v Kingston Taxes - 8th July 2008

Date: 8th July 2008

Versus: Kingston Taxes

Venue: Wandgas

Result: Kingston win by 2 Wickets

Report:

Wandgas, where heroes are made and venue of many a close game or memorable moment again produced a cracker.

OC’s saw the loss of Doyle, James & Parker and the return of Knox and Mahesh in their squad rotation system, the toss was won, or maybe lost, and OC’s went into bat first.

Knox, vanquished at the battle of wounded thumb & toe two weeks ago opened the batting with Ben of the constantly wounded hamstrings and calves. They set about the bowlers at a fair clip maintaining a run rate of about 6 or 7 an over before Ben pulled up lame on 25 leaving son Dan to take stand against some rather fine bowling which reduced the run rate. Dan and Knoxy survived a couple of scares before Dan lost concentration & played a rare cross bat to a straight ball and fell for 24. Collett then came in and knocked a few supporting Knoxy who needed water and Oxygen to eventually reach 51 before being dismissed. Nate came in at the death and was unlucky to have a massive hit go upwards rather than across for a massive 6 as the fielder had enough time to have a cup of tea before catching a ball which had snow on it.

OC’s set a target of apparently 117 which then failed assessment from the Taxmen and adjusted to 116.

As an aside, when the author started for the OC’s many moons ago, it was common for a decent total to be a rather leisurely 80-90 and a good match to be had with a run rate of 4 an over. Now 6 an over appears to be the normal target.

Dan & JB started with Dan being his usual economic self, getting a wicket although JB had lost his form and was pulled off early. Manuwar and Mahesh then came on and proceeded to get a wicket each but not many dot balls.

By this time, Kingston appeared to be running away with the game, the run rate was reducing, there were plenty of wickets in hand and singles and two’s were going for boundaries due to fielding errors and quick singles were taken at every opportunity.. What appeared to be happening was that the OC’s were surfing too much, taking it too easy when the game needed something or someone to grab it by the scruff of the neck. Bisson then brought himself on for his usual competitiveness and aggression and Ben Reuben at the other end who at this time has steam coming out of his ears due to the bowling he was witnessing.

Ben brought some guile and aggression at one end taking two wickets while Nate was exhibiting some great fielding with two run outs.

Bisson, or at least not the person impersonating Bisson for the past half of the season, then roared in from the other end bewildering the batsmen with his left arm action getting dot balls and wickets keeping the OC’s in the game until the final over.

It was reminiscent of the game two years ago, Ken Wood facing, not a lot of balls left, not many runs to get, but alas with the scores tied on the final ball, Ron parked one over Marks head to score the winning run, another game to remember for the right reason that it was good and the wrong reason that we lost. The game the week previously was so memorable people keep thinking it was the game with the Dan M**re inspired loss against Hounslow from two weeks back!

Champagne moment – either of Nathan’s run outs.