Taverners survive Specials onslaught

A familiar call made me realise I was about to embark on another cricket season. At 12.30pm the phone rang, Alex Heathcote one of new signings during the winter had had to drop out. A couple of calls later and a brief conversation with the seasons Skipper, Smiler, and we made the decision to play with ten.

It was after all the day that either West Ham or Bolton would be doomed to 1st division football, and the nation's male population would be glued to Sky Sports on pub TV screens. No chance of tempting any part time willow wielders out with the promise of opening the batting!

Having missed the first game of the season due to participating in the long and expensive rehabilitation program of Mark Naisbitt (Sundowners injured all- rounder talent) in the Emerald Isle, I was keen to don my whites on a fine sunny afternoon.

Smiler tossed up with Taveners skipper and won. We were batting.

A glance around the changing room showed there was light coming through the far window. Conclusion - we were "light" of opener Andy Vernon.

Smiler read out the batting order. Your correspondent and the "skip" were to form the first pair.

Apart from a couple of ten minute slogs in the nets this was my first knock of the season so I was happy to see the first over from Patel successfully through as a maiden.

Smiler kicked things off in the second over with a couple of well struck boundaries, we were on our way. This proved the start of some serious momentum.

Not wishing to be outscored by our Tavare I was forced to despatch a couple or three over the boundary for maximums. One of these required a search party ending in Ringo (umpire at the time) retrieving the ball from a roof using a neighbours ladder.
With the partnership on 93 I tried one to many expansive shots and departed for 63, caught by the wicketkeeper off Harcourt.

Jani left the seat where he and Golds were watching proceedings and strode confidently to the wicket. A few minutes later he was striding not so confidently back to the pavilion having bagged Sundowners first "duck" of the season. Harcourt had nabbed his second wicket.

Taveners were now beginning to smile. After their initial mauling they could smell an opportunity.

Last season's skipper, and our esteemed wicketkeeper, Mike McGowan sidled in at number 4.

He began strongly with a couple of offside boundaries. This was followed up with a big 6 into the one of the adjacent gardens which narrowly missed putting us into another legal wrangle with one of our reluctant neighbours.

At this point the rain came down and we were forced into the bar to watch the fortunes of various Premiership football teams for 20 minutes.

Having got going again Mick holed out to deep-square for 27. Taveners skipper, Terry, taking a good catch on the boundary. This must have left Mick feeling a bit empty as he trudged back towards his Everton towel blowing limply on the boundary seat. Everton had missed out on Europe and Mick on a fifty.

Steve Golding, having found new responsibility during the winter break, was a late comer due to work commitments. Number 5 seemed to suit him well though. His innings was epitomised by a sweep for four as the ball rose angrily towards his recently shaved pate.

Oh and I nearly forgot, during all of the furore at the other end, Smiler had quietly crept along to his 50. A solid innings played in only the way Smiler can, and ended in only the way Smiler can end an innings.

Golds called "no" Smiler called "yes", both calls were repeated and Smiler ended up at the wrong end. Result - skip run out 50.

A quick mention for the rest of the innings - Paul Ferdenzi (PF) actually got one off the square; unfortunately for him the fielder restricted him to one. As it happens, his only one!

Luke Vassey scored his first runs for the club - a big 3, before rejoining his girlfriend Sian on the boundary.

Dave Cattell (Cat) 10 and Dom Pilgrim 2 not out were the other contributors. Golds finished on 31 not out and guided the innings nicely to the declaration at 193 for 7.

With the wicket dampened by the brief shower and one of Pat's famous teas to fortify us we had high hopes of a win.

We watched astounded as our resident quickie Dom Pilgrim marked out his new run up, and came up way short of the boundary rope.

The slip cordon mumbled some words about Dom's ability to bowl quick, and whether the years and fatherhood had caught up with our speedster.

How wrong we were. Dom steamed in down the hill off just 8 paces and unleashed his best spell of fast bowling for a couple of seasons.

Ringo opened at the "Bathard end" and Jani atoned for his earlier 0 with a splendid jumping one handed catch.

Meanwhile Dom's third over ripped the heart out of Taveners innings. A three wicket maiden, two bowled and one an easy catch at slip by yours truly, left Taveners 5 for 4.

Dom was proving too much for the Taveners batsmen and when he bowled Babic in his next over we were all thinking game set and match.

Cricket however wouldn't be the great game we all love if it didn't come back to bite you in the bum every now and again.

Despite wickets for PF (first in twenty years), Luke Vassey (1st for the club) and Cattell (1st of the season) we were unable to bowl out Taveners.

PF's wicket accounting for the dangerous Patel (34) who dragged on to his own wicket after Paul had settled on to a nagging length. With fatherhood looming for Sundowners new bowling sensation we assume Kath….. "I'm sure you get my drift."

A spirited stand between Terry (52n.o.) and Board (6 n.o.) held us off despite some more fiery stuff from Dom.

Taveners finished 132 for 8 and we repaired to the bar to share some ale with the Railway boys.

On to the days winners and losers;

The Winners:
The Medlock / Herlihy opening partnership (93) - will Andy Vernon be able to regain his long coveted opening slot?

Steve Golding - a solid 31 n.o. to boost the averages

Dom Pilgrim - fine opening spell ripping Taveners apart

PF - back on the wicket trail after nearly twenty years in the wilderness.

Taveners Skipper Terry - A fine 50 in the face of adversity and a well held boundary catch.

The Losers:
Jani - bagged the seasons first Quack Quack