THORESBY COLLIERY II (20)     184 for 8

WELBECK COLLIERY III (6)        178 all out

 

Certainly an excellent game of cricket.

 

Without doubt a credit to both sides and the blend of experience, talent, youth and commitment on both sides.

 

Unquestionably one of the most remarkable umpiring episodes ever witnessed by most players over some very long careers.

 

Indisputably a privilege to be part of and to be playing in.

 

As they say, this game had everything and more!!!!

 

Thoresby, with many regular players unavailable, were fortunate that there was no 1st team game allowing Hope and Patel to fill in for us. Mick Case opened up with Halfpenny in the absence of Stuart Evans and benefitted from more time at the crease. A steady start saw 31 on the board in the 11th over before Halfpenny was taken behind by the juggling Mitchell off Bradbury. Case continued to impress with his elegant timing and, although Chatterton had too departed, Thoresby had 107 on the board with 20 overs left. A good platform to build from.

 

Unfortunately Casey was out next over for a fine 61 and of the remaining batsmen only Hope could last any decent length of time. Godfrey and Woods got in and got out. Patel and Dave Garden failed to contribute. Dickens and Dave Evans scrambled a few at the end. Only 67 scored off the last 19 overs was something of a disappointment for Thoresby but testament to the quality of Welbeck’s bowling, particularly Paul Hunt and Ian Morley.

 

However, 184 is never a bad total in 46 over cricket. And with someone the quality of Shailesh with the new ball in his hand one can always be optimistic. He struck in his opening over – first he struck Godfrey with a bouncer that swung late and took the unwitting stumper high on the arm, then he surprised Paul Fox with one that took him on the glove and reached Godders more comfortably!

 

At the other end Norm Garden dropped straight onto a length and found an excellent groove. The Herbert brothers moved along cautiously, Chris being particularly watchful against Garden. But when Patel bowled him, then Norm had Steve well caught at square leg by diving sibling Dave, Welbeck were 46-3 after 20 overs. At this point Norm had remarkable figures of 10-5-9-1.

 

Enter Chris Mitchell. His first five balls against Norm went 4, 2, 6, 4, 4. Well that sort of signalled his intentions! Luckily for Thoresby Morley was bowled by Patel soon afterwards by one that kept a little low on him. This brought youngster Jacob Ball to the wicket and he proceeded to play one of the best innings of the day.

 

The introduction of Dave Evans to the attack seemed to confuse Mitchell (will it be a long hop or full toss?) and, as he tried to plant him over the football field, he missed Dave’s quicker straight shin-high ball. However, his 40 from 28 balls had turned the game in Welbeck’s favour with 66 needed off 15 overs.

 

No-one had bargained for the next episode, though. And the fact that Danny Marsh’s entire innings of 6 balls took 21 minutes shows the length and vehemence of discussions that followed his dismissal, or non-dismissal, or whatever it was…………………….. this is one perspective of the situation:

 

Dancing Dave Evans bowled him a full toss that might, or might not, have been above waist height. Marsh tried to swipe it to leg, got a top edge and was caught at short fine leg by Scott Dickens. Thoresby were jubilant. The umpire does nothing.

Marsh, and most of his teammates from the pavilion, complains it was a no-ball. Square leg umpire approaches his colleague, then the Thoresby team, to inform them he thinks it’s a no-ball.

 

Two issues here – first he’s not allowed to do that (Law 4.7, paragraph (a), it’s the responsibility of the umpire at the bowler’s end to call and signal “no-ball”) and, secondly, Thoresby pointed out that Dave is a spin bowler so the ball would have to be above shoulder height. The same umpire then tells us that he doesn’t think Dave is a spin bowler and for the last two overs has been bowling fast! (this was only the fifth ball of his second over, anyway). The call goes out that it was, indeed, a no-ball.

 

What’s that? Dave Evans not a spin bowler? The umpire was on dodgy ground here in more ways than one! And Godders is standing up to him!!

 

Anyway, mayhem ensued. The umpire at the bowler’s end seemed bemused. Woody tried to explain the laws of the game to the other umpire. Marsh was involved in the mix somewhere.

 

Next came a change of decision - the cry came along from youngster Ball that Marsh had been given out.

 

The Welbeck lads all shouted their piece from behind the boundary rope. All, that is, except for well-known and long-established peacemaker Andy Bostock who decided that what this argument needed was his three-penn’orth. Father George vainly tried to recall him but ended up just shaking his head in that ‘Oh God here we go again’ kind of way that world-weary dads often have. Luckily, as Andy was eagerly striding towards the action, Paul Hunt intervened and persuaded him, with some gentle tugging, to return to the pavilion.

 

More shouting, discussion and posturing from the gathering crowd of participants, And on the seat by the teahut, much merriment from the spectating Rob Walker. But what’s this, Marsh isn’t making his way off the ground? The umpires don’t agree on the decision. Even louder discussion with more intervention from Thoresby.

 

In the end it was up to skipper Woods to sort out the huge mess the umpires had got themselves into. He recognised that this was going nowhere and took the decision to recall Marsh and just get on with the game. This, of course, disgusted Casey who would rather have his leg sawn off than bring back someone who’s been given out. So he went off to sulk at gully.

 

And who’s this appearing from the teahut? Some rotund figure who’s not yet had his say? Why, it’s Dougie Meldrum the Thoresby scorer, enquiring of the umpire what, exactly, he should put in the scorebook?

The umpire decides ………… ermmm………….. just a dot!

A dot ball.

A meagre dot.

So it’s not a wicket.

It’s not a no-ball.

It’s as if the delivery had been tamely pushed out to cover and returned to the bowler.

Almost as if it never existed.

 

You see, the story of one dot in the scorebook can be more than it seems! In fact there was no room for the dot in the scorebook because there was a mountain of Tippex there instead, the decision having been changed so many times! No wonder Dougie wants to return to the relative sanctuary of Division 1.

 

So that was that, then? Welbeck went on to comfortably win the game? Well no, actually.

 

You see, Woody had the excellent Ball (35 off 39 deliveries) caught by Norm in the next over. Then, irony of ironies, Dave’s first ball of his next over was whipped round the corner by Marsh to be superbly pouched by …………. Scott Dickens!!

Cricket has a way of doing that – laughing back in your face.

 

So now Welbeck needed 45 to win with three wickets and 12 overs left. Andy Bostock smashed 10 but was taken at cover by Halfpenny off the returning Patel. Paul Hunt showed his experience and hit the ball around, taking the visitors to within six runs of tying the scores. But then Woody conned the hobbling Gary Bradbury into a return catch and this brought veteran of veterans George Bostock to the crease. He nurdled one to a big gap at third man off Woody’s final ball of the over, but Hunt turned down the obvious run to face Patel next up. It didn’t turn out too well for Paul as Shailesh bowled him to wrap up a terrific Thoresby victory.

 

The celebrations were muted, though, out of respect for a fine opposition. A super game and great to be part of it!

 

PS One of the umpires rang Woody the next day to apologise for the mess and thank him for taking responsibility. The other umpire decided to report Woody! Sort that one out, if you can!

 

 

 

 

Thoresby Colliery II

v  Welbeck Colliery III

 

 

Sat 9th July ‘05

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TCCC II

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BATSMAN

HOW OUT

SCORE

 

BOWLING

O

M

R

W

Halfpenny

c Mitchell  b Bradbury

12

 

G Bradbury

8

2

23

1

Case

c S Herbert  b Hunt

61

 

A Bostock

11

2

41

2

Chatterton

b Hunt

15

 

G Bostock

5

0

32

0

Hope

c Mitchell  b Hunt

43

 

Hunt

15

1

58

4

Godfrey

b Morley

13

 

Morley

7

1

22

1

Patel

c Mitchell  b Hunt

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

Woods

b A Bostock

12

 

 

 

 

 

 

D Garden

b A Bostock

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

D Evans

Not Out

4

 

FoW

1-31

2-78

3-111

4-144

Dickens

Not Out

13

 

 

5-149

6-155

7-157

8-164

N Garden

DNB

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXTRAS

11

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

184

For 8

WKTS in  46 overs

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WCCC III

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BATSMAN

HOW OUT

SCORE

 

BOWLING

O

M

R

W

C Herbert

c D Garden  b N Garden

11

 

Patel

18.1

4

64

5

Fox

c Godfrey  b Patel

0

 

N Garden

13

5

46

1

S Herbert

b Patel

20

 

Chatterton

3

0

24

0

Morley

b Patel

17

 

D Evans

3

1

9

2

Mitchell

b D Evans

40

 

Woods

5

0

21

2

Ball

c N Garden  b Woods

35

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marsh

c Dickens  b D Evans

2

 

 

 

 

 

 

G Bradbury

c&b Woods

10

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Bostock

c Halfpenny  b Patel

10

 

FoW

1-1

2-40

3-46

4-78

Hunt

b Patel

15

 

 

5-118

6-140

7-140

8-151

G Bostock

Not Out

0

 

 

9-178

 

 

 

 

EXTRAS

18

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

178

For 10

WKTS in 42.1 overs

 

 

 

 

 

Other results in Division 5

At Bulwell Hall Park : CLIPSTONE (3) 137 all out, lost to BULWELL (20) 138 for 5 by five wickets.

At Clumber Park : NOTTS. & ARNOLD AMATEUR 3 rd (0) 117 all out, lost to CLUMBER PARK (20) 119 for 0 by ten wickets.

At Langwith Road : BASFORD MILL (4) 166 all out, lost to CUCKNEY 2 nd (20) 169 for 3 by seven wickets.

At Forest Corner: EDWINSTOWE 2 nd (18) 202 for 9, drew with WISETON (7) 137 for 9

At Stone Close: WOODSETTS (17) 244 for 8, drew with KIVETON PARK 2 nd (9) 181 for 8.

 

Club/Team

Mch

W

W-D

D

T

L-D

L

Bat

Bowl

Total

 

Clumber Park

13

5

7

1

0

0

0

44

42

222

 

Clipstone Welfare

13

9

2

0

0

1

1

38

42

210

 

Edwinstowe II

13

7

4

1

0

1

0

39

39

210

 

Thoresby Colliery II

13

5

2

0

0

3

3

27

41

154

 

Welbeck Colliery III

13

6

0

1

0

2

4

33

36

151

 

Woodsetts

13

4

1

0

0

3

5

37

40

141

 

Bulwell

12

4

1

1

0

0

6

25

30

119

 

Cuckney II

12

3

2

1

0

1

5

28

25

117

 

Basford Mill

13

3

1

1

0

3

5

30

26

114

 

Kiveton Park II

13

3

0

1

0

4

5

25

30

105

 

Wiseton

13

3

0

1

0

2

7

16

28

90

 

Notts & Arnold Ams III

13

0

1

0

0

1

11

7

21

40