Match Report

The mighty Lavant were back on the road this week visiting the picturesque Ebernoe. The team assembled on a warm (but blustery) day with a track that looked flat and hard and an outfield which had a very ‘unique’ feature….the road that led to the ground also happened to continue through the outfield! Due to this interesting feature local rules determined that the moment any vehicle appeared the game needed to stop until it passed. To give an indication of how this worked this local rule might be represented in this match report…

The captains wandered to the middle to discuss the rules and game format and the toss went up and, to the utter shock of the travelling team, the Lavant skipper lost the toss and was asked to bat first in a 35 over game.

GAME ON!

The Lavant captain and Justin walked to the middle with the two ‘in-form’ men looking to continue their opening partnership and get the team off to a good start. Unfortunately after tucking into a ball on his legs sending it away for 4 the Lavant skipper was undone by loosely chasing a short wide ball with the cardinal sin of not just smashing it. The skipper slowly walked back to the changing room for 4 where he could work on his tossing.

Joe was next in and looked to steady the ship with Justin with both men finding it hard going with the combination of both opening bowlers giving them nothing and also utilising the extra bounce, and batting looked tough going. With runs at a premium both men weren’t given much to score from so had to push and run for some impressive singles to keep the scoreboard moving. Finally Joe was…

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Finally Joe was able to get a boundary away and just when he started to try and move the scoring along he was out caught for 11.

Lucky for Lavant (after a couple of weeks off crusading) the King had returned! Not impressed with his subjects he strode to the middle and, for the time being, dispensing with the two men clip clopping coconut shells behind him looking to get down to the serious business of rebuilding the Lavant innings!

King Richard and Justin found it hard going with the continuation of Ebernoe bowling offering not much in the way of pitched up deliveries to score in front of the wicket and tight fielding stopping anything from hitting the fence (bush). It was a steady partnership that remained watchful chipping away where possible when…

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…at drinks the score was around 52 – 2 and both men knew that the run rate needed to be upped if there was any chance of posting a competitive score. This was the moment for both men to try and throw caution into the wind and try and put pressure back onto the Ebernoe bowlers. Justin was first out of the traps, suddenly unleashing a collection of mighty blows picking up the first 6 of the match and then soon after another. With the Ebernoe bowlers under pressure for the first time in the game they didn’t appear to have an answer to the change in gears.

Justin was able to register yet another 50 of the season but with muted celebrations showing laser like focus and knowing that there was a job to be done for the team ahead. At the other end the King decided to get in on the act and was able to dispatch a collection of beautiful drives and glorious hits over wide long on (such royalty would never look to hit into cow corner like the peasants).

With the run rate increasing every over and (mercifully) the scoreboard suddenly rattling along there appeared to be a distinct mood shift in the middle with the… 

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…with the Ebernoe team now devoid of answers and a way of stopping the two Lavant batsmen the innings started to take shape as both men just stuck into anything they could score off with Justin particularly accelerating from first gear into top gear in a matter of overs launching a brutal six over extra cover.

In the 30th over the King decided it was time for some of his other subjects to continue the fight and was bowled for 41. With 5 overs left and the score on 130 the general feeling was the score was still below par, with the Lavant skipper shuffling the batting order around to allow the big guns to enter the fray and assist Justin (who at this point was throwing the bat at every delivery).

Will T seemed to almost pull his shoulder out his socket with the sheer bat speed but wasn’t able to make a good enough connection and clothed a ball up in the air being caught for 0. 

After discussions with the Lavant skipper Tam was next in. The two current Lavant captains had formed a clear plan with Tam either looking to biff anything that came his way or get Justin back on strike to allow him to face as many balls as possible. Tam showed the leadership required for this situation executing perfectly making the right choices…

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…the right choices necessary to give Justin the strike whenever needed and it paid off in spades. Justin was now batting like a man possessed and even the return of the opening Ebernoe bowlers were not going to stand in his way. I’m not quite sure they knew what hit them! Walking down the wicket and smashing the ball to the fence with a showreel of power hitting it was raining boundaries and you could see the morale being sucked out of the Ebernoe faces who for large parts of the game were in total control. 

Justin was able to register his second (and highly deserved) 100 of the season but was not done there continuing the onslaught and completing the innings 116 not out. Congratulations and well done!

Tam at the other end did exactly what was needed in the last 5 overs and finished 4 not out.

The team welcomed back the two men with a now much healthier looking score of 193 on the board considering where the team was at drinks (and even at the 30 over mark). With the team getting stuck into tea the Lavant skipper was able to take stock and hatch a plan knowing they had something he could work with to defend.

A big thank you to everyone who stepped aside in the batting order to allow the team to push hard in the remaining overs. 

Tea was eaten, jumpers donned, bananas consumed and Lavant returned to the middle looking to defend with the ball.

Opening up was Mark H making his first appearance of the season for Lavant. Under the watchful eye of his son (stationed at fine leg) and a new ball in his hand Mark had suddenly turned into Jimmy Anderson extracting a lavish swing. In getting the new ball to talk Mark sent down a brute of a delivery that lifted and surprised the Ebernoe opening bat who was only able to fend the ball down the leg side, pouched by the safe hands of the wicket keeper, for a duck! Mark continued…

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…continued in this vein through his 7 over spell with the moving ball completely bamboozling the Ebernoe batters and giving the Lavant keeper plenty to do behind the stumps. In his 5th over Mark was rewarded for his efforts picking up his second wicket of the game ending with 2 – 21 from his 7 over spell. Welcome back Mark!

After a sudden change of plans from the Lavant skipper (due to the Ebernoe left handers) Tam took the other end and got into his work very quickly finding rhythm and firing the ball down with pace and enjoying the extra zip from the pitch. Without the ‘MC’ this week Tam had obviously decided to take on the mantle of ‘beating the edge over and over without any reward’ this week! When it looked like Tam wasn’t going to be rewarded for a fine spell of bowling he was finally able to force a mistake and pick up the wicket of the other Ebernoe opening bat. Tam completed his spell with a remarkable 1 – 11 off his 7 overs. 

With the Ebernoe innings stalled the Lavant skipper turned to ‘Super Steve’ Brooker and King Richard to continue on from the amazing platform from the opening bowlers.

Steve, who has bizarrely booked a two week holiday in the middle of the cricket season, didn’t allow the thought of spaghetti and budgie smugglers ruin his focus. He bowled with supreme accuracy and seemed to be trying everything to get a wicket so he could give someone a send off in his best Italian. Avoiding such an embarrassment for all, Steve was whipped out of the attack so he could continue to think about pizza and chianti….finishing with 0 for 8 off his 3 overs (have a great hols Steve)!

At the other end the King took no time at all to get into the battle. In his first over…

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…in his first over he cleaned bowled the Ebernoe #3 for a wicket maiden. He then picked up the #5 who hit the ball up high into the air for Joe (who had just been smartly stationed at long on) came rushing round and took a brilliant full length superman catch! In his next over one of the Ebernoe batsmen had the insolence to hit Richard for 4…..which seem to bring down royal judgement because in his 4th over Richard clean bowled the #7 and #8 (one being a classical off spinner’s dismissal turning and going through the gate to hit the top of off stump). Richard was able to extract turn and bounce from the wicket in a great spell that ripped the guts out of the batting order finishing with 5 for 7 off 4 overs! 

The Lavant skipper next turned to Will T and Phil to have a bowl.

Will (who was sporting an interesting change of facial hair) claimed to ‘only bowl wobblers’. When thrown the ball he decided to go full ‘Merv Hughes’ and wang the ball down at speed which stung the palms of the standing up keeper (and almost took his head off with a brute of a bouncer)! At one stage Lavant had a full selection of fielders / slips stationed behind the bat but even then one edge flew over the top. The pace and line of his deliveries were all too much for the #10 being caught at gully by Mark H with the most unique of catching styles (I think he was just trying to clap the performance of Will and the ball stuck!

At the other end Phil A continued the good work of the team by getting into his work fast and had also seemed to have picked up a few mph extra pace in his bowling. Deploying the gun show Phil seemed to be getting the ball down at a decent lick which…

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…which seemed to catch the Ebernoe batters on the crease. After 3 solid overs Phil was able to finish the proceedings by picking up a much deserved wicket clean bowling the #11 with a brute of a ball that clipped the top of the bails. Although Phil didn’t seem to know much about it at the time! 

Lavant were able to bowl out Ebernoe for 66 in the 27th over, winning by 127 runs! The Lavant winning train continues….

Man of the match goes to Justin for a terrific innings. The game looked in jeopardy at drinks and thankfully he was able to cut loose when he did and get going. The acceleration in his innings ultimately is what won the game because a lower total would have been an easier task for the opposition to construct their innings around. Considering the first 17 overs went for 52 runs…..and the last 18 overs went for 141 I think says it all. Congratulations on a second 100 of the season and well played Justin.

Champagne moment goes to Joe for a brilliant full length dive. He set off early and, with his long strides, gobbled up the ground enough to get the full dive out and (most importantly) was able to cling on and not let the ball spill when he hit the ground! Great catch!

Well done everyone, on… 

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…to the next!