2011 Season Review
23/09/20 13:18 Filed in: 2011
The Liverpool Bar team’s progress in the Trustram Cup, a competition for firms and professional bodies in Merseyside, has generally been akin to the England football team in major competitions - much expectation only to exit to the first decent opposition. The 2011 competition, however, turned out rather differently.
The Bar team were drawn against Specter Group in the first round. Specter take some pride in never having progressed past the first round and, whilst never threatening to break their run, the game was played in an excellent spirit.
The next round, however, brought a much greater challenge with another contest against old foes Hill Dickinson. In recent years Hill Dickinson have dominated the competition in much the same way that England now steam roller opponents in Test Cricket (best make use of this analogy whilst we can). Hill Dickinson had accounted for the Bar’s exit in 2 of the previous 3 years, and would have been odds on favourites to do so once more had there been a betting market. As if facing Hill Dicks wasn’t daunting enough, the Bar were below strength with “star man” Kenward unfit and starting to show his age with numerous injuries, opening bowler Clarke was part heard on a trial in Carlisle and Power was on holiday. However that night at Northern Cricket Club in Crosby will live long in the memory of those who played. Brooker and Armstrong both took sword to the Hill Dicks bowling. Prior and Rishton bowled with control and accuracy and the match was on a knife edge right to the end. With 1 ball left Hill Dicks needed 5 for victory. With hitting a six looking improbable, Armstrong decided that the game needed a little more excitement and bowled a wide, leaving a more attainable target of 4 from the final ball. Fortunately however Armstrong kept his nerve and bowled a dot ball to see the Bar through to the Semi Final.
With the bandwagon now gathering momentum, and the sniff of silverware in the air, Kenward suddenly made a miraculous recovery from a supposedly season ending groin strain. RBS now stood between the Bar and their first appearance in the Final. In an ill-tempered affair, an ugly night ended with the Bar progressing. [Following representations made to the webmaster the following section of the report is redacted - notwithstanding I am confident that a defence of justification and/or fair comment would succeed]
RBS’s mood did not lighten as Kenward proceeded to pile on the runs with Brooker. RBS, however, were to have a revenge of sorts. Their opening batsman decided to take on Dudley’s bowling, waltzing down the wicket before missing the ball and being stumped by Harthan. It wasn’t even close, yards down the wicket the only question was whether he’d crossed with the non-striking batsman. The batsman however remained where he was, his team mate who was umpiring then claimed he’d not seen anything, though was unable to answer Power’s pertinent question as to what had obstructed his view (you don’t get Silk for nothing). However RBS never looked like coming close to chasing down their target and, without any cricketing equivalent of a taxpayer bailout to get them out of trouble, they lost the game as well as any moral high ground.
Weightmans were the opposition for the Final. Coming in late August, the Bar team was hit hard by absentees with Brooker and Clarke away on holiday. Prior was on international duty with the England and Wales Bar team’s tour to the West Indies, whilst Orr was sailing around the Hebrides. Kenward had again managed to injure himself, this time trying to get in a kayak on holiday, but played through the pain. Things got even worse when Harthan was delayed by a closure of the M1 and only arrived at the ground after completion of the Bar’s Innings. The Bar’s total of 119 never looked like enough although the game went down to the final over before Weightman’s hit the winning runs. Unlike the semi final the game was played in an excellent spirit, save for Kenward’s intemperate reaction when denied an LBW decision.
At the end of season awards ceremony Brooker was awarded player of the year for his excellent batting displays and Andrew Sinker was awarded most improved player for his fielding.
The Bar team were drawn against Specter Group in the first round. Specter take some pride in never having progressed past the first round and, whilst never threatening to break their run, the game was played in an excellent spirit.
The next round, however, brought a much greater challenge with another contest against old foes Hill Dickinson. In recent years Hill Dickinson have dominated the competition in much the same way that England now steam roller opponents in Test Cricket (best make use of this analogy whilst we can). Hill Dickinson had accounted for the Bar’s exit in 2 of the previous 3 years, and would have been odds on favourites to do so once more had there been a betting market. As if facing Hill Dicks wasn’t daunting enough, the Bar were below strength with “star man” Kenward unfit and starting to show his age with numerous injuries, opening bowler Clarke was part heard on a trial in Carlisle and Power was on holiday. However that night at Northern Cricket Club in Crosby will live long in the memory of those who played. Brooker and Armstrong both took sword to the Hill Dicks bowling. Prior and Rishton bowled with control and accuracy and the match was on a knife edge right to the end. With 1 ball left Hill Dicks needed 5 for victory. With hitting a six looking improbable, Armstrong decided that the game needed a little more excitement and bowled a wide, leaving a more attainable target of 4 from the final ball. Fortunately however Armstrong kept his nerve and bowled a dot ball to see the Bar through to the Semi Final.
With the bandwagon now gathering momentum, and the sniff of silverware in the air, Kenward suddenly made a miraculous recovery from a supposedly season ending groin strain. RBS now stood between the Bar and their first appearance in the Final. In an ill-tempered affair, an ugly night ended with the Bar progressing. [Following representations made to the webmaster the following section of the report is redacted - notwithstanding I am confident that a defence of justification and/or fair comment would succeed]
RBS’s mood did not lighten as Kenward proceeded to pile on the runs with Brooker. RBS, however, were to have a revenge of sorts. Their opening batsman decided to take on Dudley’s bowling, waltzing down the wicket before missing the ball and being stumped by Harthan. It wasn’t even close, yards down the wicket the only question was whether he’d crossed with the non-striking batsman. The batsman however remained where he was, his team mate who was umpiring then claimed he’d not seen anything, though was unable to answer Power’s pertinent question as to what had obstructed his view (you don’t get Silk for nothing). However RBS never looked like coming close to chasing down their target and, without any cricketing equivalent of a taxpayer bailout to get them out of trouble, they lost the game as well as any moral high ground.
Weightmans were the opposition for the Final. Coming in late August, the Bar team was hit hard by absentees with Brooker and Clarke away on holiday. Prior was on international duty with the England and Wales Bar team’s tour to the West Indies, whilst Orr was sailing around the Hebrides. Kenward had again managed to injure himself, this time trying to get in a kayak on holiday, but played through the pain. Things got even worse when Harthan was delayed by a closure of the M1 and only arrived at the ground after completion of the Bar’s Innings. The Bar’s total of 119 never looked like enough although the game went down to the final over before Weightman’s hit the winning runs. Unlike the semi final the game was played in an excellent spirit, save for Kenward’s intemperate reaction when denied an LBW decision.
At the end of season awards ceremony Brooker was awarded player of the year for his excellent batting displays and Andrew Sinker was awarded most improved player for his fielding.