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Division 1: North County v Railway Union

Sunday saw the meeting at Inch, Balrothery, of two sides who should be competing for the Bob Kerr but got knocked out after visits to the NCU, and who are competing for the LCU Division 1 title, holders North County and challengers Railway Union.  Tom Fisher won the toss for the Wheeltappers and Shunters and took 'keeper Sam Farthing out to open the batting with himself.

After one nice boundary, Farthing was bowled by John Mooney, which must have been a disappointment for Sam's watching parents, over from Oz.  It is, of course, quite possible that they're well used to seeing their Sam out for a low score!  I certainly am.  Tom Fisher looked in good nick until, having scored 21 out of 38, drove a return catch to Josh Reeves in the left-armer's first over.

In came Trent Johnston, who was dropped first ball at a shortish, straightish mid off by Ciaran Garry.  To add injury to insult, Mini had to go off with a damaged finger which turned out to be broken.  TJ gathered his runs as Conor Mullen was in the horrors, dropped behind the stumps on 1, and unable to hit the ball out of his way.

Eventually he stumbled and stuttered to 23 when he was so plumb lbw to Adam Coughlan that I could have given it through the lens of the camera above the mid wicket boundary.  78-3 became 93-4 when TJ played on to a Reeves delivery for 25.  That was drinks, which had a soporific effect on the incoming batsmen, how, I don't know!

Mo Tariq was caught by Reeves off Coughlan for 8 and Andy O'Neill was bowled first ball by John Mooney to leave Railway 105-6 in the 29th over.  Paddy Conliffe joined Patrick Collins and in eight overs the pair added 31 uncomplicated runs.  Then Conliffe, 14, drilled the ball straight to the fielder and was left open-mouthed in the middle of the pitch as Collins refused to budge from the safety of the non-striker's end.

Three byes later (David Casey was having one of those days behind the stumps as Dara Armstrong's sore back still prevents him from playing) Saad edged Lawrence to the normally safe hands of Mooney at slip.  John Boy eventually clung on, clapped his flippers, and Saad had to go.  Greg Lambert patted a return catch to Lawrence and Railway were 139-9 in the 38th over.

Imran Aslam came out and thoroughly enjoyed himself for eight overs, adding 37 with Collins, playing a couple of really nice shots, taking it and giving it, especially with John Boy, and looking anything but a number eleven.  He was on 20*, Collins on 40, with four and a half overs still to bat when Collins got a head high lifter from Reeves which he steered to Casey.  Much to his own surprise, the County reserve keeper didn't drop it.

Railway were 176 all out in 45.3 overs on a 250 track, the result of much sloppy batting.  Mooney took 2/44, Reeves 3/29 and Coughlan 2/19 off his ten.  Reeves and Coughlan are improving all the time as bowlers, well able to compensate for the off-days had by Conor Shiel and Eddie Richardson.

I enjoyed my tea in the company of Mr and Mrs Farthing Senior and Mr and Mrs Conliffe Senior, particularly when Mrs C felt obliged to remind hubby where they had honeymooned.  Mr C Junior quickly bowled Mossie Shiel, and in his next over caused the dangerous Greg Hay to top-edge the ball high over O'Neill at square leg.  The youngster turned round, gave pursuit and dived forward full length to cling on to a quite superb catch.

Adam Coughlan is a slow starter, so decided to take his singles.  He called Conor Armstrong through for single that left The Doctor well short of his ground, so far short that the umpires had to confer to decide whether it was one plus four overthrows or just four overthrows.  Coughlan got a quiet word in his shell-like.

That 5 was 45.45% of Coughlan's total when he nudged Lambert into the gully region where Conliffe took a good catch diving forward.  Nine runs later Armstrong holed out to Tariq off Lambert and County were 44-4, and in danger of making a Horlick's of an easy run chase.  Mooney and Reeves batted properly, which was all that was required once Lambert finished his ten, although John Boy fortuitously top-edged Saad over slip.

Mooney swept Collins for four, but next ball bottom-edged the ball on to his stumps attempting to repeat the shot, out for 35 out of 78.  The next over from Collins saw Lawrence march down the pitch, swing to leg, miss and be out lbw as he intercepted the ball on the full.  That mandatory interpretation of the lbw is totally barmy, and can only have been drafted by Shane Warne, but it should be noted that even the pre-2000 law wouldn't have saved Richie.

County were six down, 94 short, and Garry would only bat in an emergency.  Deep doo-dah?  Trooble at t'mill?  Crisis?  What crisis?  In the next nine overs there were so many bad balls that my granny would have got the runs even though she died twenty years ago at the age of ninety-five.  Eddie Richardson helped himself to 57 of the easiest runs he'll ever get.

Yes, he and Reeves (41*) batted well, but the Railway bowling went into melt-down, just like it did in the Bob Kerr final last year (same ground, so perhaps not a coincidence).  Then, TJ was able to put things into perspective, but now he was forbidden to bowl and had to watch the bilge.  Poor bloke.  North County 180-6 off 32.3 overs, home and hosed.  A thoroughly wretched weekend for the Shunters.