ECONOMICALS CRICKET CLUB

Click on the date for a match report.

05/05/07 - Bec Old Boys 205-9, Economicals 206-1

The Comics opened the season with a facile victory to avenge last season's defeat to Bec Old Boys. After Coops lost the toss, the Comics took the field resplendent in branded caps and shirts, courtesy of the Ahmedabad street urchins, who were looking to destabilise the West with their shoddy stitching of low-quality fabrics. Looking the part clearly had its benefits, as the fielding performance was pretty smooth, backing up some fine swing bowling from Veitch and William. The Bec openers rode their luck in rude fashion, scoring most of their runs through the slip cordon, as Jabba's slimmed-down new look meant less girth to stop the ball once it sailed through his stigmata hands. They passed 50 but the run rate was slow, and just as they were getting away, Roan removed both men in quick succession to catches from new boys Goddard and Tofty. The latter catch was a fine effort, and the Yorkshireman followed this up by effecting a smart run-out to remove their best player with a direct hit from square leg, showing that the white rose county can bring more to the club than black eyes and fights on the pitch. Bec collapsed under the pressure of Oats and Macca using accuracy and swing respectively, although they ended with a respectable 205 due to some late swishing off Macca, as Comics' tempers frayed in line with the nylon.

205 was never going to be enough on a typical Berrylands belter against Coops and Frikkie, and some poor bowling was punished as 50 came up in just six overs. Coops fell just after his fifty and the Comics 100, but Frikkie continued to smash it to all parts to complete his second successive classy hundred, bringing it up with a huge six. Jabba scratched around early but soon found his feet and was looking close to his imposing best by the end, as the Comics raced to victory in just 27 overs. A great start to the season, and if we can keep up this standard all season we'll be challenging for promotion. So pencil in a relegation battle come August. 

Just like last year, the Comics fell short in a run-chase versus Osterley 2000. With a few key players missing, Coops won the toss and chose to bowl on a ropey looking pitch. Batting was tough early on, and Tofty took another smart catch to reward a terrible ball from Macca. Oats also took a good catch off Macca, who bowled a fine spell, and Justin got among the wickets on debut, but we were put to the sword by their number three, who smashed 158 without ever looking like getting out. That he finally did was probably due to being sconed by an errant throw from the other pitch after hitting Oats about a mile. Our fielding fell away a little towards the end (Shane being the 'best' exponent), which possibly proved crucial at the end of the day.

The run-chase was on course for much of our innings, as Coops blazed away and compiled useful partnerships with early leaver Shane and Jabba. Sadly we would lose wickets at crucial times, and their superstar bowled a tight spell to pick up three wickets to go with his big ton. Coops completed another Comics ton - a typical innings, full of half-chances and baseball shots - but perished swinging for the fences as partners ran out.

Still, this was a decent performance against a good side. Lovely bunch too - they fed us with free beer, and we had a fine time exchanging stories about big cocks, despite neither team actually having one (unless you count Macca).  

The Comics recorded their second win of the season in controversial fashion, though if truth be told the rain just saved Morden from a heavier defeat, such was the home side's dominance.  Morden won the toss and surprisingly chose to bat, given the overcast skies and the league's rain rules, which favour the side batting second, as it would turn out to be the case. Tofty effected an early run-out to back up Veitch and the short-trousered Will, who bowled ridiculously good opening spells, swinging the ball prodigously and keeping Morden to less than 50 from the first 20 overs. Justin and Roan aka Harold were more expensive, but still bowled well and picked up valuable wickets. Ratboy went off injured when Will's throw rebounded off the stumps to smash into his whiskers. With Ratboy on his back and blood everywhere, it was just like his wedding night, his 40th, or indeed any family occasion. Tom also grabbed a couple of wickets and a very gettable 177 was left to chase.

The last 15 overs of the first inning were played in light drizzle, which was to continue for the rest of the day, and Morden's suggestion that to cover the wicket during tea was unfair was a sign of things to come. Coops and Freddie brought up a quick fifty partnership before Freddie fell, but with the run rate good and Coops looking solid, Morden knew the game was up. Slowing the over rate as we reached the pivotal 20 mark in the hope that rain would save the day, their attempts to come away without a deserved defeat reached increasingly ridiculous proportions when one bowler pretended to slip. Yes, that's right. A grown man pretending to fall over. It wasn't an ideal ending, as the 20th over mother's meeting on the pitch was broken up by Steve the groundsman coming on to pull stumps (against our wishes too, I hasten to add), meant that the Comics had triumphed. Morden were aggrieved, perhaps understandably so given the situation, but then again they were clearly and rightly the losers, a fact confirmed by their shameful abuse of Steve and general complaining.  

Morden's own deluded take on things can be found here, in the 'fiction' section. Yes we were 'plodding on', yes it ONLY started to rain during the interval, and yes we are a 'win at all costs team'. I'm not sure how many sportsmanship awards Morden have (answer: not many, compared to our 4 or 5 down the years). Face it boys, you tried to escape a crushing defeat, and failed. Get over it. 

The Comics put in a fantastic all-round performance to end John Fisher's 100% record on a baking hot day in deepest, darkest Croydon - a sharp contrast to the previous week, when the pitch was waterlogged due to Morden's salty tears. The Fish are a very strong side, and this was a magnificent effort. The Comics struggled early, with Dunster wandering the streets of Croydon in a fiery rage and gaps aplenty in his absence. Veitch and the Hoff bowled well without luck, and though Justin made an early breakthrough, they were rattling along at 90-1 off about 17 overs and a big score looked on the cards. However, Justin and Oats bowled a terrific ten overs each, backed up by some sharp catching (particularly Frikkie's effort), and the Fish were floundering at 111-7. That they made 195 was more down to good batting than anything else, as they were strong all the way down.

Their bowling wasn't too shabby either. Coops and Frikkie looked all at sea, struggling for form and timing in the face of some fine bowling, and it was hard work even for this dominant of partnerships. A stand of 89 is almost failure for these two prolific bats, and with both falling in succession just after drinks, there was pressure on the middle order. But William played a gem of an innings, having weaselled his way up the order, and found good support from Tofty and Rob. The run rate was never really out of hand, and when the angry ogre got his eye in by driving his first ball for six, the Fish rightly feared the worst. Roan ended with 27 off just 13 balls, while William hit the winning runs with an over to go to top off a fine effort.

All that was left was to laugh at Coops's driving licence, set the record for most people in a Toyota Avensis, and get to CH's about 11pm. A long day, but a very fruitful one. The conversation with her went a-this way...

CH: Did you win?
CC: Yes:
CH: Who was that guy who came to your house?
CC: Justin
CH: He's really handsome, has beautiful dark blue eyes
CC: He got three wickets.
CH: How about Veitch?
CC: He's not got a wicket all year
CH: Well Veitch is an idiot

So that's the Hungarian language Test match Special commentator's job tied down. And if Justin keeps taking three-fer each game, he can have her with my blessing. Or me.    

09/06/07 - Addington 120, Economicals 121-8

Crazy game! On a rotten pitch and outfield, the Comics had a mixed day in the field after Coops won the toss again and

Howard removed their star player for a duck to get his first wicket of the year, in just his 31st over. Some dropped catches and misfields were not really punished by an Addington side that kept picking out Frikkie in the covers, and we took wickets among their six-hitting, with Roan grabbing four and Tofty getting a couple with his tasty pies. Jabba took a couple of smart catches with ninja-like agility, and even the comatose Goddard got a wicket. Curry for tea - marvellous!

120 should have been way under par - and in reality it was - but the Comics made it entertaining. Coops and Frikkie put on 93 for the first wicket, with Coops hitting some lusty blows, including one that dented Ratboy's Scooby Doo van. However, Frikkie's dismissal was ball one of a hat-trick that took in Jabba and Fudge. When Coops was undone by one that kept low in the next over, the panic set in. Not for Macca though, as he was winging his way back to London, deciding that we would coast home without needing his batting. He would have got nought, so I suppose no real harm was done. The pitch was terrible by now, and the old balls being used due to Coops and Frikkie losing all the good ones were keeping very low. With William and Roan at the crease we thought it would still be a facile win, but we had not banked on the game of chicken they would play out in the middle. It should have been an easy second, but the irresistible force met the immovable object mid-pitch, and a run out was the result. But who was out? The big, strong Binedell, brushing the debris off his shoulder as though casually swatting away an irritating bug, or the gentle giant Haarhoff, laying prone on the floor, surrounding by tweety birds and with crosses for eyes? The punch-drunk Hoff was soon followed by Goddard, undone by a pea-roller, and Veitch, succumbing to nerves under pressure like night follows day. When William was bowled with six to win and the last pair in (with Macca home by now, clean after showering using my towel, the fcuker), the game was up. Or was it? Ratboy slogged a two, and then Tofty cut one over the slips for the winning runs, and victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat. We didn't even charge them for our pitch maintenance work, courtesy of Roan watering it with his salty tears and then rolling it flat as he writhed around on the floor.  

A much-weakened Comics side fell to their second defeat of the season to a strong Whyteleafe side. On a miserable day, Coops lost a toss for once, and so the Comics would bat in conditions that were wetter than an otter's pocket. It was tough going early on as one of the better grounds in the league was turned into a pudding, but Coops managed to find the boundaries easy enough. Wickets fell regularly at the other end until Macca, deciding to stay for a bat this week, joined the skipper at the crease. A rapid partnership of 112 put the Comics in a strong position, until Coops fell one short of a ton, much to the delight of the other 21 people playing. Macca made a smart 50 full of crushing blows, Mike chipped in with a nice cameo, and 223 seemed like a decent score under the circumstances. Full credit to Whyteleafe for fielding in plenty of showers for a few hours without grumbling, and not crying off when things went against them (doing a 'Morden' as it's known)!

Oats grabbed an early wicket, but the sun came out, the pitch dried up, and the oppo batted pretty well. Macca bowled a fine spell with minimal luck, but we were a bowler or two light and it ultimately showed. The run rate went above a run a ball but soon came down quickly against our bits and pieces offerings. Oats returned to remove their two half-century-makers, but the damage was done and Whyteleafe won comfortably in the end. No shame in losing to a decent side(also a nice bunch with an excellent tea), but for the second time this season, a weak team meant defeat.

The Comics got back to winning ways with a surprisingly comfortable victory over high-flying Clapham. It took two Gumtree debutants to get the Comics up to 11, only for Pavan to pull out after falling down the tube steps, thus taking away Jabba's next excuse. The big fella was on his way to the wrong ground as it was, but luckily Coops was able to pick him up en route, reeking of booze. More from him later. With only ten men, Coops chose to bowl on a softish-looking pitch, and Shane made an early breakthrough by trapping their opener LBW. With ten men and only two regular bowlers, anything was a bonus, and to reduce Clapham to 50-4 was a minor miracle. Shane picked up three, and Naveed grabbed a wicket in his debut over, courtesy of a fine catch from Roy (who had earlier shelled a sitter). This allowed Coops and Tofty to get through some cheap overs while they consolidated, and while some lusty blows at the death took Clapham to 199, the Comics were in with a shout.

Coops and Jabba put on 82 for the first wicket in 22 overs. Jabba got nine of those, despite facing two-thirds of the strike, having been distracted by the smell of the nearby barbeque. When the hapless Fudge and debutant Brad also fell, there was trouble brewing. But Roy came in and mixed watchfulness and aggression to take the pressure off Coops, and the Comics regained control. Coops completed another Comics ton, but this was an old school fortuitous one, as he survived a droppable chance on one, and an absolute dolly in the 80s, which was probably the game-changer. Coops finished matters with a big six, and the Comics kept up their promotion challenge. 

A heroic run-chase on a Berrylands belter kept the Comics in an unlikely promotion hunt against the big bats of Old Thorntonians A. Coops won the toss and chose to bowl - standard form from the wise old owl, knowing that the Comics can chase down any score (aka we can't defend 300). Thorns blazed an early trail and were 78-0 off 11, and hammered boundaries all day long. We did not bowl great, but Stuart picked up two on debut, Tom kept it tight with his spin, and Veitch returned to clear up the tail. The safe-catching of the Comics in the field would ultimately prove decisive, as Roan, Tofty and Veitch took sharp chances and Fred, Brad and Coops pouched ones too. A 300+score ended up 'only' being 271, and we had a sniff.

Coops fell early for the first time this year, and Thorns prematurely celebrated victory, but with Frikkie at the other end the Comics remained confident. Brad, Roan, Veitch and Tom provided useful support at the other end, while Frikkie batted through with aplomb. He survived two fairly simple chances, which would prove crucial, and by the time he had brought up his third Comics ton (in about 10 games), the Comics were well in control. To overcome rust and fatigue to end up with 130* was an excellent effort, and when Tom clipped away the winning runs, the dreams (well, fear) of promotion could continue for another week.