Match Report

The second league outing of the season saw skipper Matthew with his charges at home against Broomleys, who were comfortable 9 wicket winners the previous week against Barwell.
There were some changes to the side from the previous weeks trip to the Banks, with Fabaina rewarded with a chance in the 1st team and Broughts also proving his fitness and slotting back in for pedros boys. Tom Bailey returned for his first game of 2009 following a stint bailing pedro's inadequate football team out of the mire. Although held together with little more than Guinness and luck, Tom Driver was in the 11 as a batter, his cruciate ligament as delicate as most peoples heads after a night at the house of pain. The man to make way for Bailey was Ali, who would slide into the 3's and look to make a big score (Which in true fairly tale mode he did with an excellent ton for the Inspectors challenge on another league title). With skipper Pounds out, Bob Beevers managed to squeeze a game inbetween his busy work commitments. …………….
For all those that have just recovered from fainting, it as clearly a joke, Bob looks like spending another season in the £5 subs club! (paid I am sure by Andy!)

On a cloudy amd mixed day and on the track from the previous 2 games, Matthew lost the toss again, but having seen the early promise of the previous week and on an excellent track and big outfield, felt pretty comfortable that a decent score would give the spin twins of bombshell and bailey a chance to nick the points.

After his partnership with fabes, dips was clearly looking for someone to open with who would provide a similar level of pace, class and strokeplay. Well he got Jaffa so had to make do. Broomleys opened with their asian paceman who was familiar to a number of the kcc netters as he like Carl Fourie spent the winter bowling off 16 yards and joined another club. With the reliable and consistent Joyce at the other end, it was hard graft out there but was key was that both the boys put the bad ball away everytime and rarely missed out on any lose delivery. Jaff looked very forceful and was only to keen to dish out a bit back to the Broomleys 1st slip who commented that jaff had winetered well in the eating department and then promptly shelled one, only to be reminded by Betty that if he spent less time yapping, he might have more of a chance of doing his job.

Like the previous week, the hard work paid off and again a near 80 run opening partnership had been built before Jaff was trapped lbw for a well crafted 26 from 43 balls. Great to see jaff in early season form and with a run up the order, this could be a fine year for the aggressive left hander.
One hardhitting left hander was replaced by another as lukey set about some no nonsense dispatching of anything in his slot. The replacement of joyce with berrisford suited lukes style and the partnership rocketed along with dips parting after a hardworked 28.

Playing in his free role at number 4 was ramdog and he was clearly relishing the opportunity to bat and with no pressure to bowl in the game, he played an excellent partnering role to luke and the scene was set for a potential 250+ tally for the home side. Luke after an almost run a ball 62 containing 8 x 4's and a large straight 6, went after one from the spinner from the fleckney road end and the grateful fielder held on to one that may have frightened a few pilots on the flight path to eastmidlands.

Ram continud his excellent work as he was joined by simmo, but the fledgling partnership was brought to an end as joyce slipped one past rams defences and bowled him. After only 42 deliveries ram had reached 36 with 16 in boundaries, just highlighting the prmise of ram as a batter not just a wizardly leg spinner.

Simmo and sideshows partnership lasted about as long as one of Britney spears' marriages and the skipper then watched from 1 end as his next 3 partners lasted 4 balls. Beevs manged a 2 and Mikey and Bombshell got Laura's red pen and the quacking of a pair of ducks. Fortunately both made more than amends at their real job of bowling later on.

With Steve as out of form as someone who was very out of form, if only his bat was as wide as his grin as every shot he attempted ended somewhere unexpected and generally in the opposite direction of the original aim. He was backed by the exceptionally reliable bailey and having been 161 for 3, were now 170 for 8 and looking way short of the 250 that looked a dead cert 10 overs before and even further away from the 200 and the net of double batting points.

With 7 overs to go, the 2 were trying not to surrender any over to the opposition and also scrape there way to 200. Bailey found the gaps with some good manouvering and with the last ball and 196 on the board, the skipper struck a beautiful midwicket boundary to reach the landmark 200. (Ok he was aiming over cover, but somehow it went to midwicket ok! Nuff said)

Anyway with reserve tea ladies in the form of his in-laws and a mighty feast ahead, the kcc boys loaded up (especially bob who ate as much as abbo drinks) and headed in for a pre-bowl chat which was littered with some Gordon Ramsay like expletives and the boys knew that the wides and no-balls column better look as bare as the bale brothers chests at the end of the game.

For the next bit the author is using poetic license as he didnlt write down the figures and so any glaring inaccuracies can be forgiven. Anyway, who lets facts get in the way of a story!
Mikey took the new ball and looked sharp, pushing keeper steve back 2 yards after ball 1 seared into his gloves. Bunders who was next man in with the bat bunderwooded away at the clubhouse end and with a swinging ball, passed the edge on many occasions in his opening 5 over burst but without luck. Having been the ball magnet last week, maybe the “cape” would be worn by another this week.

With the broomleys skipper not his nomal fluent self, he and his partner began to get frustrated as a change of bowling to bring “bomber,Bombshell,Rod,” into the mix with Simmo hitting th deck hard from the other end. Bomber began to tighten the grip and the run rate climbed over by over and with bailey at the other end, the kibby boys racked up a quickfire 10 overs and with the pateice being tested, both openers fell, with bomber and baliey's excellent line and length paying dividends.

The cap this week was heading only in 1 direction as Rambo had either been overdoing the red bull or in true Ghuman tradition, was out to prove that he is the best cricketer in his family, without plastering himself in pears. ( I know some of you will get that!)
Anyway, the ramdog held onto one that had he not got his hands to it, would have given his parents a heft dentist bill. The celebration was led by Beevs, who's laugh I last heard at a seal sanctuary!

After a luckless start the boys felt the door had opened and in a miserly spell of bowling from bailes and bomber, the wickets steadily fell to some superb bowling from both men. Dip and variety and great lines began to frustrate the broomleys men as they tried to recover the scoring rate and with Rambo running out their durham based danger man as he tried to keep the strike, the game edged further away from broomleys. Rambo wasn't quite finished and clung onto another and the effort and noise of all 11 kibby boys was top drawer. The self belief this season and the ability to back themselves was evident and they threw everything to try and get the last 2 wickets. With 8 down the man they needed to see the back of was joyce, but an experienced campaigner, he would not be moved and proved a rock like object, despite the introduction of Mikey to try and blast our way to the full points haul. Joyce was wary of the draw points and needed 10 from the last over to reduce the differential and with kibb with a 57 run cushion, Rambo and his cape were entrusted with the final over to try and spin us another couple. 6 balls on the money for Rambo but kept out by the broomleys last guard and the game closed with awinning draw for the fleckney roaders and 19 points.

What can we say to sum up. Another great foundation with the bat and I am sure it wont be long before a big score is posted that rewards the hard work of a good start. Lukey strikes his first league 50 for kcc and ram comes close to a similar target. Dips is looking in great nick and if jaff can bat like that while still rusty, when he gets in the groove it's going to be impressive.
The bowling duo of bailey and bomber will be a hard partnership to better and mikey continues to impress with pace and accuracy and young bunders learns each week and is certainly coping with the jump from 4's to 2's in a short space.

Once of the best games of cricket I have been involved in and the carling tasted good at 8pm. Lets hope fr more of this and maybe the idiot captain can win a toss next week!

Love is like a butterfly!

Peace out