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“Belvedere: Live Over by Over

 

 

Match:  13 / 307

Lost by 2 wkts

 

 

Team

 

Total

FFTMCC

160

I. Howarth  35,  J. Hoskins  18

 

Belvedere CC

164 - 8

D. Emerson  4 - 44

 

 

 

 

Belvedere CC v Far from the MCC

11 Aug 2013

 

13.12pm

M. Reeves and the sole opposition player to have arrived so far are standing in the outfield with some crows, discussing the price of potatoes. M. Westmoreland is sleeping on a park bench. C. Roberts is pondering his autograph. G. Duck has been called to the diary room.

 

@Little_Child via Twitter: “Wish I could be there with you today boys but I hit my hand with a sledgehammer.”

 

13.34pm

I. Howarth is reminiscing the Timberscombe Telegraph Pole incident from 2005 with B. Robinson, M. Bullock, M. Westmoreland, J. Hoskins and M. Rundle. T. Smith is in the diary room.

 

 

 

J. Hotson (right) – our roving reporter.

 

 

13.36pm

I. Howarth and B. Roberts stride purposefully to the middle.

 

13.37pm

Howarth returns from the middle, calling out: “Has anyone got a coin.”

 

13.38pm

Howarth wins the toss, and ponders his options.

 

13.45pm

After much deliberation, a decision is reached: Far from the MCC will bat first.

 

14.04pm

The players take to the field. P. Davis will open from the Top end. Hold on to your hats folks, this is going to be a blistering encounter.  Also, there may be a hat thief about.

 

1st over

M. Westmoreland is struck on the pad twice.  Appeals are heard from fine leg, point, and most vocally P. Mellor in the slips, but no-one else is interested. Westmoreland gets off the mark with a Dobner-esque paddle to long leg.  2-0.

 

2nd over

Dave Lee Crocket to begin from the Council Estate End. P. Mellor looks sprightly in the slips fielding the ball off S. Dobner’s pad. Dobner swings and misses at a wide one, then is off the mark caressing a rank full-toss to mid-on.  3-0.

 

3rd over

Dobner cuts the ball for what on any other pitch would be a boundary, or with any other fielder would be an all-run four.

 

WICKET!  Westmoreland spoons the ball to point.

 

I. Howarth is struck in the box first ball, and goes down like the sack of potatoes he’s been gorging himself on all weekend. Next ball is hit back over the bowlers head for four. Howarth seems to be in some discomfort here, he may need a runner… 10-1.

 

4th over

Dobner square-drives towards the distant legside boundary for three.  13-0.

 

T. Smith via SMS: “Howarth is looking to run, Dobner isn’t.”

 

5th over

Dobner chests one down to fine leg for a leg-bye. Howarth drives the ball aerially to mid-off, but it falls agonizingly short of the fielder.  14-1.

 

J. Hotson via Facebook: “It’s quite bouncy this pitch, a bit like the ground at Milton.”

 

R. Turner via Email: “It’s coming up a lot.”

 

 

 

Judas P. Mellor examining the “bouncy” pitch.

 

 

6th over

Dobner has a huge heave to a good length ball outside off: swing and a miss.  15-1.

 

T. Smith via SMS: “They’ve got two very deep fine legs.”

 

@getholdofjames via Twitter: “I can only see one.”

 

T. Smith via SMS: “One for this bowler and one for the bowler at the other end.”

 

7th over

Howarth has a massive swing but just gets a thickish inside edge and the ball trickles to square leg for no run. He then swings and misses at a ball so wide it is stopped by Mellor’s foot at wide 1st slip. Finally he connects, stoking the ball over mid-off for four.  21-1.

 

@getholdofjames via Twitter: “Every time the ball goes in the air, we’re all holding our breath.”

 

8th over

Howarth is finding is timing now, with a nice off-drive along the ground, but straight to mid-off for just a single.

 

9th over

Nil to replace Davis at the Top end.

 

@getholdofjames via Twitter: “This is Darty Pie.”

 

A length ball pops up, seems to hit Dobner on the shoulder then the keeper on the helmet.

 

Encouraged by the bounce, Nils tries a genuine bouncer, but it gets up no higher than testicle high.

 

10th over

Statham on for Crocket at the Council Estate End.

 

DROPPED CATCH!  Howarth skies the ball to mid-on. The fielder gets in perfect position, then spills it.

 

Howarth sweeps the ball to cow corner, and is visibly annoyed that Dobner wasn’t interested in a 2nd run.

 

@sdobner_carpark via Twitter: “I was looking for a second run, it’s just that I hadn’t put my bat down on the floor – there are two lines out there, the nearest one is the wrong crease!”

 

D. Emerson via Facebook: “That caught me out too.”

 

@sdobner_carpark via Twitter: “Mellor had already warned be about the two creases, but I still fell for it.”

 

WICKET!  Statham loops the ball over Dobner’s head, but it clips the top of off. 32-2.

 

J. Hotson via Facebook: “It should have been called no-ball, as it was over shoulder height when it passed the batsman.”

 

M. Westmoreland via Facebook: “It can’t be a no-ball on height if it hits the stumps, can it?”

 

11th over

R. Turner off the mark with a late square cut for two.  37-2.

 

@sdobner_carpark via Twitter: “He’s quicker than the opening bowler.”

 

 

 

 

12th over

Howarth hits the youngster Statham back over his head for six. Two balls later he pulls a short one to the long square leg boundary for another four.

 

M. Westmoreland via Facebook: “Howarth’s a cruel bastard isn’t he?!”

 

But the young left arm spinner is not unnerved, completing the over with two good balls given the respect they deserved by Howarth.  47-2.

 

13th over

Turner blocks out a maiden.  47-2.

 

M. Reeves via Email: “Howarth is a very lucky guy, to be honest.”

 

14th over

Howarth cuts through the covers to bring up The MAD’s 50.  53-2.

 

15th over

Turner cuts the ball through the covers for three.

 

@getholdofjames via Twitter: “It would have been four if he hadn’t eaten all that pizza.”

 

@getholdofjames via Twitter: “Howarth is playing very conservatively.”

 

J. Hotson via Facebook: “He has hit a six.”

 

M. Bullock via Facebook: “He’s just waiting for the bad balls.”

 

@getholdofjames via Twitter: “Yeah, it’s good batting, but when have you ever seen him play like this?!”  56-2.

 

16th over

Turner steps forward to turn a yorker into a full-toss, sweeping to square leg, but there’s a fielder there now and it’s just a single.  Howarth on-drives along the ground for a single.

 

@getholdofjames via Twitter: “They’ve got two long-offs for Howarth. They’ve done their homework!”  59-2.

 

17th over

Turner pulls to deep backward square leg for four, and picks up another single to keep the strike.  64-2.

 

18th over

Turner keeps sweeping, and keeps picking out the fielder at short square leg. Howarth plays an aggressive looking cut shot but fails to connect.  66-2

 

19th over

WICKET! R. Turner lbw b Nil 12. Turner hit on the foot. As he writhes in agony on the ground, umpire Roberts raises his finger.

 

Hoskins spoons the ball to short fine leg, but the chance is put down.

 

 

 

J. Hoskins (18) finds some Tour form with the bat.

 

 

20th over

McCray on from the Council Estate End. Hoskins struck on the groin, a big shout for LBW, but umpire Westmoreland is unmoved.  Howarth pulls the ball to cow corner for a boundary.  72-3.

 

15.07pm. Drinks.

 

21st over

Hoskins pulls the ball back to the bowler, but it drops short. The next two balls strike him on the pad, and each time there’s a half-hearted appeal for LBW. The next two balls he hits straight to fielders, calls for a run, but is sent back by Howarth. Finally, he’s struck on the pad again, and Howarth calls him through for the leg-bye he wasn’t looking for.  73-3.

 

22nd over

Hoskins pulls the ball to long on for two. Now he’s practising his forehand to slow bouncy pie, but hitting it straight to fielders.  79-3

 

23rd over

A darting full toss beats batsman and keeper for four byes.

 

WICKET! I. Howarth b Nil 35. Howarth swings and misses at a straight one.

 

T. Smith via Email: “He must have been thinking: ‘He’s only got 5 balls left, I’m gonna put a dent in his figures.’”

 

D. Emerson not adjusted to the speed of the pitch spoons one ball just short of cover, then another back to the bowler. A sharp diving one-handed chance is put down.  79-4.

 

24th over

Gullick on at the Council Estate End. A looping donkey-drop hits Hoskins in the chest, there’s an appeal for LBW, and some questioning of whether it should be a no-ball.  More looping pie yields a couple of boundaries for each batsman.  88-4

 

25th over

Jones on from the Trop End. Emerson scoops the ball to midwicket, and it’s another dropped catch – a difficult chance running in and diving forward to try and take the ball at ground level.

 

 

 

D. Emerson in rare backward defensive action photo sensation.

 

 

26th over

More slow high full tosses for Hoskins to practise his tennis shots to, collecting a couple of boundaries. Emerson also collects a forehand four.

 

Giant Duck via Facebook: “Why isn’t he using the Mongoose?”

 

J. Hotson via Facebook: “Why isn’t he using a tennis racket?”

 

27th over

WICKET!  J. Hoskins b Jones. A dart gets the better of Hoskins and he’s castled.

 

M. Bullock sees off his first few balls which include 5 byes and a wide. Emerson is dropped at gully.  

 

Giant Duck via Facebook: “Emerson is backing away to leg because he’s not wearing a thigh pad!”

 

28th over

It’s P. Mellor, former Far from the MCC player on at the Council Estate End. This could be interesting. Emerson scoops the first ball just short of mid-on, then hits the next over mid-on for four.  123-5

 

Giant Duck via Facebook: “Emerson is treating Mellor with disdain.”

 

29th over

Jones digs a quick one in short, but Bullock is up to the challenge, pulling it to the deep backward square leg boundary

 

WICKET! M. Bullock c Nil b Jones 6.

 

WICKET! D. Emerson b Jones 16. An even slower ball confuses Emerson, who hasn’t really decided what shot to play before the ball has clipped the top of his middle stump.

 

M. Reeves survives the hat-trick ball.  128-7.

 

 

 

M. Rundle (left) and T. Smith discuss what a ¬@#$ Judas P. Mellor is….

 

 

30th over

T. Smith off the mark dispatching a full toss to long on for four. Then two more boundaries from pull shots, one to square leg and one straight.  141-7.

 

M. Westmoreland via Facebook: “Smithy never hits it on the off-side, I don’t know why they bother having any fielders there!”

 

Giant Duck via Facebook: “Do you think they’ll give Mr Mellor a third over – he’s never bowled more than two overs in any match before…?”

 

31st over

An uneventful over other than the last ball which as slower balls go was off the scale. Smith ends up playing the ball vertically in the air, but with the keeper standing back, no-one can get to it.  143-7.

 

32nd over

Statham back on from the Council Estate End.  He’s immediately cover-driven for four by Reeves.

 

WICKET! M. Reeves b Statham 4. Perfect length from the left-arm orthodox spinner. The left-handed Reeves tries to cut, but with the ball cutting back in, is cramped for space, and the top of his off-stump is clipped.

 

D. Emerson via Email: “That was a proper delivery that was.”  149-8.

 

33rd over

B. Robinson on from the Trop End. Starts with a dot, then Smith cuts through the covers for two.  153-8.

 

34th over

A good over from the Statham, he’s finally finding his line and length, but several opportunities for quick singles are missed by this batting pair.  154-8

 

35th over

WICKET! T. Smith b Robinson 17. Robinson ends an eight-year period of not taking a wicket against The MAD, knocking over Smith’s off-stump.

 

C. Roberts plays himself in and pokes a single.  155-9.

 

 

 

Thank you, Thorn – this lovely photo will be joining our EBI section shortwith….

 

 

36th over

J. Hotson via Facebook: “Robert’s has his eye on The MAD’s no. 11 high score record. He’s defending the good balls, and turning down singles to stay on strike.”

 

Roberts drives to mid-on on the last ball of the over for a single.  156-9.

 

37th over

Roberts dispatches a rank full toss to deep backward square leg for four.

 

M. Reeves via Email: “That shot means that Far from the MCC will have had no ducks on their tour.”

 

Giant Duck via Facebook: “Mellor is still to bat for Belvedere, and he’s still technically still a Far from the MCC player, as the contract hasn’t been finalized yet.”

 

M. Bullock via Facebook: “He’s new contract at Belvedere is £1 per run isn’t it?”

 

Giant Duck via Facebook: “He won’t be earning much then!”

 

WICKET! C. Roberts b Robinson 6. The MAD are 160 all out.

 

 

 

C. Roberts batting [before he was out – obviously….]

 

 

Tea.

P. Mellor > D. Emerson via Facebook: “I won’t need a helmet, with you opening the bowling.”

 

1st over

P. Hooper off the mark with an on-drive for one. Now it’s Mellor to face Emerson. He cuts the first ball, top-edges, but the ball flies over the slips and wide of Gulley for four. The next cut shot finds the middle for four trough point.  9-0.

 

2nd over

C. Roberts seems to be struggling to find his length, though between two pull shots for four by Hooper to the legside boundary, he bowls what appears to be a genuine bouncer, well-evaded by Hooper leaning back with bent knees.  18-0.

 

3rd over

Mellor edges Emerson along the ground through the slips for four, then clubs him back over his head for another boundary, before finally Chinese-cutting the ball through an imaginary fourth stump for a single.  29-0.

 

4th over

Mellor blocks two, swings and misses at two outside off, spoons into a gap at cover where there’s no fielder for a single, allowing Hooper to club the final ball to somewhere between long-on and cow for four.  34-0.

 

5th over

Leg glance by Mellor for a single.

 

WICKET! Hooper b Emerson 14. Hooper looks to play off his pads, but fails to make contact with bat or pad.  35-1.

 

 

 

Emerson (bowling) finally gets his man (Hooper bowled).

 

 

6th over

Mellor cuts aerially but just wide of Smith at cover for a single. Roberts is struggling for line now, as the next ball goes down leg for five wides. A straight one on Gullick’s pads sees the LBW appeal turned down, and a response of an agricultural tonk to cow corner for a boundary.

 

7th over

Emerson switches to over the wicket, and immediately beats the bat. Next ball Mellor back-foot drives through extra cover for four.  You can feel the psychological atmosphere between these two former team-mates. But who will win?

 

WICKET!  P. Mellor c Hoskins b Emerson 27. Caught at gully. Well, that’s that question answered then.

 

8th over

S. Gullick skies the ball to Gulley, but of the two fielders who could take the catch, one can’t get to it, and the other lost it against the contrasting blue background.  Yes, there’s clear blue skies here in Weston.

 

WICKET!  J. Neville c Turner b Roberts 0. Neville plays the ball more orthodoxly to Gulley, straight down Turner’s throat.  52-3.

 

9th over

WICKET!  Gullick st Donner b Emerson 5. Gullick comes down the for a huge heave and misses. Dobner takes aim from a standing

 

@bystander_wag via Twitter: “Just when his dad turns up to watch him, he gets out!”

 

WICKET!  J. Jones c Dobner b Emerson 0. Jones playing off the backfoot gets a faint edge and Dobner pouches.

 

J. Jones via Email: “It swung out a mile!”

 

B. Robinson takes advantage of the hat-trick-ball field setting to push the ball to mid-off for a single to get off the mark.  53-5.

 

 

 

A rare and beautiful thing: a MAD bowler [Emerson] bowling to a packed slip cordon.

 

 

10th over

M. Reeves on from the Council Estate End. Robinson has a look first ball, then drives the second off a length aerially to cow for four.  He’s looking to attack. The fourth ball goes skyward towards Westmoreland at mid-off. He gets in position. He’s close to 100 career catches for The MAD. But he puts it down.

 

Robinson is calling for a runner…

 

While waiting for the runner, McCray on-drives the final ball along the ground for four.  64-5.

 

11th over

After several dot balls, Robinson square-drives a length ball to the midwicket boundary for four, leg glances for a single cut off by Reeves running round from fine leg, then skies the ball to extra cover. Howarth, running across from mid-off, gets in perfect position, then throws the ball on the grass.

 

Robinson’s runner, who we learn will be Gullick, is still getting ready.  70-5.

 

12th over

A runner has finally arrived. And a bowling change. It’s M. Rundle from the Council Estate End. McCray cuts the second ball through the covers for four.  74-5.

 

13th over

A leg drive for a single by Robinson and a yorker squeezed out by McCray to fine-leg are the only runs from this over so far.  Emerson is bowling well.

 

Spoke too soon. Robinson on-drives a half-volley for four.

 

14th over

McCrea tonks Rundle’s first ball over the long on boundary for six. There’s no danger of Belvedere running out of overs.  86-5

 

@burpy_farty via Twitter: “Might run out of batsmen though…”

 

15th over

Another good over from Emerson (8-0-44-4) to begin with, but the fourth ball is a half-volley, dispatched by Robinson over Hoskins’ head at mid-off for four. And the final ball is a rank long-hop, hit to the square leg boundary with disdain. A great spell of bowling nonetheless.  94-5.

 

 

 

BOING!!!!

 

 

16th over

A metronomical start to the over from Rundle, just one run off the first four balls. But then a wide which rose sharply.

 

WICKET!  B. Robinson c Smith b Rundle 20. A slower ball from Rundle, skied by Roberts to Smith at cover.  100-6.

 

17th over

M. Reeves now from the Trop End. His second ball is a half-volley outside off, square driven by McCray to the long cover boundary.  Then Reeves is too short, pulled to square leg.  109-6.

 

18th over

McCray steps forward and drives Rundle (4-0-25-1) over the top, the ball landing just short of the boundary, then leg-drives for another four.  K. Crockett picks up a single.  118-6.

 

19th over

McCray square-drives a rank full toss from Reeves to add to his tally of boundaries.  124-6.

 

20th over

J. Hoskins on from the Council Estate End. Starts with something quite wide down legside but gets away with it. Crockett is looking to switch-hit.  But just a couple of square-drives for singles off this over.  128-6.

 

21st over

Crockett cuts nicely to extra cover, but it’s only a single. The MAD have quite a defensive field now, which is rather surprising since they need wickets to win this game. The required run rate is below two an over.

 

22nd over

Five wides (from one ball) and a single. Nothing else to speak of.  142-6.

 

 

 

“Yabba… yabbayabbayabba… whatever.”

 

 

Drinks.

 

23rd over

McCray skies a straight length ball. Where’s it going. It’s Roberts coming in from square-leg. Held. WICKET! McCray c Roberts b Reeves 47. Wicket-Maiden.  142-7.

 

24th over

A tight over from Hoskins, just a couple of singles and an appeal from skipper Howarth at long on for an LBW.  145-7.

 

25th over

A lovely late cut from Crocket yields a boundary from an otherwise tight over by Reeves.  150-7.

 

26th over

One bounce and over the chicken-wire by Crockett from Hoskins.

 

@wsmcc_barman via Twitter: “Crockett wants the strike”

 

 

 

Last throw of the dice [particularly if Howarth was throwing the ball to Reeves]….

 

 

27th over

Crockett edges the ball through slips, and a lazy single is taken.

 

J. Hotson via Facebook: “He doesn’t want the strike that badly, they could have had two there.”

 

Davis tonks the ball over Reeves’ (7.1-1-45-1) head for four. The scores are level now, but Reeves is bowling with renewed aggression. He beats the outside edge three times.  160-7.

 

28th over

Two more dot balls from Hoskins.

 

@belvedere_player via Twitter: “They’re trying to bat out the overs now!”

 

J. Hotson via Facebook: “Or three wickets for a tie….”

 

WICKET! Dave Lee Crockett b Hoskins 22. Going for the winning run in style, it’s a swing and a miss to a straight one.

 

The MAD have brought the field in now. They’re hungry for those last two wickets.

 

Left-handed youngster Statham sees out the rest of the over. Scores still level.

 

29th over

RESULT! Davis hits the ball over the 9 players in the circle to the long on boundary. The hosts, Belvedere CC, have won the match by 2 wickets.

 

 

‘Judge Dredd’

 

 

 

 

 

*

 

 

Statto Scorecards

 

 

 

Far from the MCC versus Belvedere CC

Played at Weston-super-Mare CC, 11 August 2013

 

FFTMCC won the toss and elected to bat

Belvedere CC won by 2 wkts

 

Far from the MCC debuts:  none

 

 

13 / 307

 

 

 

 

 

40 over match

 

 

 

Team

Far from the MCC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Batsman

How Out

Total

Balls

4s

6s

FOW

1

M. T. Westmoreland

c McCray b Davis

2

(8)

-

-

1-6

2

S. L. P. Dobner +

b Statham

15

(28)

1

-

2-32

3

I. Howarth *

b Chattersea

35

(50)

5

1

4-79

4

R. P. Turner

lbw b Chattersea

12

(28)

1

-

3-66

5

J. D. Hoskins

b Jones

18

(33)

2

-

5-107

6

D. Emerson

b Jones

16

(17)

3

-

7-128

7

M. Bullock

c Chattersea b Jones

6

(6)

1

-

6-128

8

T. P. W. Smith

b Robinson

17

(24)

3

-

9-154

9

M. K. Reeves

b Statham

4

(4)

1

-

8-147

10

M. S. Rundle

not out

2

(10)

-

-

-

11

C. D. Roberts

b Robinson

6

(13)

1

-

10-160

 

Extras

(NB4, W12, LB1, B10)

27

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

(all out, 36.4 overs)

160

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Bowler

Overs

Maidens

Runs

Wkts

 

1

Davis

4

1

15

1

 

2

Crockett

4

0

7

0

 

3

Chattersea

8

2

21

2

 

4

Statham

8

0

32

2

 

5

McCray

2

0

7

0

 

6

Gullick

2

0

24

0

 

7

Jones

4

0

13

3

 

8

Mellor

2

0

22

0

 

9

Robinson

2.4

0

9

2

 

 

 

 

Team

Belvedere CC

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Batsman

How Out

Total

Balls

4s

6s

FOW

1

P. Hooper

b Emerson

14

 

3

-

1-35

2

P. A. S. Mellor

c Hoskins b Emerson

27

 

5

-

2-51

3

S. Gullick

st Dobner b Emerson

5

 

1

-

4-52

4

J. Neville

c Turner b Roberts

0

 

-

 

3-52

5

S. McCray

c Roberts b Reeves

47

 

8

1

7-142

6

J. Jones

c Dobner b Emerson

0

 

-

-

5-52

7

B. Robinson *

c Smith b Rundle

20

 

4

-

6-96

8

K. Crockett

b Hoskins

22

 

2

-

8-160

9

P. Davis

not out

9

 

2

-

-

10

J. Statham

not out

0

 

-

-

-

11

N. Chattersea

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extras

(W14, LB5, B1)

20

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

(for 8 wickets, 28.1 overs)

164

 

 

 

 

 

 

#

 

Bowler

Overs

Maidens

Runs

Wkts

 

1

Emerson

8

0

44

4

 

2

Roberts

4

0

29

1

 

3

Reeves

7.1

1

45

1

 

4

Rundle

4

0

25

1

 

5

Hoskins

5

1

20

1

 

 

 

 

 

MOTM:  D. Emerson

Champagne Moment:  D. Emerson’s wicket [Jones golden] bowling round the wicket

Buffet Award:  C. D. Roberts’ tangy marmalade sandwiches

 

 

Opposition:  V077 / 01

Ground:  G066 / 01

Captain:  C007 / 47