Leicester Banks CC - 1st XI vs Kibworth CC - 2nd XI

  Match report

Match Report

With skipper Pounds injured, stand in Skipper Matthew took a youthful side over to the Banks, with the ground bathed in sunshine and with Chairman Raj and the boy's having done a lot of work on the ground and facilities, looked excellent.

The skipper had some experience to fall back on with Simmo, Spence and broughton, but it was a side containing 5 players under the age of 21, all of which meant a cosy journey in the 2 available cars.

On what looked like a good batting deck, the skipper was not to upset to have lost the toss and be asked to bat. The short road end boundary would be as always the target for the hitters and with a dry and shaved outfield, there would be full value.

The 2 openers on their first outings of the season were Dip's and Fabian. Having been at University for what seemed like 18 years, Dips' was now in full time employment and available all season, which on his first few overs at the crease is going to be a bonus for the club.

With the new ball and some early seam movement, the banks openers found the outside edge on more than 1 occasion, however with fielders not in the right spot, the boundaries flowed and the 2 lads grew in confidence. Fabian drove with fluidity and with dips as always manouvering the ball around and taking some well judges singles, the score moved on to over 80 without loss.

After doing the groundwork, Dips was trapped lbw at the crease and his expression on returning to the pavilion said it all, as he was set for a big score, but if he carries on in the same vein, it's going to be a good year for Dips, apart from having to pay full subs for the first time ever at KCC.

Luke joined Fabes and not one for prodding, Lukey soon launched one over Long on for a maximum, followed by a couple of cleanly hit 4's to take him quickly to 25 from just 38 balls. It was during this period that the banks skipper introduced some spin to take the pace off the ball and it was the spin which accounted for Luke as he miss-timed one to be caught in the deep.
With wickets in hand the KCC boys just struggled to apply the tempo to take advantage of an early promising start and although Ali tried to do the right thing by giving Fabes the strike, the bigger hitters in the line up didnlt get the opportunity to pepper the houses and the roof of foxes training ground on belvior drive. That said we witnessed a wonderfully paced 119 by Fabes, with shots all round the ground, with 14 x 4's and 3 maximums in his 122 ball 119 not out.

The spinners from Banks applied the brakes at a crucial time and a lesson also which would prove painful for the fleckney road men later in the day, the banks bowlers gave only 2 wides and 2 no balls away to see the KCC men just 3 runs short of another batting point.

After a fine tea and with Steve taking the first 11 overs with the gloves to give fabes a breather, the banks innings got underway. An outstanding spell of 6 overs for just 11 runs from Mikey was baked by some typical broughts pace and effort, although one of his feet must have grown by about a foot, as an overs worth of no balls was conceded by the big hairy paceman. It was however the extra pace of broughts which surpised the opener as he was to late on a short on and skied a hook shot taken by Steve.

Mikey as per the rules had to take a break after his 6 and Simmo looked to muscle the ball through in a 4 over spell where he passed the bat on a few occasions without joy. Broughts had time in his first spell to pick up number 3 with an LBW to a straightening delivery and was replaced by Bunders, who had already been flinging himself round like a lunatic and had already saved the team 10 runs with his caped hero antics.

Bunders 4 overs accounted for the banks skipper who was a classy opener and had looked settled on 33 when he tried to hoist the youth over cover and was held nicely by the patrolling Mikey and a much needed break of partnership for the Fleckney road men. The next man in was Keeper Patel, who bore an MS Dohni like resemblance and was heading out on a date as he waited for only 7 balls to try and put bunders into the Highcross centre and nicked of to the now slimmer keeper fabes.

Nicely poised and with inroads into the middle order and with Jo Cuthbert with the belvior drive end tied up tighter than Vills trousers, it seemed another coupole and we were in with the chance of a full points haul. Much praise for Bombshell as since his Aussie stint has returned as a very accomplished left arm spinner and with a useful mix of darts, drift and turn picked up numbers 4 & 5 with an LBW and then the champagne moment of the day when number 5 patel smashed one to what looked like a certain 1 bounce 4, when in a blur of hairgel and a huge grin, bunders plucked the ball 2 handed horizontally off the ground and the celebrations began.

Unfortunently the Banks boys had other ideas and the introduction at the Road end of Ram and Lukey in a 3 over burst didn't go to plan and the 38 runs plundered from the short spells put big pressure on the boy's, but it's a team game and we know those 2 will be match winners during the season and both set about scrapping for every run in the field, with Ram's sliding tackle saving 3 runs and Luke narrowly missing out on one on the boundary which would have required broughts on stilts to grab.

With Cuth wheeling away at the other end with a miserly line and length, broughts signalled to the skip that he wanted the ball and slowly it started to turn back to the Kibby boy's. It was time again for the spikey wonder to have an influence on the game and with number 8 on 44, he chanced a single to cover, only to be caught a foot short as bunders hit middle stump with a direct hit and the pendulum swung back again to the villagers.

Patel had other ideas as he reached his 50 and with the run out bringing the no nonsense number 9 to the crease, he clubbed a successive 4 and a 6 from the last over as broughts tried his all to bowl us to a winning draw.

In the wash up we should have hit the gas with the bat earlier than we did with so many wickets in hand and a solid start and the tale of the day maybe the number of wides and no-balls, 7 wides and 9 no balls, a total of 16 free runs and another 2.4 overs to bowl on top of the 45 scheduled.
It is however game 1 of the campaign and let's not be over critical. We will play a lot worse than this and win games. Broughts is back and fit for the firsts, Fabes has also shown a trip abroad is good for the form and Bombshell is looking like the turn to bowler to do a spiro for the 2's. Bunders and Mikey are a credit to the junior section and will certainly be in the wickets at the end of the season. Dips is £4 lighter in the pocket each week and lukey's bat is wider than steve M's buttocks! Rambo will be back to his best and ragging it square, Ali will show the promise of his work through the winter nets and Steve and Simmo will be driving to most away games!