Match Report - Anza Champs vs Chameleon

ANZA Champs vs Chameleon Match Report

Scorecard

ANZA Champs vs Chameleon Sun 11 May @ Turf City A
(Cameleon 8/197 vs Champs All Out 166)

Mothers Day!

A glorious day dawned for cricket but before heading off to Turf City 'A' some of the lads had to ensure that all was OK on the home front with our ever supportive wives - breakfast made and delivered in bed, spa vouchers distributed, cards/chocolates handed over lovingly, conversation over coffee and then, well - it was off to the game! ..........would be back later to share the chocolates!

Couple of late withdrawals due to "illness" with Ben Yeoh and Will Enos coming down with bugs which sounded surprisingly similar, both being afflicted with a nasty stomach virus and the facilities (such as they are) at Turf City not providing the most comfortable environment to be burdened with such an illness of uncertainty - as I noted to Will, he was probably a better chance to get runs staying at home!

Into the team, at short notice, came Divan and Koushik - thanks guys, appreciated you stepping up and helping out. Divan having recovered sufficiently from his broken arm and Koushik backing up from the Dennis Meyer tribute match played on Saturday.

Turf City "A" looked an absolute picture and despite an overnight downpour was ready to take the best that the Champs and the Chameleon's could throw at it.

Toss lost, again - Geoff I have to admit that it's not as easy as you made it look! .......and after a Chameleon Committee meeting during which every player was involved and enough time taken to appoint the club President, Treasurer, Secretary and nominate life members they finally reached consensus with the skipper waking me from my slumber and extending a very kind invitation for Champs to field. I am sure the various areas in the outfield which resembled Top End billabongs, some so deep they may have held fish, had something to do with his decision.

Lots of consideration in setting the field this week, who was bowling? Left hand or right hand bat? dry land? potholes? and finally managed to get most positions set with everyone standing on Terra Firma. Although, the slips at one end were back an extra 2 metres than where needed in an effort to avoid a "puddle" - thankfully this field positioning wasn't tested with any edges!

Chameleon got off to early flyer but a mixture of good bowling , enthusiastic fielding and catches being held saw them 5 down for not may (70 odd) at the first drinks break. Lord Gibb, back from a recent exotic photo shoot had grabbed a couple of wickets, Divan, back from a spell, was steaming in, Rev had them coming out nicely picking up a caught and bowled in the process and Shaun had found a handy line and length trapping one of the Chameleon batsmen in front for a duck.

Champs were in the game!

Post drinks, well , things changed...........bowlers continued to do a good job, John Dick off the short run bamboozled the batsmen to take a couple of wickets (back in front of Rev in the wicket stakes) , Geoff stepping up in the middle overs and the fielding continuing to be very solid, particularly Matt Quinn who covered more miles than Burke and Wills and Ben who keeps the enthusiasm pumping. However, one partnership got away on us and the end score of 197 was probably far beyond what we deserved to be chasing and far above what Chameleon would have expected.

Special mention for a couple of great outfield catches - one by John Dick on the square leg boundary where he moved smartly to his right to intercept a full blooded pull shot which was headed to the boundary and another by Shaun at deep mid on where he managed to wrap his hand around the ball after it had hit him on the chest like a Gary Ablett stab pass...........KaThunk!!!

Chiro slapped on the keeper pads and again did a great job behind the stumps - I'm looking forward to the day when we have Chiro, Matt, Phil The Younger, Nigel and Khoushik all in the same side!

And in so it was in to bat.........handy start at the top of the order saw the score at 38 before the first wicket fell. Forday G was finding some touch and also finding the boundary and looked set for a big one, eventually missing a straight one but not before compiling a handy innings of 31 (Geoff's back!). There is some dispute about this straight one - Geoff assuring all that it yorked him while interested observer, Footrot, offering fatherly advice that it was actually a full toss and he simply missed it....replays proving to be inconclusive.

Unfortunately wickets fell too consistently slowing the rate and requiring the middle order to consolidate a bit. Chiro joined Limbrick at the crease in the 12th over (at 4 for 68) and these guys compiled a handy partnership of 45 before Limbrick (24) went chasing a wide wine - a soft dismissal in the context of the game. Chiro going on to top a score of 43 before a combination of chasing the runs, exhaustion and good fielding saw him run out.

In the end the task proved to be too great and Champs fell 31 runs short - despite this it was a pretty good effort and Champs are not far away from stringing together a few wins.

Now getting towards the halfway mark of the season now and aim needs to be to get a greater winning % going. - with the squad we've got we can make this happen.

This week, Saturday afternoon back at Turf City.

Cheers Steve