Packers Pillages Villagers

So the Pirate ship docked once more at Llamaland following a successful voyage to Jersey, with spirits and confidence high, this has been tipped as the year of the Pirate. Never has the team looked so strong for the 1st game of the year and the track at St Albans looked in great nick for an early May deck. ‘Chef’ Jonny Wickes was stand in captain for the day and was looking to continue his unbeaten record as skipper for the Pirates, having coincidentally lead the team against Wimbledon Village in the last 3 years.
All that momentum and excitement went out of the window after the first ball. Jonny Wickes out for a Diamond Duck. 46% of fantasy league managers had picked the best looking batting/keeper in the club, but -20 points on the first ball of the first day of the season isn’t quite what the Dr ordered.
Fellow opener Paul Fisher departed soon after and the Pirates were in early trouble at 11-2, and memories of first day defeats past, raised their ugly heads. Some stability is what the team required and stability is what it received with tourist Olly Mayes and Simon Brewis in the middle, both brought the team and the run rate into a promising position. With Mayes playing some ‘positive’ shots and Brewis showing the class that befits an ex minor counties player, the partnership soon grew past 50 until Brewis was caught in midwicket for an excellent debut 44. As often happens, 1 brings 2 and Olly Mayes soon departed for a run a ball 35. From 86-3 read 95-7 as Wimbledon Village took advantage of early season rust and some debatable shot selections, leaving the Pirates looking more at 120 rather than the 200+ a few overs before. However, at 9 in walked Sumair Qasim, full of flu and struggling to breath, he joined Manoj in the middle following a pre-season where he has been talking up his batting. Well the talking worked, Manoj and Sumair played the conditions extremely well, knowing that they have 20+ overs to bat out and score some much needed and extremely valuable runs for the team.
Rather than playing IPL mode they left the good balls, ran the singles and added an excellent 30 for the 8th wicket before Manoj
was bowled by their returning opening bowler. The better Wicksy and Wilbur Tiley followed the excellent batting mentality and both added valuable runs with the impressive Qasim, who ended on 29* and left the Pirates on 163.
A quick glance at Wimbledon Village’s scorecard from last week saw them go from 90-1 to all out
for 140, and suddenly the pirates had a very defendable target, but under no illusion that we needed 10 wickets to win and not allow them to bat all of their overs.
Fortunately Chef Wickes had 7 bowlers to choose from in a strong line-up, and Gandalf Cossey and Wicksy opened up, knowing that quick inroads into their top order were important, as equally important though was tight bowling and not allowing them a flyer. Both bowlers obliged with Cossey sending down some pace and control rarely seen in the Pirates, leaving Wimbledon at 30-2 off 11. This was exactly the start the skipper wanted. Now, put yourself in a skippers shoes, you’re defending 160, you’ve had a good start with the ball, you need someone to raise the level of competitiveness, take the mantle from Cossey (2-7 from 6!)and get in the batsman’s faces. You’ve also spotted the red roof above
the sightscreen on the St Albans road end, and need a 7 foot 6 bowler to get their arm above it. Well who else would you need but Matt Packham. Yes, Crouchy (who has wintered very well!) came on to bowl leggy bouncers using his own brand of chat and aggression. He bowled extremely well to early results, one being a superb catch from Fisher to a rank long hop at deep backward square. Fisher rolling back the years to cover the ground and snare one with full confidence that had eluded Matt Van Staden a ball before.
Lurch was ably assisted at the other end by Manoj whose winter nets and gym work had helped him shed a few pounds and allow him bowl more than 4 overs in a spell. Excellent bowling had moved Wimbledon from 25-2 to 55-7 with ‘tree’ Packham taking a well- deserved 4-23 from 9.
Manoj, the Indian Elvis, must be also mentioned as the pair made an excellent bowling partnership with tight lines and not giving an inch, Manny returning with 2-13 from 7 before the 2nd spin option of Wilbur Tiley came into the mix. Wilbur’s bowling allowing more flight and guile that was extremely tempting to the lower order batsmen who were keen to get on top, without much success, and Wilbur nabbing 2 wickets in his 3.4 overs. Wimbledon Village all out for 90.

A superb second half display saw the Pirates home with ease in the end, a great platform to move forward. Seems as though the preseason tour worked. Jersey 2017 anyone?