That was the season that was 2013 ... spinners, slingers and swingers

Well, that's it cricket lovers ... the clocks have gone back, the evenings are darker earlier and Winter is fast approaching. The only consolation is that each day we endure now means we're a day closer to the 2014 cricket season.

But to keep you going with your cricket fix, tonight we look back at those brave and hardy Tigers whose mission in the cricket field is to send opposition batsman on that long, humiliating walk to their mates in the pavilion. Or just stop them scoring runs at all.

That's right. Tonight we look at the Spinners, Slingers and Swingers ... the 2013 Tigers bowlers.

The guys mentioned in this article are those Tigers who bowled six overs or more for us throughout the season. There may be bowlers with a better average or economy rate in the 2013 records but they just didn't bowl enough overs for me to consider it statistically significant for these purposes. If you are one of those Tigers, don't worry because your feats will be recognised in our Tiger in the Spotlight feature coming soon.

So, here we go ... let's start with the top performers of our Midweek League Ambush

Top league wicket taker

This accolade goes to one of the Ambush's young Combe stars, top bloke Hass Mohsin.

Tigers top league wicket taker, Hass Mohsin, in action against Swinbrook

Hass grabbed four wickets in our six league games, pipping Ed Juszczak (3), Cam Newton-Grain (2), Tom Juszczak (2) and Stuart Duff (2). In fact, we think Hass may have grabbed one or two more but we couldn't get the our bowling card for the away game against Uffington.

Best league economy rate
He didn't take a single wicket in his three league appearances for the Tigers in the 2013 season but Pete Bartlett was certainly the meanest of the Tigers league bowlers. In twelve league overs, Pete game away just 61 runs giving him a fantastic 20/20 economy of just 5.08.

No league wickets but he gave away very few runs, our own Pete Bartlett

Hass Mohsin turned in a very respectable 7.50 an over whilst Ed Juszczak wasn't far behind with 7.98.

Best league average
The Tiger with the best league bowling average for the 2013 season was Hass Mohsin, taking a wicket every 27.5 runs. Next in line was Tom Juszczak with a wicket every 29.5 runs and then Stuart Duff with a wicket every 31.5.

Great batsman, brilliant bowler and top bloke, Hass Mohsin

Friendlies

Most friendly wickets
For friendlies, the Ambush takes on an altogether different look in terms of Tigers present and the 2013 season bowling performances for these games were dominated by Ed Juszczak. Ed snared 5 wickets in just seven overs in friendlies this season including an amazing 3-0-19-4 against the Beavers.

The not very friendly Ed Juszczak, top wicket taking Tiger of 2013

Ben McPherson was the Tigers' second highest wicket taker in friendly games with five to his name followed by Cam Newton-Grain with a brace to match his league tally.

Best friendly economy rate
Last season's Tiger of the Year, Cam Newton-Grain was the meanest bowler in our friendly games throughout the 2013 season with an excellent 6.45. Cam also bowled more friendly overs than any other Tiger last season, so another great season for the young man.

Cam Newton-Grain giving very little away against Witney RFC

Behind Cam in the meanest Tiger stakes was Ed Juszczak with an economy of 6.71.

Best average in friendlies
Ed Juszczak takes the prize for the best friendly bowling average by a country mile, taking a wicket every 9.4 runs. Ed is followed Ben McPherson who turned in an excellent wicket every 15.6 runs and Cam Newton-Grain on a wicket every 35.5 runs.

Ed Juszczak was Tigers' dominant bowler in 2013 friendlies

Overall

Most overall wickets

The deadliest Tigers bowler overall for the 2013 season was Ed Juszczak with eight league and friendly wickets. Following Ed was Ben McPherson with five wickets and Hass Mohsin and Cam Newton-Grain with four apiece.

Ed Juszczak took eight scalps across the 2013 season

Best overall economy rate

The meanest bowler across league and friendly matches for the 2013 season is James Hayes with an excellent 4.67 runs an over. James is followed by Pete Bartlett on 5.08 and Cam Newton-Grain who went for 7.48 runs an over. 

London Badger turned part-time Tiger, James Hayes, bowled mean in 2013

Best overall average
With a wicket every 15.6 runs, Ben McPherson takes the bow for the best overall average for 2013. Ed Juszczak turned in a wicket every 20.5 runs and Stuart Duff with a wicket every 24 runs.

Ben McPherson turned in the best overall average for the Tigers 2013 season

We'll look at each Tiger's individual records in more depth in the Tiger in the Spotlight feature as the winter draws on. 

But for now, whether you're a slinger, a spinner or a swinger ... Tigers we salute you! 

Bashing the Boundaries

You'll know from the last post that SpecialEffect Tigers are in the fortunate position of having some excellent batsmen in the ranks of the Ambush. 

But who are the agile and speedy Tigers between the wickets and who likes to watch the ball shoot through to the boundary or sail straight over it.

A quick trawl back through the 2013 season records tells us that of the top performing Tigers with the bat this season, Steve Dobson scored 67.44% of his runs from boundaries. In fact, of his total 86 runs for the Tigers last summer, he didn't bother running 58 of them. With seven 4's and five 6's to his name, that's one aggressive Tiger.

Dobbo ... aggressive enough to be branded a dangerous breed

Next in the aggression table is our Hass Mohsin who scored 57.94% of his 107 runs across the boundary. Eleven 4's and three 6's to his 2013 tally, Hass likes to dish out the punishment to bowlers ... specially those bowling outside his off stump.

Hass ... the flashing blade of the Tigers

Skipper Chris Grain scored more boundaries than any other Tiger last season with twenty-three 4's and just the one 6. Of his total 187 runs 52.40% of them crossed the big white line.

Skipper Chris Grain ... licensed to drive

Which leaves the considered Tim Lowe. Ever the thoughtful batsman, Tim clocked up fourteen 4's and one 6 through the season giving him 41.89% of 148 runs as boundaries.

Tim Lowe ... The Thinker ... he'll think about it then despatch you to the boundary anyway

Big hitting Tigers ... we salute you!   

That was the season that was (part 2) ... the willow swingers

Last week we took a look back at the Tigers who appeared in the Ambush during the 2013 season. 

This week we're going to focus on the willow swingers. Those Tigers who piled on the runs for us in league games, friendlies and overall.

Most League Runs

Skipper, Chris Grain, topped the league run leader board in the Ambush in the 2013 season with 150 runs in 5 innings of which he was not out in one. 

Highest league run scorer, Chris Grain, shows how he did it

Highest League Averages

The Tiger with the highest batting average in the West Oxfordshire Midweek League this season was also Chris Grain, with an excellent 37.5. 

Chris Grain pulling his way to a 2013 season league average of 37.5 

Chris was followed closely in the league averages by our Sandford Supremo, opening bat Tim Lowe, who averaged 35.

Tim Lowe finished the league season with an average of 35

And making up the top four averaging Tigers in the league were Combe young guns Steve Dobson with an average of 27 and Hassan Mohsin with 26.75.

Hass Mohsin in action against Uffington CC

Highest League Innings

Tim Lowe holds the 2013 Tigers record for the most runs scored in a single league innings with his 69 against Swinbrook at West Witney CC.

Tim Lowe hit the Tigers highest individual score of 69 against Swinbrook CC

Chris Grain was the only other Tiger to register a league half half-century with a swashbuckling 55 against Swinbrook at Swinbrook CC.

Super Skipper Chris Grain hit 55 against Swinbrook

And not to be outdone, Steve Dobson and Hassan Mohsin registered 41 each in the Tigers league victory against Uffington at West Witney CC.

Our Hass ... 41 against Uffington at Witney CC

Friendlies

Because Tigers dip in and out of friendly games, and the lack of friendlies in the 2013 season, there weren't really any meaningful averages to speak of. 

However, the most notable individual performance of any Tiger in a 2013 friendly just has to be James 'Twiggy' Ellwood against Witney RFC at West Witney CC. Twiggy's super-aggressive 50 not out in six overs resulted in joint skippers on the night, Robbie Mills and Baz Floyd, to retire him early. Just too aggressive for a friendly but a superb innings all the same.

James Ellwood ... an aggressive 50 not out against Witney RFC

Overall

Taking league and friendly games into account, Steve Dobson topped the Tigers' batting averages for the 2013 season. Scoring 86 across three innings in which he was also not out once, Dobbo averaged 43 for the Tigers' 2013 season overall.

Unsurprisingly, Steve was followed by Chris Grain with an overall average of 31.17 across seven innings (not out once), Tim Lowe on 29.6 from five innings and Hass Mohsin with 26.75 from five.

Across all games, just three Tigers surpassed the 100 run mark across the entire season. Chris Grain hit a total of 187, Tim Lowe clocked up 148 and Hass Mohsin turned in an overall 107 runs across all games.  

Steve Dobson finished the 2013 as Tigers' overall highest averaging batsman with 43

That was the season, that was ... 2013 #1

So the days have got shorter and there's a chill in the air (not to mention some rain) and its time to look back on the SpecialEffect Tigers 2013 season and start paying tribute to those who donned the orange and green and turned out for the Ambush and SpecialEffect.

The 2013 season saw our first season competing in the West Oxfordshire Midweek League with our mates Audley Ducks, Swinbrook and Uffington. I'll be honest, I was worried that we'd be embarrassed week in week out by a lack of numbers for midweek league games. I should have known better. A raft of young talent from Combe Cricket Club and Sandford with help from Robbie Mills and Witney RFC made sure the Tigers' old guard were joined by a full complement for all but one of our games throughout the summer. 

TIGERS!!!

In fact, the clamour for places brought about the breaking of Baz Floyd's record of appearing in every Tigers match since the Ambush was formed back in 2009. Never was a Tiger happier to withdraw from the Ambush ... age has to give way to talent at some point.

Tonight we're going to take a look at who appeared in the Ambush during the 2013 season and how many times.

The Tiger with most overall appearances throughout the 2013 season (that's a combination of friendly and league games) is Ed Juszczak. Ed featured in all three friendlies and five our six midweek league games giving him an overall eight appearances in the Ambush for the 2013 season. 

Ed Juszczak

Appeared in the Ambush more than any other Tiger throughout 2013

Close on Ed's heels were the old guard. Skipper Chris Grain and Club Captain Baz Floyd both turned out seven times out of nine.

The highest number of league appearances goes to our young Combe CC wicket keeper and bat, Huw Neyroud who showed for all six midweek games.

Huw Neyroud

In the Ambush for all 2013 Midweek League matches

In total, 35 Tigers appeared in the ranks of the Ambush across the nine games played through 2013. Eighteen of those pulled on the orange and green for the first time. But alongside all the new talent lets not forget that six of the original 2009 Ambush also played in the 2013 season ... four years older but no less enthusiastic.

Whether you turned out time and time again throughout the 2013 season or joined us for a single game only, from Chris and Baz and the guys at SpecialEffect whom we represent ... THANK YOU TIGER!

Pete Bartlett, Hass Mohsin and Mark Westaby