Game 15 v St Andrews

St Michael's Cricket Club

Opponent	:	St Andrews
Date	:	19 August 2006
Venue	:	St Andrews Hospital
Result	:	Match abandoned due to rain

Innings of: St Andrews

1	C Baker	ct & b	b Brown	32	Bowling	O	M	R	W
2	N Price		b Cannell	82	M Baker	12	1	48	1
3	M Charnley	ct Marlow	b Kingston	16	T Marlow	10	0	34	4
4	B Foreman	LBW	b Kingston	16	J Brown	6	0	32	1
5	R Boyd		b Marlow	6	W Kingston jr	10.5	1	45	3
6	D Sibley		b Baker	1	S Cannell	6	0	38	1
7	I Barnett		b Marlow	26
8	D Allard	ct Collier	b Marlow	4
9	S Schofield		b Marlow	0
10	B Parry		not out	2
11	L John	ct Page	b Kingston	9
	Overs	44.5	Extras	9
	Wickets	10	Total	203

Match report

Rain intervened at the half way point in this division 11 clash to prevent a positive result, an outcome that has probably done more damage to St Andrews promotion prospects than to St Michael's with the season drawing to its conclusion.

With only 6 first team regulars available, St Michael's were forced to register 4 players on the morning of the game. However, with the weather forecast promising occasional showers, the potential for a rain affected game was ever present.

For the first time in living memory, St Michael's skipper Will Kingston won the toss and asked the home side to bat first. On a damp pitch, the St Michael's openers of Martin Baker and Tom Marlow failed to make the breakthrough as the opening pair of Chris Baker and Neil Price built a solid opening partnership. Price was first to go, missing a straight full toss from Simon Cannell to be bowled for 82. However by that stage the home side had already score over a hundred, and a big score was on the cards. Jamie Brown, playing his first game of the season, was next to strike, taking a return catch to dismiss Baker for 32. The combative Billy Foreman was next to go. He missed a full toss from Will Kingston, was struck on the boot, and was adjudged LBW for 16. At least he had the good grace to show his appreciation for the good quality of the bowling after he'd returned to the pavilion.

Irvine Barnett hung around for a determined 26, until Tom Marlow, unable to catch cold in the field, bowled him with a surprise straight one. He then promptly took three more quick wickets in an attempt to banish the memories of his four (or was it five?) dropped catches. Will Kingston wrapped up the innings with his second wicket to secure maximum bowling points for the visitors.

With tea having been taken already due to 2 rain stops, it was straight round for the reply. However at this point, the heavens opened. And with the ensuing deluge leaving large areas of the batting strip resembling a pig sty, a resumption in play was always a long shot. Despite determined efforts by St Andrews to dry the strip by using copious amounts of sawdust, the umpires deemed that it was not safe to continue, and play was abandoned at 6:45.