We welcomed in the new season with the arrival of Bear Flat, with a Sunday side.
Match Manager, the ancient and decrepit Mark Cadbury ironically tweaked his back picking up his whites off the floor, and so made way for the Sinfield twins, Hal and Gray. More of them later.
Bear Flat won the toss and decided to bat.
Harry Cadbury opened the bowling, having last played two years ago, and was a little variable in his length. The pitch is always soft at this time of year and the ball sat up nicely if bowled short and was dispatched, however the outfield was also slow and this made fours hard to come by. Justin Smellie bowled from the drive end, and at this point I was umpiring (a more likely position for my future). Justin swung the ball and hit the seam, cutting the odd one into the right hander and also leaving him.
Bear Flat were going at a steady rate of about 4 an over, it wasn’t easy batting out there.
Justin struck in his first over, swinging one away, holding its line and clipping off stump, a lovely wicket. Harry bowling the other opener in his 4th over, swinging the ball out and cutting it in and hitting top of the off stump. You could even say they were proper wickets. Justin bowled one or two unplayable deliveries, one jagging back into Sam Vesey, their number three, and then swinging one away that was nicked between first/second slip and Nick Sinfield as wicket-keeper. He got an LBW to a full ball that swung onto middle/leg stump and a collector’s item was given – Mark Cadbury giving it out LBW. Justin could have had a few more wickets, but bowled one over too many, and went for 9 off his last over. He retired to boundary to have a rest and a fag.
Rory Cadbury took over from Harry, at the top end, with bruises all over his body and a stamped finger from playing in a rugby sevens competition the day before, and bowled tightly only going for 18 off his 5 overs. Rory seemed to be bowling perfectly for the batsman to hit it at his brother at extra cover. Harry pulled off run saving dives one after another, until his fingers were bruised all over, and making sure of a run out. Why would you want to run a quick single to Harry when most of the old boys are quite happy to let you have one, it’s beyond me? Andrew Jolliffe bowled from his customary end and despite not playing all of last year, he was accuracy personified, line and length and nothing loose – 5 overs for 12. These two really stopped the flow of runs. So much so, that Jamie Caddis, our skipper for the day, decided that he could afford to give Johnny Steel a go at bowling.
Now, Johnny is as keen as mustard, first to put himself up for a game, so it seemed reasonable that he should have a go. He has, in golfing parlance, what they call the yips. He simply doesn’t seem to be able to let go of the ball. Bear Flat were 79 for 4 before Johnny started his over, it went on a while. Eleven balls later we all heaved a huge sigh of relief – the over was over! 5 wides and only 8 off the bat. When one ball was hit for 4, Justin was heard to say “Thank God for that, at least it’s a legal ball”. So eventful was the over that Johnny even managed to bowl the ball backwards, a feat that we all agreed none of us had ever seen before. Although a few years ago Johnny nearly hit himself on the foot when bowling!
Paul Jevons bowled his leg cutters with great accuracy and took 2 wickets for 14 off 7 overs. Justin took a very nice catch at deep mid-off, judging it perfectly and looking as cool as a cucumber when taking it.
The stars of the show, without a doubt, were Hal and Gray Sinfield, twin boys only 12 years old, but both bowled beautifully. Hal has a classical style and was accurate, even metronomic, which at any age is impressive but at 12 is brilliant. His twin Gray has a different style, more slingy like Jeff Thompson and managed to pick up 3 wickets, including Ross Newman, with a pearler. I think he may well turn into quite a fast bowler, although not as accurate as his brother, they would make a great pairing. Hal bowled 4 overs for 14 and Gray 3 overs for 3 wickets for 21.
Bear Flat ended up on 142 for their 35 overs, a score that was not bad given the conditions, the surface and the outfield.
We had tea and coffee, cake and scones, and loaves of bread for sandwiches, at half time.
Jamie Caddis and Nick Sinfield opened the Babington innings, with two youngsters bowling for Bear Flat, and the bowling was variable, one good one and one bad one, but it was never easy to get the ball away, and what would be a four later in the season turned into a two – something that Jamie isn’t that keen on. We were steady at about 4.5 an over. However Ross Newman and Jay Morris took over and are fine league bowlers and we knew it was going to put a halt on any easy runs. Nick’s patient innings (for you have to patient on our pitch) came to an end when he edged a quicker delivery to the keeper, who took a really good catch slightly behind him. Harry came in to a bit of barracking, as he has played for them over the years and was at one point told that he was just taking up dot balls. After 10 of them he was bowled off his pads for 0, but it was going to be hard work. Jamie was in determined mode, but an Ellis half drive which was nearly caught at mid-off turned into Matt and Jamie just about at the same end. Matt just about ran 2 runs, but was unfortunately run out.
Now, in came the one and only Johnny Steel, promoted to 6 after his bowling performance, determined to make amends. He was only 12 runs short of getting himself out of run debt, bowled for 1. Justin came in next, a very accomplished batsman and we felt that Jamie and Justin could get us home.
Jamie had said that if one of us could get 50, then we stood a very good chance of getting home. He duly got his fifty and then was given out LBW. He had batted with power and patience and given us a good chance.
We needed about 4.5 an over although wickets were falling, Rory with badly bruised finger, being bowled off his pads by Sam Vesey for 0. Paul Jevons hit one lusty blow for 4 but was then bowled by Jack Mannering. Andrew Jolliffe got a beauty from Sam that swung from outside leg stump to hit the off peg.
We needed 5 off the last 2 overs. Justin was still there, joined by Hal Sinfield, who kept out a cracking first ball to give us a chance.
3 needed off the last. Jack Mannering was bowling. 3 dot balls. 3 off 3. Justin then scored a single… Hal at the crease. Jack is a real gentleman in the true sense of the word, and slowed down his natural pace for a 12 year old, but unfortunately lost his rhythm and bowled a wide. The scores were level. Last ball and Hal hit the winning runs, driving it behind cover point, to seal victory.
I have to say a huge thank you to Jay and the Bear Flat team, who showed that they were all good sports, but especially to Jack who could have played it differently, but came up as the best sportsman you can be.
Champagne moment – the Steel ball that went backwards
Men of the match – Hal and Gray Sinfield, who were simply outstanding
Mark