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Cooper, the elder statesman and Karl Quiney the young pretender opened the batting. All were expecting to see the new Cooper batting style following 3 months of the intensive Level 1 Coaching Course. Alas, we were all in for a disappointment as Cooper quickly reverted to last season’s best predatory defensive style and seeming inability to hit the ball beyond the boundaries of the square.
The pitch was a pudding. Quiney flattered to deceive with a delicious boundary off his legs before lobbing a full toss to cover point. In strode Michael Hill. 13 years of bristling confidence, but not used to playing on a sloping jam roly poly of a pitch (they don’t teach you this at county). One or two signs of things to come before he also disappeared into to the pavilion, bowled off his sloping pads.
Lawley, at four fared little better lobbing a catch, allowing Russon into bat. As I write this on his 23rd Birthday, I will be kind. He has wintered well. Diets have come and gone, but John wears his heart on his sleeve. He battled for the best part of 10 overs, hitting a six along the way to 15, before he too was dismissed. What of Cooper I hear you cry? Well he had moved sedately on to 4 at this stage, with extras in the way of wides and byes being easily the 2nd top scorer.
Ward came in at six and decided the only way to bat on this pitch was to stand a yard down the track and hit any full toss to the boundary. One or two badly timed shots fell thankfully into gaps, but in the main the ball was struck well. Cooper was then out around the 40th over for 15, with the score approaching 100. His contribution was as ever invaluable.
Bobby Taylor (who left his watch in the dressing room and it is in my possession) joined Ward and proceeded to play a delightful cameo of an innings, hitting 2 sixes and a four in quick time as only Bob can, scoring 18. This accelerated the scoring rate at just the right time and with Ward cashing in at the end, despite the usual mini collapse, Wombourne achieved a total of 179-8, Ward being 76 not out.
Jonathon Meek was taught to keep wicket by the coaches of the Club and has now been stolen from us by the Grammar School who recognise his potential. Our loss is their gain, but it meant that Ward had to keep wicket. Recognising the complete lack of pace in the wicket, he opened with the womanly (she was 18 in March) wiles of Kate Dicken. Kate did not disappoint and Tividale were virtually scoreless against her. In two spells her figures of 12-8-5-1 speak for themselves.
Ben Woodall bowled steadily in his first outing of the year finishing with figures of 2-12, again none of the batsmen were prepared to get after him and Ward standing up to all of the bowlers forced the batsmen back into their crease.
Changes in the bowling occurred regularly. Scott Pedder, who had impressed various luminaries in the nets over the winter and during the start of the summer (ask the aussie!) bowled tidily and finished with deserved figures of 2-12. David Hemming on his debut also bowled well if a tendency to bowl a little short and finished with 1-7. David also took a stunning catch which had lobbed over the head of Woodall and to the left of Cooper and which none of them apart from young Hemming fancied and he pulled off a great catch diving forward.
Not to be outdone in the field, when the batsmen had the nerve to try and take two to him, a near perfect return from Cooper caused a run out.
This just left the last wicket. The best part of 15 overs remained with the last pair at the wicket, and they decided they did not want to play any more. Despite having a record of won 11, lost 11 last year they were determined to hold on for the losing draw. Bowling change after bowling change ensued with no reward. Hill bowling left arm spin, the unorthodox right arm of Russon and Cooper all to no avail. In a last desperate move Ward recalled a similar situation from the previous championship winning season, when he threw the ball to Taylor who, with that little bit of swing produced the wicket then and did so again here with his second ball. Three overs left and 25 points in the bag.
It may be slightly churlish but three small points. We must learn to bat better on slow, low pitches (one or two exceptions), bowl straighter more of the time and be quicker between overs. 7-45 is no time to finish when you have started at 1-30. I’m used to finishing by 4-30! Bring on the rain on Saturday!
Wardy
Related Links:
2nd XI Report-24/04/04
A View from the Box
Quiz Night Report
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NEXT FIXTURE
1sts(H) & 2nds(A)-Old Wulfs 3rds-Highcroft(A)
VENUE
4ths- Hammerwich(A)
DATE
09-06-2007
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