Week 15

Crowcombe III – Home

A very enjoyable game indeed, a game played completely in the right spirit, unfortunately the mighty 2^nd’s came second best yet again this season and are now firmly routed to the bottom of the table, as Lydeard St Lawrence won on Saturday.

As a bowler, you set a field to stop a batsman scoring in their favourite areas, hopefully forcing them to make a mistake and then claiming his wicket. One such incident happened on Saturday; unfortunately a Stowey batsman was in the receiving end of such cunning.

Dan Butson was going well, scoring strongly on his leg side and despatching the bad ball for four. The Crowcombe captain decided that a change of bowling was in order, and duly the opening bowler came off, to be replaced by what can only be called a very slow bowler. In setting his field he asked one particular fielder to move back seven paces, not five of 10, just seven, as “you will have a catch in a minute.” The fielder counted out seven paces, the bowler sent down his first delivery, and Dan duly obliged in giving the fielder a catch, in fact he didn’t even have to move, straight to him and out. Much hilarity amongst the away side, poor Dan was completely mystified.

I used to like bowling to Over Stowey’s most prolific batmen Phil Rich, as I would sometimes get him out. It may cost a few sixes, but I would eventually get my man! Phil’s favourite shot is over cow corner or straight over my head. So I would have four fielders protecting these areas, sometime five. The first couple may go out of the ground, but I would try to send a flatter delivery or one with a bit more tweak on it and the mistake would be made, not enough distance and right down the throat of a fielder, the only thing left to do was to catch it!

As I said in my first paragraph, the game was played in completely the right spirit, as one of the Crowcombe players pointed out that Division Five is a real friendly division to be playing cricket in. I didn’t have to give one decision on Saturday, only had to signal four’s, sixes, wides, byes etc.  A sort of game I like. I do have a big issue in giving LBW’s, so not to make any judgement on such decisions on Saturday was a blessed relief. I only ask that the bowlers know the rules, not thinking that if hits the pads its automatically out, the ball may be hitting the stumps, but it is where the ball pitches is the key. Anyway, enough about that.

I did, however, give a back foot no-ball, the first time I have ever done that, and when I explained it to the bowler, it made him slightly bemused; he then bowled the next few overs a bit quicker and he took a few wickets, in fact five in total.

Next Saturday is the big one, a game which will go a long way to see who will have the unfortunate pleasure in getting the wooden spoon, either Over Stowey or Lydeard St Lawrence. With Lydeard winning on Saturday, even victory for Stowey over Lydeard will still mean that Stowey would have to find another win somewhere to get off the bottom of the league.

The game next Saturday is away, and guess what, it looks as if I am going to miss that one, well some of it anyway. So it would just mean I will have one more chance to go away when Stowey play Brompton on the last game of the season. But I have a nagging feeling that I have a wedding to go to that evening.

Ok, it’s Thatchers time.