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Sat 09 Jun 2018 · Premier Division - 3rd XI
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720gate: Extra hour fiasco gifts Weybridge win
Antony Ireland15 Jun 2018 - 23:51
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By Antony Ireland
Skipper Ant Ireland was in hiding this week after allowing play to continue for an extra hour to gift Weybridge a narrow 2 wicket win. Not satisfied with providing a sub-fielder for 20 overs, Ireland made sure he would be known as one of the most hospitable home captains in club cricket by failing to notice that the wrong finish time had been agreed at the start of play (7.20pm instead of the new finish time of 6.20pm), giving the visitors all the time in the world to chase down the Llamas’ competitive total of 215.
Weybridge won the toss and bowled, removing Jai Patel and David Loft cheaply to bring Ireland to the crease with opener Harry McInley at 25-2. McInley (31) again looked a class act in his rebirth as a specialist batsman but fell LBW to one of two wily slow left armers who made scoring hard on a skiddy deck.
Crabtree also pinned Srikanth Vuppala for an expansive 25 – this time to a very dubious decision. And when Michael Ramsden missed his fourth cut shot in row to be bowled by the other left-armer Barton for a zilcher, Ireland and man-for-the-battle Nick Gavigan found themselves in the trenches at 91-5.
Crabtree and Barton bowled well, both giving little away, but when Barton’s hammy popped like an overinflated packet of crisps, the pressure was released on the Llamas from one end.
Gavigan and Ireland slowly brought the Llamas back into the game with a much-needed 60-run partnership, before the visiting umpire again lifted his finger and Gavo was removed for one of the more valuable 16s you will see.
Ireland told the incoming Cross to consolidate for a couple of overs before completely losing his mind – not for the last time that day – swinging wildly at three balls in a row, two of which were dropped, the third well caught by a back-peddling mid-off. When Ireland departed for 61, the innings was in the balance at 153-7.
But one of our strengths this year is our battery of bowling all-rounders, and the lower order wagged nicely – Cross (20), Mobeen Tahir (15) and the hard hitting Abhi Lohokare (20 from just 10 balls) lifting the Llamas to 215 all out in the 54th over. Momentum was with us at tea.
Little did we know, Weybridge would be gifted what seemed like about three days to get the total. To be fair to the visitors, their top order batted exceptionally well.
The Llama seamers made a valiant effort – albeit bowling a little wider than the skipper had requested on a track made for LBW and bowled dismissals – but all of the Weys’ top five made contributions, two of them making 50s, and at one stage they were cruising to victory at 150-2.
Gavigan, who also had an excellent day fielding at point, proved his all-round credentials by chipping away at the batting line up from the St. Albans Rd end, prompting a late collapse to register incredible stats of 6-36. Pete Friend can take partial credit for Gavigan’s haul, having completely dried up runs at the Shaggy Bushes End in a frugal but fruitless spell of 0-23 from 11.
If Weybridge had batted only their allotted 46 overs, who knows what the result would have been. As it was, they would be allowed 51. At 46 overs they were crawling along but well set at 191-4. Their skipper inexplicably came out and told their set batsman to hurry up and he duly nicked off (a day of truly inspirational leadership from both captains), and two wickets soon followed leaving Weybridge’s numbers 8 and 9 a nervy nine runs to get with only one more batsman in the shed.
Alas, they made it. Hands were shaken, Llamas moaned in the changing room about the length of the game, rule books were consulted, and Ireland quietly removed himself from social media.
The league was notified that we went into an extra hour of play, but alas, they ruled that the result must stand. It only cost us 2 points as a losing draw is worth bugger all anyway, but if Weybridge win the league, Ireland may well be lynched – not just by his own men, but also everyone else in what is shaping up into a very open league this season. This week a win is essential against third placed Ashtead, who toppled the mighty Wimbledon just last week.
Weybridge won the toss and bowled, removing Jai Patel and David Loft cheaply to bring Ireland to the crease with opener Harry McInley at 25-2. McInley (31) again looked a class act in his rebirth as a specialist batsman but fell LBW to one of two wily slow left armers who made scoring hard on a skiddy deck.
Crabtree also pinned Srikanth Vuppala for an expansive 25 – this time to a very dubious decision. And when Michael Ramsden missed his fourth cut shot in row to be bowled by the other left-armer Barton for a zilcher, Ireland and man-for-the-battle Nick Gavigan found themselves in the trenches at 91-5.
Crabtree and Barton bowled well, both giving little away, but when Barton’s hammy popped like an overinflated packet of crisps, the pressure was released on the Llamas from one end.
Gavigan and Ireland slowly brought the Llamas back into the game with a much-needed 60-run partnership, before the visiting umpire again lifted his finger and Gavo was removed for one of the more valuable 16s you will see.
Ireland told the incoming Cross to consolidate for a couple of overs before completely losing his mind – not for the last time that day – swinging wildly at three balls in a row, two of which were dropped, the third well caught by a back-peddling mid-off. When Ireland departed for 61, the innings was in the balance at 153-7.
But one of our strengths this year is our battery of bowling all-rounders, and the lower order wagged nicely – Cross (20), Mobeen Tahir (15) and the hard hitting Abhi Lohokare (20 from just 10 balls) lifting the Llamas to 215 all out in the 54th over. Momentum was with us at tea.
Little did we know, Weybridge would be gifted what seemed like about three days to get the total. To be fair to the visitors, their top order batted exceptionally well.
The Llama seamers made a valiant effort – albeit bowling a little wider than the skipper had requested on a track made for LBW and bowled dismissals – but all of the Weys’ top five made contributions, two of them making 50s, and at one stage they were cruising to victory at 150-2.
Gavigan, who also had an excellent day fielding at point, proved his all-round credentials by chipping away at the batting line up from the St. Albans Rd end, prompting a late collapse to register incredible stats of 6-36. Pete Friend can take partial credit for Gavigan’s haul, having completely dried up runs at the Shaggy Bushes End in a frugal but fruitless spell of 0-23 from 11.
If Weybridge had batted only their allotted 46 overs, who knows what the result would have been. As it was, they would be allowed 51. At 46 overs they were crawling along but well set at 191-4. Their skipper inexplicably came out and told their set batsman to hurry up and he duly nicked off (a day of truly inspirational leadership from both captains), and two wickets soon followed leaving Weybridge’s numbers 8 and 9 a nervy nine runs to get with only one more batsman in the shed.
Alas, they made it. Hands were shaken, Llamas moaned in the changing room about the length of the game, rule books were consulted, and Ireland quietly removed himself from social media.
The league was notified that we went into an extra hour of play, but alas, they ruled that the result must stand. It only cost us 2 points as a losing draw is worth bugger all anyway, but if Weybridge win the league, Ireland may well be lynched – not just by his own men, but also everyone else in what is shaping up into a very open league this season. This week a win is essential against third placed Ashtead, who toppled the mighty Wimbledon just last week.
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