Walsall Health CC v Springhill CC
Walsall Health 180-9. Springhill 184-2. Springhill win by 8 Wickets

The Healths reduced side of 10 fall to defeat in the closing overs.
Despite being short of players, the Health travelled to Springhill in search of their first
win of the season after last weeks ‘warm up’ game at home to Yoxall. However, more
importantly the team were looking to gain a rare win at the coin toss, and after
practicing 10 times, Captain John Preece called tails listening to the advice of, ‘Tails
never Fails’. Of course, the coin landed on Heads and the Springhill skipper put the
Health in to bat.

Jack Stenson and Dan Dunn walked out to open in the hopes of getting the Health
off to a quick start, which they did, putting the fielders under pressure by rotating the
strike and running hard. The pair also had no trouble finding the boundary either,
both looking good hitting square of the wicket. As he began to look set, Dan was
bowled for 22 by a grenade ball, clearly out of the Jack Stenson bowling armoury.
Will Tomlinson came to the crease, with him and Jack striving to continue the innings
in a fast-scoring manner. However, the later was trapped in front by the Springhill
opening quick bowler and promptly ‘triggered’ by the umpire, despite this Jack
accepted the he had been given out and didn’t say anything about it for the rest of
the day.

Jacks’ replacement at the middle was Mac Perager fresh from his completion of the
London Marathon (Congrats Mac). In the hopes of avoiding another capitulation of
the batting line up, Mac and Will took their time and played by the phrase put away
the bad ball. This saw the Health through to the drinks break 2 down and well set up
to try and push on for a big score.

Quickly after the drinks break, Mac fell, he didn’t get out but rather ran to fast for his
own good, ending up on his stomach following a quick single. Not long after this,
Tomlinson got himself out on 34 to a signature hoick straight to the Mid on fielder.
Mac was then accompanied by Dave Hill, who from the outset looked to play
positively. Before the partnership could get going though Mac found himself out for
LBW for 27, a very tidy knock.

This wicket brought Wytt Hill to the crease, looking to get his season underway with
the bat, and get a higher score than his dad. Dave was soon bowled on 7, giving
Wyatt a chance to go 1-0 up against his dad due to last weeks scores not counting.
However, he fell just short on 6, as he was also bowled.

The new partnership was Jack Lester and Dave Stephens, the former also off the
back of a marathon of his own (Congrats Jack). Lester completely ignored the advice
of teammates telling him to take his time, as he dispatched his first 2 deliveries for 4.
DS then followed suit with a couple of boundaries of his own. Lester then copied his
teammates by being clean bowled after a solid start. The 9 th Health batter to step up

was Allan (Nicka) Dunn, who said before going out, ‘Ill just have a slog’, which is
what he did, looking to put the ball into the next field. At the other end, DS looked to
loft one over cover but rather gave the fielder catching practice. With only 1 or 2
overs remaining by now skipper JP came out to finish the innings with Nicka as the
two saw the Health through the allotted 40 overs, finishing on a total of 180-9.

With a decent total to defend on a pitch that was definitely bowling friendly, the
Health headed out in search of early wickets. DS was to open, however, struggled to
find a rhythm early on and gave up a few uncharacteristic boundaries. He soon
found his line and length, finding the opening batters’ pads on multiple occasions,
but all shouts for LBW were swiftly turned down by the umpire, much to DS’s
frustration. It was Jack Lester (Mark Wood) at the other end, who bowled some
testing deliveries alongside a few ‘harsh’ wides.

Towards the back end of Lester’s short spell one of his rapid deliveries was flicked
down to fine leg where DS was waiting to gather the ball and take advantage of a
mix up between the batters. He threw in to the gloves of ever-capable wicket keeper
Mac who whipped the bails off for the Healths first wicket. Despite this wicket, JP
decided a change in the bowling was in order for the Health, brining on Nicka to try
and slow the scoring rate. Which he did, ending up with the best figures of the
Walsall Health attack.

As DS’s 8 overs came to a close, Tomlinson came on knowing a couple of wickets
could bring the game into the Healths favour. However, couldn’t seem to find a
consistent line and length and not troubling the batters in his first few overs. Although
there weren’t many chances coming the way of the fielding side, dot balls were piling
up at both ends, slowly increasing the required run rate. This eventually enticed a
false shot from the number 3 batter, as he missed a delivery that kept low and
clipped the off stump. Unfortunately, this was a good as it got for the Health, as the
number 4 took advantage of some poor bowling by Tomlinson, dispatching him
around the ground, releasing the pressure that Nicka and Will had been building.

At the end of Nicka’s spell, JP brought himself into the attack, but the opening batter
and number 4 were now set at the crease and ticking the score over with ease. The
Walsall Health side didn’t give up in the field though, still chasing every ball and
putting their bodies on the line to try and stem the flow of runs. A big part of this was
Springhill player ‘Ritchie’(helping make up 11 for the Health), who fielded brilliantly
even when the ball seemed to follow him around. Tomlinson was replaced by fellow
part time spinner Dan Dunn in a last effort to try and change the game, who looked
to have his wicket. The square leg umpire disagreed however, turning down a very
confident appeal from both the wicket keeper and bowler for a stumping. The game
continued to ebb away from the Health as the boundaries carried on flowing and
ended quite unspectacularly with the Springhill batter helping a poor delivery from
Dunn the younger to the cover boundary with a few overs to spare.

Next week the Health travel to Wellington, looking for their first win of the season, but
more importantly, playing the game in the correct spirit and enjoying their cricket.