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[Mattsky]

So - we won by 215 runs yesterday in our final match of the season. Finished second, with only one team going up, so we are consigned to another year in this bizarre league, where the standards vary wildly.

Yesterday we posted 252-7 off our 45 overs, and bowled them out for 37.

Bizarrely I opened the bowling, and really 'brung the heat' - 9-7-7-3 !!!

Was that against our Vandals Thirds, Bruce? I was playing in the Twos on the other pitch. I wondered if you'd be playing.
I was going to try to find you to say hello and introduce m'self at the end of the game, but was too late.

Tidy bowling figures, Bruce. And only 8 runs in a whole season speaks volumes for the strength of your batting as a side, really.
Word is that you lot would steamroller a lot of Twos teams. Way too strong for our fragile Threes. Can't believe you weren't promoted!

[FattusCattus]

Yeah Matt, I was asking about you, but didn't get a chance to pop over and find you. Your game sounded like a nightmare, I've never heard such aggressive appealing, looked like the umpire crumbled on a couple too!!!

We left fairly sharpish afterwards as we had a do at the club otherwise I'd have found you for a pint.

Real shame about your threes - they were so, so much nicer to play against than last years captain and pals (who I understand have moved on 'en masse') and the young lads tried really hard, but they were mostly 12 years old. I think you really need a couple of adult cricketers to drop into that side to keep things going, and hopefully to keep the enthusiasm up. Good lads and a lovely ground.

[Mattsky]

Glad you enjoyed the game. Our Thirds are going through a transitional period. The other guys that packed the team were from a social side who bolstered the team and made it competitive, but most of them as you say, have now left. It's better for the future of the club, but that's meant for now, there's so many colts in the side. Despite being soundly whipped this season by just about everyone in your division, we were worried that the colts would get dispirited and drift away from the game, but they have a remarkably resilient spirit.
Hopefully they'll be a better mix of young and wise heads next season.
We nearly had to concede a few games and fold the side, but we see it as essential to bringing on the colts into the senior game.

Our game was a crunch match against the former league leaders, London Gymkhana. The strongest side in our division by some distance. But they were docked 100 points for fielding an ineligible 1st XI player just before we played them. Which meant that we needed to beat them to have a shot at promotion, and they needed to beat us to ensure they weren't relegated. Hence everything to play for. And as you say, they're a very 'appealing' side anyway - let alone in this particular game. The umpiring was actually very good, as it goes. Not too much aggro, thankfully, but not the 'nicest' of games. Hopefully we'll have some good games with them next year.

We bowled and fielded excellently to restrict them to 140-odd, but we crumbled in the run chase, falling 20 runs short. Ho hum. Not being promoted might be a blessing in disguise, but it was a downer to end the season on.

We'll make sure to have that beer in 2018!

[SOULMAN1012]

Champions for the 2017 season, final game today we were 2nd by 2 points and playing top, we have been far and away the best 2 teams this season so was good it came to last day to decide top spot.

In the end was quite a simple win, we bowled first and bowled them out for 106 in 22 overs with opening bowler claiming 7 and bekhg in a hatrick with out getting one 3 times lol.
We chased down for loss of 2 in 24 overs.
Only spectating this week as have the little ones but a great result to the season and a decent one for myself and a few others with us having 3 of top 10 batters and 4 top 10 bowlers this season.

[smilley792]

We won the league! Champions!

Batting first on a wet horrible pitch we needed up 47 for 4 before a great partnership took us to 187 and finally finished on a big 201 from our 46 overs.

Top bowling meant we sent the oppo back for 89 all out and full points gave us the title!

#greenarmy

I got 1 and dropped a catch. But who cares! Champions.


Finished season as first team top scorer. 456 runs from 15 innings though


Cup final next week, can we do the double?

[NT50]

Finished my Saturday season today with what i think was my best bowling performance all season.

They batted first and we let them off the hook to post 153 on a stupid wicket (see below)
Personally bowled 10 overs straight through 2-19.

We were chasing something like 124 from 35 overs after a rain delay. Came 20 or so short. I got a duck. First ball i fended off my throat that skidded through, next one near enough the same spot bowled me half-way up off-stump as i moved on my back foot ready to duck. To make things worse i was given a send off by an idiot at mid-on who for some reason hates my sunday club ( two of their first teamers joined my sunday club's first team so for some reason they hate us)

Here is said pitch. This was at the start of our innings after tea. It got even worse to the point that i batted so far out of my crease so i didn't slip over. Both captains wanted to play on because it was our last game, silly decision.

[Lumsden]

At 5pm last night I was in the league's player pool and got 2 offers before the team I am actually registered with had a drop out so got called up. A lot of rain in the Leeds area last night and this morning meant my team's match was called off at 11.30am so then called up the skipper who first contacted me, he still needed one player so hot legged it down the A59 rather than the A64. Amusingly both offers involved the same match !!!!

On a wet wicket, we lost the toss and got put into bat. We made steady progress and had reached 110-5 (partly down to some strange field placements and also poor bowling) when I came in at my favourite position of No.7. We then lost 3 more wickets before reaching 130 but with our No.10 (who was batting out of position having turned up late), we then put together an unbeaten partnership of around 75 which took the score to over 200. My contribution to the total was only 28no but after a couple of single digit scores in recent weeks, I was happy with that.

After an excellent tea, our bowlers simply bowled line + length and let the wicket do the business. At one stage the opposition had slumped to 12-5 before 2 lads got stuck in and seemed intent on batting out the overs. However, a bowling changed brought their immediate demise to deliveries that pitched half way down the track that found either the base of stumps or the hands of a fielder. In the end, the opposition was bowled out for 49 so a very comprehensive victory.

Finally I heard a great bit of banter while umpiring during the early part of our innings. The opposition skipper had positioned 3 fielders in the backward point / gully region and one of those remarked "the batsman is still playing cut shots with us stood here." One of his team-mates then dryly remarked "he's playing them because you're stood there." 

[Woodyspin]

Lack of sawdust is a disgrace

[NT50]

We found some in the pavilion after the game, they didn't offer us it though.

I made a huge divot with my front foot bowling spin, nearly slipped on it several times.

Any other day we wouldn't have gone back out there

[Seniorplayer]

Finished my Saturday season today with what i think was my best bowling performance all season.

They batted first and we let them off the hook to post 153 on a stupid wicket (see below)
Personally bowled 10 overs straight through 2-19.

We were chasing something like 124 from 35 overs after a rain delay. Came 20 or so short. I got a duck. First ball i fended off my throat that skidded through, next one near enough the same spot bowled me half-way up off-stump as i moved on my back foot ready to duck. To make things worse i was given a send off by an idiot at mid-on who for some reason hates my sunday club ( two of their first teamers joined my sunday club's first team so for some reason they hate us)

Here is said pitch. This was at the start of our innings after tea. It got even worse to the point that i batted so far out of my crease so i didn't slip over. Both captains wanted to play on because it was our last game, silly decision.

looking at the that
Glad I am not the groundsman

[WalkingWicket37]

looking at the that
Glad I am not the groundsman

As it was the last game the square will presumably be going to bed for the winter now. It probably won't be that bad once the whole square has been scarified, cut, slit and whatever else you do at the end of the season. Come next season it will be fine.

[Vitas Cricket]

The oppo today were already down and many of them decided to go to T20 finals day, their second team players were kept in the second team to push for promotion leaving us to play against some of the youngest 1st team players and older blokes from the 3rds. They turned up with 7 and a scorer....

I feel sorry for the guys asked to play against us today, nothing against those blokes at all and they were all very apologetic. It's embarrassing from the club though, particularly the senior members/committee.

All out for 39 in 13 overs, we chased it none down in 4 overs, had tea, couple of pints then watched our clubs football team kickoff at 2. I sort of feel robbed of a day of sport.

Same oppo next week......

http://cambhuntpremierleague.play-cricket.com/website/results/2884582

Credit to the same oppo this week who did everything you'd expect in order to get the game on during multiple rain delays, could have easily dragged their heels or started to sow the seeds of doubt with umpires about dangerous run ups and risk of bowlers slipping etc.

We managed to chase a rain revised target of 98 and take maximum points, second place were rained off so we have won the league! Just 2 defeats all season, planning to finish the season next week in style with a big win and even bigger party.

Most of last weeks comments were out of frustration and a feeling like we didn't have a game at all, I hate it when there's nothing to do on a Saturday!

[Boondougal]

Stupid rain effected day yesterday, 1 team definitely down, next 4 teams playing each other including us. Our game never got started, umpires never even looked like they wanted to play but captains gave it all the chances possible and their lads did their best to get the ground ready but by 2:30 (12:30 start) it just wasn't going to happen so it got abandoned. The other game was only about 4 miles away but they somehow got a game in and of course the winners bagged full points but the loosens managed a load of bonus points which puts us in the drop zone with one game left against no2 in the league who need a win to guarantee promotion (who this week had the top team 17/8 until their game got abandoned.

On the plus note we went back to find a ones playing, managing to bowl the oppo out for 30 (after 25 overs) and then knock them off (all be it for 4 from aabout 10 overs)... final few run were scored in pretty heavy rain.. which then stayed in for the rest of the day...

Really is a big game for our 2's next week. Selection will be interesting.

[ppccopener]

Super game yesterday's at whitgiftians cc-which my team mate says is Jason Roy's old club(I don't think it was myself) we played an old fashioned 'time' game
They batted first and got 191 in 44 overs that left us about 30 overs to finish at 7pm. Slightly confused by the whole thing we managed to knock them off in 28 overs and a little 56 no for myself as a couple of our guys really put bat to ball

Lovely ground if anyone knows this club , traffic thru Croydon and tooting was a nightmare but that's London for ya 

Last games next weekend at little marlow and Harpesden. Then it's a long long closed season.

[SwingAndMiss]

Champions!!!!