Ad Hoc CC vs Agricola - Chiswick
An excellent all-round team performance brings a squeaky-bum-time win off the last ball.
Agricola Innings
On the advice of Vice Captain Zach, Adhoc put Agricola into bat on a lovely evening in Chiswick. The opening bat bristled with intent but failed to get into his stride, Zach and Andy keeping them to only 22 of the first four overs, with the two also combining for a run out early doors. Jack, on his debut, bowled a hostile two overs with the batsmen struggling to get bat to ball. Lord, at the other end, bowled the game’s only maiden and showed his astute tactical brain by serving up a delightful loopy full toss which their No. 3 obligingly missed attempting a inglorious hoik aimed at Ian T who was manfully patrolling the cow corner boundary in between puffing a sly fag or two. Pumped up on nicotine Ian T bowled a miserly spell (9 off 2 overs), while Ian Almond, another handy debutant, cleaned up Agricola’s No. 5.
With the bowling end changed after 10 overs the strike bowlers were brought on with immediate impact - Matt taking a sharp caught and bowled to dismiss their No. 4 and Law Snr bowling so slowly that no matter how hard they swung the batsmen couldn’t beat the boundary huggers on the leg side. With scoreboard pressure telling it was time for even less pace on ball so David, having recovered from gently jogging after the ball at fine leg for most of the first 16 overs, was summoned for his left arm lolly pops. Agricola's No. 8 melted under the pressure of facing such eminently hittable bowling and promptly skied a ball to Zach on the leg side.
Law Jnr, from the other end, took two wickets in his first over, including a well taken stumping by Terry. With two decent batsmen retired on 25 waiting to come back in Law Jnr instructed Terry to stop being quite so efficient behind the stumps and he dutifully (but unintentionally) fluffed a tough gloved chance. The next over David could not resist a dolly of a caught and bowled chance bringing their opener back in for the last over. But fears of a late rally proved unfounded with Agricola stumbling to only 117 off their 20 overs.
Adhoc Innings
Scanning his batting options and considering such a below par total on a decent, if slow wicket, Captain Law sent out Lord and Lewy hoping for a steady start and they obliged with some excellent running keeping us up with rate for the first 5 overs. But things slowed down after Lord reached 27 not out in good time, with Lewy reaching his 25 a few overs later with sweetly struck six. In strolled Zach, fresh from breaking the fingers of two bowlers in the nets pre-season, only to block three balls before taking a huge swing at the fourth and getting bowled. Ian A played himself in before unleashing some lovely straight hitting to bring up his 26, getting the rate back down to 6 an over in the process. Ian T tried to follow suit but picked out cover for a useful 14.
Matt and Jack didn’t trouble the scorer (great job again Andy!), both registering ducks, but only taking up four balls between them leaving Terry and Law Jnr with a tense last few overs. Some cheeky running left 9 to win of the last. After a two singles and a 2 from a mindless shy at the stumps, Terry was on strike with 5 needed of 2 balls. Terry had big swing, missed the ball, but did enough to put off the keeper, who was standing up to the stumps, and Law Jnr scurried through for a bye.
4 required off 1…
With the field set back on the boundary (apart from wide cow corner for some strange reason) the bowler pitched the ball up on middle and Law Jnr slogged it through midwicket (someone had to use Zach’s new bat) to win the match, capping a great team performance against decent opposition.
Fines
(Voluntary) Fines on the day:
Waved fines: For his golden duck Jack would have been obliged to get the first round but this was waved by management as he was not aware of Adhoc’s constitution before going out to bat.
Agricola Innings
On the advice of Vice Captain Zach, Adhoc put Agricola into bat on a lovely evening in Chiswick. The opening bat bristled with intent but failed to get into his stride, Zach and Andy keeping them to only 22 of the first four overs, with the two also combining for a run out early doors. Jack, on his debut, bowled a hostile two overs with the batsmen struggling to get bat to ball. Lord, at the other end, bowled the game’s only maiden and showed his astute tactical brain by serving up a delightful loopy full toss which their No. 3 obligingly missed attempting a inglorious hoik aimed at Ian T who was manfully patrolling the cow corner boundary in between puffing a sly fag or two. Pumped up on nicotine Ian T bowled a miserly spell (9 off 2 overs), while Ian Almond, another handy debutant, cleaned up Agricola’s No. 5.
With the bowling end changed after 10 overs the strike bowlers were brought on with immediate impact - Matt taking a sharp caught and bowled to dismiss their No. 4 and Law Snr bowling so slowly that no matter how hard they swung the batsmen couldn’t beat the boundary huggers on the leg side. With scoreboard pressure telling it was time for even less pace on ball so David, having recovered from gently jogging after the ball at fine leg for most of the first 16 overs, was summoned for his left arm lolly pops. Agricola's No. 8 melted under the pressure of facing such eminently hittable bowling and promptly skied a ball to Zach on the leg side.
Law Jnr, from the other end, took two wickets in his first over, including a well taken stumping by Terry. With two decent batsmen retired on 25 waiting to come back in Law Jnr instructed Terry to stop being quite so efficient behind the stumps and he dutifully (but unintentionally) fluffed a tough gloved chance. The next over David could not resist a dolly of a caught and bowled chance bringing their opener back in for the last over. But fears of a late rally proved unfounded with Agricola stumbling to only 117 off their 20 overs.
Adhoc Innings
Scanning his batting options and considering such a below par total on a decent, if slow wicket, Captain Law sent out Lord and Lewy hoping for a steady start and they obliged with some excellent running keeping us up with rate for the first 5 overs. But things slowed down after Lord reached 27 not out in good time, with Lewy reaching his 25 a few overs later with sweetly struck six. In strolled Zach, fresh from breaking the fingers of two bowlers in the nets pre-season, only to block three balls before taking a huge swing at the fourth and getting bowled. Ian A played himself in before unleashing some lovely straight hitting to bring up his 26, getting the rate back down to 6 an over in the process. Ian T tried to follow suit but picked out cover for a useful 14.
Matt and Jack didn’t trouble the scorer (great job again Andy!), both registering ducks, but only taking up four balls between them leaving Terry and Law Jnr with a tense last few overs. Some cheeky running left 9 to win of the last. After a two singles and a 2 from a mindless shy at the stumps, Terry was on strike with 5 needed of 2 balls. Terry had big swing, missed the ball, but did enough to put off the keeper, who was standing up to the stumps, and Law Jnr scurried through for a bye.
4 required off 1…
With the field set back on the boundary (apart from wide cow corner for some strange reason) the bowler pitched the ball up on middle and Law Jnr slogged it through midwicket (someone had to use Zach’s new bat) to win the match, capping a great team performance against decent opposition.
Fines
(Voluntary) Fines on the day:
- Terry, 50p, for dropping a catch
- Jack, £1, for a golden duck (strike rate less than 50%)
- Zach, £1, four ball duck (strike rate less than 50%)
- Matt, £1, duck off three balls (strike rate less than 50%)
Waved fines: For his golden duck Jack would have been obliged to get the first round but this was waved by management as he was not aware of Adhoc’s constitution before going out to bat.