Match Report

Holtwhites Trinibis Match Report - 30th April 2006

Offley were given an early taste of life in the Saracens League as the new Division II unit locked horns with Holtwhites Trinibis from Division 7.

To their credit Offley & Stopsley went toe-to-toe with their superior opponents, in much the same way that boxing sensation Audrey Harrison measures up in the ring, sticking around for a tediously long time before losing on points.

Offley lost the toss and were asked to field and Matthew Freeman picked up a pair of quick wickets to reduce Trinibis to 34-2. However, Darren Lunney missed the chance to dismiss the dangerous Morley cheaply when he spilled a chance in the gulley. That miss seemed to unsettle Colin Keeley, the unlucky bowler, and he returned disappointing figures of 0-46.

Mo Chaudry finally ended Morley’s knock on 59 and Lunney executed a fine run out to leave Trinibis on 107-4. After a brief recovery the hosts collapsed in dramatic fashion to the bowling of Richie Barker and Wayne Cutts.

Barker, bowling with the insolence and cunning of a young Shane Warne, cut a swathe through the Trinibis innings, picking up 5-14, the second five-wicket haul of his career and Cutts weighed in with another wicket. Nathan Brodie finished with three catches and Chris Latino held two to restrict the hosts to 157.

Offley were left the task of scoring 158 runs from 56 overs to secure a morale boosting victory. After a bright start with 22 runs coming from the first four overs, the wheels fell off in dramatic style and the last 41 overs of the innings yielded 69 runs.

Brodie fell for 15 to spark the collapse as a position of strength at 26-0 deteriorated to 34-5. Keeley fell for 0 and Lunney was cleaned up without troubling the scorers. The visitors suffered a grievous blow when Steve Bexfield lashed a long hop to gulley to record the visitors’ third duck.

Debutant Michael Cunningham showed some promise before falling for three and Chaudry fell for a frenetic six. Barker went in at 51-6 before staging an injury to allow Cutts to bat. Cutts spent some time at the wicket, flailing away like a blind man before his inevitable dismissal for 1. Latino and Freeman both recorded ducks to leave Chris Austin high and dry on an unbeaten 34.

Austin resisted the best efforts of the Trinibis bowlers to dismiss him and his 34 was a career best for the club. His total of 34 from 45 overs was also an impressive 11 under par. The remaining 10 batsmen combined to produce 39 runs between them, a testimony to Austin’s dogged resistance and Horatius-like determination to hold the bridge against all comers. Brodie and Barker were the only other batsmen to reach double figures as the team added five ducks to the three recorded against Lilley.