Health win by 56 Runs

Weekends recently have caught a bad case of English weather in recent week and frustrated the Walsall Health during  what was shaping up to be a fine season. Last weeks game against Kinlet was called off at the half way point with Elf looking well set for another win after a superb team batting performance. With that confidence with the bat coursing through the team Captain Alex Nunns walked out and won the toss (!) and made the choice to bat.

Dan Dunn and Jack Stenson went out to bat on a green top with some grey clouds covering the sun knowing it can be tricky to get going on the Carter Park pitch and so it proved with Dunn getting out in the very first over for a golden duck (!) looping the ball back to the bowler Parkes after his delivery stuck in the pitch. Lauchlan came in at 3 next on positive form after a couple of 30+ scores away from home, though he only managed to add 6 to the score, a second caught and bowled for Parkes in the third over, a superb, one handed, reflex catch. With number 4 Hill also out soon after 1, the Elf found themselves 26-3 and in need of a big partneship to get themselves back on track. What followed was exactly that, Nunns joining Stenson and after some careful scoring they soon rebuilt the Elf innings, dragging the team from a tricky start to a point well ahead of the game. There partneship of a 113 was a masterclass in partneship building, complementing each other well, keeping the good balls out, getting boundaries flowing and the strike rotated.

Special mention for the skipper Nunns who bought up his 2000th run for the club when getting his score to 14. A fantastic achievement for the batsman, a top captain, top batsman and top bloke, many more to come we hope Alex!

With both batsman through to there 50 without much peril, it was surprising that niether of them could kick on for a century, both were out trying to up the scoring and really drive home the advantage they had got the team to. Nunns out for 74 and Stenson out for 61 both trying to get the ball to the boundary. Top knocks from both batsman gave the rest of the team licence to come in and play some shots. Gorton came in and played a lovely stroke down the ground for 4 before being stumped and perhaps caught for 6, Gorton so good they had to get him twice just in case. Addis and Hewlett kept the momentum going, regularly finding the boundary and putting the pressure onto a tired bowling and fielding side, both were out again trying to up the scoring and the Elf eventually finished on a more than competitive 186-8 and another DNB for Jonty.

A superb Tea followed in the break, so good Stenson went back for a seconds during the fielding effort and thirds during fines. The Elf walked out well fed and confident that early wickets would set them well on their way. Regular opening bowler Dave Stephens was as usual putting the ball on a sixpence but still not getting the wickets it deserves and Dan Dunn after a tough first over was soon on the line and length as well. The Elf did have to lose a first team fielder though after illness struck Addis, paying for the sins of a decent Saturday night before the game. Wyatt who came on to deputise though was more than up to the task supporting the fielding effort. The batsman were restricted but holding firm, but with scoreboard pressure it wasn’t long until the Elf got the breakthrough their bowling and fantastic ground fielding deserved. Dunn (2) and Stephens (1), a onefer next to nothing merchant this season, took a wicket each in 3 successive overs, all 3 bowled with precision line and length, Poppyfields were soon on the back foot, the Elf well ahead.

Change bowlers Jonty and Hewlett kept up the good work of the early bowlers, Jonty in particular ended up going for just 21 for his 8 overs and never allowed a batsman to settle. He got the stubborn I.Brotherton for 42, a fine catch by Hewlett and also picked up Wesson in his last over of the spell capping a fine spell. Hewlett also went through 8 overs and took 2 wickets of his own getting Yard for 26, one of the few bits of resistance the Elf allowed Poppyfields to have and Moseley for 0. After these 4 fine spells, the ball was thrown to debutant Bell who despite not having played outdoor cricket before more than held his own and was unlucky not to have one in the wickets column, having two tough chances put down in the field. Watch out for Bell at future games and in future reports, plenty more to come from him after a fine debut. With the backs of the batting line up broken, Lauchlan took on the Mitchell Starc role of mopping up the tail, albeit with 85-90mph less pace and a bent arm, he took the final 3 wickets after some fine catches in the field by Hewlett, Nunns and Bell sealing a 56 run win for the team.

The win was made even sweeter for the team as everyone contributed to the cause, the ground fielding from start to finish was a class above what you would expect to see from teams above The Health’s level and it’s testament to the team spirit that everyone in the team was backing up their fellow fielders and their bowlers.

Next game, the Elf find themselves back on the road, travelling to Longdon cricket club on the cusp of the picturesque Cannock Chase (and the local Swan with Two Necks after the game, lovely choice), the team will be hoping to carry the momentum from this game on into that game and the last few of a rain effected, but excting season.

Will Lauchlan