08th June 2013 – Calypso Collapso (185ao 34.2 ovs) bt John Minshull XI (172ao 34.5 ovs) by 13 runs
It was a day when old rivalries were renewed for the first time in 2013 ahead of a hectic summer of cricket and when early indications suggested that the established order of superiority was shifting. But enough about England beating Australia at Edgbaston as the Minshull Hoodoo came undone at Hampstead Heath Extension and Calypso recorded a second consecutive victory over the old enemy with a 13 run win.
It was the first game of the season, following the disappointment of a wet pitch at Parliament Hill two weeks earlier. Ellerby won the toss and bullishly decided to bat first. Customary openers Bugg and Goddard headed to the middle but Bugg was soon out, half heartedly chipping one to gully. On returning to the boundary he promptly fell asleep after a night disturbed by fretting about his first innings of the season (and being awoken by Hannah).
He must have thought he was still dreaming when he awoke 20 minutes later to the unaccustomed sight of a Calypso pair playing tip and run as Vernuccio and Goddard sett about one end of the Minshull attack in getting the innings off the mark with some sharp running and the occasional four.
Vernuccio contributed three of the fours in his brisk 21, before offering a catch to mid on, bringing Riches to the wicket. Greg failed on this occasion to live up to his barnacle reputation, lasting one ball as his middle stump was knocked back. It’s often said that those who score a duck fail to trouble the scorer. On this occasion the scorer Wales was very much inconvenienced as he had to mark the dismissal and pad up in a hurry.
Wales was one of the four Calypsoans who had attended the pre-season training and was determined to put into practice the skills enhanced in pre-season. He was able to do this for a while, playing anything straight, straight and having a go at anything wide. At the other end Goddard’s high-score 37 came to an end as he was caught at deep square leg off the first ball from Thompson. This knock was only the first of his contributions for the day before an admirable display behind the stumps. Unfortunately for Minshull, their keeper was not so reliable as a total of 20 byes were to contribute to the final winning margin.
Wales was out facing Court, the pick of the Minshull bowlers who was not to concede off the bat throughout his seven overs, as he was caught off a top edge for nine. With the reassuring sight of Rawlings at the other end, Ellerby came in at seven with the score at 89/5 after 18 overs. He provided support for Calypso’s most reliable batsman in a highest partnership worth 52 from 10 overs – several of which came from extras. Ellerby lived slightly on his wits, looping some shots over the keeper and surviving being bowled by a high full toss which was called a no ball. before being bowled by Blake for eight.
Rawlings scored 26 off 30 before being caught feeling the need to push the score on, but that work was done by Bidri who took the game away from Minshull by tearing into their second string attack with a nerveless display of big hitting, including three sixes over deep midwicket. The 30th over went for 22 and there was talk on the boundary of reaching 200. However the momentum fell away when Wallace was caught for eight before debutant Nair was out LBW second ball and Bidri’s attempt to force the issue with nine down and an over left saw him caught trying one shot too many.
With only ten Calypsoans on the day, Riches was not out second time round for two, thereby avoiding the ignomony of being out for a king pair in one innings.
Half Time Tea Talk
With no Calypso spectators there were no homemade goods on offer, but Goddard further consolidated his lead in the Man of the Match consideration by pulling three different types of pork pie out of the bag. He also brought a Golden Syrup Cake which started a discussion about the Tate & Lyle logo – a dead lion surrounded by bees and the slogan Out of Strength Comes Sweetness, a biblical quote from Judges 14. Maybe we can appropriate this for the long pondered Calypso CCC crest? Out of the sweet spot came runs?
With 185 on the board and three early Minshull wickets, this victory should have been a walk in the Heath. The mantra for the bowlers was ‘bowl at the stumps’ – a simple idea but surprisingly hard to execute as Bugg found early on with the slope, wind, swing and sleeplessness playing havoc with his line in the first couple of overs. Rawlings had better luck from the other end, trapping opener Suart for 1 before having the other opener caught by Wallace for 4 and putting Minshull on the back foot.
Bugg found his line and quickly also took two bowled wickets in what was quickly becoming a stroll. However Minshull found their saviour in Cerillo who stopped the rot and compiled an innings around which his middle order colleagues could rally. Wales, Nair and Ellerby all went for more than five an over but at least Ellerby took a key wicket in his two over spell. He got the key man Cerillo for 48 as Wallace again put himself in the right place to take the catch, redeeming himself for a dropped chance a couple of overs earlier off the bowling of Rawlings.
By the time of this breakthrough shoulders had slumped in the field, the ball had lost its shine and was being rolled around between fielders. A Minshull win was still unlikely with five down and 50 still required, but there was still the risk of the game being taken away from Calypso. A piece of proper cricket further helped improve the mood as the faultless keeper Goddard took a good catch off the hostile Bidri for the sixth wicket. In the end the pressure of the chase and some good fielding did for Minshull as three run outs were effected in the closing few overs after the field spread, inviting the batsmen to chance the Calypso arms.
The game did come down to a moderately exciting finish, with Minshull needing 18 to win, one wicket left and numbers 10 and 11 at the crease. It fell to Wales to bowl it and despite conceding one four off the second ball, was able to tie the game up, finally finding the top of off stump as Marsh was bowled advancing down the pitch.