Buoyant Barbarians Sink Rusty Rhiwbina at Llan-rainy
Willows League – Thursday 7th May 2009
Expectations were running high ahead of the curtain-raiser to the 2009 season. Some (new additions Dave, Andrew and Grant) were looking forward to their debut for the illustrious Mighty Pines. Established players were hoping to pick up where they left off at the end of 2008. Dai James was looking forward to giving the opposition nightmares with his wicket celebrations and club captain Ash was looking forward to taking his seat in the directors box (alongside JD) to watch the ever-expanding squad of pines work their magic on a team that finished last season 3 places below us in the league.
And then the rain started.
Match duly reduced to 18 overs per side.
In fact, the start of the match went anything but swimmingly (how many wet weather-related puns can I fit in here?). The case of the missing R.C.C. scorebook was troubling Mystic (last seen propped up against a Chicken Jalfrezi at Juboraj end of season dinner).
Sisko was delayed forcing Ash to don the whites and scamper in to join the team huddle. Before we knew it the BaBa’s batsmen were in the middle, the raindrops were trickling off the peaks of the club-issue ‘baggy burgundies’ and Barny Evans was opening the bowling.
Playing cricket in the rain is indeed quite an art, especially for the fielding side. There’s a fine line between “my hands are in my pockets to stop them freezing over” and a general appearance of disinterest. A nervous feeling of “How long is this going to go on for? What’s that buzzing sound coming from the pylons?” tends to interfere with concentration and, whatever you do, don’t let the ball touch the ground! Credit goes to Dan Clayton and others for marshalling the towel at mid-off (and for Mark for supplying said towel).
Despite the slippery conditions, the bowling performance was a decent one. Nobody bowled badly (14 extras conceded in total). Grant Jones, on debut, did a good job of blocking up one end (0 for 14 off 4) allowing Graham Sisk to a) turn up, b) get into his rhythm and c) break the opening partnership. Sisko finished with 3 for 26 from his 4 over spell, putting pay to batsmen 1, 3 and 4 from the Barbarians.
The cultured Darren Mogridge ensured that the scoring rate ticked along for the opposition. He carried his bat for 36 as we were treated in the last over of the innings to some vintage Dai James (2 for 2 off 1, including a peach of a delivery to end the innings). The Barbarians finished on 100 for 6 from their 18 overs.
It was then a case of piling into the scorer’s hut (or in Sisko’s case – his car) to avoid the drizzle and hope that we could muster a decent reply in very tricky batting conditions to say the least. To make matters worse, the BaBas bowled extremely tightly, deceptive in pace and flight and deadly in accuracy. This meant a cautious, and sometimes shaky, start for the pines.
Mike Street was trapped in front early on. Clayton and Sutton struggled to cut loose before both being dispatched. With the required run-rate increasing all the time, things weren’t looking good for the pines. It was about that time that things brightened up a bit and any hope of calling the game off duly vanished.
Barny Evans’ display in the middle order brought a flicker of light to proceedings. With Sisko and Dai eager to get out to the middle and open the shoulders – was a final big push possible to bring Rhiwbina home? Sadly not on this occasion. We were squarely beaten by 36 runs and to add to the gloom – if we had scored one more run we would have got a bonus point. As it is, Rhiwbina have laid the foundations for a surge up the table which will surely start with a win on our next outing.
Credit to all the lads. Everyone played a part. Just wasn’t our day.
Pines of the Match:
Dai leads by example with the ball (and the art, or should I say ‘arc’ of backing up in the field), Barny shines with the bat. Sisko got 3 for.
Champagne Moment:
Vintage James as Dai bowls a rip-snorter to remove the top of the batsman’s off stump with the last ball of the innings… He didn’t stop running… or making that face…!
Mix-up in the wardrobe department:
It’s not new polo shirts we need JD – more like rain macs!
Soundtrack to the Highlight Reel:
“Raindrops keep falling on my head” (Burt Bacharach), “Purple Rain” (Prince), “Rain” (The Beatles) “I cannot feel my fingers…I cannot feel my toes” (Wet Wet Wet)
Pines cut down by Cavaliers in the field
Cavaliers v Rhiwbina, 11th June 2009, Willows Cup Quarter Final
If you think cricket is just about batting and bowling, watching Rhiwbina play on Thursday night (11th June) would have disabused you of that particular notion. The Pines committed cricketing suicide in the field, collectively putting in a sloppy performance that wiped out the strong position that had been created by both bat and ball.
On a bright and blustery evening, Cavaliers won the toss and decided to insert the visitors. Dan Clayton got the Pines off to flying start, using his feet to stroke some delightful boundaries on both sides of the wicket. Gareth Davies struggled to find the fluency he exhibited in the first round and was stumped for 5 while on the charge.
In the shadow of Llandaff Cathedral, Clayton quickly moved to 25 and was retired, leaving the middle order of Ash Crowter (9), Matt Todd (10) and Phil Holt (16) to build some useful parnerships and keep the scoring rate above a run-a-ball. But the real impetus came from left-hander Steve Lewis who stuck the ball powerfully to race to 25 in double-quick time.
The tail also chipped in some useful runs to maintain the scoring rate, until Ted Pilling’s dismissal from the penultimate ball, saw Dan Clayton return to the crease to add another single to his total. The Pines closed on 129 for 8 from 18 overs – tellingly the Cavaliers had bowled 23 wides.
Rhiwbina’s collective bowling was good. Steve Lewis (0 for 10) set the tone of discipline for others to follow, which by and large they did. There were only a handful of wides bowled by the Pines. Ted Pilling, returning to the Rhiwbina ranks for the first time this season, lived up to his reputation as a ‘golden arm’ by striking twice in his first over, aided by the captain who plucked a full-blooded pull out of the air at midwicket, much to his own surprise. Pilling finished with superb figures of 2 for 6.
The Cavaliers top six were good players (three retired on 25) and managed to score occasional boundaries but, on too many occasions, shots for one or two turned into fours as fielders let the ball slide between their legs or through grasping fingers. The long barrier may not be in vogue but Rhiwbina’s fielders, on this evidence, need to relearn some lessons from the old school. First topic on the syllabus: get some part of your body behind the ball.
The mistakes led to tension in the field, which briefly spread to the batsmen. Barny Evans and Matt Todd’s sharp throws ran out two batsmen late on and with four overs to bowl, Rhiwbina seemed to be in the box seat. But when the Cavaliers’ tail-enders did connect with big swings, the Pines’ deep fielders were unable to protect the rope. The final blow was struck from the final ball of the 17th over and Rhiwbina lost by six wickets.
PINE-OF-THE-MATCH: Steve Lewis – unbeaten knock and tidy first-up bowling. A rare genuine athlete.
CHAMPAGNE MOMENT: Ted Pilling rips one past the opener’s blade and clips the top of off. It’s always a good huddle when EP is at the centre.
TEFLON FIELDERS AWARD: let’s spread the love around.
NO CUDDLY TOY AT THE COCONUT SHY: Ashleigh Crowter shies at the bowler’s stumps from square-leg, and nearly decapitates the fielder at extra-cover.
DIRTY TROUSERS AWARD: Matt Todd for a fine sliding stop. His wife has got her work cut out with that grass stain.
Pines stand tall as BA crash out of the Cup
Rhiwbina v BA Dragons, Willows Cup 1st Round, Thursday 21st May, Llanrumney
Rhiwbina’s season kicked into gear on Thursday night as they produced one of their best team performances to move into the quarter-finals of the Willows Cup. It was a collective success with every player contributing to the 42 run victory over the BA Dragons. A man-of-the match adjudicator would have had his work cut out. The commemorative crystal decanter may have ended up smashed on the floor so the pieces could be shared round equally.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Rhiwbina sent in a new opening partnership and they couldn’t have played better. Dan Clayton has been a consistent performer with the willow but for his new partner Gareth Davies, this was a first chance to shine at the top of the order. And the tall West Walian made the most of his opportunity with an attractive and highly effective innings, combining powerful hitting and immaculate defence. Even his forward defensive is a good-looking stroke. Davies and Clayton both scored at more than a run a ball until they reached 25, the score on which batsmen must retire in the revised cup format.
Captain Ashleigh Crowter was able to build on the opener’s solid foundations as he hit an unbeaten 27, including 3 boundaries, at a good rate. But he saw three partners come and go as Phil Holt, Dai James and Grant Jones all fell cheaply. But support came from Oli Jenkins, striding out at number 7 for his first innings for the club. His batting had been an unknown quantity until this point but he showed himself to be a clean striker as his 14 not out guided the innings home, with John Davies and Andy McKenna providing helpful support. Rhiwbina closed on 131 for 4 from 18 overs.
On paper, the Rhiwbina bowlers seemed to be an unproven unit. But that assessment was shredded and burnt as all nine men entrusted with the ball showed control and concentration. There were no weak links in the chain and no easy overs for batsmen to plunder. BA needed to score at more than 7 an over to win the match but they never got ahead of the rate.
John Davies struck in the first over, bowling an opener with a looping round-arm tweaker, although BA did start with a flurry of boundaries. But from the fourth over onwards, the batting threat was largely contained. Grant Jones, Ashleigh Crowter and Oli Jenkins each conceded a mere 9 runs from their 12 ball spells, forcing the required rate to climb above 9 runs an over at the halfway stage. And the result was effectively sealed in the middle overs as Andrew ‘Mystic’ McKenna produced a miserly spell of line and length bowling, costing only 6 runs, and held onto to a towering mishit at cover to give the ever-vocal Dai James a deserved wicket.
Mystic is the man who sets the example in the field. Deceptively quick over the ground with his languid stride, McKenna also had good hands and a sharp reading of the game. Woe betide a batsman who tries to take a quick single to him as BA’s Ram found to his cost.
Dave ‘Trigger’ Thomson also showed laudable control with his flighted off-spinners, conceding 11 singles from 12 balls at a time when BA were desperate for boundaries. By the time Dan Clayton and Phil Holt came on to finish the innings, the flow of runs had become a trickle. BA hit the last of their six boundaries in the 11th over, with the rope well patrolled by Gareth Davies and Grant Jones in particular. Holt cashed in on the final desperate swings of the blade, bowling one batsman and seeing another caught nonchalantly by Clayton, just inches inside the long-on boundary, in the final over. Holt’s figures of 2 for 5 were the best of the match.
BA made 89 for 5 from their allotted overs, but the telling statistic on the scorecard was to be found in the extras column. Rhiwbina’s nine bowlers only bowled 5 wides between them, a brilliantly disciplined performance especially when you contrast the figure with the 17 wides that BA served up. In effect, Rhiwbina batted for 2 extra overs.
The Mighty Pines now face the Cardiff Cavaliers in the quarter-final at the Cathedral School in Llandaff on Thursday 11th June.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: A glass of champagne for everyone but Gareth Davies, Andy McKenna and Dan Clayton can all swig out of the bottle.
SAFE AS HOUSES: McKenna and Clayton pouch steepling skiers, with Dan having to watch his feet as well as his hands.
NICKNAME THAT MUST STICK: Dave ‘Trigger’ Thomson
PREMATURE AGEING AWARD (sponsored by Saga): Ash bends over to pick up a stationary ball and only manages to grab it at the third attempt. It’s a long way down these days.
PUT OUT TO PASTURE: Gareth Davies grazes in the deep while Rhiwbina bowl.
LIMAHL HAIRSTYLE PRIZE: Oli Jenkins can’t decide whether he wants to look like Ian Botham (circa 1985) or Shane Warne (circa 1993) and goes for a simultaneous approximation of both.
THERE’S SOMETHING MISSING: Rhiwbina captain delays the start by forgetting to supply the crucial ingredient for a cricket match – the ball.
Rhiwbina Hold On to Pinch Victory from the Consmen
Rhiwbina v Consmen, Willows League, Thursday 28th May, Llanrumney
On a gloriously sunny evening, a spirited and well-supported Rhiwbina team played with great consistency and focus to outfox the Consmen; a very satisfying first victory in the league this season.
As the clouds gradually disappeared during the day and the temperature rose, the Pines were all looking forward to an evening of sitting in the sun, catching up with friends old and new, topping up the tan…and maybe even playing a spot of cricket!
John Davies, our merchandise manager, rarely misses a trick to provide the right item of club-wear at the right time. The Audi boot opened to reveal the now infamous “wide-brimmed” (understatement) sun hats available at a reasonable price for anyone who didn’t yet own this most necessary piece of headwear.
JD also presented scorer Mystic with the brand new RCC Scorebook in a small, private ceremony prior to the start of the match. It is most definitely the most impressive looking scorebook that we have ever had. The only complaint from scorer Mystic was that there wasn’t enough room in the boxes to record all the wides that Consmen bowled! More on that story later.
Other pre-match banter included explaining to John Hughes that it is the fielder that gets credited with a run-out rather than the keeper who whips the bails off. This didn’t go down well. Rhiwbina were joined for this match by a good crowd from the official supporters club. Leading the cheers were Dom Cain, injured Pines legend who umpired the whole match; Dave ‘trigger’ Thomson; new recruit Jeff, and the Hughes family.
Rhiwbina won the toss and elected to bat on a good pitch and a freshly-cut outfield. Mike Street and Mark Sutton set about the task of posting a good score, helped along the way by the Consmen bowlers who ended up bowling at least 4 extra overs due to the amount of wides and no-balls given away. Sutton fell foul of some cautious umpiring to be adjudged caught out for 11 (was possibly a no ball delivery). Mike Street never looks like he’s going to get out, and so it’s always a disappointment when he does. Still, his 34 was an invaluable contribution. Mike played well alongside Ashleigh Crowter (22) with both men playing some good shots to keep the Pines ticking along at 7 or 8 an over.
The middle order struggled to capitalise on this excellent platform but made up for it in entertainment value. Matt Todd and Barny Evans were unlucky to go cheaply after looking in good nick. Andrew John played some nice strokes before being trapped for 7. Oli Jenkins (10) continues to grow in stature as a cricketer. His upper-body strength ensured that he scored at a run a ball (in other words… block/block/swing&miss/swing&miss/swing&miss/SIX!).
John Davies (11) also enjoyed a clobbering cameo with the bat ensuring that he remains on target for his personal performance plan of 100 runs and 10 wickets this season (that’s what we like to see team – targets!) All this meant that Rhiwbina closed their innings on 129 for 8 after their 20 overs.
It was during the changeover that Mark Sutton came to the fore as resident guest summariser and expert pundit. His analysis of the Rhiwbina innings was spot on and his tactical predictions were clear. To quote the man himself, “What we need are some ‘wibbly wobbly’ bowlers.” Fortunately, Rhiwbina just so happened to have plenty of this type of bowler! Although missing a few of the more experienced pacemen, it was the ‘wibbly wobblies’ that stood up to be counted during the Consmen innings.
Needing 6.5 runs an over, the Consmen got off to a great start. They ticked along at just under the rate but crucially denied the Pines any sniff of a wicket for the first 10 overs. Their opening partnership of Shirrow (41) and Blanford (54*) looked impenetrable. Rhiwbina looked tight in the field, however, working hard to ensure that the game didn’t get away from them. Jenkins, Crowter and McKenna bowled really well despite nothing showing in the wickets column.
It was the introduction of John Davies from around the wicket that caused Consmen the most problems. The angle of attack combined with serious turn on the ball consistently has batsmen in the Willows League perplexed. Some, like Blanford, try to attack and smash him to cow corner. Others, like Shirrow, Dean and Vanstone, have no answer to his onslaught yielding their wickets, the last two in consecutive balls. Sadly no hat-trick for JD…oooh it was close though!
The Pines edged in front due to this mini-collapse from the Consmen. However, with Blanford still at the crease and playing very well, it was imperative that Rhiwbina farmed the strike and bowled as much as possible at the weaker batsmen. Special credit goes to Mike Street who produced a brilliant spell of bowling at the death to stifle the scoring rate and remove yet more Consmen. He finished with 2 for 12 off his 3 overs.
By the time the last over came around, the Consmen needed 15 from it. Oli Jenkins held his nerve with the ball, as did the whole of the team in the field, to ensure that the Mighty Pines closed out the innings for a victory by 9 runs.
PINE OF THE MATCH – Mike Street stands out with a classic opener’s innings and some brilliant tight bowling at the death. JD was one ball away from sharing the prize.
MISSING SOMEONE? A prompt arrival by everyone for the start of this match, or so we thought?! Confusion reigned as the captain’s headcount showed us one man down, only to discover that John Hughes was chatting away in the Consmen huddle.
COMEBACK KING – John Davies moves from “head in hands” mode after being slogged, to within an inch (or five) of a hat-trick within the space of 2 overs.
THE SIMON HUGHES ANALYST AWARD – Mark Sutton reads the game like a book. He also has a brilliant looping throw from the deep always landing above the stumps, kind of like Chris Lewis used to have for Surrey and England in the early 1990s. Just don’t go bringing any tins of fruit back from Jamaica Mark..!
CHAMPAGNE MOMENT – Oli Jenkins creams one over the scorer’s hut for 6. Signalled Billy Bowden style by Sutton.
MARRIED TO A MATHS TEACHER – Mystic miscalculates the Consmen’s required run-rate sowing seeds of panic in the field – shameful display from club statistician!
NAME IN LIGHTS? – John Hughes finally gets his head round the run-out credit system, throwing the ball down the other end to eject a batsman (only for captain Crowter to leave his name off the official scoresheet!)
Sutton and Davies make GE Healthcare sick
Rhiwbina moved into the top half of the Willows League table on Tuesday (2nd June) as they picked up maximum points with a 9 wicket win against bottom side GE Healthcare. The Pines are now sixth in the table with five league games still to play.
Batting first, GE struggled to post a competitive total. Their openers were both gone inside the first two overs. Graham Sisk forced one to chip lamely to a grateful Mark Sutton at cover while Dai James (1 for 15) cleaned up the other after initially struggling to find his range. The blood-curdling cry of celebration as ball hit stump is going to be used in a new film – “Nightmare on Elm Street 15 – Freddie’s back (from the Pavilion End and bowling leg spin)”.
Sisko (2 for 10) was on the mark in his second over too, with new wicketkeeper Dave Thomson pouching his first victim in Rhiwbina colours. The club now has a range of options behind the stumps but Thomson has raised the stakes by bringing his own pads and gloves. Other keepers take note: it may look good if you turn up with some fancy inners or a helmet next week.
Ashleigh Crowter (1 for 18) also chipped in with an inswinging yorker to remove Laver for 12 although he did take some stick from GE’s best batsman in his third over which went for 11. In fact, Norey was the only real point of resistance as Rhiwbina rolled through the top-order.
But then came the stand-out bowling performance. Off-spinner John Davies set himself a target at the start of the season to take at least 10 wickets – a figure he should now easily surpass after producing stunning figures of 4 for 6 from 4 overs. As has already been evidenced this season, batsmen seem perturbed by the unusual angle of delivery and the slow pace before being surprised, often at the cost of their wicket, when the ball turns sharply as well.
Steve Lewis and Andrew McKenna will say Davies benefitted from the pressure they had built up bowling tightly, without success, at the other end. But JD was not slow to capitalise on batsmen’s confusion, clean bowling three and trapping Norey in front on 33.
The fielding was sharp in general. Only the cruellest of critics (John Davies) would criticise Mystic for shelling a low catch at mid-on (you should have heard him in the pub afterwards). A more generous observer (the captain) saw it as a good stop. Mark Sutton, now garnering a reputation as a fine outfielder, was also responsible for an excellent run-out.
In the end, GE closed on 80 for 9, setting the Pines a victory target of 81.
The chase proved to be a comfortable one, tarnished only by a swish outside off-stump, which ended Gareth Davies’s brief and runless stay at the crease.
But any concerns that the chase might prove more difficult than it looked were soon allayed as Mark Sutton opened his shoulders and dispatched the Healthcare bowling to all corners of Llanrumney. Crowter, at the non-striker’s end, stood and watched as Sutton, freed from the shackles of his helmet this season, hit 11 fours and 1 six to bring the Pines’ home with more than 9 overs to spare. He finished on 68 not out, contributing the vast majority of Rhiwbina’s 84 for 1. Definitely the knock of the season so far. That’s what can happen if you read the Rhiwbina website.
PINE-OF-THE-MATCH: John Davies won’t like it, but the award goes to Mark Sutton for a stunning unbeaten 68 with the bat, plus a catch and a run-out. Makes 4 for 6 look a bit paltry really.
IDEA FOR NEXT SEASON: Oli Jenkins thinks about his future career after discovering that Lewy is a fireman. He’s not bothered about putting out fires but would quite like to be in one of those calendars, all greased up and holding a hose.
TARGET-SETTING: John Davies is looking for 10 wickets and 100 runs this season. But more importantly, can he fit into a 36’ waist cricket trouser?
SHOWBOATING: Andy McKenna, after forcing the batsman to play and miss, shows off by flicking the ball over his shoulder and catching it behind his back while returning to his mark. Next week, expect him to pull out two oranges and start juggling. Mystic is available for children’s parties.
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