Dulwich Lawnmower C.C. vs. Pelicans C.C. - 14.08.2021

Pelicans CC played Dulwich Lawnmower, a seasoned cricketing team based in South London.

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The Pelicans won by 149 runs.

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Man of the match: W. Bushby, for his excellent performance with the bat and two spectacular catches.

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S. Crawford, the Pelicans Captain, won the toss and elected to bat.

 

The Pelicans scorecard

Batting:

1. S. Crawford – 35, caught

2. Sir Grues (AKA S. Newsome/Newton) – 1, bowled

3. S. Bruce – 15, caught

4. J. Bunn – 16, caught

5. T. Whitby – 50, n/o

6. W. Bushby – 57, lbw

7. B. Dougan – 5, caught

8. M. Burt – 1, n/o

 

Bowling:

1. A. A. Wells – 24-1, 5 overs

2. H. Madell (AKA Madders) – 14-1, 6 overs

3. B. Dougan – 12-2, 4 overs

4. S. Bruce – 6-1, 2 overs

5. J. Edgar – 19-0, 1 over

6. Sir Grues – 1-2, 1 over

 

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Match report

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The date was set for this fledgling Pelicans team to take on its first 45-over match against Dulwich Lawnmower. Each Pelly was raring to go following the 20/20 match against Hendricks’ XI a few weeks prior. This was unfortunately cut short due to the washout of biblical proportions.

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Today, however, the weather was different. The sun shone against an almost complete blue sky. The summery atmosphere across Hilly Fields in Brockley, South London was palpable. It was fine day to play cricket – and with S. Crawford, the Pelicans Captain, winning the toss and electing to bat, the match was underway.

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The opposition, the Dulwich Lawnmower, a seasoned South London cricketing team, had brought along their PA system. This was generously left in the custodianship of perhaps the Pellys most creative member, and very own in-house wine connoisseur, A. A. Wells. Wells hooked up to the PA system and chose a bold opening song that set the tone for the opening pair – Crawford and S. Newsome – to stride out to the crease with confidence. (Newsome’s name, incidentally, is hereafter known as Sir Grues owing to a rather extreme misspelling in the scorebook.)

Not usually one to dither and delay, Crawford cleanly dispatched the opening ball which was pitched short down to fine leg for four, easing any nerves among the spectators. This opening pair were intent on laying strong foundations quickly. Always a particularly reassuring sign.

However, those early assurances were quickly cut short as the first few overs dragged on and the run rate didn’t take off. The Dulwich Lawnmower’s bowling attack started baring its teeth and the fielders were chirping away. While the opening Pellys’ pair picked off the odd single and took the sting out of the Lawnmower’s opening bowling attack, the Pellys needed something to happen.

 

But that something didn’t transpire. With 13 runs on the scoreboard heading into the fifth over, Sir Grues misjudged a delivery that sent the bails tumbling. In a previous netting session, there had been some doubt as to whether the Pellys team had the wings to bat for 45 overs. Those doubts started creeping in.

 

Appropriate music accompanied Sir Grues’ lowly departure from the crease. S. Bruce then strode out, a ringer drafted in by B. Dougan, the Club Secretary and Vice-Captain. Bruce had assured Crawford of his previous cricketing experience shortly before the match. Hope was high.

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Clear communication is vital in all walks of life, and particularly so between a batting pair on the wicket. Bruce confirmed his understanding of this fundamental cricketing principle by calling – or should we say shouting – at Crawford to remain in his crease.

 

Unfortunately, though, while a runout seemed unlikely because the communication was clear, the run rate didn’t take off. The odd boundary came here and there, picked off authoritatively by both. But the Lawnmower’s bowling attack – spearheaded by Tristan, an opening bowler – wasn’t letting up and the fielders’ snarky comments, audible from the boundary, were perhaps getting the better of the batsmen. Another key bowler for the Lawnmower, the so-called “Grenadier”, continued to toss grenades up in the air, hanging for what looked like several seconds. Although these grenade balls were ripe for the picking, the batsmen couldn’t convert into runs.

And so it was for several overs.

 

But then, Crawford found a flurry of energy. He creamed a short ball for six and followed with a succession of runs to nudge his total up to 30. Bruce began picking up the pace too, with two majestic fours in the same over.

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The prospect of any nascent partnership was, however, cut short after Crawford was caught around the fifteenth over. The Pellys were around 50 for two. Something quite special was required to give the Pellys a fighting chance of winning.

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Crawford made way for J. Bunn, who strode out to the crease with a different attitude, a confident swagger of sorts that impressively hid any underlying nerves if they were even there. Earlier, Bunn had done enough to persuade Crawford that he was the batsman for the job. Crawford had thus promoted Bunn up the batting order, from tenth to fourth. With Bruce’s clear calling skills at the crease and Bunn’s confidence, there was hope.

 

Bruce continued taking the punch out of the Lawnmower’s bowling attack, playing a consistent front defence. But Bruce tipped one in the air at some stage and was caught on 15. Well’s choice of disco music to Bruce’s exit seemed fitting – and set the stage for T. Whitby, the Vice-Captain, to stride out to the crease.

 

Bunn’s batting was looking quite explosive. But shortly after Whitby’s arrival, he was unlucky to get caught out after reaching 16 runs quickly. Whether Bunn will subsequently succeed in persuading Crawford to keep him at four in the batting lineup, or ask to be moved higher up the order still, remains to be seen.

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Between the twentieth and twenty-fifth overs, the score was around 90 for three. This was a good platform to which all batsmen so far had contributed and on which the Pellys “power hitters” could add. However, the score was far from inspiring comfort.

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The Pellys needed something quite special. If any Pelly could do it, it was Whitby. He’d shown a solid performance with the bat against the Hendricks’ XI a few weeks earlier. A repeat performance was indeed required now.

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Joining Whitby in the crease was W. Bushby, a ringer with whom Crawford had played in the heady days of school cricket. Whitby and Bushby – it had a promising ring to it. The Pellys needed something special from this partnership. These two needed to hatch a recovery plan and implement it rapidly.

 

Fortunately, the Whitby-Bushby partnership quickly established itself. It showed the Lawnmower’s that this Pellys’ team weren’t done yet. Bushby’s eye was on the money straightaway. He followed the same suit as Crawford and got off the mark with an impressive four. Throughout his innings, Bushby played a series of superbly executed boundaries, including six fours and three sixes. Whitby followed closely behind, with several sublime shots trickling away to the boundary.

 

This batting partnership, the finest in Pellys’ embryonic history, had ratcheted up the run rate, adding almost 100 runs to the score. The chirpy fielders had been silenced, humbled by a phenomenal display with the bat at each end. These two had completely turned the tide of the game and things were looking pretty good.

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But all good things must come to an end. Bushby’s wicket was the first to fall, by way of LBW, which sealed the fate of this partnership. Bushy had scored 57 runs. At the fall of his wicket, this had brought the total to over 200. A solid platform to defend from.

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Crawford had given Dougan licence to go in swinging. Out Dougan strode as the seventh batsman, to some music that blared out over the PA system, for which Wells, acting as keeper of the PA system, was reprimanded by the opposition. But all was well in the end, and anyone can be forgiven for getting giddy when 200 comes up. Dougan added a little to mix, scoring a quick five runs before he was caught.

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Then out strode M. Burt, the Pelicans Treasurer, to the crease in the last over to see the Pellys through to the end. Admirably, Burt – who’d shown solid skill in batting against Hendricks’ XI – knocked a quick single and let Whitby face the last ball of the innings. Whitby, whose half century was near, clipped the last ball of the innings towards the boundary, bringing up his 50. Whitby had thoroughly deserved the 50 and had been superb.

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As Whitby and Burt strode off the field, this was a moment of Pellys batting finesse to be proud of. The scoreboard read 228-6, significantly helped by the Whitby-Bushy partnership, but also by the crushing 47 extras the Lawnmower field had let slip by.

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After a short tea break basking in the sun, the Pellys hit the field with energy and enthusiasm. The odds were stacked in Pellys’ favour, but the match wasn’t over yet. This would come down to the team that most wanted the win – and the Pellys were particularly keen.

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Wells opened the bowling, storming down the hill. Wells was on the money immediately, which is his usual way. The first over was superb from Wells: an opening maiden but for that one, pesky extra – which we can ignore.

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H. Maddell, AKA Madders, a ringer who’d been drafted in by Bunn, his longtime friend, opened the bowling from the other end, running up the hill like a steam engine. Madders also got an opening maiden, which was a spectacular start. Madders’ energy was unmistakable and would be welcomed in many matches to come.

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Already, after the second over, it wasn’t looking good for the Dulwich Lawnmower: one run from two overs. The Wells-Madders’ two-pronged bowling attack was humbling the opposition. As the minutes ticked on, it became more apparent that this match would be etched into the Pelicans’ history book.

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Then, the Pellys’ first match wicket came. Wells, in the third over, delivered a pearler which was lofted into the air towards Dougan. Due to walking in with the bowler with too much gusto, Dougan had to stumble and jump backwards to make the catch – which was just about taken. The Pelicans had their first wicket! It was a jubilant feeling all round. The Lawnmower’s hopes of winning were quickly being dashed.

Perhaps, though, the prospect of securing a quick and easy victory had started getting to Wells, who delivered several wayward extras. Wells continued to send some strays down the wicket, but then, after dressing himself down and out of nowhere, struck once more. Wells sent down a delivery that somehow clipped the bails around the batsman’s legs! Wells had picked up a sensational, unique wicket in his fourth over towards the end of his spell and the electric atmosphere in the field was growing.

 

Shortly afterwards, Wells tempted the batsman to snatch a quick single. The chance was snuffed out by Crawford who aimed a direct hit run out. Victory was gripping the Pellys and celebration ensued. Wells had had a sound opening spell, going for 24 for three wickets off five overs, which firmly secured his place as the Pellys’ go-to opening bowler.

 

At the other end, Madders was putting on an equally superb display. He’d continued steaming uphill well into his fourth over and showed no signs of abating. In the end, Madders went for 14 for one wicket (which was thoroughly deserved) off six overs, which contributed to the great start in the field for the Pellys.

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Sensing that the Lawnmower were on the ropes, Crawford decided to help things click into place and, after a short discussion with Bruce, decided to crank the show of force in the field up a notch.

Bruce momentarily departed the field to grab his helmet and box and reposition himself at short leg. The Lawnmower found this comical, laughing from the sidelines. Truth to tell, it was hard not to laugh at Bruce’s dedication. But perhaps this was the menacing field that would help secure the win.

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Dougan was the first bowling change. He too was keen to wrap up the match, taking a wicket in his first over. Following this, the Lawnmower was silenced (not for the first time in this match) as Bruce’s decision to go in at short leg paid off. In Dougan’s next over, the batsman clipped one on the leg side to Bruce who took a low, one-handed catch. Magnificent scenes followed.

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This Pellys’ field was tightening the screw and probably did, admittedly, look rather intimidating. The Pellys wanted this win. They wanted to extinguish any chance of a Lawnmower comeback.

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Crawford opted for a change of bowling attack. Bruce was relieved of his duties at short leg and brought onto bowl. Bruce got a wicket in his first over and, thereafter, bowled a steady couple of overs, ending on three for one wicket off two overs. At the other end, Dougan got another wicket in his fourth over, going for 12 for two wickets off four overs.

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With the win firmly within reach, Crawford gave J. Edgar, a ringer who Crawford had drafted in, the opportunity to bowl for the first time in years – or was it perhaps the first time ever? Edgar had courageously gotten to the end of his over after letting several extras out, but he gave his best when fielding and contributed to the display of force in the field. The Pellys thank him.

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To finally wrap up the match, Crawford brought on Sir Grues (who was at this point Newton in the scorebook, owing to another misspelling). Sir Grues approached to add his bowling skill into the mix.

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Sir Grues took two outstanding wickets in his first over that sealed the win. Two spectacular catches in the field were made by Bushby (both catches off Sir Grues were taken by Bushby, I believe), one of which was truly phenomenal that was taken diving low to his left. The Pellys look forward to seeing more of Sir Grues’s bowling knack and, of course, Bushby’s commitment in the field.

And there it was! The Dulwich Lawnmower were all out for 79. The Pellys had won their first 45-over match by 149 runs.

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The Pellys’ batting had been great. But it was the Pellys’ fielding that stood out on the day, like a jigsaw falling into place, with each Pelly rising to the moment and contributing to the win. You all know who you are. You all put in a solid shift. It was performance that the Pellys might not (probably won’t) ever repeat.

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In the pub afterwards, there was good, post-match camaraderie. Bruce was awarded the interesting prize of “best buttocks”, the Lawnmower’s customary award for the opposition’s man with, well, the finest cheeks. Crawford awarded the Lawnmower’s opening bowler Tristan a bottle of wine, the Pellys’ prize for the opposition’s man of the match. Tristan had looked potentially dangerous with the ball at the outset. But that wasn’t enough to thwart the Pellys batting attack on this occasion.

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The Pellys want to thank all the Dulwich Lawnmower players who participated. The Lawnmower fielded courageously for the full 45 overs and tried to get the better of the Pellys throughout. The wind just didn’t blow in the right direction for the Lawnmower on the day. The Pellys very much look forward to the rematch and will tuck this win firmly into the back pocket.

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Lastly, the Pellys want to reiterate and extend thanks to all ringers. In particular, the Pellys thank Bushby for the phenemonal batting and fielding displays – you were man of the match. The Pellys also thank Bruce for the energy and helping with the intimidating tactics in the field, Madders for the energy and bowling prowess and Edgar for getting truly stuck in on the day.

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The Pellys’ mothership is open to you all. Indeed, the mothership is open to anyone with even a fleeting interest in cricket.

This was a remarkable first 45-over match for the Pellys with the opposition, the Dulwich Lawnmower, beaten by just shy of 150 runs. Here’s to repeat performances, where things click into place, in the upcoming season and beyond.

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UTP