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Abbotsbury
150-2 (2 points) beat Portland Red Triangle B 128 (0
points)
Portland Red Triangle A 45 (0 points) lost to Dorchester
48-1 (2 points)
After an absence of many years (actual time unknown
by the author) Portland Red Triangle were back in the big-time,
yes that's right, Weymouth's Indoor Cricket League. Not
many clubs could have prepared themselves for the impact
that the islanders made in the first week of the
competition, as both teams sent out by player-manager
Richard Stewkesbury were comprehensively beaten. An
embarrassment is too strong a word to describe what
happened at Redlands on Friday night, but a farce would
easily suffice, but we'll get on to the "A"
team's performance in due course.
First up were "Stewkes' Babes",
a side hewn in their leader's image, as his 6 consisted
of (in no particular order) Bill Gates, Mark Nott (taking
the gloves), Sam Polley, Scott Males, Luke Heritage and
his good self. The opponents were Abbotsbury, a rag-tag
team led by their inspirational veteran and master of the
pull shot/heave to cow corner, Colin Grindle. Batting
first, Abbotsbury were under immediate pressure as Scott
Males made good use of his reduced run-up, taking a
wicket with his second delivery as Heritage took a sharp
catch in the corner and then restricted the batsmen to
the odd single off the side wall. Looking to keep the
pressure on, the skip took the ball for the second over,
and allowed the score to progress steadily as Abbotsbury
found his bowling style very accommodating to drive
straight at the back wall for 6.
Males was given another over in which he once again
conceded few runs and caused the batsmen no end of
problems, before his remaining over was saved for the end
of the innings. The captain withdrew himself from the
attack after his second over, complaining of a recurring
shoulder injury, as the opposition moved swiftly towards
their half-century. Gates and Polley took over the
bowling duties and fared well, with Sam having the better
of it as he picked up a wicket, luring the batsman into
smashing a shot into the ceiling. 3 Abbotsbury batsmen
had the luxury of retiring after amassing 25 runs and
returning to the fray, as they went onto to post a
formidable target of 150 for the loss of two wickets.
Undeterred by this, the Ginger Biscuit kept to his
game plan and sent in Scott Males and the Reverend Gates
to open the innings. It was Gates who fell first, as he
was sucked into hitting a long hop into the Gods and was
on his way. Nott came to the crease and played and missed
at a succession of balls before finally succumbing to the
pressure. Scott was playing the role of grafter,
epitomised by Triangle's very own D. Jones (and to a
lesser extent, West Indies' Jimmy Adams). As he kept
Triangle's score ticking along, finding the gaps along
the side walls, he picked off singles as he pleased, but
due to the lack of running form his batting partners, was
unable to convert any of these hits into fives. In next
to partner young Males was the captain himself, who
looked to be the catalyst the side needed for the run
chase, as his no-holds-barred, all-out attack policy, and
his eagerness to run on every delivery. Alas this proved
his undoing, as his lack of basic pace led to an easy run
out for Grindle.
Sam Polley was next up and with Males formed a useful
partnership, though never really threatening the winning
target, gave the score some respectability, benefiting
from some loose bowling extras and sensible running
between the wickets, before Polley drove straight at
Grindle who took a regulation catch at the back wall.
Luke Heritage was promoted from his usual no.11 slot to
no.6 in the indoor format, but his mission to remain not
out at the end of play stayed the same and proved to be
easy meat for Abbotsbury, leaving Scott to carry Triangle
in a last man stand. The innings ended with Scott hitting
a six in the final over as he finished with 26*, but the
side trailed in 22 runs adrift.
The A-team entered the arena to play
Dorchester, led by the inspirational first team skipper,
John F. Ryan followed by Dave Blackman (wk), Jan Davey,
Bill Trevett, late call-up D. Jones and playing his
second successive game of the evening, Richard
Stewkesbury. Batting first, Ryan selected Davey and
Trevett to get the runs on the board quickly, but this
plan was shelved when a tempting delivery saw Jan hit the
roof with some force. H.M.'s Prison Forces very own Dave
Blackman was in at no.3 and succeeded in slowing the
scoring rate seemingly unwilling to attack Dorset's Sean
Walbridge. Dave was out soon afterwards as he became yet
another victim of the ceiling, hitting out in frustration
and bringing in Portland's skip.
Never looking settled in his role as
batsman, JR looked to have calmed his early nerves by
getting off the mark with a neat flick and run to add
some much needed runs to the scorecard. This proved to be
the calm before the storm as Triangle's captain was next
seen wandering out of his crease for an easy stumping,
and then later protesting when he wrongly believed that
you couldn't be out in that manner in the indoor game.
Jones was then brought to the middle and was soon
partnering team manager, Richard Stewkesbury, after
Trevett hit the ceiling departing on what was to be the
top score of just 10 runs (all in singles).
Jones and Stewkesbury took the Dorchester
bowlers to task with some neat forward defensives from
the website's very own Journalist, and some lusty-looking
flails from "The Duke". All this was in vain as
Stewkes was run out after being sent back by his partner
when he called for a suicide single. Jones was left with
the task of the last-man stand and was as likely to
surrender his wicket as he was to score any runs. It was
his runner (R. Stewkesbury) who called for another single
as Jones drove a ball towards the back wall, but was sent
back again as the big man stood his ground, leaving
Dorchester to retire the side with another easy run out,
as Triangle finished on a woeful 45.
John Ryan led his side out to defend a
very meager target, hoping that the cricketing gods may
look favourably on this forlorn team. Opening up with
TV's own regional dolphin expert, Jan Davey, who for some
reason thought this situation was the ideal time for him
to bowl a bit of fiery medium pace. After the first wide
delivery had been retrieved, Dorchester set about Jan's
bowling as on more than one occasion the usually rock-solid
fielding hull of John Ryan was breached, notching up easy
runs for the opposition. Taking the next over himself,
and bowling a more accurate line than Davey, Dorchester
found other outlets for easy runs in the forms of
Stewkesbury and Jones, both fielding in close, supposedly
for their lightning quick reflexes and reputations as run
out merchants.
The score ticked along merrily as fumbles
by the men on the side walls, coupled with their
overthrows, gifted the opposition runs. Sanctuary came
when Dorchester's Neil Paul was dismissed after hitting a
light fitting, though he argued (wrongly) that wasn't the
ceiling but in fact attached to it, therefore he should
be allowed to continue. Thankfully no one else agreed
with this crackpot suggestion, and his own captain told
him to walk. Sensing the opposition approaching the
victory target, Ryan ushered his fielders to crowd the
crease, hoping to panic the new batsman into surrendering
his wicket, but this backfired on the skip, as Dorchester
piled on the misery scoring the winning runs of a full-pitched
attempted bouncer by Davey. For the loss of just one
wicket, Triangle were beaten in little more than 4 overs.
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