Isambard vs. Edmonton III (A) - Friendly

16th September, 2007

Ric and Ray's rollicking run-fest

 
Edmonton 3rd XI 218-8 (40 overs) (D.Bywater 3-40, C.Vernon 3-50). Isambard 219-1 (17.4 overs) (R.Firth 115 not out, R.Collins 100 not out).
Twenty20 World Cup?  Forget it.  The real entertainment on Sunday was watching Ray Collins and Ric Firth hammer the home attack round the park at Edmonton, to post an emphatic win.
 
Dermot Steedman lost the toss, and Isambard fielded.  The home side seemed to have a stronger batting line-up than last year, although Isambard had the tasty opening attack of Collins and Scotty O'Brien.  The artist formally known as Collo was returning to the team after a two-year break, whilst Windscreens was chasing the elusive 'most wickets in a season' record; both had a point to prove.  Alas, the reputation of Edmonton as a bowlers' graveyard continued: Ray bowled fast and well, but without reward (8-0-32-0), while Scotty deserved more than his one wicket in an accurate spell (8-1-28-1).  Windscreens is now a tantalising one wicket short of equalling the record.
 
Dermot rested both openers after six overs, bringing himself and new boy Col Vernon on.  The skipper bowls like Vera Duckworth these days - nagging, and not especially fast - and gave way after four tight overs to Dave Bywater.  Col had an ignominious start, being hit for six by an opening bat who was the spit of Ned Flanders from The Simpsons.  However, he came back well to take three wickets, with deliveries as tasty as the Hollyoaks cast doing a photoshoot at a baby oil factory.  Two of these were great catches behind from the Sunny Munn, sporting the Che Guevara look (it's a little-known fact that the Cuban revolutionary owned a wardrobe of Sunny Munn T-shirts).  Munn kept as well and as noisily as ever, before giving way to Ric Firth behind the sticks.
 
Edmonton had been progressing steadily, with wickets in hand, but showing little inclination to accelerate the scoring rate.  However, a much-needed wicket from Roxy Bywater and a brace from Vernon led to a mini-collapse, from 103-2 to 104-5.  The ship was steadied somewhat, until Disco Malin, on for a cameo spell, induced Flanders to edge a catch to Firth.  Bywater then took two more quick wickets, leaving the hosts 148-8. 
 
This slump induced your reporter to pad up for the home team (who were a man short) to try and give Windscreens the opportunity to take the two wickets needed for the record.  Alas, a hard-hitting partnership of 70 for the ninth wicket - and an uncharacteristic drop from Collins - put paid to my knock, although having seen the pace Raymond was bowling at, I wasn't really complaining.  That well known death bowler, Sunny Munn, came on for the last three overs, and bowled tidily (and briskly).  The hosts posted a total which they thought pretty good, but Isambard would have been happy to chase.
 
After tea, Isambard opened with Collins and Adam Malin.  The first over went for a solitary leg-bye; so far, so tranquil.  Collins then smashed five consecutive fours from the second over, followed by a cheeky single, and the fun began.  Malin jnr. was unlucky not to share the spoils, having bottom-edged into his stumps; having rung Mrs.M with the bad news, she asked "Why did you do that?"  Adam's reply is sadly unrepeatable.
 
Malin's dismissal brought Ric Firth to the wicket, a man who can hit the ball long and hard.  Having played himself in with three dot balls, Ric then hit six sixes from his next eleven deliveries, reaching his fifty in 20 balls and overtaking Ray in the process.  Ray reached that landmark soon afterwards, taking five balls more.  None of the Edmonton bowlers bowled badly, they were just up against clean hitting on a small pitch which is a bowlers' graveyard.
 
Firth was first to a century, taking 41 balls, at which point attention swung to Collins: could he crown his return with a maiden century?  Ray dealt with the 'nervous nineties' by clubbing two sixes, then running a single to post his ton in 51 balls.  Firth then rounded things off with a four, and Isambard could celebrate a win sweeter that the molten chocolate Nigella Lawson licks off her fingers.
 
Controversially, the top-order run-fest meant that Dave Bywater had no chance of scoring the 57 runs he needed to break Dermot's record for runs in a season, although he was remarkably philosophical about it.  There was also no opportunity for debutant Arnie Glausiusz to bat, although there's no doubt he'll be back in the future.  Everyone enjoyed a couple of Jordan-sized jugs in the bar afterwards, and mused on some philosophical questions: will there be any more matches this season?  Can Scotty break the record?  Will Dermot take the five wickets he needs to break the all-time wickets record before his back gives out?  Where the hell would Hankin and Tierney have batted today had they been available?  Stay tuned and find out.
 
Match report by Keith Williams
 
 
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