Braunstone Cricketers v BOTWCC 2nd XI

Saturday 26th May 2007

Admittedly there hadn't been much to shout home about in the first few weeks of this season and having been clobbered out of sight by each of our opponents thus far this season, a trip to the potential banana skins at Braunstone didn't look a prospect to relish.

However, positive BOTWCC spirit was in the air and having won the toss again (that's 3 out of 4 by the way) Rob Morley stuck the home team in to defend against the might of the Burton pace attack. Okay scratch that. ...against the Burton bowling attack, knowing that if the trend continued few runs would be scored AND that we had to get more than 65 runs at least some time this season. We hoped.

And off we went. Penton and Shipman Senior took the cherry and kept the runs down to virtually nothing and Shipman rattled of three quick wickets. After 12 overs, new boy Ryan Dawson turned his arm over quite quickly and accurately and added a further wicket to the tally, bringing out a spectacular catch from Ed Everitt Stewart behind the pins. His first in that role.

On the subject of catches, this season has perhaps been the very worst display of ball to hand shenanigans the club has ever encountered and so many have gone to ground that it bring tears to the eyes to even muse upon it. But this week saw a quite miraculous transformation and catches were finally beginning to stick. It all started with a beautifully taken forward diving catch at mid wicket from young Sam "I've got a new voice and I'm gonna use it " Shipman off his Dad's bowling and improved from there. Tagg took a right sphincter winker of a catch at mid on, having waited an eon for the ball to re-enter the atmosphere and another from Ryan Dawson who was running at full pelt away from the batsman and caught it over his own shoulder. What a day. I'm not 100% sure, but I think you would be really harsh to say that anybody actually dropped one. Steve Neal was unfortunate to have 2 fall tantalizingly close in front of him and Morley nearly lost his right hand stopping one off his own bowling that, in reality, saved 4 runs. Well done all who played their part and especially Layzell and Penton for keeping well out of the way.

Anyway, back to the match.

After just over half way, Braunstone were struggling for runs and it was the 30th over before the home team managed to hit 50 runs.

But deja vu was in the air again. A partnership was developing from the slightly unconventional Braunie Skipper and his number 7, S Hill. They had seen a desperate need for runs and decided, rightly so, to have a bit of a swing. Runs were now being piled up on the board and yet another good start was about to be thrown away with Braunstone having jumped up to 86 for 5 after 36 overs. I know its not a lot of runs, but when you look at our last few week's run chases, it was getting a bit sticky out there.

At this stage Skipper Rob had a massive rant (motivational speech he called it) quoting our inability to play well above 25 overs of a match and surprisingly it worked. At least on himself. He then went on and took 4 wickets for 25 runs. Sam Shippo also had a nibble bowling 1 over of spin for 1 wicket, selfishly taking himself to the top of the bowling averages. Git.

The final Braunstone wicket fell in the 41st over with a target of 112 to beat.

After tea, and the egg sandwiches were excellent by the way, although my stomach was in complete disagreement, Burton opened with another new pairing, Messrs Russell and Dawson.

Further twitchy moments ensued in the next few overs as Russell (1) gifted an easy catch to gully with a half hearted shot outside the off stump and then Dawson (23), who had shown some decent composure and skill with his willow, followed a beautifully timed leg glance with a stinker of a shot, dropping a dolly into the hands of the square leg fielder. (After the match and their below average display of fielding, we realized that this chap was probably the only bloke who would have caught it, but hey, there's your luck).

Enter Steve Neal and Mike Tagg. Neal made it clear that he wasn't going to take any prisoners on this increasingly soggy afternoon, and knowing the weather could feasibly remove any chances of a win, hit out at everything that was loose. And the more he hit out, the more loose rubbish he seemed to get. Mike Tagg soon joined in the fun and in the face of some less than mediocre bowling, by the 23rd over they reached a magical moment in the club's history and took us to victory! Both he and Steve Neal not out on 33 and 37 respectively. Well done those two.

So there you have it. BOTWCC 2nd XI had won their first match of the 2007 season. Okay, so it was against Braunstone who are one of the weaker teams in the league, but you can only beat what is put in front of you. And they did. Now lets see if we can do it again.

Next week, at home to the mighty Thornton St Peters CC. Yet another banana skin awaits.

Match Summary

Bowtcc 2nd XI v Braunstone Cricketers

Braunstone 112 all out after 41 overs

Botwcc 113 for 2 after 23 overs

Botwcc win.

Bowling Stats

Batting Stats

Team News:

1. R Morley
2. S Neal
3. Ed Everitt Stewart
4. Ryan Dawson
5. M Tagg
6. M Russell
7. S Layzell
8. J Shipman
9. S Shipman
10. A Archer
11. G Penton

So where is this place?

Win stanley Community College
King sway North
Braunstone
Leicester

LE3 3BD

Street map image HERE

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