Midweek XI news and match reports

(Please note that no offence is intended to any third party in the undernoted match reports that are produced with the primary intention of [hopefully] entertaining club members)

Midweek friendly called off [posted 19/07/10]

Clydesdale have called off Tuesday evening's T20 friendly.  With hosting the two ODIs - Tuesday sees The Netherlands take on Bangladesh at Titwood - the 'Dale haven't managed to get a side together for the game.  Hopefully we'll reschedule. 

Midweek XI get a game in! [posted 13/07/10]

Drumpellier were back at Shawholm tonight for another T20 clash.  After last week's T20 against Ferguslie was abandoned after the first innings, and the whole weekend card fell victim to the weather, it was good to get a game in.  And the weather was kind - not the raging (!) heat of June, but pleasant nonetheless.  And it was good to see a healthy crowd in the spectator seating enjoying midweek cric' at the 'Loc.  Thanks for your support!  To the game itself.  The 'Loc had first go on a green'ish wicket and quickly found scoring wasn't going to be as easy as maybe they'd hoped.  The skipper opened with Hari', and it was Muscles' wicket that fell first - out for 9, bowled.  Hari' however looked in good nick and ended up as the Midweek XI's top scorer with 35.  He had a number of partners as the overs ticked by tho': no fewer than three new entries accruing to the Webbed Feet Award table.  Step forward Messrs. Sajjad Snr, Mirza and Amin.  And The Professor's blob cost him dear as the long slow trudge back to the pavilion gave him enough time to calculate his previously infinite Midweek XI average had been slashed to "just" 57!  Notwithstanding Hari's good knock only really Trophy Head got on top of the bowlers, hitting a cameo - and unbeaten - 23 batting at seven.  Stiffy got into double figures (13) as did Saify (14), but neither could then push on.  And as A schoolboy you can maybe excuse Mr Rousen's error of that type in thinking it was the last over and so big swinging was required when, in fact, there were five (!) overs still to be bowled - doh!  114 for 8 was the target set. 

Drumps' reply never really got going it'd be safe to say.  Only three batters - Nick Pyne, McBride and McDonald - got into double figures, the best being McBride's 22.  On the other side of that particular coin of course is the fact that the 'Loc managed to keep taking wickets.  Saqi' helped himself to a "3-for" late on, whilst there were two wickets a-piece for Hari' and Disk.  Amidst the decent bowling there was the good, the bad and the - plain - ugly on show in the field.  The good included a neat stumping by Saif and Hari's caught and bowled.  The bad was any number of run out shambles (!), and the ugly,.....well just look at who was in the side!    The Drumps' innings came to a close with Trophy Head's grab to get rid of Foster to give Saqi' his third scalp, the total on 83.  A win by 31.  Next week it's back to the latest instalment between the forces or good and evil as the Dark Side make the short trip from Toytown to a proper sized ground.

Another thriller at the 'Loc  [posted 03/06/10]

The 'Loc were involved in a thriller of a match last Saturday as Arbroath were defeated on the last ball after a run-chase of legendary status.  Yes, legendary already.  Granted, the match maybe didn't mean quite as much as last Saturday's SNCL win - at least to the 1st XI, the very lifeblood of the club - but tonight's latest instalment in the battle of good guys versus bad guys, a.k.a. Poloc versus Clydesdale, was another exciting game of cricket.  And another that went to the wire.  Last week had seen a last-ball win by the Dark Side at Toytown with Lyle Hill bunting Mohsin for a 6 then a 4 to win it, and tonight's saw the Toytown Tiddlers snatch another win from the clutches of the 'Locsters.  It wasn't a last-ball win,.....but a second-last-ball one!  This time the unfortunate bowler was Jamesy, the Evil Empire batter, Chief!  Or his pad at least.  128 for 8 in 19.5 overs beating 127 for 5 in twenty.

The late drama had been set up by Jamesy nibbling out Neil Fulton in the last over - a second catch behind the sticks for a bye-less (!) Pasty - Chief having to wander to the middle knowing 1 was needed from two deliveries.  Fulton's 31 from 24 balls, and Soofi's 32 from 21 balls, had been the decisive knocks in the 'Dale innings, a cameo 21 from Iqbal apart. The pair had come together in the thirteenth over with their side struggling at 63 for 7, skipper Jay Duncan having just gone for a blob.  And they batted well, adding 64 before Fulton departed with just 1 needed.  The only other instance of note in the innings was Johnny "Mr Angry" Mackay's post-departure rantings and toy throwing, clearly indicating what he thought of having been adjudged to have nicked a Muscles' delivery to Pasty,.....fourth ball!    And Toko and Malky were nowhere to be seen!  It was John McCrossan who gunned him!

The 'Loc's 127 total owed much to Mohsin's 52, with Josh's 35 being a solid contribution too - the pair came together after Dani's run out.  Muscles had won the toss and elected to bat first - not least because he only had five of the originally selected eleven players.  But being a junior and senior practice night there were plenty of bodies to choose from.  In fact too many!  As the clock ticked over to 6pm an XI had been mobilised: Josh, Youngy Snr. and Jnr, Flanners, and the Chaudhry Boys each having been first to stick their hands up.  Josh and Dani' even negotiated opening berths as the prices of their participation, and Flanners was set for a bowling debut with Pasty taking the gloves - superb negotiating guys!  Trophy Head, still struggling with his foot injury even volunteered to umpire - everything coming together nicely.  But then, just as Muscles had his XI, just as quickly he didn't, Matty telling Flanners he had to practice "with the 1st XI", and NJ being told similarly leaving an umpire and a player to be found.  Enter Elliott "Ever Ready" Rousen and Saq'y.  Youngy Snr. then found himself redundant, and Muscles had his eleven again, proceedings now allowed to get underway given "the 1st XI" were no longer to be inconvenienced.  [Ed: I sincerely hope none of the on-field chat disturbed big boys practice.]  Anyway, back to the game: 127 wouldn't prove enough, despite it has to be said good bowling performances from Bil'y (3 for 12 in three overs), Muscles and Jamesy.  [Ed: how did Bil'y slip under the wire and avoid "1st XI practice"?!?] 

Another good game then: another exciting finish, more cracking weather, two well-matched [non-1st] XIs, and a Mackay tantrum thrown in for free - what more could anyone ask for of a Thursday evening!  Roll on the next inter-galactic encounter.....

Midweek XI fixtures 2010

The Midweek XI

 
The Midweek XI plays - mainly - evening friendlies against other local clubs from in and around Glasgow.  Traditionally the side features a mix of youth and experience (!), and matches are played on longer summer evenings in the height of summer.  The format's Twenty20, and as well as being a good fun, they provide the opportunity for even more cric' to be played.