WHITEINCH V MARRESS MATCH REORT (31-05-08)

A GLORIOUS DAY FOR CRICKET, BEGAN WITH THE CUSTOMERY COIN TOSS AND ONCE AGAIN MIKE INGRAM LOST THE TOSS AND THE OPPOSITION ELECTED TO BAT.
MIKE INGRAM QUITELY CHUCKLED TO HIMSELF AS UNKNOWN TO THE OPPOSITION CAPT, I WAS LOOSING 2 OF MY PLAYERS AT 4.45PM AND THE PRE-GAME PLAN WAS TO FIELD FIRST AND ALLOW THE 2 PLAYERS TO OPEN THE BATTING AND GRAB AS MANY RUNS AS POSSIBLE BEFORE THEY LEFT.

THE GAME STARTED AND IN FAMILIAR FASHION IT WAS THE TOP WICKET TAKER THIS SEASON(JAMES COONEY) WHO MADE THE BREAKTHROUGH. HE DELIVERED A BEAUTIFUL BALL AND THE BATSMEN COULD ONLY FEND IT OFF STRAIGHT INTO CLOSE IN FIELDER CHATTY MUDUNURI HANDS.
COONEY THEN DELIVERED SIMILAR DELIVERIES TO THE NEXT BATSMEN AND HE SOON CLAIMED HIS SECOND WICKET AND ONCE AGAIN IT WAS CHATTY THAT CAUGHT IT. A FEW OVERS LATER AND COONEY CLEAN BOWLED THE NEXT BATSMAN. COONEY WAS SHOWING THE PROMISE THAT HE HAS SHOWN ALL SEASON AND HAS QUICKLY ESTABLISHED HIMSELF AS THE SECOND BEST BOWLER IN THE TEAM(YOU CAN DECIDE WHO IS FIRST).
AT THE OTHER END, OLD TIMER MIKE INGRAM WAS BOWLING STEADY, AND HAD A FEW DROPPED CATCHES ALONG THE WAY. EVENTUALLY MIKE INGRAM GOT HIS FIRST WICKET AS NEW PLAYER MUSTAPHA KHAN CAUGHT HIS FIRST CATCH FOR THE CLUB.
THE GAME WAS WITHIN OUR SITES AND MIKE INGRAM DECIDED TO MAKE 2 BOWLING CHANGES AND INTRODUCED CHATTY AND MUSTAPHA KHAN TO THE ATTACK.
IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE CHATTY WAS ON THE SCORE CARD AND HE TOOK HIS FIRST OF 4 QUICK WICKETS AND WAS SUPPORTED BY SOME GREAT PACE BOWLING AT THE OTHER END BY MUSTAPHA. MUSTAPHA ALSO TOOK 2 WICKETS IN A FINE SPELL OF BOWLING AND WAS VERY UNLUCKY NOT TO GET 3 AS DAVID INGRAM BROUGHT OFF A WONDER CATCH CLOSE IN, ONLY FOR THE OPPOSITION TO RULE THAT IT TOUCHED THE GROUND.THE ONLY THING THIS WRONG DECISION DID WAS GET US MOTIVATED AND MORE COMPETITIVE.(THE LAST THING ANY TEAM SHOULD DO IS MAKE US ANGRY, ESPECIALLY IF THE LEGENDARY TAM ANDERSON IS IN YOUR TEAM)
ANOTHER TOP DISPLAY BY THE MARRESS MEN IN THE FIELD AND CONFIRMED THEMSELVES AS THE BEST BOWLING ATTACK (IN MY OPINION) IN THE LEAGUE AS THEY FINALLY HAD THE OPPOSITION 120 ALL OUT IN 29 OVERS.
THE ANSWER AS ALWAYS IS HOW COULD WE PERFORM WITH THE BAT.

WITH A QUICK TURN AROUND DUE TO MESSR'S COONEY AND CHATTY HAVING TO LEAVE AT 4.45PM THE 2 STRIKE BOWLERS OPENED THE BATTING AT 3.30PM. IT WAS A SLOW START FOR THE TWO OF THEM AND EVENTUALLY THEY BATTLED THERE WAY TO DOUBLE FIGURES. THE FIRST WICKET TO FALL WAS YOUNG COONEY AS HE WAS CLEANED BOWLED FOR 16. THIS BROUGHT CAPT MIKE INGRAM TO THE CREASE AND AS THEY BATTED THEY COULD HEAR CALLS FROM THE BENCH THAT CHATTY ONLY HAD 20 MINUTES LEFT BEFORE HE NEEDED TO GO. ABOUT 10 MINUTES LATER CHATTY WENT FOR A BIG SHOT DUE TO TIME RUNNING OUT AND HE WAS CAUGHT. THE 2 MEN SET OFF TO RETURN TO IRVINE TO SEE IF THEY COULD PULL(PINTS) AND THIS LEFT THE REST OF THE TEAM TO DO BATTLE.
JOSH TAYLOR CAME TO THE WICKET NEXT AND A LOT OF EXPECTATIONS WERE HOPED FOR, ESPECIALLY AFTER HIS BRILLIANT KNOCK THE PREVIOUS WEEK. JOSH STARTED BOLDLY AND CRASHED A 4 EARLY ON, BUT SADLY HE WAS CAUGHT BEHIND TRYING TO GO FOR ANOTHER BIG ONE.
THE NEXT BATSMAN IN WAS VERY OLD TIMER, RONNIE GILLILAND. WITH 2 OLD TIMERS AT THE CREASE IT WAS MENTIONED THAT A COUPLE OF WHEEL CHAIRS SHOULD BE BROUGHT TO THE WICKET, BUT THIS WAS DECLINED.
THE GREAT THING WITH OLD TIMERS IS THAT THEY HAVE LOTS OF EXPERIENCE TO CALL UPON AND IT WASN'T LONG BEFORE THE 2 OF THEM BATTED THE MARRESS TEAM TO WITHIN WINNING DISTANCE. WITH THE SCORE ON 119 RONNIE TOP EDGED ONE AND HE FELL FOR 32 ( A GREAT KNOCK). THIS BROUGHT YOUNG DAVID INGRAM TO THE MIDDLE WITH THE SIDE ONLY NEEDING 2 RUNS TO WIN. A QUICK SINGLE NEXT BALL BROUGHT THE TEAMS LEVEL AND WITH MIKE ON STRIKE, IT SEEMED FITTING THAT HE SHOULD GET THE WINNING RUN. SADLY MIKE PLAYED A BAD SHOT AND HE WAS CAUGHT FOR 26, AND THIS LEFT VICE CAPTAIN DEREK PARK TO DO THE HONOURS , WHICH HE DID WITH SUCH ELEGANCE AS HE CRACKED THE BALL FOR 4 OFF THE SECOND BALL.
A GREAT VICTORY WHICH SHOULD TAKE US INTO THE TOP 3.

NEXT WEEK WE TRAVEL TO HELENSBOROUGH, BUT EARLY SIGNS ARE THAT WE WILL BE STRUGGLING FOR A FULL TEAM AS 4 OF TODAYS PLAYERS ARE UNAVAILABLE.