Tollbar Sevens in Opening Nerve Jangler
June 13th, 2008Last night Tollbar’s Year 7 Cricket team took to the field in their opening fixture of the season which was a home tie against South Axholme. Winning the toss and keen to post a good score on the newly laid surface, skipper Jack Gibson elected to bat and strapped on his pads. Unfortunately Tollbar were to suffer an early blow as the Captain, and banker at the top of the order, departed for a solitary one to a sharp parried catch at short fine leg. This brought George Waiton to the crease to join George Hawkey. The former was soon into his stride and confidently stroked the accurate Axholme bowling around the park well supported by Hawkey who sensibly rotated the strike. Waiton was dealing mostly in boundaries, imperiously flicking two short balls to the fine leg fence and crunching two square drives over point with wristy and elegant stroke play. Confidence was to be his downfall though as he wandered inside the line of a length delivery and lost his leg stump for an entertaining 19. There followed a period of calm as new man Carroll struggled to get the ball away and Axholme’s seamers peppered the corridor of uncertainty.
It was vital that Tollbar broke the shackles and Hawkey began to take responsibility. Starved of the strike, and with his partner showing Tavare like barnacle qualities, Hawkey opened his shoulders. The Hawk’s next three scoring strokes were powerfully clubbed down the ground for 4. Earlier he had shown a sound technique as an opener but was now proving he had a good eye, fast hands and perceptive awareness of what was required of him. Tollbar lost Carroll for a watchful 6 with the score in the 50’s as he was run out attempting a sharp single. In truth running was not one of Tollbar’s best executed skills as many available runs were turned down due to a lack off communication or initiative.
Hawkey finally perished for a hard hit 18 going for one more big hit off the impressive Glendenning and this caused the type of collapse reminiscent of the England team in the 80’s and 90’s. Dyson, Lilley, Shuttlehouse and Glendinning-Forrester all departed without troubling the scorers as they swung lustily in the pursuit of quick runs. This was entirely the right approach and with a bit of luck could have come off, as they sacrificed personal glory for the good of the team. Tollbar’s innings petered out to a slightly below par 62 for 8 after 16 overs with the final few batsmen resembling an advertisement for Audi. All Axholme’s seam bowlers were impressive with Jones probably the pick with 4-21.
It was vital that Tollbar were sharp in the field and hit their lines and lengths. Gibson took the new ball and bowled with pace, accuracy and hostility but could not shift the impressive Axholme batsmen Glendinning. At the other end Waiton’s leg breaks were employed to probe the opposition’s techniques. A break through though did come when Waiton kept his nerve with a batsmen stranded mid pitch. Using his head he sprinted to the stumps and whipped off the bails to send Platt on his way. This was a lesson in thinking under pressure which Tollbar should have heeded and would nearly cost them later. The aptly named Tonks joined the talented Glendinning and they began to close in on the Tollbar target. Gibson completed his compliment of overs for a miserly 9 but crucially with an empty wicket column. He then took the gloves from Hawkey and introduced the talismanic all-rounder to the attack. Axholme had employed an all seam attack but Gibson shuffled his four spinners of Waiton, Dyson, Hawkey and Carroll. The twirly-birds all bowled admirably but a combination of bad luck and poor fielding meant Axholme were sensing victory.
One person who fielded magnificently was James Cunningham in his first ever game of cricket. Employing a cannon of an arm, which was as much of a danger to his own team as the opposition, he hurtled round the boundary laying his body on the line on countless occasions as the ball seemed to follow him. In one instance he prevented a four with his own backside only to lose sight of where it had gone as the batsmen kept running which sent the Axholme Coach Mr. Abrahim into fits of hysterics. Special mention should also go to Stephenson and Glendinning-Forrester who prowled the covers like caged lions. There were on occasion lapses in concentration and the boys need to work on backing up and the long barrier.
With two overs to go Axholme only needed 7 to win with 9 wickets in hand and it looked like they would win at a canter. George Hawkey had other ideas. Bowling leg breaks which are notoriously hard to master, with even professional operators usually bowling at least one bad ball an over, he produced a peach of a delivery which drifted in with the arm, turned and bounced past the solid defence of Glendinning to comprehensively upset his castle. The stylish Axholme opener departed for a well constructed 29. Next ball Hawkey produced another fizzing leg break, which feathered the outside edge of new man Jones, and Tollbar were up and appealing as one when Gibson pouched the chance behind. Up went the finger of death from Mr.Abrahim and Tollbar’s men were sent into raptures. On a hat trick Hawkey thudded the ball into Saczec’s pads but the bounce was just too high. The lionhearted effort ended with Tollbar back in the game and sensing a real chance of victory as the penultimate over had gone for one run and two wickets were claimed.
If the Hawk was full of passion and fire, then it is ice that runs through George Waiton’s veins. Axholme required 6 to win and 5 to tie off the final over which could be achieved in one well timed hit. Gibson tossed the ball to his other premier spinner and rallied his troops. The first ball was a dot, the second a single to third man and the third a play and miss. Tollbar were desperate to stop the boundary but also the short single. Waiton kept his nerve and off the final ball Axholme required 3 to win and 2 to tie. A dipping topspinner evaded the heave of Saczec who immediately took off down the other end as the ball nestled in Gibson’s gloves. All the skipper had to do was walk up to the stumps and whip off the bails if the batsmen attempted two. For some unknown reason Gibson, who had been an inspiration all game, hurled the ball at the far end which a despairing dive from Waiton was unable to stop. Mr. Briggs umpiring showed remarkable restraint not to stop the ball, jumped it and the Axholme batsmen scrambled two to tie the game. Tollbar had come from the brink to within sight of victory and thrown it away. In fairness a tie was probably a fair result with both sides demonstrating high levels of skill. This however was a cup competition and a winner had to be decided.
There was to be a bowl out, cricket’s version of the hated penalty shootout. Four bowlers from each side, 2 deliveries at a single pair of stumps without a batsman present. Easy? Not on your life. Gibson won the toss and elected to go second choosing himself, Hawkey, Waiton and Dyson to carry the burden. The opening Axholme bowler missed twice. Up stepped George “Iceman” Waiton. His first ball turned wide but his second arrowed unerringly in to rattle the furniture. Tollbar led 1-0 and this is how it remained as every other single player missed the stumps although some by very close margins. Dyson was not required to bowl the final two deliveries. Tollbar had won and march through to the next round.
Credit must go to both sides for the way they played the game. There was no sledging, gamesmanship and no player questioned an umpiring decision. It was played the way it should be hard but in a very sporting manner with both sides respecting their opponents.
Well done lads and good luck in the next round. Try to be a bit more comprehensive as my nerves are shot. Whoever said watching is harder than playing wasn’t lying!
Mr. Briggs and Mr. Watson