Sunday 4th August 2024
A rare treat for Wick this weekend as we played away against our good friends the Vale Cricket Club at their home ground.
After an exciting low-scoring thriller on the village green a few weeks ago where Wick came to Corntown with high hopes of making it two wins out of two against our neighbours.
Wick, worried about meeting their Dixon quota with Rob missing, were more than relieved to see Colin back in the fold after injury. Not only to take the gloves but to ensure that the club don’t drop below 2 Dixon’s in any match day squad. Gutsy ‘The Police House Express’ Dixon was not only present but arrived well before the start. So did Amal. Unprecedented.
The Vale once again fielded a youthful team, which was not a welcome sight to the more vintage players of Wick, especially Steve, Andy and Owen who had all played the day before and were suffering with their own injuries (Andy – Calf, Owen – debilitating heel blister).
Captain Russ, confident in a Wick chase, decided to bowl first and rewarded the usually tardy twosome of Gutsy (1-12) and Amal (0-7) with opening the bowling. Both bowled some tight overs and a wicket for Gutsy left Vale 23-1 after the opening 8 overs. Next up for Wick were ‘Hollywood’ Simon Stratten and Kenny ‘I’m yours for a few ciders’ Thomas. Both bowled well against strong batters, restricting Vale to a very respectable 95-1 at Drinks.
Coming back from drinks, Wick were 1 short as Owen, who was seen wheel-spinning out of the car park with some urgency, was absent at the restart. Some say he was going to try and source plasters for his injured heel, others say it was in protest of Captain Russ dropping him from opening the bowling. Whatever the reason, he was back just after drinks, re-invigorated and, in keeping with the theme for Wick this season, ready to drop some catches.
After the two elder statesmen of the Vale team, Harry and Ian retired (73 and 50 respectively). It was then up to the youth of the Vale to guide them to a strong total. Having watched Owen and Iestyn (and if you ask Iestyn, Gutsy too) put down some straightforward catches, Ian decided to buck the trend and catch everything that came his way, taking two magnificent catches at cover off the bowling of Russell and Steve to leave the Vale 172/3 after 31 overs.
The death overs were about one man and one man only, Wick’s answer to Alistair Campbell, the king of spin, Iestyn Jones. Coming on to bowl two overs at the end of the innings, Iestyn returned formidable figures of 3 wickets for 4 runs. Special mention should go to Andy who took an unbelievable over-head-no-look catch at mid-on sparking celebration amongst the Wick players at the end of a tough innings in the midday heat. Andy decided that he would no longer need to attend the catching practice he suggested a few overs before, he would now be co-leading the workshop with Ian. Vale finished their innings with 243.
With Dicky absent it was down to Owen to open the batting alongside Steve. With the captain’s words of ‘get through the first 10 overs and make sure you move your feet’ ringing in their ears Owen didn’t feel it was the right time to mention to Russ that he saw anything other than a golden duck a good result for himself. Steve, a calm headed, steady batter acted as the perfect foil to Owen’s more erratic batting style. A swashbuckling innings which saw him take a ball to the back of the neck and somehow avoid getting out to a mystery stumping on his way to 27 before being bowled. Steve swiftly followed back to the changing rooms two balls later.
This brought Andy and Russell to the crease and whilst Russell was intent on playing shots and taking the runs when they came, injured Andy was not in the mood to hang around. Blasting four boundaries in one over, Andy raced to a quick fire 28 before being stumped. This then brought Colin and Amal to the crease (intersected by Kenny who was run out without facing a ball, but the less said about that the better). Both batters looked to rotate the strike and keep Russell facing as he worked through his full repertoire of shots, making 84 before being dismissed in very controversial and confusing, circumstances. Iestyn came in and scored a quick 5 leaving Gutsy to face the last ball, turning down a quick single to protect his average and leaving Amal not out on 20 the other end.
A formidable chase from Wick ended on 208, with the Vale taking a deserved win and ending honours even 1-1 in the two-match series.
It was then into the clubhouse for a round of Cornish pasties and a debrief of the match which included weighing up the possibility of Billy Joel coming to do a fundraiser in the Star after his Principality gig on Friday.
Thank you to Spencer for helping out and pulling on the Wick jersey and to the Vale for their hospitality. We look forward to playing again next season.
– Owen Thomas
