After two days that were wetter than an otter’s pocket with winds strong enough to blow rat traps from Eden onto the outfield, it was a surprise to many to see cricket played at all this weekend. Only the hard work of players helping out with the maintaining of the wicket and outfield ensured it was game on at the Field of Dreams, Bryn Road. If you maintain it, they will come! With the skipper called up to the firsts, Layton Williams took over captain duties. With a track and pitch drying ever more as the day continued it was a big toss to win. Little did Williams know this would be his last successful moment on the pitch for today. Electing to bowl first, Tondu openers Ryan Owen and Dan Thomas tried to apply the pressure early doors. Backed up by some good fielding, Miskin did not find runs easy to come by. It was Thomas who broke through first, with an excellent delivery leaving the batsman looking back at the track in disbelief, where in reality he was beaten by a delivery that was too good for him.

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Owen took the other opening batsman’s scalp with Miskin finding themselves 37-2, Tondu knew this was their chance to put pressure on the opponents. Sadly, Williams decided to do his vet impression and put one down giving Miskin a lifeline in their search for runs. The chance was soon forgotten when Nigel Thomas went down in stages and decided the only option was to stop the ball with his head, runs saved, nevertheless. Soon after, not learning from his previous experience, Thomas was to find that you cannot catch a cricket ball in your chest, still adamant to keep his hands in pristine condition for his next piano recital. Not to be outdone, Williams did manage to get nutmegged in cricket, which is rare. Dan Thomas took matters into his own hands and clean bowled another batsman to leave Miskin 49-3. With seemingly one of the visitors most dangerous batsman now at the crease, it was important that Tondu kept things tight in the field to keep the pressure on. With Kieran Davies doing his Gianluigi Buffon impressions in the covers, pressure built on the visiting batsmen.

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The addition of Richard Ready to the bowling attack began to turn the screw and it soon began to reap its rewards when Ready claimed a run out with the pressure forcing the Miskin batsmen to take risky runs. Only a sublime caught and bowled by Ready was able to dismiss the dangerous Thomas for the visitors with the outgoing batsman shaking his head in disbelief as he trudged off. In all fairness to him he absolutely middled the leather off it but this didn’t phase Ready, after all it was his own bowling figures that was the motivation. The impressive Richard Ready took another wicket with a well taken catch at silly mid-off from Davies. Miskin managed to find a partnership in the tail with Khan smashing a quickfire 37 and in the process ruining the figures of Josh Tatchell in a single over. It was hard going for Williams and Tatchell as the visiting batsman started to find flight over the boundary rope with more regularity. Miskin Manor managed to post a total of 150-6 off their allotted 38 overs.

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Ross Evans and Matthew Richards opened the batting for the home side and soon got after the Miskin bowling attack. Keeping the scoreboard ticking over, the pair put on 87 runs for the first wicket which included a six from Richards rewarding him for all his gym time spent. Not to be outdone, Evans put one out of the ground for good measure as well. Evans was trapped LBW for the first wicket, before Richards followed not long after. Feeling himself edging towards a fifty and more importantly, a fowler, the batsman felt this was a good time to bow out and gifted the opposition a catch. ‘Oh soft hair, what have you done now?’ It was a fantastic platform for the side to build upon however, with Tondu 100-2 off 23 overs. Next up to the crease was every fantasy cricket manager’s wet dream, Richard Ready. Between him and Iestyn Williamson, they added another 30 runs to the total before Williamson fell with Tondu only needing 19 runs for victory. The experience of Ready and Gavin Davies saw Ton through to an impressive seven wicket victory with ten overs to spare.

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A fantastic win for the team where everyone contributed and a solid display in the field was backed up by a great opening partnership with the bat setting the home side up for a comfortable victory.

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If you should wish to hire the entertaining fielding services of Nigel Thomas and Layton Williams, they do kids parties and go under the stage name of ‘Flakey and the MBE’. Further details can be obtained by contacting the club.

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One to watch:

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Richard Ready - Great bowling spell, outlandish caught and bowled and solid knock to see the team to victory.

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Quote of the day - (Matthew Richards)

 

'Twelve months. That's like almost a year!'

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Miskin Manor 150-6 (38 overs)

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S Khan 37*, J Thomas 30

R Ready 2-11 D Thomas 2-21

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Tondu 151-3 (28 overs)

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M Richards 42, R Evans 33, R Ready 30*

S Khan 1-23

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