Scorecard

Breadalbane v Forfarshire Cricket Club 3rd XI on Sat 28 Apr 2012 at 1pm
Forfarshire Cricket Club Lost 5 wickets

Match report Given the recent inclement weather, it was unsurprising news that came through on Thursday night that the season’s opening fixture had been cancelled. However, it was then VERY surprising news that came through on Friday morning to say the game was back on.

What had happened to enforce this change? Had Breadalbane CC suddenly purchased a super soaker on ebay? Had there been a sudden drying wind of biblical proportions in the Aberfeldy area? What could have caused this sudden change of events……? The explanation filtered through that fixture secretary Gus had taken a message on Thursday to say a game was off due to a flooded pitch and then advised everyone accordingly. Our ever efficient fixture secretary had however failed to identify the club in question - and having assumed it was Breadalbane calling; he was later to discover that it was in fact Freuchie making the call…

You would have thought a man of his experience might have asked the identity of the caller, or maybe even that the accent of the caller would have given a clue – but no - and thus chaos followed. So with the game on - then off - then on again, this lead to a communications scramble of epic standards lead by Dave T who found a leisurely Friday turned into an all day phone marathon. Due to Dave’s super human efforts this finally resulted in a new squad being assembled late on Friday evening.

The club are now planning to outsource the fixture secretary’s job to a call centre in India where we can get better rates than the Reoch Call Centre, can get a more efficient service, can get someone who can understand a local accent and of course can save a lot of hassle in future…

The originally selected eleven largely cancelled any new plans they had arranged due to the “cancellation” and put the team first; however it was noticeable that vice skipper Chubbsy Sim was absent and we were advised that he had declined to cancel a hastily arranged golf match. With his father elevated to the second team after his fantastic run scoring exploits last season; this meant that the third team took the field without a Sim in place for the first time in a while. It was disappointing that Sim Junior chose not to cancel his golf match to play cricket and this lead to much annoyance among the senior pros - who suggested he should get Tevez type discipline and be sent to Argentina on no pay for six months to let him practice his golf as much as he wants.

So it was a very young and inexperienced side that made the journey North to Breadalbane for the 2012 season’s opening fixture. On arrival at the ground we could see the picturesque surroundings in the distance which meant a first for us all – i.e. playing cricket in the shadow of snow capped mountains. The wicket was not surprisingly very soft and very green given the recent monsoon conditions - and the only good thing really was that the temperature was above freezing. With the Sims AWOL the senior pros did stone, paper and scissors and Clark lost and found himself thrust into the role of acting skipper. In true Forthill tradition he lost the toss and we were invited to take first use of the spongy strip.

The lack of potential umpires and scorers among the ranks largely dictated the batting order and Scott opened up with young Christian. Christian got a full toss and popped it into covers hands and departed without troubling the scorers and Glenn joined his Dad at the crease. They played sensibly in difficult conditions and slowly built a nice partnership before Glenn departed for a nice 26. Bryce joined Scott and slowly settled in before playing some fine shots which elevated the run rate. Scott departed for a solid 31 and Craig joined Bryce in the middle. The two built a good partnership and seemed destined to take us to a surprisingly large total given the conditions when Bryce’s inexperience showed and he was run out going for a crazy second run after scoring an excellent 41. Clark was nursing frostbite from a marathon umpiring spell when he joined Craig, but they also kept the board quietly ticking along before Craig was run out for a tidy 15, this time by a fine direct hit. Abdullah went for a big hit but holed out and Clark was joined by Cameron and they managed to get a few runs on the board before the innings closed on 168 for 6.

Tea was taken in the cramped surrounds of the tennis pavilion. Under normal circumstances the combined elevens would spill out on to the terrace overlooking the tennis courts and take tea; however on days like today no one ventured outside and a rather crowded tea room was the upshot. Assorted sandwiches, crisps and biscuits were piled on top of each other on the small table and cups of tea were also dished out. Overall it was a forgettable first tea of the season for all sorts of reasons and hopefully better fare lies ahead. One couldn’t help noticing that a Breadalbane player bears a startling resemblance to Little Britain star Andy Pipkin and this did provide some amusement for the visitors.

The elder statesmen in attendance felt that 168 was a well above par score on a damp wicket with a slow outfield and it was a hopeful visiting team that took the field with as many sweaters as possible for the second innings. Christian made an early break through and Glenn and Craig also picked up wickets and the visitors were in the driving seat. However, the fall of the second wicket brought Wimberley to the crease. This was a new face in the Breadalbane ranks and the fact he sported a “Gordounston School Coach” sweater implied he knew what he was doing. Either that or he was a good bus driver. It soon became apparent he was a batsman of some ability as opposed to a good driver and with the young visiting attack showing signs of rustiness after a winter lay off and limited practice; Wimberley dispatched any loose bowling to the boundary and quickly started to take the game away from Forthill. Various bowling options were tried before Blair was introduced to the attack and he found success quickly when trapping Wimberley LBW for a fine 77, however the damage had been done as Wimberley’s contribution along with a substantial number of extras meant the winning post was in sight when he departed.

It became evident following his departure the batting was less talented and their seemed to be unnecessary nervousness in the home ranks, however Thom (23 not out) played the sheet anchor role and in spite of a battling effort from the visitors the home side made the target in the 42nd over with 5 wickets to spare. This was a reasonable first performance of the season from the visitors given the majority of the team had not lifted a bat since last year. An above average score had raised hopes - and it can perhaps be surmised that if Wimberley had not been in the home ranks then a victory might well have resulted. However it did show that some practice is needed especially on the bowling front; and it was a reminder that in this division there is always a chance that we will run into a good player who will heavily punish any loose bowling.

The young lads all stuck to their task in the field and all played their part in the game. No doubt they will all be better for a game under their belt and for the experience. Of the older lads………they had a busy day. Bryce had a mind numbing car load of under 15’s to transport to the ground and back, had to sit with his pads on and manage the scoring/scoreboard for a number of overs before batting - and then even tried to roll back the years with an interesting yet economical bowling spell. Clark had a hand numbing spell of both end umpiring for close to 30 overs before padding up and taking over scoreboard duties, all prior to batting a few overs and then attempting to marshall the troops in the field. All of this pales into insignificance however when compared to the herculean efforts of Scott.

Asked to open the batting he did so for the good of the team. He stuck well at the crease for 30 overs before throwing off his pads and then umpiring the remainder of the innings. Then with the Sims posted missing he agreed to take on the stumping duties for the day which he did with some style and even took a catch off Glenn’s bowling. This was indeed a performance above and beyond the call of duty and no doubt he will have slept well on Saturday night………..and Sunday night……..and Monday night. So overall an encouraging but ultimately losing start to the season. One suspects that both sides on view may well be in the lower reaches of the table this season and therefore this was a valuable 25 points for the Highlanders.

For Forthill 2nd XI, I guess it was a disappointing result but there were lots of positives to take from the game.

On the batting front Glenn and Craig again had encouraging knocks and the old guard all chipped in. On the bowling side Glenn and Craig also bowled some good deliveries and once they get a few overs under their belt they will no doubt pick up plenty of wickets. Of the more inexperienced bowlers, Christian bowled two very tidy spells, Cameron wheeled away manfully and ran into Wimberley just as he was opening out, Morgan flighted the ball well and turned it a long way on a slow surface, Blair did a great job when he came on and picked up a couple of good wickets and Abdullah latterly bowled a couple of decent overs. Overall they all stuck to their task really well in what were largely debut games at first division level.

The Man of the Match Award went to Scott for his efforts across the day and he receives a week long’s supply of muscle rub (applied by Freda) and a one way air ticket to Argentina which he can give to the wicket keeper of his choice. It is hoped that at least one of the Sim Twins will be back in their usual place next week and thus take on the wicket keeping and captaincy duties. This is based on the hope that the selectors do not take leave of their senses this week and put Simmy Sr in the first team, that Chubbsy plays cricket and not crazy golf, that it stops raining…..and most importantly that the newly appointed Indian based fixture secretary can take a phone message accurately and efficiently.

Players are reminded that practice sessions are held at least two nights a week and even on extra nights some weeks with guest coaches in attendance. This week we have Scotland assistant coach Tony Judd taking a session which is great.

Apparently we also have Glenrothes CC Professional Raymond Watson taking some sessions this season as well – assuming he doesn’t take up the post of club coach at Kirriemuir CC which is on offer for three fish suppers a week.





Forfarshire Cricket Club 3rd XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
7nb 13w 6b  
for 5 wickets
26
168		        
Scott Carnegie ct Thom b Wimberley 31 1
Christian Robertson ct Law b Joss 0
Glenn Carnegie ct & b Bowler 26
Bryce Robertson Run out  41 4
Craig McConnachie Run out  15 1
Clark McConnachie Not Out  27 2 1
Abdullah Awan ct Bowler b Delph 2 1
Cameron Walker Not Out  0
Finlay McNicoll  
Morgan Sargeant  
Blair Walker  

Breadalbane Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
G Joss 5.0016116.003.20
D Delph 8.0125125.003.12
N Wimberley 9.0127127.003.00
M Bowler 9.0223123.002.56
M Bridgeman 9.004600.005.11
F Thom 5.002500.005.00

Breadalbane Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 5 wickets
0
169 (42.0 overs)		     
M Bowler lbw McConnachie 7
J Law ct Awan b C Robertson 0
S Warwick ct S Carnegie b G Carnegie 9
N Wimberley lbw B Walker 77
F Thom Not Out  23
M Law b B Walker 2
M Bridgeman Not Out  5
D Delph  
G Joss  
D Grace  
A Bridgeman  

Forfarshire Cricket Club 3rd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Glenn Carnegie8.0126126.003.25
Christian Robertson9.0122122.002.44
Craig McConnachie7.0026126.003.71
Cameron Walker3.001800.006.00
Morgan Sargeant4.003100.007.75
Bryce Robertson5.01800.001.60
Blair Walker4.0020210.005.00
Abdullah Awan2.00800.004.00