Combe Cricket Club ... built by Carlsberg???
Combe on a late July, Sunday afternoon. The church stands near the boundary while a line of cottages bathe in the early afternoon sunshine. There is nothing quite so English as Combe cricket fields on a summers afternoon. But, as the clouds roll gently in from the direction of Witney, the peace is shattered as an Ambush of Tigers engage in sporting battle with a Family of Beavers.
The Stuffed Beavers
<Nigel to supply full line up>
That's right. After the disappointment of being seen off by the Badgers last week, the Ambush gathered again yesterday afternoon to meet new foes. The Stuffed Beavers.
The Stuffed Beavers are a London based social cricket team led by Nigel Gurney. They're a truly smashing bunch of fellas and travel with equally excellent support (specially Mr Begley Senior who does a great Geoff Boycott impression and Pamela ... keeper of valuables and taker of pictures).
Shall I get on with the game then?
Baz Floyd won the toss for the Tigers and, on the WG Grace principle, decided to bat.
Father and son combo, Iain and Robbie Nicholson, took to the crease to face the opening salvos from the Beavers and Robbie wasted little time in playing his shots. The Beavers didn't give Iain a chance to settle however and after some smart running between the stumps, he fell foul of of Neil Morton. Caught by <name needed> with five against his name.
James Harrison joined Robbie at the crease and the two quickly moved the score along at a pace. As Robbie tried to blast his way through the Beavers' bowling, James set about carving a patient innings. Looking on course for his third consecutive Tigers' half century, Robbie mistimed a big heave off Adam Barnett and was neatly picked up by Nigel Gurney.
Tigers debutant Huw Neyroud shapes up to drive as Beavers' keeper Gall looks on
Next in for the Tigers was Huw Neyroud. Young Huw, wicket keeper for Combe, was one of two Tigers debutants for a game in which the Tigers were struggling to field a full Ambush until minutes before game started. And, as the Beavers beavered away with the ball, the youngster dealt with Messrs Brookes, Beef, Barnett and Antonio for a good while on his way to 25. In the meantime James Harrison finally succumbed to a straight one from Brookes, leg before wicket for 20, to make way for the other debutant, James Grist-Perkins.
Another Tigers debut for Combe CC's James Grist-Perkins
Neil Morton finally saw off the young keeper, Neyroud, who departed with his stumps swinging in the breeze. Enter our old mate Ben McPherson. With overs running out, the two batsman were keen on getting runs on the board as quickly as possible.
Just before we get to the bit where James Grist-Perkins is bowled for 10 by Beavers' Kev Antonio, lets pay a small tribute to the bowler. Earlier this year Kev had serious knee surgery and the fact that he was able to join us in the field at all is a testament to his spirit. And, after some tight bowling, his spirit was rewarded with the wicket of the young Tiger.
No sooner had the veteran Tiger, Stu Duff, joined Ben McPherson at the wicket Ben too let one through the gate and was bowled by Beef for six. Last over of the allotted 20 and Ed Juszczak joins Stu and pushes a quick single. With one ball to go, the Tigers looked to have achieved a respectable but gettable 121. Then Stu crashed an enormous six off the last ball of the innings leaving the Tigers at 127-6. That's 6.35 an over.
Time for the Beavers to swing the bat. Opening the batting, skipper Nige Gurney and Neil Morton. In an attempt at early blood through pace, Floyd brought on Robbie Nicholson and Ben McPherson. Not much doing in the early overs as Morton cut Nicholson again and again, letting Nicholson's pace and a greasy outfield carry the ball to the boundary.
Beavers skipper Nigel Gurney eyes up the bowling as Neyroud and Nicholson wait for a nick
But McPherson, bowling up the hill, had more luck as Gurney let one through and was bowled for nine. New batsman, Beef, seeing Morton's success with the cut adopted the same tactic with some success. At the other end, McPherson finished his bowling spell by taking the other opener for 28. Morton, pulling to backward square leg was smartly caught by Tigers' Paul Fagg who seemed to pluck a well struck ball out of the air with one hand. And McPherson still wasn't done. With virtually the last ball of his spell, Ben removed Beavers' Harrison for a duck. Good spell Ben.
The Tigers weren't finished with the pace. Cam Newton-Grain, mean against the Badgers last week but with no wicket against his name, wasn't going home empty handed this week. Beef became Newton-Grain's first victim, bowled for 13. As Duff stemmed runs at the other end, Newton-Grain continued to remove Beavers from the crease. Brookes lbw for 7 then Popat, bowled for one.
A change of bowling up the hill, Stu Duff giving way to James Harrison, the Tigers found more success as Kev Antonio lofted straight. A grateful Baz 'Bucket Hands' Floyd was there to pick up his fourth catch in three matches. Kev departing without troubling the scorer.
As Newton-Grain finished his spell, Stu Duff returned to the bowling and immediately got some success by joining forces with Huw Neyroud. Ford, stumped Neyroud bowled Duff for 3.
James Grist-Perkins took over from James Harrison at the Pavilion End returning 2-0-12-0 as the Beavers tail enders made a last assault on the Tigers bowling.
With overs running out and just two wickets remaining, the Tigers 127 looked some way off for the Beavers. And if wasn't for a smart run out, it might have been possible. Big-hitting Gall failed to make it to safety as Robbie Nicholson angled a throw from the covers straight into the hands of Neyroud. Gall gone for 6 leaving Begley and Barnett to see out the final over from Duff. It didn't last long. Begley went for the big-heave and a straight ball from our Stu found its way past bat to take middle and off. Stu had ended the Tigers' innings with a six and the bowling with a wicket as Iain Nicholson later pointed out to me. A Tigers stat for the future.
Tigers Batting/Beavers Bowling
Beavers Batting/Tigers Bowling
The main game over and the first Tigers win since 2010. The Tigers were elated and the Beavers didn't look too unhappy either. It was a great game after all.
Winners at last. The victorious Tigers.
Back row (l-r) Paul Fagg, Stu Duff, Ed Juszczak, Iain Nicholson, Baz Floyd, Ben McPherson, James Harrison Front row (l-r) Cam Newton-Grain, Huw Neyroud, James Grist-Perkins, Robbie Nicholson
Because of the breaks for rain earlier in the day, the second game was limited to ten overs a piece. Another Tigers win but with a retire at 15 rule in place and one over per bowler nobody was going to make too much of a name for themselves in this one. Tigers' openers Baz Floyd and Cam Newton- Grain retired on 19 and 17 respectively. Next man in, Paul Fagg, followed suit with a smart 17 before retiring too. Tigers finished their innings on 84-4 to give the Beavers a big 8.4 an over to aim at.
'Keep smiling and say nothing Nige'. There's a Tiger behind you'
Beavers' Neil Morton and Nigel Gurney
It didn't happen but worthy of mention is the aforesaid big-hitting Gall who smashed his way to 22 before retiring. And possibly the unluckiest batsman of the innings was Brookes who, without studs, had his back foot slip back on the greasy surface to hit his wicket for a duck. Judging by his performance in the first game, he could have threatened the Tigers total had he stayed a the crease.
So, a long-awaited Tigers win and a very happy Ambush.
A few huge thank you's to say to finish off the report.
Thanks to the Stuffed Beavers for being such an excellent bunch of blokes. And thank too for the wonderful donation of £121 to SpecialEffect. The proceeds of fines from the previous night of Aunt Sally and Sunday's cricket.
Thanks too to Donna Floyd for supplying all the cakes for tea and to Julie Floyd who spent half her Sunday running round Sainsbury's in Witney (where else, considering SpecialEffect are their Charity of the Year?) and making sandwiches. Oh, and thank to Julie too for washing all our smelly shirts!
