Tour match report, 17th August 2014 Bandits v Rowington CC Rowington CC 215 - 4 Battersea Bandits CC 139 - 10 Rowington CC win by 76 runs The Bandits signed off their summer of 40 over cricket with a tour game in sunny Warwickshire, where the men from the big smoke couldnt match their rural counterparts in terms of cricketing credentials, and were sent back along the M40 with an even season win ratio to dissect along with their tour game performance and Mcflurry at the Beaconsfield services. The Bandits traveled from east and west to converge at Mr Clarkes in-laws house before bowl-off, bacon sandwiches and re-fil coffee were on the agenda in place of tactics and field placing discussions as the bandits re-grouped after their efforts to arrive in Warwickshire following the obligations of a Saturday night. At the post-card perfect ground the skipper won the toss and elected to field, perhaps an early indication of the message radiating from the higher reaches of the bandit papacy, with the emphasis seeming to be on making a game of it, the submissive, host friendly approach rather than - at the risk of a humiliating bandit defeat or upsetting a few locals, backing themselves to escape unscathed from darkest Warwickshire clutching victory. As it was then, the bandits took to the field and in the face of some accomplished opposition batting restricted the score to 215. The track looked dry and dusty, one for the pace men, unfortunately the number 1 bandit seamer was unavailable due to Sunday in-law duties. However, woolman continued his fine bowling form from the previous match, and the skipper was the pick of the bowling with 2 for 30, while the slower stuff of Clarke and Marsden picked up a scalp each at 1 for 30 and 1 for 29 respectively. However it felt like a case of catches win matches for the tourists, as early in the innings the bandits quite literally dropped the ball on a number of occasions. It was to everyones surprise then, that later on in the innings, Mr Alger took a plumb catch out on the leg side boundary, he was duly awarded the bandit champagne* moment after the game. Mr Alger himself, Woolman, Southgate and Ken were the other bandit bowlers, but came away without reward. The score of 215 seemed about right, but not insurmountable as the weary bandits headed for tea. Its not clear if the hosts offered the bandits the use of the heavy roller during the interval, but the dry and even track was showing signs of an inconsistent slow and low bounce at the start of the bandits innings. The bandits opening pair were faced with some competitive bowling, and were intent on seeing out the opening spell to build a solid bandit reply. But as the opening Lang brother was caught behind down the leg-side for the second time in 3 matches, Woodward came to the crease to take over the aforementioned responsibility. However, the dying track offered up a comically low bounce on a straight one, and Woodward was on his way without troubling the scorers. That brought Lang senior to the crease and following a chuckle brother esk to me, to you style exchange between him and Crystal, the skipper was run-out and back in the pavilion. Crystal and southgate were subsequently sent packing by the slow and low gremlins that had taken hold of the 2nd innings track, the former top-scoring with 36. Marsden, Clarke, Woolman and Ken offered some resistance, but ultimately the bandits fell short of a chase that looked beyond them from the loss of their early wickets. *May have actually been Bucks Fizz. That concludes the first and last tour game of the bandit season, and despite the defeat, the game was played in idyllic surroundings, and in good spirits, and will surely become a permanent fixture in the bandit calendar. With the one day games done and dusted the bandit of the season has been identified, and despite turning out in a fine, fine nautical blazer, Ken Mitchie turfed a catch in the tour game to take the award ahead of Richard Silver-Man by a single point. The award will be formally presented by the committee at the end of season bash, which I believe the skipper has confirmed as being planned for Friday 10th October. Keep the date free and details will follow in due course... RJ Lang
Posted on: Tue, 02 Sep 2014 18:54:39 +0000
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