An Out of the Ordinaire Emphatic Spanking!

Two Grand Old Men of Marlowe

Not sure how long this will take, shorter than most I’m guessing. On a day when pundits scratched their brows over a shock Donegal demolition, the Cavs confounded the form book by asphyxiating RTE in a brutal 10 wicket drubbing. Openers Delaney and Sykes carried their bats in a magisterial display to overhaul the 167 target with 9 overs in hand.

It all began in the match’s first over bowled by the skipper. Facing his third delivery RTE’s Tosh swiped wildly at a wide-ish long hop and played on. Game on. The real danger man P. Souter wasn’t to be so easily ousted and his partner at the crease seemed correct and willing to run always.

Support was good for the Cavs – Colin Graham and son Kim

Once the Cavs organised their shape in the field  – out for the Souter wallop / reinforcing the off for Frank at no. 3 the run rate was contained to a steady 4.5 an over. This partnership lasted a long time. Lots of bowling variety was used to mix things up. Delaney worked hard behind the stumps.

At some point Souter appeared to be on the hunt for anything to hit. Ford got through twice in one over, missing marginally. Stott, our eighth bowler was dishing up good balls and it was a mistimed swing at a straight one that got, what was steadily looking more likely, the Souter breakthrough. A fine knock however in the eighties. Stott struck again not too long later getting a time-warped c & b to dismiss Oisin Marsh. Marsh had choked us in 2010 (one 6 reached the pool) so this was important.

As if by magic Andrew Archer appeared!

The wicket of P. Crosbie was preceded by a brief discussion of D. Collins’ position in the field. A tempting full toss from M. Kavanagh which led to a catch down Davy’s throat ended the debate! These were cheap wickets of potentially hard-hitting batsmen.

Soon a piece of fielding champagne occurred. The fielding in general had been good. A lot of bodies were put on the line for stopping balls – one goalie save down low from the youthful Mike Kav springs to mind and Ford’s commando crawling with an exploded knee also set the tone. There were only hard catch chances and a few remedial run out attempts from the skipper. Outriders like O’Regan, Collins, Stott and Duggan chased and threw well.

When Anto Howard called for one and then thought better of it Stephen Swift gathered from extra cover, threw overarm on the run and a direct hit blasted our hopes of a second win into lift-off! Those are the cruellest/sweetest breakthroughs of all.

Why eat
gammon when you can have Ham?

Skipper Horan joined the piece. He was to stand his ground till the end. In the 32nd over (using up his last from the opposite end) R. Swift was hit for two fours by Frank, now on 49 and then looking for a stumping JD took a snicked catch up close. 166 left things pretty nicely poised, we thought.

First Lady, Twelfth Man

There was a bit of discussion as to whether the Coury / Sykes opening partnership from Halverstown ought to be broken up…it had worked so well. But if RTE lead with Souter, we shouldn’t leave Delaney waiting in the wings and he and Sykes went to work. And the left/right batting combo (which was negated in RTE’s case by Tosh’s early dismissal) is an extra inconvenience for fielders to deal with.

Trying to get good economy from his second string bowlers during the early, conservative period of any innings appeared the tactic from RTE’s skipper. And it worked to an extent but JD rightly decided not to curb his natural hitting game and on the innings’ 4th ball he hit a six into the fence of the swimming pool.

RTE’s heads must have dropped when it appeared that the run rate kicked on when the faster, better bowling was brought to bear. Get a bit of willow on it and use the slope. The batsmen’s eyes were in you see: always a risk with such a bowling strategy.

WG Grace would have been just as delighted!

Tired but happy Yorkshireman

And so it went. There was hungry running for byes and singles and there were boundaries to marvel at. Delaney was dropped once, Sykes never gave a glimpse. When half centuries were reached the boys seemed to grow in stature and become more expansive – there was no let-up on the windpipe.

The sun slanted but didn’t seem to affect the batsmen and even before it had retreated behind the mature, deciduous trees the whole thing was thoroughly wrapped up.

Thanks are due to the two umpires: Alan Pleass and John Fanagan.

Hearty thanks too to our supporters on the day: B. Barrington & family, N. Stapleton, C. Graham & son, Roberto O’Conaire and offspring, Deirdre O’Kane & Luke and Milo Bedser, Andrew Archer and kids (back for good & looking forward to next season?), el Presidente Brennan and our patron F.P. Linehan.

This one’s for Gerry

The XI and backroom squad!

Cavs XI v. RTE, Aug 31st 2014: R. Swift, S. Swift, J. Delaney, M. Ford. S. Duggan, M. O’Regan, P. Sykes, T. Stott, M. Kavanagh, D. Collins, S. Coury. 12th man: G. Adlum.

Photos: N. Stapleton and S. Duggan.