Tonyrefail & Edmundstown (134-9) beat St Peter's (101) by 31 runs, Tyn-y-Bryn Park, Tonyrefail
It is too early in the season to be talking about crisis, but The Rocks already know they face a challenge to cement their place in Alliance Division 1 after another disastrous batting display.
Yet, the bowling showed a level of concentration and technique which, if repeated in the batting, could see this team quickly return to winning ways.
The day got off to a disappointing start when James Noman was left behind in Cardiff, not even aware that he was meant to be playing. A desperate SOS to Ian offered hope of fielding eleven and even saw Rob, skipper for the day, elect to field in the hope of enticing the Sherrif to swap glad rags for his whites. It was not to be and St Peter's took to the field with ten men.
For much of the following few hours, the team played as if at full-strength. Gareth, making his first appearance of the season, hit an impressive early groove, swinging the ball late and taking an early wicket. At the other end, Paul bowled the spell of the season so far. He hit a consistent spot ball after ball, enticing a lot of playing and missing. It was perhaps inevitable that his two wickets should come from his worst two balls, the first when a leg-side delivery was finely edged and taken by a tumbling keeper and the second from a full-toss. Those wickets were well-earned and Paul conceded just two scoring shots in his spell of 10-7-7-2.
Bomber maintained the discipline and, after an over or two to sort out his length, bowled some genuinely sharp deliveries.
Under a fierce sun, it was perhaps inevitable that the absence of a fielder resulted in one or two errors. The antics of a half-interested crowd, drunk, stoned, and half-naked, may have contributed to a loss of concentration, not least when Tonyrefail's umpire was the victim of a marauding rugby tackle. John lost a steepler in the sun as he and Chris dilly-dallied over whose catch it was (John made amends the following over by taking the wicket of the same batsman), Joe missed a sharp edge as Matt settled into a productive late spell and there were vain acrobatics from Richie, Stuart and Gareth as the Tonyrefail middle-order hit hard.
Nonetheless, restricting the home side to 134 was an excellent performance.
Sadly, the reply never got going. The damage was done by an opening spin bowler, "Puffs", whose variation of flight and turn brought the downfall of the top three. Joe psyched himself out at the thought of facing a spinner and played down the wrong line. Richie and Gareth began to make good progress until Rich tried an ambitious drive and was also bowled. Gareth, attempting to find the form that made him so dominant last season, was looking unruffled until offering up a catch.
In truth, the rest of the bowling was tidy but needn't have been threatening on a pitch that was the truest played on so far this season. Chris, batting at four, never settled and Paul was unable to repeat his bowling heroics, edging behind playing an expansive cut.
Matt then fell victim to the day's one controversy, run out but blocked as he charged for safety by a Tonyrefail fielder. By the letter of the law he was out and his only chance of a reprieve would have depended on the opposition recalling him. They considered themselves blameless and Matt was gone.
Gary, Stuart and Rob offered hope towards the end, playing carefully and picking up runs against the change bowlers. But, one batsman down and with too few wickets to play with, the slim chance of a sensational fightback never materialised. In the end, gaining the one batting point was a bonus. Who knows how important that might be come the end of the season?
A great deal of analysis took place. It is clear that as a batting unit we have not adjusted to the more rigorous demands of this league. Innings are not being crafted, players not getting themselves in before trying to play more expansively and partnerships are not being formed. Towards the end, Stuart and Rob showed what can happen when batsmen work together, Stuart happy to play within himself while Rob opened his shoulders.
In the end, if each partnership had generated only four more runs, we would have won. The bowling and fielding displays are presenting us with perfect winning opportunities. The pressure is now on the batsmen to deliver their half of the bargain.
