Lichfield Nomads Cricket Club : Match Reports 2003

Lichfield Nomads v Church Eaton
Date: Sunday 10th August 2003.  Time: 3:00pm
Venue: Home. Plastic.   Competition: Friendly - 35 Overs.
Result: Won by 5 runs
Conditions: Hot, sunny intervals, distant thunderstorms.
Toss: Lost
Match Report by: Paul Fearon

Nomads rely on experience

A strong looking Nomads line up took to the field later then usual after the opposition requested a 3 o clock start. Pinfield lost the toss but probably would have batted anyway in a reduced encounter of 35 overs. Gardner and Hussein were re-united as openers but they failed to click this time as Hussein showed his rustiness after three weeks off and was out for a duck. Moss came in at three and looked alert and in the mood for a big score and the pair started to dominate the Church Eaton bowling. Gardner was ruthless with the bad ball and Moss quickly began to join in the fun punishing full tosses and leg stump deliveries alike. The pair put on 63 before Gardner was out for 34. Fearon came in at number 4, he looked good briefly before dragging a wide delivery onto his stumps for 6, in a repeat of his Cannock Wood dismissal. Pinfield then pushed the score along and the partnership added 66 before Pinfield was out for 25. Moss was finally out for 64, his highest knock of the season. Hemmings garnered some useful runs at the end thanks to some sweet straight drives and a bonus 5 as the Church Eaton fielder threw from one boundary to the other for four overthrows.

Heslington and Fearon opened the bowling again as they had done at Wall the week before. Heslington's first over was a little expensive as the batsmen squeezed two edges down to an unguarded third man but after that he bowled a controlled spell and picked up the first wicket. Fearon was putting the ball in the right areas and the Church Eaton batsmen fell behind the asking rate of five and a half an over despite Hemmings hurling the ball over the hedge in a desperate attempt to save four. Cartwright took over from Fearon and bagged a wicket, he bowled his seven overs right through and picked up a second wicket before the end of his spell, both were clean bowled. Moss bowled a pacy spell but with no luck and a valuable partnership developed for Church Eaton. Neil Hemmings was held back with a shoulder injury but looked as quick as ever and picked up 2 for 30. Graham Coleman was somewhat out of practice and bowled some loose deliveries to begin with but got better as his spell progressed. His figures suffered as the batsmen started to become more expansive and they succeeded in driving down the run rate to just over a run a ball with a combination of good running and solid batting. Fearon and Heslington returned for the crucial final last five overs and quickly showed their experience. Captain Pinfield marshalled the field well and had the balance between attack and defence just right with boundaries hard to come by. Fearon clean bowled Guest, who top scored with 62, and once that partnership was broken the run chase became more unlikely. Church Eaton needed 12 off the last over for an improbable victory but with new batsmen at the crease they couldn't get the runs they needed, eventually falling five runs short.

On the whole a solid all-round performance from the Nomads. Moss, Gardner, Pinfield and Hemmings all made contributions with the bat and the main seam bowlers all produced. The ground fielding was better than usual with some good diving stops from Cartwright, Moss and Hemmings, some good throws from the boundary from Fearon, two run outs and only one dropped catch.

Total 183 for 8

Total 178 for 9