Concorde v Nomads

Match Report

Nomads are traditionally a very strong side but one against whom we have enjoyed some famous victories over the years. Perhaps for that reason, they always seem to come prepared to meet us at our best. Sadly, it has been some time since we were able to put out a really strong side against them and although the side that took the field this week was not by any means strong, it looked at least capable of putting up a fight.

The start was something of a mess with players on both sides being held up by traffic as well as the usual selection issues which left each side short of players irrespective of the traffic. Nomads, however, elected to bat and both openers looked very solid with Ross Ormiston looking like the first class player he once was. Marcus bowled with pace but dropped short rather too often and was pulled mercilessly but on switching to bowling his left arm deliveries over the wicket, he found a much better line and length. Dukie, as usual, bowled with great pace and hostility and nearly all the runs off him came behind the wicket. Although runs came quickly, Dukie did induce one opener to edge behind where Nick Freeman took the catch comfortably and then clean bowled Ormiston with the score around 50.

However, we then took some savage stick from Saj Shawl (94) and Hamilton (87) which Ben Westen, Edgar and Matt Stockbridge took the brunt of and it was the introduction of Cudders who drew Saj down the wicket and had him stumped by Nick Freeman, that provided an opening. With the score at around 250, a declaration seemed imminent but to our surprise and some relief, Nomads batted on thus giving us a potential escape route through leaving themselves with insufficient time to bowl us out. Dukie came back for a last blast and prised out Hamilton and Jerry Wright took a wicket with his first ball from a big heave down to long on where Dukie took the catch.

The declaration when it came at 279-5 off 39 overs had taken 3 hours to achieve and, allowing for tea, left us just over an hour and 20 overs to get the runs (which seemed highly unlikely) or survive for the draw.

Much depended on the Nomads opening attack as to whether we could make any sort of victory surge but as it proved , they were far too good and survival was clearly the only option open to us. Edgar and Justin battled hard against some fast and accurate outswing bowling of a very high calibre and took the score to 24 before Justin was bowled and Edgar followed soon after , also bowled, for 21. Nick Freeman was run out at 41-3 and it was left to Matt Stockbridge and Jerry Wright to defend resolutely to complete the first hour and see off eight of the 20 overs before both were bowled in quick succession. With Dukie and Nigel both bowled within a few balls and the score at 65-7, defeat looked the only likely outcome.

However, in such circumstances, there is nobody more resolute than Cudders and in company with Marcus, these two defended stoutly whilst playing the occasional aggressive shot. Indeed, Marcus wasted no opportunity to unleash a few blows and show some defiance which was very pleasing to see and will I hope give him confidence in his next outing and these two earned us the draw by playing out the remaining overs to take the score to 102-7 with Marcus not out on 18 and Ian not out on 12.

Not for the first time, timed cricket showed that in order to win, you have to be willing to lose and the opposition cost themselves the win by batting 30 minutes too long. Timing a declaration is an art which, in these days of limited overs cricket, seems to have been lost to younger players who have seen too little of it. Furthermore, running up huge totals and leaving the opposition too little time in which to chase it cannot lead to a positive response and there can be no complaint if your opponents decline to chase the target.