First 3 matches of Notts Libraries cricket season 2010

Libraries vs. County Casuals, West Park, Thursday, 13th May, 2010

A typically eventful match against County Casuals ended with a five wicket victory for Libraries at West Park. It was a reversal of the result of last year’s opening fixture, but was achieved with one or two bizarre incidents, a touch of controversy, and a dramatic batting collapse which had us limping over the finishing line when the match should have been done and dusted.

A superb bowling and fielding performance had left Libraries needing only 51 to win off 18 overs, having dismissed Casuals for 50. Mike Hayward and Tony Gordon had put on 40 for the first wicket and we were seemingly cruising to victory with only one wicket down and one run needed. However, in the finest Libraries’ tradition there followed a collapse of epic proportions which saw FOUR wickets fall with the score on 50.

Tony Gordon was caught for 10, having narrowly failed to carry his bat through the innings, but the further dismissals of Steve Hayward, Tom Price and Thomas Brindle, all for nought, left the nerves jangling. However, with Saed Anwar and Colin Morley at the crease, a wide was bowled to give us the one run needed for victory! It was a fitting end to a bizarre sequence of events.

The Libraries line up was a mixture of the old guard and the new, with Mike Hayward keeping wicket for the first time, twin brother Steve making his debut, Thomas Brindle coming in for an occasional game, and Ken Bray taking the field after a pre-season operation on his foot. The plaster had only been fully removed a week beforehand, proving that his time spent in the oxygen tent had clearly worked.

There was still a familiar look about the side with Martyn Shaw skippering, and it was an established partnership of Baker and Lumb which produced the first wicket of the season, Lumb catching Ebbage at backward point off the bowling of Steve Baker. It was Chris Lumb’s 50th catch for Libraries. The same combination struck again a few overs later with an almost identical dismissal, this time Arnold cutting a ball from Baker straight to Lumb in the same position.

In between Tom Price, carrying on his superb indoor nets’ form, struck twice. His wickets included a rare stumping, the first of two by Mike Hayward in the innings. Ken Bray then pulled off a trademark catch in the covers, sticking out his left hand to hold a stinging drive from Hallam and giving Steve Baker his third wicket.

The wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, with that of Bob Wallace the most bizarre and, in the mind of Mr Wallace, the most controversial. A ball from left-armer Lumb hit him on the back leg and appeared to be plumb. Wicket-keeper Hayward let out a stifled appeal, followed by what can best be described as a polite enquiry from Lumb. The umpire’s finger shot up and he later said he had no doubt that the ball had pitched on rather than outside leg stump, the reason for both ‘keeper and bowler’s hesitation. Mr Wallace was initially reluctant to depart, like the former prime minister, and there followed a period of negotiation which would not have disgraced our new political leaders before he did the decent thing and returned to the pavilion. Presumably Bob was trying to work out whether two half appeals constituted a full appeal!

All the Libraries’ bowlers put in good performances; Colin Morley had excellent figures of 1 for 11 off four overs, Baker an impressive 3 for 8 off four, Price 2 for 8 off four, and Lumb took 3 for 20. Steve Hayward also bowled with frightening pace on the West Park matted strip and took his first wicket for the team. Meats was struck a beefy blow on the arm before being bowled the very next delivery by one pitched up.

Needing 51 to win, Mike Hayward carried the fight with an excellent 32 in the opening partnership of 40 with Tony Gordon. His dismissal brought Saed to the crease, and they brought the scores level when Tony Gordon was out caught for 10. At this stage Libraries were possibly guilty of complacency – not a phrase often associated with the Libraries cricket team – with Steve Hayward bowled for 0 when trying to end the match with a lusty blow. Tom Price then became Saed’s first victim of the season, run out by almost the length of the pitch when called for a quick single, and Thomas Brindle was caught behind by a diving Andy Peacock with the scores still remaining level. It was all over when a wide finally brought us victory.

The Vimto Moment went to Saed Anwar for running out Tom Price in pursuit of victory, and the Man of the Match award was given to Ken Bray in recognition of his efforts in taking the field –and taking a stunning catch - only a week after having a post op plaster removed from his foot.


Chris Lumb

Hardwick v Notts Libraries, Sunday 16 May.

With the Hardwick fixture washed out in the past 2 seasons, Notts Libraries arrived at the picturesque Derbyshire venue seeking to avenge their heavy defeat in 2007. On that occasion, Libraries amassed just 78 runs – despite the presence in the side of a Bangladeshi international!

Libraries’ batsmen faired much better on this visit, totalling a competitive 191-5, after skipper Shaw won the toss and elected to bat. The innings was given a solid start by openers Martin Foulds and Mike Hayward, who put on 90 for the first wicket. Foulds was first out for 28 but Hayward went on to reach 50, hitting four 6s in an otherwise patient knock. Phil Gilman and Chris Walker maintained the momentum – both hitting 30s. Some lusty late order hitting from Tom Price – finally re-producing some of his form from the indoor nets – took Libraries to a very respectable total and their highest at Hardwick for many seasons. The Libraries performance was much appreciated by a small, but knowledgeable crowd of family members and former players, including Brian Spencer and his wife Dee.

The tea interval did not pass without incident. Safety advisor Rob McCutcheon failed to undertake an adequate risk assessment when sugaring his tea and threatened to put opening bowler Baker out of the match with a scalding injury. Back safely on the outfield before the start of Hardwick’s innings, Tom Price was presented with a signed mini-bat to mark his 50th appearance for the Libraries XI.

Libraries’ opening bowlers ensured that Hardwick started their reply steadily, scoring at under the asking-rate for the first 10 overs. Steve Baker was particularly economical, conceding just 20 runs in 8 overs which included 3 maidens and the valuable wicket of Andy Wheatcroft, Hardwick’s opening bat and captain and a regular thorn in Libraries’ side. This wicket fell to an excellently judged tumbling catch at mid-on by Tony Gordon.

As the innings progressed, Hardwick utilised their local knowledge and especially the very short boundary on the Hall side of the wicket. Several balls were deposited over the wall into the garden, endangering visitors enjoying an afternoon stroll! Chris Lumb responded to some savage hitting from the Hardwick batsmen by taking the second wicket with the score on Nelson. Despite trying 6 bowlers (and 2 wicket keepers), Libraries could take no more wickets as opener Matt Pearson proved impossible to dislodge, finally finishing the match in the 32nd over with 91 not out.

Libraries’ Man of the Match was awarded to Mike Hayward for his 50 runs and a return to bowling action. David Stannard was awarded the Vimto moment for no other reason than turning up with a spectacular bruise which was the colour of Vimto!

So a competitive match with a very good batting performance from Libraries. With England overcoming Australia in the World T20 in Barbados, all present will remember where they were when an England cricket team finally won a World tournament … (Oh … and hopefully Morecambe FC fan, Chris Lumb, will remember the cricket … rather than the play-off score from Dag & Red!...)

Martyn Shaw


Libraries vs. City Secretary’s Dept, Regatta Way, 19th May, 2010

Libraries made it two midweek victories in a row with a 7 wicket win over City Sec’s in a high scoring match at Regatta Way. A belligerent 78 not out from Phil Wise and 38 from Chris Walker, who together put on 81 for the second wicket, saw us home with three balls to spare.

It was all the more galling for City Sec’s as Phil was a last minute inclusion in the Libraries’ side, having turned down an offer earlier in the week to play for City Sec’s against us. We can only speculate on the inducements made by skipper Martyn Shaw to Mr Wise to turn out for Libraries after Steve Hayward withdrew on the morning of the match, but the phrase ‘cricket whore’ was mentioned by the opposition!

The 16 over evening match also marked our first played with a pink ball; not so much a cherry as a pink blancmange! However, the ball stayed hard as did the Regatta Way outfield, making it a tough ground on which to defend boundaries.

Shaw won the toss and put the opposition in, and Townroe was particularly brutal in making 67 not out. He was accompanied by some searing shots from Thomas, who finished undefeated on 24. However, the Libraries’ bowlers stuck at it, backed up by some creditable fielding which kept the score down to manageable proportions. Thomas Brindle, in particular, did some sterling work on the boundary and had one of those nights when the ball seemed to follow him no matter where he was placed.

Only two wickets fell in the City Sec’s innings, Price bowling Allen for 8 and Mike Hayward bowling Bird with his slow spin. The only other chances fell early on when a ball in Price’s first over was clipped to the fine leg boundary over the head of the onrushing Steve Baker, and Dave Stannard couldn’t hold on to a chance in the covers off Steve’s bowling.

City Sec’s made 125 for 2 off their 16 overs, meaning Libraries needed to score at almost 8 an over to overhaul them. Our reply couldn’t have got off to a worse start when Mike Hayward was bowled by Sin in the first over, but this brought together Phil Wise and Chris Walker.

Chris had picked up a leg injury when bowling at Hardwick but his batting was in good touch as he and Wise kept pace with each other in the early overs. He was dropped once, but had made 38, running 22 of them, until the injury hampered his attempts to snatch a quick single and he was run out at the non strikers end.

The partnership had put on 81 in 10 overs, but there was still plenty to do to knock off the 44 runs still needed in just over five overs. Phil Wise stepped it up though, partnered by first Tom Price and then Colin Morley, and went from 42 to 78 not out at the close to see us home to victory. His Man of the Match knock included 10 fours and a six.

The Vimto Trophy was not awarded, although Steve Baker must have been a strong candidate when he raced in from the deep fine leg boundary for an attempted catch, overshot, and then could only watch the ball sail over his head and cross the boundary at very spot he had just come from!

Heard out in the middle:

Mike Hayward had just bowled City Sec’s number 3 when the next batsman, a tall muscular fella with the physique of an American footballer, strode to the crease swishing his bat. “Now Mike, what do you think he does?” asked the skipper with a view to his field placings.
“He eats babies!” replied one of the Libraries’ fielders from close by.



Chris Lumb