MCS Dynamos 2018
21/09/20 16:36 Filed in: 2018
When Riley got stuck in Wrexham (the Liverpool Bar’s LMS fixtures seemingly not having been circulated around the Welsh judiciary), frantic phone calls were made in an attempt to find an 8th player. Tinkler (on the way back from Stoke), Jones (not answering his phone) and Prior (in the pub) were all tried without success. It was only when a call went into Eastwood (who we insisted was first choice) that we were able to field a full team.
The Liverpool Bar Cricket team are many things but a top flight outfit is not one of them. There is therefore great concern that yet another dominant victory could see promotion loom at the end of the season. Indeed even the return of Eastwood did little to dampen the Bar’s prospects of success.
Clarke won the toss and elected to bat. Somewhat contrary to the impression given during their warm up, the opening bowlers for MCS were straight on their line and length and somewhat difficult to get away. After swiping and missing his way to 21, Armstrong succumbed to the full straight one. Power joined Clarke at the crease and they set about building a somewhat composed innings in the context of LMS cricket. Clarke holed out to deep mid-wicket for 43 off 28 while Power cunningly manipulated the field to reach a maiden LMS 50, his first for the bar since opening in a 20 over match which was extended by two overs to allow him to reach his half century. Harthan, having forgotten his own bat, found significant solace in one of Armstrong’s weighty planks hitting 33 off 18 before being caught on the boundary, his innings included 2 sixes in a row. The views of the rest of the Bar team were somewhat conflicted, wanting the team to pile on the runs but not wanting to have to listen to Harthan waxing lyrical about how to dispatch 30mph long-hops for six. Sinker was run out for 10 nobly attempting to rotate the strike and Austin was so surprised that the opposition held onto a catch that he got run out on a double play. That left Chester and Eastwood to face the last two balls of the innings and they managed to take 3 runs off them despite either laying any willow on pink plastic. 163 was a good score but probably only average for the Bar this season.
There were some concerns during the break that the Bar might be a bowler or 4 light but Austin opened the innings superbly, being very difficult to score off and taking the wicket of the opener. The ultimate Jekyll and Hyde bowler, Chester produced his usual variation of unplayable jaffas and beamers, and managed to be the Bar’s most economic bowler while Austin took a brilliant catch off Clarke. There were two moments of controversy during Armstrong spell. First, one of the MCS batters saw it entirely fit to run an extra run having middled the ball for a second time trying to make his ground. Second, Clarke took a fantastic catch at deep mid-wicket only for the opposition to claim that he had overstepped the boundary. Given that it was Clarke who was claiming the catch and not Harthan, the umpire was prepared to take him at his word. As it was Clarke and Chester closed out the innings comfortably despite Armstrong’s best efforts to make a game of it by bowling four wides in one over. Special mention must go to Eastwood who patrolled the leg side boundary with an enthusiasm usually reserved for a man with much more natural talent. Despite shouts from the pavilion of ‘that’s four’ he consistently found a way to throw something in the way of it and probably saved the Bar 20 runs.
The Bar ended up winning by 32 runs and some other policy will have to be dreamt up to avoid the risk of promotion.
The Liverpool Bar Cricket team are many things but a top flight outfit is not one of them. There is therefore great concern that yet another dominant victory could see promotion loom at the end of the season. Indeed even the return of Eastwood did little to dampen the Bar’s prospects of success.
Clarke won the toss and elected to bat. Somewhat contrary to the impression given during their warm up, the opening bowlers for MCS were straight on their line and length and somewhat difficult to get away. After swiping and missing his way to 21, Armstrong succumbed to the full straight one. Power joined Clarke at the crease and they set about building a somewhat composed innings in the context of LMS cricket. Clarke holed out to deep mid-wicket for 43 off 28 while Power cunningly manipulated the field to reach a maiden LMS 50, his first for the bar since opening in a 20 over match which was extended by two overs to allow him to reach his half century. Harthan, having forgotten his own bat, found significant solace in one of Armstrong’s weighty planks hitting 33 off 18 before being caught on the boundary, his innings included 2 sixes in a row. The views of the rest of the Bar team were somewhat conflicted, wanting the team to pile on the runs but not wanting to have to listen to Harthan waxing lyrical about how to dispatch 30mph long-hops for six. Sinker was run out for 10 nobly attempting to rotate the strike and Austin was so surprised that the opposition held onto a catch that he got run out on a double play. That left Chester and Eastwood to face the last two balls of the innings and they managed to take 3 runs off them despite either laying any willow on pink plastic. 163 was a good score but probably only average for the Bar this season.
There were some concerns during the break that the Bar might be a bowler or 4 light but Austin opened the innings superbly, being very difficult to score off and taking the wicket of the opener. The ultimate Jekyll and Hyde bowler, Chester produced his usual variation of unplayable jaffas and beamers, and managed to be the Bar’s most economic bowler while Austin took a brilliant catch off Clarke. There were two moments of controversy during Armstrong spell. First, one of the MCS batters saw it entirely fit to run an extra run having middled the ball for a second time trying to make his ground. Second, Clarke took a fantastic catch at deep mid-wicket only for the opposition to claim that he had overstepped the boundary. Given that it was Clarke who was claiming the catch and not Harthan, the umpire was prepared to take him at his word. As it was Clarke and Chester closed out the innings comfortably despite Armstrong’s best efforts to make a game of it by bowling four wides in one over. Special mention must go to Eastwood who patrolled the leg side boundary with an enthusiasm usually reserved for a man with much more natural talent. Despite shouts from the pavilion of ‘that’s four’ he consistently found a way to throw something in the way of it and probably saved the Bar 20 runs.
The Bar ended up winning by 32 runs and some other policy will have to be dreamt up to avoid the risk of promotion.