Valiant effort by Flyford falls agonisingly short
On a hot muggy afternoon Flyford took on the Worcester Nomads. A team well known to us and with many playing having turned out for both sides on various occasions.
Although ultimately full sides were fielded the game started a little delayed at 2 p.m. with Flyford taking the field with only 8 men.
Nomads opened with two very competent bats one of which Connor Andrews who has turned out several times in Flyford colours.
Flyford opened the bowling with Joey Poole and Pete Halpin who, considering that they were bowling to a depleted field did not let Nomads make hay while numbers were reduced. However, help was at hand and the Nullis family took the field to swell the fielding side to 10
Pete Holpin was to draw first blood trapping the Nomad opener C Blakey in front of his stumps. Not a difficult decision for the umpire to give. Ash Rahman was the next to the wicket, again a player well known to Flyford. When Ash fell for 5 LBW to Joey Poole with the score 35 for two with 11 overs gone Flyford were well in the game.
By this time both sides were up to full complement with the arrival of the ever-reliable Ward Family.
At 35 for 2 Flyford may well have been in the box seat had a chance given up by Connor Andrews on 17 been pouched at Mid Wicket by Joe Allsopp. Unfortunately, this was something of a game changing moment as Connor went on to score 100 not out before giving way to Andrew Ward.
Consequently, the Nomads middle order dug in and kept the score board ticking over. Nomads moved on to 128 before George Teal got the Nomad batsman J. Hawed to tickle the finest of inside edges onto the stumps thus saving your correspondent the embarrassment of putting down a difficult chance!
From there it was hard toil for the Flyford fielding side with the score moving on to 248 before Andy Ward was stumped for one run from the bowling of Steve ‘8th Anniversary’ Bevan in the penultimate over.
The Ward family featuring large in this game with a good accurate spell from Dickson Ward in Flyford colours and Matthew not out at the end of the Nomads innings. Nomads ultimately posting score of 250 for 4 from their 40 overs.
Bowling Joey Poole, 8 overs 1 maiden 1 for 23. Pete Holpin 8 overs 1 for 41. Josh Nullis 7 overs 0 for 65. Dickson Ward 7 overs 0 for 44. George Teal 6 overs 1 for 27. Joe Allsopp 2 overs 0 for 35 (ouch!). Steve Bevan 2 overs 1 for 8.
At tea it was generally agreed that the game was still afoot and that the target was still reachable. If only we knew then how close it would come.
To say that things got off to a poor start would not be an overstatement! George Teal and Joe Allsopp went out to open the batting and in short order were back in the pavilion both sporting ducks. With score at 3 for 2 it looked like it was destined to be home early for dinner with the wife for your correspondent.
Thing progressed from bad to worse when Steve Bevan fresh from and 87 with Himbleton only the day before was caught for 10. 12 for 3, not good. At this rate it did not look likely we would make it to drinks.
At this point though the ever-reliable Walks came to the crease and set his stall out to both score runs but be miserly with chances. Ably supported by Mark Davy with 15 from 16 ball and latterly skipper Joey Poole (having seen Josh Nullis and Dickson Ward come and go for 1 and 7 respectively). Flyford were somehow both still in the game and not a million miles off the required run rate.
When Walks was out for 87 at 162 for 7, most pundits would have said the game was over as a contest. They would have been wrong, so very wrong. Pete Holpin was now at the wicket with Joey Poole and this pair showed heart, grit and determination to take the score from 162 to 237 a partnership of 75 and let me tell you gentle reader this was not blocking or prodding on either batsman’s part. The chase was never given up until the cause was fully lost. Flyford ending on 237 for 8 from the full 40 overs. Pete Holpin not out 26, Joey Poole not out 65.
So ultimately the brave Flyford team fell short on the mathematics, however it should be stressed that they acquitted themselves well against a very strong Nomads team that had some very good, experienced cricketers in their ranks. In the hottest part of the day heads never dropped in the field and with the bat the chase was never seen as a lost cause.
This correspondent does bang on from time to time about how special the spirit of village cricket is, and in this match Flyford showed why. Of course, it is disappointing to lose, and we strain every sinew as we strive to win. However, if winning is your only goal, you don’t understand village cricket. It is about the occasion, the six hours or so when the rest of the world is irrelevant. It is about doing your best. It is about not taking yourself too seriously, it is about the banter and the fun. I would not exchange all that for a season without defeat.
Awards:
Man of the Match: Joey Poole 67 not and 1 for not many from 8
Tit: Joe Allsopp, easier chance to hold than drop!
Champagne Moment: Wicket Keeper for a sharp stumping
Thanks for Coming: Steve Bevan on his 8th Wedding Anniversary