Tollbar Go Down Fighting but Heads Remain High

June 20th, 2008

Tollbar’s Year 7 Cricket Team travelled to Louth last night to take on King Edward’s in what everybody expected to be a tough fixture. The task was made especially difficult as key man George ”Iceman” Waiton was absent from the team with a broken thumb. Tollbar batted first and made a steady start against Louth’s Lincolnshire representative Ian Mansfield until he slipped a quicker one through Jack Gibson’s defence to send the skipper on his way. Worse was to follow as debutant Garner received a brute of a delivery first ball which clipped the top of the bails and sent him back for the dreaded golden. Joel Gibbs strode out to join George Hawkey and they both batted sensibly as the score began to mount. Gibbs sensibly clipped and glided the ball into gaps showing excellent technique and will be a force to be reckoned with when he grows taller and stronger. Hawkey already possesses the ability to hit the ball a long way and began to dominate the bowling. The pièce de résistance of his batting was a mighty six over midwicket which thudded into an adjacent building.

Just when it looked like Hawkey was going to power Tollbar to an imposing total, disaster struck. Miscommunication led him to attempt a suicidal two which cost him his wicket as he was run out for a classy 26. After this Tollbar struggled to get the ball away. Brief Cameo innings from Lewis Dyson, Charlie Stephenson and Disco Dan Cook, who scored their first runs of the season, boosted the Tollbar total to a respectable 58 for 9 off 16 overs. Ryder bowled well for Louth taking 4 wickets but the star performer was that county man Mansfield who bowled impressively, took two key wickets before donning the gloves and stumping 3 Tollbar batsmen. It was Mansfield and his twin David who strode out to open the batting for Louth.

Harries took the new ball and bowled quickly but was soon taught the lesson that bowling short to fine batsmen is not a good idea as he was dispatched for several fours. He could though have taken an early wicket and turned the match had Garner not lost the ball in the sun when attempting to pounce on a mistimed hook. Gibson swung the ball but was unable to make a breakthrough as the Mansfield brothers showed why they represent their county. Lewis Dyson bowled well and was prepared to toss his leg spinners up which gained him the wicket of David Mansfield who clubbed the ball through midwicket like a rocket only to see Liam Harries launch himself full length to pull off a sensational one handed catch inches from the turf. This was the highlight off the fielding performance. Hawkey bowled tidily as Tollbar strove to dismiss Ian Mansfield but he was just too good and ended the game in fine style with a couple of lofted strokes over long on to hand Tollbar a 9 wicket defeat.

Plato once said “You can learn more about a person in an hours play than a year of conversation.” I must congratulate both teams on the manner in which they play the game. Defeat hurt Tollbar and the lads were dejected at the end of the game but showed excellent sportsmanship as they warmly greeted the opposition and acknowledged their superiority on the day. As Hawkey congratulated Ian Mansfield on his unbeaten 40 which had sealed the game it was almost a Flintoff-Lee moment as the respect each player had for each other was heart warming and evident for all to see. Later last night the worlds leading footballers would throw themselves to the ground, feign injury and attempt to get their fellow professionals sent off. Ronaldo, one of the world’s best, will always be remembered for his histrionics and that nauseous wink. Young people often get a bad press these days but all the players on display last night were a credit to the College, the game of Cricket and most importantly themselves.

So the glorious run comes to an end in the quarter finals. Tollbar will learn a lot from defeat. Jack Nicklaus, who knowns a thing or two about winning, claimed that before you could win trophies you must learn what it feels to lose. Liam Harries declared he “didn’t like losing much.” The statement was echoed by the lads who are determined to come back stronger next year and have another crack at the competition. For the rest of the season the team will be honing their skills in friendly games, one of them hopefully against King Edward’s.

Well done on getting this far and we will be in the nets early next year.

Mr.Briggs and Mr.Watson