Norton are one of our bogey teams, we always seem to fall a little short against them. Things did not start well when we had seven players on the pitch as proceedings commenced. Leaving that to one side for a moment, there were a couple of Nomads debutants on show.
Sam Sparks and Ollie Davis are both excellent cricketers and (as luck would have it) both work at The Compton Inn, playing only their second match for the Nomads. With the season looming they will have no doubt earwigged plenty of Nomads cricket chat at the bar. They will have also no doubt been impressed by the elite Nomads cricketing athletes engaged in this chat. The two youngsters willingly offered their services for the team and any misplaced views they were both press ganged into playing by skipper Rees are to be dismissed out of hand please.
Derek Lee’s neighbour, Steve was one of our debutants. And it was Steve who made an early impact on the game. Rather he made an early impact on the ground. Steve had witnessed England beat Pakistan the day before at Bristol. He is a few years older than the average international England cricketer. However judging by his endeavours on the pitch, Steve seemed to have picked up a few tips he wished to try out. He showed remarkable enthusiasm chasing down a ball that seemed destined to beat him to the boundary. With a slide, tumble and forward roll, Steve clutched the ball before it hit the boundary rope. He then clutched his shoulder, having impaled it on the firm grassy outfield.
This was the stand out performance for the first few overs of the game, interwoven with occasional encouraged impromptu amateur chiropractic interventions on Steve by a couple of the Nomads, and the umpire. Our other debutant was Alex Monk, who very quietly went about the business of fielding very well, not injuring himself and also arriving on time.
By the time Ben Wall arrived to play not a great deal else had happened. The opposition had quietly moved to 20 - 0 off 4 overs, with neither Sheward Senior not Andy Taylor making a break through. Ollie and Sam arrived as Ben finished his first over at first change, with Ollie straight into proceedings at the other end. But neither Ben nor Ollie could break the partnership, with the opposition moving on to 56 - 0 off 8.
Next change saw Joe Sheward and Pete McAlmot on. Sheward Junior induced a loose shot in his second over but Sam Sparks marked himself out as having true Nomads credentials by dropping a relatively easy catch at wide mid off.
It was Pete who made the break through, taking a difficult reflex caught and bowled catch in his second over, with the score on 77-1 off 12 overs. At this stage in the game Norton had a good platform, a well set opener, and could easily rattle up 150 plus for the Nomads to chase.
The runfest however did not materialise. Through good fielding and tight bowling the home team found runs hard to find. Steve typified the commitment in the field, more diving around, deft back hand flicks and occasional impromptu chiropractic activity from any willing nearby fielder to keep him in play. And Sam bowled beautifully, taking two wickets in his second over including a catch taken by Sheward Senior at mid off. The catcher adopted an unusual but productive technique, choosing to allow the high lofted ball to land simultaneously in his cupped hands and between his ample man boobs.
The pressure was maintained as Ben and Ollie came on to bowl two further overs, and Sam bowled straight through to finish on 15 for 3 off four overs. Norton finished on a surprisingly low 123 -4.
Sadly Sam could not replicate his fine form with the bat, falling in the second over for 1, with the score on 8 - 1. This brought Sheward Senior to the crease with Skipper Rees. The game followed with little excitement to report, save for some frustration around the limited Umpiring skills of the Nomads. With Sheward Senior and Skipper Rees at the crease, there was very limited Nomads umpiring availability.
Sam Sparks took on the umpiring role admirably, but seemed to find it very difficult to count to six. This caused a degree of frustration from the opposition. Eventually six stones were found to assist him, but his ability to count to six did not improve. The oppositions frustration escalated when Sam suggested that the stones were broken.
The umpiring issue seemed to have quietened down until in a mid bowler run up the scorers called out that it was the end of the over. The bowler carried on, bowled the delivery, and Skipper Rees duly edged a catch to the wicket keeper. Chat followed, the umpire called the over, and the delivery was called a dead ball.
Sheward and Rees batted on and it was not until the 13th over that Sheward fell for 38, with the score on 103 - 1. The Nomads were in a commanding position, needing 20 to win off 7 overs with 9 wickets in hand. A stroll in the park I hear you all say. No of course I didn’t hear you say that, this is the Nomads.
With Andy Taylor in at four, there followed more excitement. Pushing hard for a second run, Skipper Rees just got his bat over the crease line notwithstanding a tremendous direct hit from the fielders. And a few balls later Rees was out, LBW for 48, with the Nomads on 105 - 3. Ollie Davis came in next and with a horrible slip and a mix up, Taylor was run out for a duck. 105 - 4. Can you see where this might be going?
Norton could start to smell blood. With their tails up the fifth wicket fell, Ollie bowled for 2. At this stage Ben and Joe Sheward were at the crease, the score had not moved on and the Nomads were five down. Ben and Joe steadied the ship for a while, Ben taking a couple of singles and both keeping out some excellent bowling. But it didn’t last as Joe was bowled too. This brought Pete to the crease, he was bowled first ball. This brought newcomer Alex to the crease. He was bowled first ball.
Nomads were now 105-8. Steve was injured following his incredible exploits in the field, leaving Joe Sheward to come out again. The Nomads now needed 19 off 4 overs with one wicket in hand (there were only ten players on show, including Steve). The last two bowlers were nervous, as through the next two overs a few wides and no balls were given away, and Ben and Joe looked untroubled and took the occasional good single either off the bat or through byes.
With two overs to go 12 were needed. Ben cracked a four, Joe struck a confident single over short mid wicket, more extras, another scampered bye. The church clock chimed, It was eight forty five. The beautiful earlier Sunny Spring setting had changed to a dark imposing cricketing square, thirty local spectators on the edge of their seats trying to peer through the darkness at proceedings in the middle. The Nomads wondering if just maybe they could pull this one off. The batsmen focusing only on their singular goal, 6 off the last over.
Ben got a single off the first ball. A wide followed. Joe hit a single, another wide followed. Then Ben hit another single. And wouldn’t you know it, the young bowler bowled another wide, which drew the match with one ball to play and Ben facing. The last time Ben was in this position he was bowled down the gate at Chew Stoke, however this time things went differently - he hit a single and the game was won. Our last two batsmen had steered the team home with great composure, as well as a bit of luck with Norton’s closing bowler succumbing to the pressure. It really had been a case of clutching a victory from the jaws of defeat. And that clutching had in itself been clutched from an earlier likely defeat that had seemingly been clutched from the very large jaws of victory. Only the Nomads could have delivered such a roller coaster jaw clutching experience. The Nomads win by 1 wicket, well technically 2 wickets. Are you following? Me neither.
On Sunday 12th May the opening Nomads game was played at Easton In Gordano. The writer was not there to witness proceedings. The home side rattled up 299 runs from their 40 overs. A chastening bowler card cheered up only with a wicket for Andy Taylor and two wickets for Ben Wall.
In reply the Nomads finished on 178 - 8 off their 40 overs. Sounds like a losing draw to the writer. The batting highlights were Skipper Rees almost carrying his bat for 80 runs, Mark Davies with a hard grafted 16, a poor performance from bad Andy Taylor who got a duck going in at number 4, but a tremendous 35 not out from good Andy Taylor who went in at number 9.
The team were hampered by a poor opening game showing of 8 players. However, the team for this coming Sundays home game was over subscribed which should mean a high quality team line up. Do come along to support the team.
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