Wednesday, June 27, 2007

TEENAGERS TERRORISE TERRIBLE FIELDS. PART 2

There’s not a lot you can say about this. We lost to them a few weeks back in the league and lost by an almost identical score this time. Therefore, let’s do this in 2 lists:

THE SAME AS LAST TIME

  1. They batted 1st and won the toss.
  2. They scored just over 120
  3. In reply, we scored less than 90.
  4. Only a slight wag from the tail prevented complete embarrassment.
  5. They were an impressive and friendly opposition.

DIFFERENT TO LAST TIME

  1. More than 2 of our batsmen got into double figures.
  2. One of their players annoyed his own team almost as much as ours.
  3. Er, different pitch.
  4. That’s about it.

Well done to Ty for bowling like he was still at Glastonbury one moment, ripping stumps out the other, and Alex who hit an accomplished 24.

More fun and games next week.

(Scorecard below)

LFCC V VP JUNIORS SCORECARD

Cup Round 1...

VP Juniors won by 41 runs:

VP Juniors 127/4 (14 overs)

Name Overs Maidens Wickets Runs RPO
Ty 4 0 2 34 8.5
Will 4 0 0 24 6.0
John 3 0 0 26 8.7
Alex 3 0 1 43 14.3

London Fields 86 All Out

Name How Out Runs
Paul Tea Caught 12
Nick Bowled 12
Jason Caught 2
Will Bowled 3
Chris Bowled 13
Alex Stumped 24
John Run Out 3
Ty Not Out 3



Extras
14
Total:
86

Monday, June 18, 2007

FIXTURE FRENZY

League fixtures for the 2nd part of the season are now confirmed and available to view in the right hand bar over there ----->

Our 4 'Super 6' opponents will be East End Cavaliers, Victoria Lounge, Rose & Crown and Pacific. Our win against Vallance last week means we carry over 2 points! Yay!

Saturday, June 16, 2007

FINAL TABLE

Just to confirm, we finished 4th and qualify for division 2...

Green League

Played Won Lost N/R Points
Tower Ravens 6 5 1 0 10
Victoria Park Juniors 6 5 1 0 10
Vallance 6 3 2 1 7
London Fields 6 3 3 0 6
Central London 6 2 3 1 5
Chats Palace 6 2 4 0 4
OId Fallopians 6 0 6 0 0

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

FIELDS PUT VALLANCE TO BED

Needing a win to attain 2nd Division status against a team also needing success to qualify for the top league, an epic performance was required – three hours later we had delivered just that.

Losing the toss (again) and fielding first (again), Ty and Steve bowled perfect lines to the opposition’s openers. Ty rewarded with an early wicket after forcing the batsman into wild swings at the ball. Two more soon followed for Steve, with help from great catches by Alex and Will, and we were well set. After 8 overs Vallance had just over 50, were 3 wickets down and another bat had retired hurt. Our opponents have a fine record in this league though and fought back with a mix of clever singles and aggressive hitting. John, Chris, Ruby and Will all took a bit of a pasting and after the full sixteen overs, we were set a target of 156.

A quick start was essential, and Paul T(ea) and John got us going at 10 an over with some excellent exploiting of the gaps in the field. With boundaries hard to find, John ran five consecutive 2’s at one stage. Shattered, he was bowled by the Vallance spinner on 30. A similarly run happy Paul T(ea) followed soon after for a whippet-like 25 and we risked collapse. Needing 83 off the last 8 overs, Will and Alex consolidated before opening up. An injury to Alex left him needing a runner, but he was still able to find the gaps enough to get Will on strike. A huge 6 when on 48 gave Will his half-century and retirement and just 14 were needed from the last 2 overs…

The returning Vallance opening bowler finally took the wicket of Alex (17), and Chris and Ruby could only scratch 2 runs off the over. With 2 new batsmen and 12 needed from the last 6 balls things were tense. The fielding side’s tails were up and there were more than a few words…so the last over…

1st ball – Chris hit for 4 and the game was back on…

2nd ball – A wide. 7 needed from 5.

2nd ball (again) – Chris managed to get bat on ball and a quickly sprinted 3.

3rd ball – Ruby hit for 2 – 2 needed for victory.

4th ball – Played and missed, momentum swung back a little.

5th ball – Clump! Ruby hammered straight down the ground for 4.

A 4 wicket victory in fading light, our biggest ever successful run chase and a game where all 8 played a key role. Will’s 50 was a joy to watch, Ty and John kept their heads and umpired admirably in a pressure cooker situation, and a special mention to Turley who kept score when we ran out of players in the enveloping chaos.

Scorecard below...

Woop!

LFCC V. VALLANCE SCORECARD

London Fields won by 4 woop woop wickets!

Vallance 155/5 (16 overs)

Name Overs Maidens Wickets Runs
Ty 4 0 1 23
Steve 4 0 2 27
John 2 0 0 31
Ruby 1 0 0 11
Will 3 0 0 34
Chris 2 0 0 26


London Fields 158/3 (15.5 overs)

Name How Out Runs
Paul Tea Stumped 25
John Bowled 30
Will Retired 54
Alex Caught 17
Ruby Not Out 8
Chris Not Out 8




Extras
16
Total: 158 Ovs: 15.5

WOW!

London Fields win amazing match V Vallance with a ball to spare!




















...more info to follow!

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

REASONS TO BE CHEERFUL...

We might have lost the ability to win matches...








But we've mastered looking like complete tools!

CRIMINAL FIELDING SENDS FIELDS TO TOWER

A beautiful evening for cricket was hampered before play even began when police were called to remove a ranting lady carrying some slightly controversial opinions who was more than a little worse for wear, not that this is an excuse…

Batting first, Paul (22) and Will (27) put on a steady partnership, before Paul was carelessly stumped by an eagle eyed keeper, whose enthusiasm was typical of the excellent Tower Ravens fielding performance. Wickets tumbled as we tried to open up against their spinners, but efforts from Ruby (11) and John (who hit a fine 6 in his 21 not out) helped us to a competitive 117.

In reply, we knew we had a game on when one of the Tower Ravens openers hit Grant for one of the largest 6’s any of us have seen at the VP Astrodome. It went so far that two minutes later, having circumnavigated the globe, it landed somewhere beyond the nets. Our bowlers kept their cool though, with Pete taking a key wicket in four economic overs and John ripping through three further batsmen.

Ravens were stuck on 47/3 from the first 7 overs and we were well in control. At this point though, we lost our minds more than the drunk who joined us at the start of the match – our fielding became increasingly erratic with (often difficult) catches going down when they would normally be held – Dave being particularly unlucky diving for two tough chances. In addition, there were wild throws at the stumps causing overthrows in a range of unnecessary situations - Ravens needed just 15 from the last 18 balls. Bringing himself on, Chris only went for three off his 1st over, put a poor 2nd over allowed a four to be struck from the penultimate ball and seal victory for Tower Ravens by 2 wickets.

A terrible result, especially as weather appears to have aspired against us, leaving a team we bowled out for 49 a few weeks ago above us in the league and heading to division 2 because of a rained off tie. We need to beat Vallance next week to give us a hope of avoiding the third tier ‘super’ 6’s.

Scorecard below...

LFCC V TOWER RAVENS SCORECARD

London Fields lost to Tower Ravens by 8 broken spirits...

London Fields 117/6 (16 overs)

Name How Out Runs
Paul Stumped 22
Will Caught 27
Ruby Stumped 11
Dave Caught 0
John Not Out 21
Chris Bowled 6
Pete Run out 5
Grant Not Out 2
Extras
24
Total: 118 Overs: 16

Tower Ravens 121/5 (15.5 Overs)

Name Overs Maidens Wickets Runs RPO
Pete 4 0 1 17 4.3
Grant 2 0 0 24 12.0
John 4 0 3 29 7.3
Will 3 0 1 28 9.3
Chris 1.5 0 0 11 5.8
Dave 1 0 0 7 7.0