Scorecard

Cosby Cricket Club 2nd XI v Shepshed Messengers II on Sat 20 Sep 2008 at
Match was Drawn Losing (7 points)

Match report 22 Sep 2008 : Season ends with a draw as Ken plays his final game

Match Report: Cosby II vs Shepshed Messengers II, Saturday 20th September 2008.

The 2 s rolled up at home for the last game of the season against a Shepshed team that had got he better of them earlier in the year. With promotion now out of reach their was a place in the side for the evergreen Ken Needham for what was his last game of cricket before his impending emigration to Canada.

The afternoon started in familiar fashion with Saus losing another toss and Shepshed deciding to make the most of what looked a decent batting track on one of the best days of the season in terms of weather. Things started well with the ball as well as “Big” Phil Needham removed Messengers opener in the third over for 0. A few overs later things got even better thanks to a run out from the skipper off Woodys bowling leaving Shepshed 20 for 2. The 2 opening bowlers both had great seasons for the 2s providing us with starts in the field pretty much all season. The pair were taken out of the attack and replaced by Sheriff and Michael “Trigger” Whitehead. Both bowled well with Whitehead sending down sime absolutely unplayable deliveries and Sheriff always looking like taking wickets. Sheriff picked up 2 wickets and Trig was unlucky to not pick any up during his 7 over spell.

Shepshed were 45 for 4 and the 2s seemed well on top but this is where Messengers started to fight back with their numbers 5 and 6 digging in and putting on their first real partnership of the game. The partnership was eventually broken by partnership breaker in chief Matt “Stealth” Bills with the score on 75. Ben “Frank” Spencer was on at the car park end and like Whitehead was bowling some good deliveries without much luck during his spell. After Billso’s rather erratic spell was brought to a conclusion Saus turned to the 133 year old Ken Needham to bowl in his last ever game. W.G proved there is life in the (very) old dog yet with the trademark Ken shuffle run up and sent down 4 economical overs. Shepsheds number 5 was still in and went past his 50 and despite his best attempts to get out, was being ably assisted by the number 7.

Saus decided that as it was last game of the season everyone was going to bowl and brought Rich “The Cat” Fairbrother on at the car park end. When the laughter eventually died down Rich sent down what can be best described as an interesting 3 over spell. However Rich would have the last laugh as he went on to pick up 3 wickets with 2 fine catches from Saus and Meredith. Just when the bowlers thought things couldn’t get any more embarrassing Anthony Kim was introduced to the bowling attack and he picked up a wicket as well, with an lbw that pitched on the batsmans boot. Crouching Tigers spell also provided the comedy moment of the game/season. With one of his deliveries heading to the boundary Rich “Usain Bolt” Fairbrother was in hot pursuit, as the ball was about to go over the rope a young kid ran on the pitch to pick the ball up and throw it back, Rich at this point got tripped up by an over long blade of grass and produced a belly flop dive that Tom Daley would have been proud of. Reports of an impending Tsunami are apparently totally unrelated!

With the score having been taken up to 182 the last over of the innings was given to Ken to bowl his last ever over and hopefully get the final wicket needed to bowl Shepshed all out. Alas it was not to be and Shepshed finished 185 for 9 as the 2s were led off the field by Ken.

After tea the 2s posed for their team photo and with Bills, Gray , Fairbrother and the Needhams in the picture what a team of athletes they looked. Gok and Russ went out to open the innings and got things off to a brisk start with the score racing to 20 inside 3 overs with Gok doing the majority of the run scoring. Russ was the first wicket to fall, when he was trapped LBW by Shepsheds young opening bowler. Frank came out to crease at 3 but didn’t last long picking up his 2nd consecutive duck and the 2s were rocking at 30 for 2.

Rich Fairbrother came in 4 and one of the familiar trends of the season reared its ugly head again as the 2s struggled for runs in the middle overs of an innings. This was compounded by some rather keystone cops running. Twice Rich and Gok found themselves at the same end and twice they managed not to get run out thanks to some rather shoddy Shepshed fielding. The score had creeped up to 60 before Rich got bowled and when Meredith got stumped for 28 soon after the 2s realised victory was now not really possible. Woody and Mike Whitehead were at the crease and the pair started things going again with both hitting boundaries. The score had been taken into the 90s before Trigger was well caught at mid off a shot that most other days would have earnt him 4 runs.

Big came and went in the blink of an eye and Sheriff came out to bat with Woody. This looked the best partnership of the day as both played the bowling with ease and Woody looking especially fluent. Woody eventually fell for 34 with the score on 120 and still 7 overs remaining. With this situation there was only one man for the job and W.G. Needham strode out to the crease. Ken looked as if he could have played the Shepshed bowling with the proverbial stick of rhubarb as he and Sheriff took the score up to 139 when on the last ball of the 44th over Ken was trapped LBW. As Ken walked off there was a standing ovation for his services to Cosby and Leicestershire cricket over the past 50 plus years.

Sheriff was able to play the remaining over out for a maiden with Billso intent on not leaving the non strikers end meaning the 2s finished the season with a draw.

Result: Losing Draw

Points: Cosby 7 pts, Shepshed Messengers 16 pts

MOM: Ken Needham, over 50 years playing for Cosby, the old man will be missed by all.

Verdict: Not much to be read into this game due to the relaxed nature it was played in. Overall a decent season, with better weather and a bit more application promotion should be a realistic target next year. An enjoyable 2nd team season.

Shepshed Messengers II Batting
Player name RunsMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
185 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Cosby Cricket Club 2nd XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Phil Needham6.0125125.004.17
Paul Wood6.031000.001.67
Andy Gray7.0026213.003.71
Michael Whitehead7.0315115.002.14
Matthew Bills4.0030130.007.50
Ben Spencer5.012100.004.20
Ken Needham5.002400.004.80
Richard Fairbrother3.002337.677.67
Nigel Meredith2.0010110.005.00

Cosby Cricket Club 2nd XI Batting
Player Name RMB4s6sSRCatchesStumpingsRun outs
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 9 wickets
0
139		        
Russell Sullivan Lbw  1 1
Nigel Meredith Stumped  28 1
Ben Spencer Bowled  0
Richard Fairbrother Bowled  14
Michael Whitehead Caught  13
Paul Wood Bowled  34
Phil Needham Bowled  2 1
Andy Gray Not Out  22
Simon Jones Bowled  4 2
Ken Needham Lbw  1
Matthew Bills Not Out  0

Shepshed Messengers II Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.
 
Photos and video of Cosby Cricket Club 2nd XI v Shepshed Messengers II on Sat 20 Sep 2008 at

Frank Batting

Ben plays a straight bat during his brief innings.

Ken's Last Stand (as Umpire)

Ken during his final spell of umpiring on the hallowed turf.

Running Nige

Gok on the run, not from immigration

An attacking shot?

Could that be Nige playing an attacking looking shot? Hells bells it is!

Textbook!

Page 9, Paragraph 5, Figure R.

Big!

Phil gets bowled, whilst not looking!

Bradmanesque

Rich plays a shot, not totally sure which, looks like a forehand smash!

Looking for runs?

One of the few occasions Rich and Anthony Kim didn't wind up at the same end.

Russ waits

Russ prepares to receive a delivery

Saus, Trigger and Foxy

Simon says look to your left. Wrong way Foxy, you're out!

Mikey the batsman

Spike finally looks like a batsman, of sorts.

Woody at the crease

Paul "Keano" Wood on his way to 34 runs

The Team

Back Row (L to R): Matt "Billso" Bills, Simon "The Scorer" Cooper, Ken "WG" Needham, "Big" Phil Needham, Rich "The Cat" Fairbrother, Michael "Trigger" Whitehead, Ben "Frank" Spencer. Front Row: Paul "Geordie" Wood, Russ "I need a Nickname" Sullivan, Simon "Sausage" Jones (Captain), Nigel "Any oriental person" Meredith, Andy "Sheriff" Gray.