprofessionalism, an inside thigh pad for his thigh pad and a massive hole in his crotch, surely he can’t; can he?

Four off four. A wide half volley is driven to cover. Dot.

It is tense around the ground and Morrison runs in in pin drop silence.

Four from four.

He misses his Yorker and bowls full of a length outside off, which East connects with over wide mid off.

A tense moment as everyone looks to where long off is, but he is in the ring. What on earth was the Mildenhall Captain thinking, they need four to win, surely you would have your men back.

“RUN” shouts Tyler. “RUN” shouts the crowd. “I think you’ll find that’s how its done” East calmly states and turns around an walks off with a wink from Mother Cricket.

A brilliant contribution from both Tyler and Millions to get Copdock to a position to Win, both have had their ups and downs over the course of this season, but they both produced a super performance to “take it deep” and secure the points.

The Great Escape continues…

Sombrero: Elliot Tyler, a super spell of 11 overs and the best 9* of his life.

SC Strawberry: Graham – Fielding mishaps and 0.

Mildenhall II Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
3w 5b 4lb 
for 6 wickets
12
201 (45.0 overs)		     
R Clark ct  Thomas b JP East 4
K Morrison lbw  JP East 12
S Graham ct  & b Millions 45
J Allen Not Out  76
J Francis ct  Millions b JR East 48
T Heywood ct  Mlambo b JR East 0
J Bowman ct  Tyler b JP East 4
R Handy Not Out  0
M Thurston  
A Young  
R Daltrey  

Copdock & Old Ipswichian Cricket Club 2nd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
James East12.0257319.004.75
Felix Ward6.012700.004.50
Lewis Millions5.0023123.004.60
Elliot Tyler11.013800.003.45
John East11.0047223.504.27

Copdock & Old Ipswichian Cricket Club 2nd XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
4nb  
for 9 wickets
4
202		        
Richard Mann ct  Graham b Morrison 12
Karl Storey b  Graham 15
Donald Mlambo ct  Graham b Morrison 26 1
Felix Ward b  Graham 4
Hugh Thomas ct  Bowman b Allen 46 1 1
James East lbw  Bowman 48
Tom Jenkin ct  Bowman b Allen 9
Lewis Millions b  Morrison 21 2
Graham Underwood b  Allen 0
Elliot Tyler Not Out  9 1
John East Not Out  4

Mildenhall II Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
S Graham8.0049224.506.12
K Morrison9.4065321.676.72
J Bowman13.0052152.004.00
T Heywood4.003000.007.50
J Allen11.031735.671.55

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    panel
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