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| DARTFORD HARRIERS, 30TH JULY 2014 |
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HARRIERS GUN DOWN SUPERSTARS |
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It is amazing that I even managed to get my head round to organising a team
to take on the mighty Superstars for our one and only fixture of the year, but thanks to all those who rallied round
to ensure we had a fixture and to make it such an exciting game. |
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The day was hot and sunny and predictably I lost the toss and Superstars decided
to bat. They started in fine fashion getting to 46 before the loss of the first wicket when Paul Gaught who was making slow
progress was clean bowled by "Mighty" Mark Harris. That bought Matt Conway to the crease who went on the attack scoring more
than Bungle in just his first six balls while Adam at the other end carried on making solid progress to get to 50 in quick
time and earning a well-received retirement bringing Colin Davey to the crease. |
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It was soon after this point that I realised that the Superstars team were
nearly all batsmen and I began to think a bit more clearly about field placings. The batsmen started to look like they were
going to get away so when Matt Conway was facing I took myself out of the slips and moved into silly mid off. Only a couple
of balls later Matt lobbed a simple catch straight to me; my mind games were working lol. But the mind games were not working
on Colin who just kept digging away scoring runs before finally getting out for 31 with the score on 105. Errol did not add
to the score and suddenly the score was 105 for 4 but with still plenty of batting to come I was worried about my bowling attack.
Steve Hickmott and Mark Harris had done a great job at the beginning with figures of 4-24-0 and 4-18-1 respectively and the
Burfords, Rueben and Connor were bowling well but it would soon be the turn of my worse bowler......me. After 20 overs in total
had been bowled I gave the Burfords a break their figures were 6-1-25-1 and 6-1-46-2 and bought myself on to bowl  . |
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With Vijay and Richard Abigail at the crease I was pretty sure my bowling was going to
take a battering and so when RA smacked my first ball for 4 runs I feared the worse but surprisingly those were the only runs scored
from my first over. Steve "the spin" Wilson suffered a similar fate his first ball being hit for a big six by Vijay but only another 2
runs being scored from the rest of his first over. As I feared the next two overs went for 11 and 8 runs and when Vijay hit the first
ball of my next over for six I feared the worse but incredibly he holed out with his next shot, 156 for 5. RA was not impressed and
when he got to face my bowling next went on the attack and 16 was scored from one over and so I skilfully removed myself from the
attack and bought on the Harris youngsters to bowl. |
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What a great decision, Billy and Joseph Harris were just awesome. Billy took 3 wickets
in 3.4 overs to end up with figures of 3.4-1-9-3 and Barry Gigg was out for a duck facing Joseph whose figures were 2-1-1-1 and so
Superstars were all out for a total of 196 in 33.4 overs. A good score on a wicket that was not easy to bat on. Time for Tea. [Ed - the
best bit of the day, as always, well done to Ben, Penny and Mary]. |
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Reuben B and Mark H and the first over bowled by Vijay was a maiden from that point onwards
the score rattled on nicely, 7, 14, 22, 32, 39, 39, 46 until a bowling change bought about the fall of the first wicket Reuben ct behind
for 25 with the score on 48 from the bowling of Conway. That bought Reuben's son Connor to the crease and still the score rattled on
despite of some very economical bowling from Matt Conway. But Matt had the last laugh taking both the wickets of Mark Harris for 54 and
Connor Burford for 13, finishing with excellent figures of 7-1-22-3. Mark H didn't seem too concerned as after batting really well in
this fixture several times and getting out in the high 40s he had finally scored a 50 in this match. |
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But now NASHY was at the crease and Superstars had run out of regular bowlers and were
relying on part time bowlers Darth Meyler and Adam Spencer. Steve Hickmott's young foster child Milo Niklekaj was given an evil working
over by the wicked Adam Spencer and finally bowled (boo Adam you bully) without scoring, that bought equally as young Billy Harris to the
crease with the score at 131 for 4 from 25 overs. NASHY was scoring freely but at the other end young Billy was defending nicely but
struggling to get any runs. Barry decided to change the bowling and bought on Richard "Vicious" Abigail and Colin "Brutal" Davey.
Vicious took a battering mainly from NASSSSSSHHHHHHYYYYY his one over going for 13 but Brutal hit back bowling young Billy for 3 which
bought his younger brother Joseph Harris to the crease. Joseph began scoring at a steady rate and Barry lost patience and bought Vijay
"Soft as a new born Lamb" Anand and Ian "Sweetie" Moxon back on to bowl. Sweetie thundered in and took the wicket of the free scoring
NASHY caught and bowled for 41 bringing Steve Hickmott to the wicket who after only scoring five was bowled by soft as a new born lamb.
Whoops it's me in next but there was only 9 runs needed and Vijay only had two balls left. I saw off the next two balls and
told Joseph that we only needed 9 off the final 2 overs so just be sensible so he hit Sweetie for a four and a two and a couple of
wides left us only needing one run with one over to go. Barry bought boo boy Spencer back on and after a couple of dot balls I managed
to push the ball through the field and run the one run we needed. I thanked everyone but especially extras for being our third highest
scorer with 32, well played extras, and walked back to the pavilion in the hope that there was still a few leftovers from the excellent
tea made by Penny and Mary. There wasn't. |
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A great many thanks to everyone for coming and making the day such excellent
fun for all and a good close match too. |
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Jason Marchant |
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