Notes on a Lincoln Sunday Premier League Game: Market Rasen vs Nettleham – 13/06/10

Scorecard
Rather than the usual match report for a game I’ve been involved in I thought I’d try something different for this match, as turning out for the Sunday side these days involves far more of a ‘watching brief’ than when I’m playing Lincs League 4 cricket with the 2nds. There follows a set of thoughts that might, or might not, hang together.

• Scoring’s fun. 40 overs of looking after Nettleham’s ‘book reminded me of the pleasure that can be gained from scoring properly – especially when it all adds up at the end. Taking down all of the detail; when the batsmen went in, when they came out, balls faced etc. is just plain satisfying. It’s not better than playing, but it was satisfying. I’ll be getting a multi-coloured set of pens next…
   
• Just ‘cos a team’s young, doesn’t mean they’ll roll over. Nettleham turned up at Rase Park with Ed Bosworth, Warren Nel (their South African Pro) and eight youngsters. The plethora of Lincolnshire jumpers and caps should have given the Rasen side a heads-up that they weren’t complete mugs, but young Danny Lea still had us 2 down in the first ten overs.
  

  Matt Rutherford, whose 85 led Rasen to 204 for 6

  Interestingly, it wasn’t until they turned to the experienced spin of Nel and Bosworth that Rasen’s batsmen were able to really kick on. The pair went for 109 from their 20 overs as Matt Rutherford (85) built a decent total of 204 for 6, with help from Graeme Bell (42) and Dale Christie (42 not out from 29 balls).

• It’s not essential to be quick out of the gate. Time and again I’ve watched teams do this to Rasen 2nds in the Lincs League and Rasen’s Sunday XI did the same to Nettleham. Rasen were 30 for 2 after ten overs and 75 for 2 after twenty. But wickets in hand meant they could crack on for the second half of the innings and still amass a competitive total. It’s an obvious point, but one that so many young players fail to heed.
   
• One man doesn’t make a team. Whilst Nettleham’s youngsters flung themselves around in the field to great effect, with the bat the visitors’ lineup consisted of Warren Nel (114 not out) and not much else. Once Bell bowled Bosworth for 22 it was a case of attacking one end for the home side and trying to give Nel the single wherever possible. The South African’s innings was even more impressive in that other than Bosworth, no other player got more than 6 as Rasen’s bowlers shared the wickets around. Nel even managed to tighten things up, taking 27 off Karl Bierlein in the 35^th over off. Bierlein’s previous nine overs had garnered him 3 for 27. Nel’s attempts to turn a defiant last-wicket stand into a dash for victory were only undone in the 37^th over, with Lea the last man to fall.
   
• What could have been? Anyone who’s been in the bar at Rase Park on a Sunday will have heard this before, but Sunday’s game was a prime example of this question. Rasen’s side on the day contained:
  • Nine players who were educated at De Aston in Market Rasen.
  • All of whom played youth cricket at Rase Park.
  • Eight players who’ve played Lincolnshire ECB Premier League cricket.
  • Of whom six have turned out for ECB sides this season.
    Unfortunately, only four of the side turn out for Rasen in the Lincs League. Most of the team are plying their trade at higher-levels than Lincs League 2 or 4 and this is the ultimate dichotomy of Rasen’s Sunday XI. When we’re somewhere near full-strength, like we were last weekend, we’re a handy outfit, even with your correspondent lumbering around in the outfield, it’s just a pity that Rasen aren’t playing at a level on a Saturday that means most of these lads are playing for us all weekend. 

The win cements Rasen’s place, for the time being, in the top four of what is a competitive Premier League competition and sets things up nicely for the next few months, as long as someone can turn Boston over.

Nets

I’ve been meaning to write this post for the last two weeks and have finally got round to putting digit to keyboard prompted, more than anything, by the fact that my brother Tom has finally started netting down in Kent. Up here in the North we’re a bit keener than that and tomorrow will be Rasen’s fourth net session of the year.

With the slightly slimmer figure and improved fitness (well, compared with last year at any rate) I’ve found nets an awful lot more enjoyable than last season. Whilst you couldn’t describe me as gamboling around the gymnasium, I’m definitely moving better than I did. What’s been most positive though is that, for the first time since I became involved with the club, we have, so far, been fairly inundated with players coming along. Both nets have been over-subscribed on each occasion and we’ve even had wicket-keepers practicing separately at the same time. Amazing stuff.

Whilst I find nets enjoyable and invaluable before the start of the season I do find it hard to get the most out of them from a cricketing perspective for the following reasons:

Firstly:
The tendency to want to smack the living-whatsit out of the ball. Anyone who’s seen me bat in an actual game will find the concept a little worrying, but for some reason when I’m batting in the nets I become convinced that there’s a Twenty20 monster just waiting to be unleashed. Watching Tendulkar and Kallis in this year’s version of the IPL doesn’t help, but I find it strange. Once we’re out on the grass you can be assured that I’ll be eschewing every attacking stroke save the square cut and grinding my way to another gutsy 13.

Secondly:
My bowling gets completely tonked. Again, anyone who’s seen me bowl in a game won’t be surprised. As even Mrs R has been known to comment I’m ‘no Shane Warne‘. On grass I seem to be able to find a modicum of control – certainly in Lincs League 4 – that breeds if not respect, then a wary recognition that the line’s reasonably tight and there’s the chance that the ball might turn in a minute or two. In the nets it’s merely a question of how many of the bricks at the back of the gym the lads (and lasses were there any) feel like trying to crack tonight. I blame these big bats they use these days!

Lastly:
Bowling one in every 4 or 5 deliveries. This is the only drawback to lots of people turning up. Whilst it’s great to see them all, bowling one delivery followed by a 2 or 3 minute gap before your next one is strangely discombobulating. Getting into a rhythym seems impossible and you end up trying too hard to turn every delivery into a wicket-taking one, rather than getting the stock ball right.

Being in knowledge of the above one would think I would be able to combat the above and bat out a net session in grim Tavare-like defiance and concentrate on my stock ball, but it never seems to work. The best intentions go out of the window as soon as someone sends their first delivery soaring into the gallery. Hey ho. There’s always next year!