Saturday 19th April
Saturday 19th April
Leigh on Sea – 238-5
Westcliff – 57 ao
In the first game of a brand new season, under a brand new captain, Leigh on Sea second team took on a very old enemy from across the park in the form of Westcliff. Many anticipated a close fought game, with pundits from the newspapers split on who the favourite was before the line-ups were announced. As soon as this had been done however Ladbrokes stopped taking bets on Leigh completely and put the odds on a Westcliff win up dramatically. Due to a late spree of call ups and call offs, Westcliff were left desperately short of genuine twos players and in fact had to draft in Leigh all-rounder Joe Sexton into their ranks for the day.
As the time of the match drew nearer, the weather, as befits the first day of a new cricket season, drew in nastily around the CPCG. The temperature dropped to what can only be described as 'chilly' with a north easterly wind as breezy as Paul Sibley's back passage after a dodgy vindaloo. It was into these semi-Arctic conditions that a few brave Leigh souls strode out to go through a pre match warm up. Suspicions were that the only real way of getting warm was in fact to remain inside and put on an extra pair of trousers (and several other members of the side plumped for this very option.) Thankfully for those outside, Brian was successful with the toss and took the instantly popular decision to bat first, which sent his team sprinting back into the pavilion as if a wild cheetah had just been released by the park keeper.
Captain Brian's pregame team talk was delivered with new season verve, and he told his batters to go out there to win, be positive and be selfish. To one of his opening partnership this was fantastic news, as Richard Stubbington knew he would be able to play his natural game. Selfington's opening partner Aaron 'AK' Kerner looked nervous, mostly because he had to open the batting with someone who was coughing as much as Stubby, the reason given for this sickness was a chest complaint carried over from Christmas. Suffice to say midpitch conferences were held at arms length.
As the action began an aggravating light drizzle of rain also commenced, ensuring the perishing conditions also had the threat on early onset pneumonia for any inactive fielders on the Westcliff side. AK and Self quickly got to grips with the conditions and the bowling and both looked in good touch, with Richard playing some typically high risk shots and Aaron playing punchy drives and finding good angles to place the ball. The 50 partnership was not long in arriving and with it Westcliff captain Kamran Khan turned to his Leigh sub and threw the ball to mini Sexton. The tiny man began to spin the web with his leg spin and before too long had bowled a beauty to get rid of the impressive Kerner. The gangling Steve Brown was the next batsman in. Brown, hardly built for the weather, looked decidedly chilly walking out and was almost undone by Sexton second ball not getting forward to a leg break and having to jam down to keep it out.
By this time illness was beginning to take a toll on Selfington and he had decided that he should score as quickly as possible before he dropped down dead, so was taking aim into Westcliff and trying to despatch the bowling into the tennis courts. As Brown struggled to get into any kind of flow, Stubby continued to attempt to flay the bowling to all parts, and moved toward his half century. A well flighted leg break from Sexton should have brought the wicket of Self, as he skipped down but missed and although hustled back the keeper whipped the bails off seemingly well before the foot was back. Umpire Threadgold however thought different and shook his head in refusal.
After Richard brought up his 50 (and acknowledged the applause of the two people braving the air outside the pavilion) Brown departed caught at mid-on, being replaced by Alex Camp. Up until this point very few appeals had been ventured by the opposition but before Camp's innings had got going, he was struck on the pad and sent back to the pavilion forthwith. Almost before Alex had looked from the umpire toward the pavilion, number 5 Damian Liston was already halfway to the crease waving his bat to loosen his limbs.
All the attention now was on Stub as he edged closer and closer to his hundred. After a few pumps on his asthma inhaler he blasted past 70, but his hacking cough and inability to run much suggested that his health was deteriorating. Damian was enjoying his time in the middle meanwhile and the score was still rollicking along at a good rate as both looked to avoid the long lush grass on the outfield by hitting over the top. Stubby's luck finally gave up ten runs short of a first innings ton as on 90 he was caught in the deep at midwicket.
Captain’s son JP stepped up to the plate and began in glorious fashion slamming away two cover drives past the fielders on the off side. With the Westcliff team started to look dejected and casting mournful looks in the direction of a warm cup of tea. The fillip of an lbw decision against an in form Pidge gave the boys from over the park a boost but the combination of Billy ‘The Kid’ King and Damo further took the game away from the Westies. With captain Brian deciding that only another 15 minutes of batting was needed as the total had risen to over 200. Carrying this message out to do the final stint of umpiring went Brown firmly wrapped up against the cold. On the change over from square leg to square leg Brown told 'The Kid' and 'The Bollock' “10 more minutes’ boys” to nods and the look of understanding from both. However at the next change of ends Damo questioned the umpire on how long till Brian would declare. Brown replied “I said ten minutes, 5 minutes ago so I imagine 5 minutes now!” to which the Australian chuntered on with something about “ahhhh should've got a hund....” but the rest was lost to the howling winds.
Four brutal boundaries later and the innings was declared shut on 238-5.
Tea back in the warm pavilion was a joy to all. In the changing rooms, people put on as many layers as is humanly possible. Most of the Leigh side trailed out in a couple of t-shirts a long sleeved shirt and a short sleeved jumper. However two players decided this simply wasn’t enough. Dan Power, who for most of the Leigh innings had been wandering round looking like Ranulph Fiennes, appeared out in the field wearing a white snow jacket under his short sleeved jumper with a disgraceful grey and red beanie hat. Following his arrival only one member of the team remained in the dressing room. Richard Stubbington 'Stubbo'. At last he appeared, eliciting loud laughter from all, fully decked out in multiple t shirts, cricket shirt, short sleeved jumper, a blue wind proof jacket zipped up fully (with hood tied up under his chin) with a Leigh long sleeved jumper over all of it. This ensemble was topped off with a sun hat pulled right down over his ears.
Out in the frozen tundra, Leigh quickly went about there work, mostly in an attempt to keep warm. The opening bowling attack of Jon ‘comeback kid’ Threadgold, who was bowling for the first time in a game since an attack of the beamers two years ago, and new boy Dave Archer quickly found their line and soon Threaders made the initial breakthrough, ripping a delivery off the seam and back into off stump. With his run up still giving him a few problems Jon didn’t immediately follow up his initial success and Westcliff got a few runs on the board. Jon however re-applied himself and sent another batter back to the warm with another ball nipping back this time uprooting middle stump much to the delight of his team mates.
Not to be left out of the party Archer then began re-setting his sights on the target and letting fly. His first victim was a sharp caught behind chance snaffled by Billy the kid, who was being put off for most of the time by Stubby standing at first slip. Next ball Archer scored a bulls-eye hitting the new bat big on the front pad and getting the decision in his favour. His hat-trick ball was well on target but kept out. Dave struck again however to leave him with figures of 3-15.
The arrival of spin twins Dan Power and Pidge quickly brought about the fall of the middle order with only one batsman really giving any resistance to the subtle knife of the Leigh bowling attack. He continually hoicked Power round in the air to midwicket where captain Pettitt was stationed but aggravatingly the shots were all slightly out of arms reach for the huuge man.
Once he had been removed however the Westcliff batting was all at sea. Power was having more problems with the sodden ball than the batsman; he was able to hit the target on more than one occasion and continually troubled all who faced him. The twirlers wrapped up the Westcliff innings in quick fashion with Dan finishing with an impressive 3-21.
In post game press conference Brian paid tribute to his side and said he hoped that future games would prove his side worthy title contenders.
Steve Brown
Leigh on Sea – 238-5
Westcliff – 57 ao
In the first game of a brand new season, under a brand new captain, Leigh on Sea second team took on a very old enemy from across the park in the form of Westcliff. Many anticipated a close fought game, with pundits from the newspapers split on who the favourite was before the line-ups were announced. As soon as this had been done however Ladbrokes stopped taking bets on Leigh completely and put the odds on a Westcliff win up dramatically. Due to a late spree of call ups and call offs, Westcliff were left desperately short of genuine twos players and in fact had to draft in Leigh all-rounder Joe Sexton into their ranks for the day.
As the time of the match drew nearer, the weather, as befits the first day of a new cricket season, drew in nastily around the CPCG. The temperature dropped to what can only be described as 'chilly' with a north easterly wind as breezy as Paul Sibley's back passage after a dodgy vindaloo. It was into these semi-Arctic conditions that a few brave Leigh souls strode out to go through a pre match warm up. Suspicions were that the only real way of getting warm was in fact to remain inside and put on an extra pair of trousers (and several other members of the side plumped for this very option.) Thankfully for those outside, Brian was successful with the toss and took the instantly popular decision to bat first, which sent his team sprinting back into the pavilion as if a wild cheetah had just been released by the park keeper.
Captain Brian's pregame team talk was delivered with new season verve, and he told his batters to go out there to win, be positive and be selfish. To one of his opening partnership this was fantastic news, as Richard Stubbington knew he would be able to play his natural game. Selfington's opening partner Aaron 'AK' Kerner looked nervous, mostly because he had to open the batting with someone who was coughing as much as Stubby, the reason given for this sickness was a chest complaint carried over from Christmas. Suffice to say midpitch conferences were held at arms length.
As the action began an aggravating light drizzle of rain also commenced, ensuring the perishing conditions also had the threat on early onset pneumonia for any inactive fielders on the Westcliff side. AK and Self quickly got to grips with the conditions and the bowling and both looked in good touch, with Richard playing some typically high risk shots and Aaron playing punchy drives and finding good angles to place the ball. The 50 partnership was not long in arriving and with it Westcliff captain Kamran Khan turned to his Leigh sub and threw the ball to mini Sexton. The tiny man began to spin the web with his leg spin and before too long had bowled a beauty to get rid of the impressive Kerner. The gangling Steve Brown was the next batsman in. Brown, hardly built for the weather, looked decidedly chilly walking out and was almost undone by Sexton second ball not getting forward to a leg break and having to jam down to keep it out.
By this time illness was beginning to take a toll on Selfington and he had decided that he should score as quickly as possible before he dropped down dead, so was taking aim into Westcliff and trying to despatch the bowling into the tennis courts. As Brown struggled to get into any kind of flow, Stubby continued to attempt to flay the bowling to all parts, and moved toward his half century. A well flighted leg break from Sexton should have brought the wicket of Self, as he skipped down but missed and although hustled back the keeper whipped the bails off seemingly well before the foot was back. Umpire Threadgold however thought different and shook his head in refusal.
After Richard brought up his 50 (and acknowledged the applause of the two people braving the air outside the pavilion) Brown departed caught at mid-on, being replaced by Alex Camp. Up until this point very few appeals had been ventured by the opposition but before Camp's innings had got going, he was struck on the pad and sent back to the pavilion forthwith. Almost before Alex had looked from the umpire toward the pavilion, number 5 Damian Liston was already halfway to the crease waving his bat to loosen his limbs.
All the attention now was on Stub as he edged closer and closer to his hundred. After a few pumps on his asthma inhaler he blasted past 70, but his hacking cough and inability to run much suggested that his health was deteriorating. Damian was enjoying his time in the middle meanwhile and the score was still rollicking along at a good rate as both looked to avoid the long lush grass on the outfield by hitting over the top. Stubby's luck finally gave up ten runs short of a first innings ton as on 90 he was caught in the deep at midwicket.
Captain’s son JP stepped up to the plate and began in glorious fashion slamming away two cover drives past the fielders on the off side. With the Westcliff team started to look dejected and casting mournful looks in the direction of a warm cup of tea. The fillip of an lbw decision against an in form Pidge gave the boys from over the park a boost but the combination of Billy ‘The Kid’ King and Damo further took the game away from the Westies. With captain Brian deciding that only another 15 minutes of batting was needed as the total had risen to over 200. Carrying this message out to do the final stint of umpiring went Brown firmly wrapped up against the cold. On the change over from square leg to square leg Brown told 'The Kid' and 'The Bollock' “10 more minutes’ boys” to nods and the look of understanding from both. However at the next change of ends Damo questioned the umpire on how long till Brian would declare. Brown replied “I said ten minutes, 5 minutes ago so I imagine 5 minutes now!” to which the Australian chuntered on with something about “ahhhh should've got a hund....” but the rest was lost to the howling winds.
Four brutal boundaries later and the innings was declared shut on 238-5.
Tea back in the warm pavilion was a joy to all. In the changing rooms, people put on as many layers as is humanly possible. Most of the Leigh side trailed out in a couple of t-shirts a long sleeved shirt and a short sleeved jumper. However two players decided this simply wasn’t enough. Dan Power, who for most of the Leigh innings had been wandering round looking like Ranulph Fiennes, appeared out in the field wearing a white snow jacket under his short sleeved jumper with a disgraceful grey and red beanie hat. Following his arrival only one member of the team remained in the dressing room. Richard Stubbington 'Stubbo'. At last he appeared, eliciting loud laughter from all, fully decked out in multiple t shirts, cricket shirt, short sleeved jumper, a blue wind proof jacket zipped up fully (with hood tied up under his chin) with a Leigh long sleeved jumper over all of it. This ensemble was topped off with a sun hat pulled right down over his ears.
Out in the frozen tundra, Leigh quickly went about there work, mostly in an attempt to keep warm. The opening bowling attack of Jon ‘comeback kid’ Threadgold, who was bowling for the first time in a game since an attack of the beamers two years ago, and new boy Dave Archer quickly found their line and soon Threaders made the initial breakthrough, ripping a delivery off the seam and back into off stump. With his run up still giving him a few problems Jon didn’t immediately follow up his initial success and Westcliff got a few runs on the board. Jon however re-applied himself and sent another batter back to the warm with another ball nipping back this time uprooting middle stump much to the delight of his team mates.
Not to be left out of the party Archer then began re-setting his sights on the target and letting fly. His first victim was a sharp caught behind chance snaffled by Billy the kid, who was being put off for most of the time by Stubby standing at first slip. Next ball Archer scored a bulls-eye hitting the new bat big on the front pad and getting the decision in his favour. His hat-trick ball was well on target but kept out. Dave struck again however to leave him with figures of 3-15.
The arrival of spin twins Dan Power and Pidge quickly brought about the fall of the middle order with only one batsman really giving any resistance to the subtle knife of the Leigh bowling attack. He continually hoicked Power round in the air to midwicket where captain Pettitt was stationed but aggravatingly the shots were all slightly out of arms reach for the huuge man.
Once he had been removed however the Westcliff batting was all at sea. Power was having more problems with the sodden ball than the batsman; he was able to hit the target on more than one occasion and continually troubled all who faced him. The twirlers wrapped up the Westcliff innings in quick fashion with Dan finishing with an impressive 3-21.
In post game press conference Brian paid tribute to his side and said he hoped that future games would prove his side worthy title contenders.
Steve Brown
<< Home