Opposition: The Perse
School
By Stephen Grady
As I sit here (on Tuesday 22nd May) drinking the
delicate notes of a first mid-spring Pimms, one could be mistaken that these
late afternoon warming glances of a southerly breeze whisper the first signs of
a glorious summer. Indeed, one could certainly be easily mistaken that these
are the first signs of what seemed to be a spring that would never arrive. Not
so really, in fact it was a cool grey evening last Thursday 17th May
that really got the Cambridge spring/summer season off to a fine (if not quite
sublime) start. Zootallurgy finally started their season with an away match at
The Perse School. It was Teachers (and the groundsman) vs. Men (or Zootallurgists
– a strange sub-race; almost albino).
Tarun did his best to disrupt the start (and the nerves of
the narrator) by turning up after the new skipper (Chandler) had elevated Grady
from 3 to opening the batting with Baxter. Baxter-Grady – what an opening
combination...Greenwich and Haynes came to mind...? Baxter talked a mentally
strong approach in the walk to the crease. Baxter ‘mis-judged’ the second
delivery and was duly given his orders lbw. The unfortunate nature of the
amateur game is you have to make those tricky umpiring decisions against your
own team mates, this time Chandler dismissing Baxter...Baxtor duly returned the
favour later on in the innings to the skipper! Guys – let’s face it, it’s
better to get rid of all this nonsense at the start of the season!!! Gilliver
and Grady set out with some consistent scoring for the next seven overs.
Grady’s first four scoring shots all reaching the boundary (one eloquently clipped
of his toes behind backward square). Gilliver fencing off a lot of the probing
attack and hitting the loose ones into the gaps with ease. Grady bowled by the
new spinner’s first ball (21)! Tarun (errr, the opener to the crease). After a
couple of dot balls, Tarun proceeded to score runs off each delivery until he
was out. It wasn’t that long an innings but it was captivating. After a late
flurry Gilliver succumbed to the sounds of the stumps rattle (16). Ryan opening
his account for Zootallugy took one on the chin “metaphorically” for his team
and then walked back to the pavilion – more determined to put the record
straight next game. The narrator had gone into umpire. Almost immediately, out
of the meat of the bat Tarun lauched an almighty six from the last ball of the
12th over over mid wicket. It was a thunderous hit and took everyone
by surprise (and possibly even the orchestrator of such a shot!?).
By this time Bill had come to the crease. His scoring in the
score book reads like an excited Morse code message. Lots of dots early on but
he certainly then started to dash through his innings. At some point soon after
Tarun was caught (can’t remember where) but a super little innings of 16 came
to an end. Pity. The skipper joined Bill. Bill had clearer intimated to me
before the game that he was reluctant to play and a severe doubt for this game
due to a multitude of injuries and long term aches and pains. Well Bill set out
on a complete mission to dislodge the confidence of the bowlers and succeeded.
Facing 31 balls, after a couple of unorthodox early defensive blocks, a fantastic
knock of 25 was made, top scoring for Zoots. It was the running between the
wickets that impressed so much,and caused Chandler a lot of difficulty in
keeping pace with the quick calling and extra runs when mis-fields started to
occur. Bill showed a style of cricket rarely displayed by the team – precise,
patient and assured. Matt pulled a fine four through mid-wicket. Not recalling
the sequence of the fall of wickets Bill succumbed, given his fine batting, in
the only way possible – via a run-out. A mis-judged call was quickly reversed, a
lack of spikes and a dramatic slip “oh shit” meant there was no way back.
Chandler was lbw for 8 and Stu played three fantastic defences pushes and
misses to ensure our new team mates both felt safe on 0! Plenty of chances to
improve their averages then. Eggeman and Michael (a Perse sixth-former) added
two a piece before Alex was our last man out. We had almost achieved our first
target to bat out the 20 overs (only 3 balls short). With a total of 108 and
extras (18) only being the third best score, we were happy with a solid first
batting performance of the season.
Perse were a good team. They had narrowly beaten Physics the
evening before scoring about 165. Zoots set to the field with quite a spring.
With only 9 in the field we had to rely on accurate bowling to stifle the
scoring and control the batting response. Unfortunately ‘Roots’, Perse’s
opening batsmen manoeuvred his confidence with the bat with flowing ease.
Bowling was accurate and quick, but 12 off the first 3 balls meant we were
already up against it. Trying to set either a 5 vs. 2 or a 4 vs. 3 field
placing meant there were plenty of holes and the openers were able to exploit.
Despite solid bowling Perse were 49 off four overs! Yikes! Eggeman and Chandler
(0-24-2) both trying valiantly to assert some control. What was evident was
that heads were high and Zoots were still buzzing for a turn around in
fortunes. New team mate Stu was given the first bowling change What he lacked
in sheer pace was made up for with clinical accuracy and the run rate was
stemmed – promising start to his new summer pursuit having “not played for
quite a few years”. It didn’t show. At the other end Eggeman (0-34-4) was
starting to eek a few half chances, and in each of his final two overs there
were good chances to get the two openers out but alas the catches that win the
matches weren’t quite taken. The Perse opener decided his day was done, when he
retired on 52 no (gracious). McLean (the other opener) was at the same time
starting to catch his timing and was moving through his 20s. As the sun slid
towards the distant horizon we were warmed by the sight of lengthened shadows.
Effectively Perse were 97-0 (with one retirement). Hmmmm.
With the missed chances and no wickets down it was looking
difficult, but then at the end of the 11th over all excitement
started to break loose. Stu took the first two wickets of Zoots 2012 season in
successive balls (balls 5 and 6 of the over) clean bowling the numbers 3 and 4
batsmen. Hatrick ball next over when retuning after Baxter’s second over!!!
Baxter (1-15-2) ‘wade’d in to the wicket rush and bowled number 5 with some
tricky flight and variation of pace. Remember that one Simon when you’re
returned home! Next over – hatrick ball...
***“Beer festival
interrupted play....err, I mean the report”
Resumption of the report...
Stu looked up for it and the field gathered closely around
the batsman. Anticipation and the breeze even lulled. Dot ball! Sighs all
round. The batsman puffed his chest and thought that was it...he had survived!
But, next ball Stu started to weave his magic again and took this third wicket
in four balls...another bowled. We celebrated like it was a hatrick! (NB this
batsman was the groundsman who would know the crease down to every blade of
grass so quite a coup). The next Perse batman came in...”what’s going on
mate?!”. Slightly rattled! Next ball – plumb lbw middle stump!!!! We were now
in disarray. This was getting a little crazy. In five balls at one end, four
wickets had tumbled...the Zootallurgy record books were being re-written after
every ball bowled. We were now grasping the second opportunity of a
hatrick...The Zoots crowded round the bat, barely allowing enough room for the
batsman to make a swing. All Cambridge went silent...run up...warming the
hands...watching the flight...Stu (4-21-5) just drifted one down past leg stump
and the chance passed again. What a sequence...
Gilliver and Grady took the next two overs...and tried
valiantly to continue this incredible sequence, but a few near misses of the
wickets and a flurry of shots from McLean (42) and Goodson (4) edged the
opposition past the Zootallurgy total (111-5). In a way it felt like a victory
for both. The score book for the Perse Batsman reads 52, 42 (no), 0, 0, 0, 0,
4. Four noughts in a row...very special.
There was some excellent fielding, exuberant calling
(clearly Alex led the whoops of delight and despair!), and we celebrated with
the opposition in The Salisbury Arms in suitable fashion. It was a great start
to the cricket season. Well played chaps and let’s hope for an equally
enjoyable game this week and a fine season. Form suggests we might win one or
come mighty close.
Man of the match: Stu for his incredible effort of 4 wickets
in 5 balls. Closely behind him was Bill for his superb quarter of a century.
Matt started brightly as the new Captain. A good all round performance! With a
full team we might be invincible!
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