After a dominant performance in the Kennington Wednesday final CtC felt they had a real chance of progressing in this years champions league, particularly after avoiding any big guns in the opening round. Unfortunately for the cricketing cyclists it wasn’t to be, with a poor performance in all facets of the game, they lost to pique blinders, despite Baggo’s best efforts.
On an unfamiliar pitch CtC were pleased to be asked to bowl first. Hammo and Sherwin opened up and the opposition batsmen looked out of their depth. Dean’s plan A has been to bowl Sherwin and Hammo hard at the start In search of wickets, thus saving his bits and pieces bowlers to the lower order. Sensing however these might not be there strongest batsmen, Dean switched to plan B after three overs - getting through the bits and pieces of Baggo, Dorgan and Cassels early and saving Hammo, Rutty and Shez. Ultimately the plan didn’t work... though PB never got away, they got far too many. Both openers retired with respectable but mor astonishing strike rates, but it turned out there were no better batsmen. The tail could thus swing from the hip, and kept the rate up, not helped by some very poor fielding, including an awful drop from Hammo and Cass tipping a catch over the ropes for 6. Shez battled taking a few wickets, but at this point it was dots we needed. All that said... we only had 181 chase, which we felt we had a good chance to, but would be reliant on Hammond or Cassels going big. Hammo sadly went early, but with Cass firing we had a chance. Sadly he went for 39 and without either “gun” in the hutch we were struggling. Shez got 30 from 20 to keep us in the game and Will Wright, and absolute legend for helping us out, for 20 from 13. Rutty meanwhile was lacking his usual fluency but was hanging in there. The rate however seemed to have got away from us, many felt we were dead and buried. Not the bagman though... he doesn’t know the meaning of the words “lost cause”. Joining Rutty he hoisted three big sixes over the legside and suddenly, it was back on, 11 off the last. The game in the balance. Pique Blinders keeper took off the lads. This was drama. One more big shot from Baggo would do it. keeps Bowled well. Just four off the first three balls, but crucially bagman on strike. Could he write another chapter in his book of memorable moments. This would surely top them all. We knew where Baggo was going, over the leg side. Keeps charged in and bowled straight, Baggo heaved... stumps everywhere, Bowled’im, CtC crash out. To be fair to Pique blinders they batted and fielded very well, but had we bagged, fielded or bowled to our potential, or got he tactics right, we’d have gone through. So all over for another year, perhaps CtC need to look to Manchester City and spend big in the off season to move from domestic success to champions league pedigree. Lots for the chairman and DoC to consider.
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Having lost to The Jiminy Crickets earlier in the season, CtC were somewhat nervous about the prospect of a late season shoot out at Kennington Park to decide the league.
Even despite the absence of player of the season Will Hammond, CtC were able to name an extremely strong side (link), skippered by Davidson on a rare week off from his globetrotting business adventures. Davidson proved why he’s in such demand across the globe from the get go, managing to win the toss and bat first, and then negotiate a twenty over a side game, meaning TJC would be batting in the dark. Still, CtC needed a score and the top order fired in style. Cass races to 37 off 14, Pearso for back to the hutch with 52 from 28, Skinner joined him, of course he did, with gear unbeaten 50, his off 26 balls. Sherwin however was the standout, bludgeoning 49 from a mere 15 balls. At this stage 250 might’ve been on, but the usually dependable Rutt and Davidson couldn’t keep the rate going, and it took a trademark blast from Conway 21 from 9 to see CtC up to 220. A good score sure, but anything’s possible at KP... TJC indeed started well, with their top openers scoring freely. However two wickets from Gimson, introduced at a key time by the skipper, and 8 overs for just 51 from the Rutt / Davo axis meant TJC were out the running from the mid point of the innings. They finished 191-5 giving CtC victory by 29 runs and a second successive league victory. Chairman George Dean commented “It’s been another good season from the boys, and I think we’re old value for that win. Fair play to TJC, they’re a good side and had they batted first it could easily have been a different game. There’s been a few standout performances this year, led by Hammond who has been relentless with the bat, and the ever reliable Rutt who has been brilliant in all three disciplines. It’s also great to see Cass back as an asset to the side. Most pleasing though is that it’s been a squad effort, we’ve had better availability this year, and a great spirit - as shown by so many the lads down to watch the final” Member of the committee for touring Hugh Pemberton added simply “we go again” |
AuthorGeorge Dean. Archives
October 2023
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