Tealer Finally Comes of Age!                                                      

Report by Mark Walker

 

It was like transfer deadline day on the afternoon before Flyford headed off to Offenham with several players dropping out at the last minute and replacements being found.  It was a brilliant effort by several people to ensure 11 players turned out for a game that in recent years has seen Flyford finish second best.

 

On arrival skipper Walks was greeted with the news that the game would take place on an artificial track instead of the usual bowler friendly grass one.

 

Offenham won the toss and promptly put Flyford into bat and it was clear that Matty Kirkham was unsure about the track playing out the first over for a maiden.

Opening with Matt was Dan Cotterill and the pair put on 17 before the latter was caught in the deep for 5. Third in was debutant Luke Cooper who got the scoreboard ticking along with some fine shots from the off.

 

Coops reached 37 before also being caught in the deep and his partnership with Matty of 69 in quick time set a good platform for the rest of the batters.

 

Next man in was George Teal. A man who at times dips a toe in the pool of greatness but quite often decides it’s a bit too cold to go any further in.

 

In swimming terms George decided to he would bomb into the pool today and produce one of the greatest innings in Flyford history by scoring 104 off just eight and half overs, putting on a partnership of 132 with Matty!  Whilst George and Matty fell just short  of the club record for individual highest midweek score and partnership they did ensure that 221 for 2 was Flyford’s highest ever midweek total!

 

Offenham had no choice but to come out fighting and first ball their top batsman smashed the returning Will Cemis wide of mid-off only for Walks to pull off a blinding one handed catch! 

 

Will and Jordan bowled tidily and with discipline from their four overs to keep the Offenham batters behind the required rate with Jordan also picking up a wicket, the first of three catches for Cotty.

 

Josh and Cotty continued to peg the Offenham batters back as well as picking up wickets.

Josh 1 for 23 and Cotty 2 for 8.

 

With Offenham now going all out to try and get close to the Flyford score Walks turned to the experience of Connor and Pete O’Dell to close out the game. Connor finishing with 0 for 5 off three overs and Pete 2 for 21 from his four.

 

It was an amazing game of cricket in which everyone contributed to Flyford winning by 89 runs.

 

Awards:

Man of the Match: George Teal sensational 104 including some gigantic 6ixes.  

Champagne Moment: Walks one handed overhead catch

Tit: Cotty's two dropped catches

Thanks for Coming: Matt Stewart for coming from Birmingham to go home without playing due to babysitting commitments<