Indoor cricket – mid-season report
The good, the bad and the ugly (not in that order)!
We are now 3 games into our first try at indoor cricket and it has been tough at times. It has been a steep learning curve for all involved but all have made big strides.
Mere’s first attempt at indoor cricket was a big ask – Weymouth, a Saturday Premier League side! We found out quickly that the Mere CC generosity with extras is not reserved for outdoors this was to be the difference between the sides. Special mention for Captain White who ended up rolling around on the floor at the end of the game like some South American footballer after he hit the ball into his own ankle for some reason – man up was the call from concerned teammates!
Weymouth 190 for 3
Mere 159 for 4 (Harkin Jnr 41*, Captain White 35*)
Next up was Blandford – a Saturday Division 1 side but they turned up with only 5 men. With a guest appearance from the Punjabi Playboys overseas player 2013 – Dave Rutherford - Mere put out a side with the oldest member at 24 (sorry for mentioning it again Charlie). Batting first, Blandford’s batsmen decided that the roof was a good place to hit the ball but did not realise that in indoor cricket you are out for doing so – 3 of them fell this way! All the bowlers Danny, Ed Ford and Will B-S bowled brilliantly and the wide count dropped to 2 – Blandford 63 all out. No problem for Mere – 64 for 1 and our first win!
Blandford 63 for 5 (Harkin 1 wicket, Ed and WB-S 2 each)
Mere 64 for 1 (Rutherford 23, Cassidy Jnr 17*)
Our final match before Christmas and the opposition got no easier – Shroton (another Saturday Division 1 team). They turned up with only 5 TOO but all 5 knew how to play this game! 3 games are played every Sunday night and we were last on. The highest total so far on the day was 123 – we made 144. At first we thought it a good score until after 1 over of the Shroton reply, they stood on 33 and their opener had retired (he passed 25). The rest of them followed suit and they passed our total with 20 balls to spare and this would have been more if it wasn’t for Cassidy Senior’s heroics in the field (without gloves on)!
Mere 144 for 4 (Skipworth 42*, Cassidy Snr 29*, WB-S 21, Cassidy Jnr 20)
Shroton 146 for 2 (Skipworth 2 wickets)
There are 2 further games in the New Year against some regular foes – Hazelbury Bryan (19th Jan) and Buckhorn Weston (26th Jan). Should you wish to give this form of cricket a go – quoting K. Whitmore “It is a young man’s game” (Mark C enjoying being called a young man), please let me know.
Big thanks to all have helped so far – Kevin (Umpiring\Scoring), Mark C (Umpiring\Scoring), Frank (Umpiring), Robyn W (Scoring), Robert S (the new Britain’s Got Talent judge working the electronic scoreboard) and our Vice –President John White who has supported us at every game so far.
Ben Skip.