21 AUGUST 2001
35 OVERS PLAYED AT CHISWICK
RESULT – DODGERS LOST BY 62 RUNS
Dodgers' late-season slump continued and again a weakened team started well and then fell away. We fielded only nine players and the withdrawal of Darren hit us severely. Transec/Superstars' captain Phil McBarron (remember him?) generously agreed to allow our lowest scorer to bat twice, probably in the expectation that it would be me. Unfortunately this didn't compensate for our weakened attack.
As usual in 35 or 40 over games, captain John ('call me Nasser') Carr lost the toss and we had to field first on a hot day. Our opening bowlers, Andrew Crawford and Neil Benn, bowled tightly and we generally fielded in the same vein. Steve Carter was particularly becalmed, taking 19 balls to get off the mark. Barry Gigg was also slow to get into his stride and after 6 overs just 12 runs had been scored. The dismissal of Carter in the 8th over prompted the promotion of Tony Whitrod up the order and an increase in the scoring rate.
We tried hard to keep the run rate down. A memorable piece of fielding by Andrew saw him stop a certain boundary with his foot, then run round the sight-screen and come back to pick up the ball. He reminded me of Pele dummying the Uruguayan goalkeeper in the 1970 World Cup. The bowler John Adey was less impressed, so Andrew threw the ball at him as hard as he could.
Mr Adey bowled accurately and took the wicket of ex-Dodger John Doyle, doing a Quisling for the opposition. Unfortunately, after this our attack consisted of Messrs Carr, Priest, Westhead and myself, which didn't trouble the Transec/Superstars middle order of Hyland, McBarron and Smith. They found a number of gaps on the long boundary and the score mounted steadily.
We felt that a total of 205 off 35 overs might be gettable but it would need several batsmen to contribute. It had been agreed that anyone scoring 35 would retire (50 in the case of Messrs Adey and Westhead) but not many of us were in danger of reaching this. The opposition boasted an opening attack of Smith and Patten and after 7 overs we were 20 for 3. Neil Priest was unlucky to be out to a ball that nipped back a long way.
Andrew led a counter-attack with some fine shots but only he and Neil Benn, with a watchful innings, put up much resistance. Neil's effort was particularly creditable, as he was struck in the face and strained a hamstring. John Carr provided a late flourish, masquerading as ANOther as lowest scorer. I lasted longer at the crease than usual (seven overs) but that was largely because Steve Carter and John Doyle were bowling.
On the whole we were well and truly ambushed and it is to be hoped we do better in our last two games against Superstars and Buckhurst Hill.
Man of the Match : Neil Benn.
35 OVERS PLAYED AT CHISWICK
RESULT – DODGERS LOST BY 62 RUNS
Dodgers' late-season slump continued and again a weakened team started well and then fell away. We fielded only nine players and the withdrawal of Darren hit us severely. Transec/Superstars' captain Phil McBarron (remember him?) generously agreed to allow our lowest scorer to bat twice, probably in the expectation that it would be me. Unfortunately this didn't compensate for our weakened attack.
As usual in 35 or 40 over games, captain John ('call me Nasser') Carr lost the toss and we had to field first on a hot day. Our opening bowlers, Andrew Crawford and Neil Benn, bowled tightly and we generally fielded in the same vein. Steve Carter was particularly becalmed, taking 19 balls to get off the mark. Barry Gigg was also slow to get into his stride and after 6 overs just 12 runs had been scored. The dismissal of Carter in the 8th over prompted the promotion of Tony Whitrod up the order and an increase in the scoring rate.
We tried hard to keep the run rate down. A memorable piece of fielding by Andrew saw him stop a certain boundary with his foot, then run round the sight-screen and come back to pick up the ball. He reminded me of Pele dummying the Uruguayan goalkeeper in the 1970 World Cup. The bowler John Adey was less impressed, so Andrew threw the ball at him as hard as he could.
Mr Adey bowled accurately and took the wicket of ex-Dodger John Doyle, doing a Quisling for the opposition. Unfortunately, after this our attack consisted of Messrs Carr, Priest, Westhead and myself, which didn't trouble the Transec/Superstars middle order of Hyland, McBarron and Smith. They found a number of gaps on the long boundary and the score mounted steadily.
We felt that a total of 205 off 35 overs might be gettable but it would need several batsmen to contribute. It had been agreed that anyone scoring 35 would retire (50 in the case of Messrs Adey and Westhead) but not many of us were in danger of reaching this. The opposition boasted an opening attack of Smith and Patten and after 7 overs we were 20 for 3. Neil Priest was unlucky to be out to a ball that nipped back a long way.
Andrew led a counter-attack with some fine shots but only he and Neil Benn, with a watchful innings, put up much resistance. Neil's effort was particularly creditable, as he was struck in the face and strained a hamstring. John Carr provided a late flourish, masquerading as ANOther as lowest scorer. I lasted longer at the crease than usual (seven overs) but that was largely because Steve Carter and John Doyle were bowling.
On the whole we were well and truly ambushed and it is to be hoped we do better in our last two games against Superstars and Buckhurst Hill.
Man of the Match : Neil Benn.
TRANSEC/SUPERSTARS INNINGS
Gigg retired 35
Carter Hit wicket b Benn 5
Whitrod retired 37
Hyland retired 35
Doyle b Adey 1
Trott b Pope 7
McBarron not out 31
Smith retired 37
Marchant run out 6
Patten b Cooper 0
Extras (b4, lb2, w4, nb1) 11
Total 205 for 4
Bowling
Crawford 6-0-23-0
Benn 6-1-26-1
Cooper 5-0-37-1
Adey 6-0-19-1
Priest 3-0-19-0
Pope 4-0-34-1
Carr 4-0-31-0
Westhead 1-0-8-0
DODGERS INNINGS
Westhead b Patten 6
Adey ct b Patten 3
Priest lbw b Smith 3
Cooper b Marchant 10
Crawford lbw b Carter 33
Carr b Hyland 0
Benn lbw b Patten 42
Pope b McBarron 3
Matthews b McBarron 4
aNOther (Carr) not out 18
Extras b 2, lb 3, w 14, nb 2 21
Total 143 all out
Bowling
Smith 4-0-15-1
Doyle 3-0-10-0
Patten 5.5-0-22-3
McBarron 3-0-4-2
Hyland 3-0-15-1
Whitrod 4-1-13-0
Marchant 4-0-30-1
Gigg 3-0-17-0
Carter 3-0-10-1
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