LILLEY CRICKET CLUB 2007 MATCH REPORTS

Lilley (118-5, 40 overs, Ashby 35) beat Offley & Stopsley (117-8, 40 overs, Ashby 3-14) by five wickets

 

Lilley finished the domestic part of the 2007 with a well deserved victory over local rivals Offley & Stopsley to level the season's series.

 

Heavy rain during the week meant that the track was very moist at Offley Cricket Ground, but Steve Bexfield elected to bat in any case as the home side won the toss.

 

With Tim Perry carrying a few knocks and strains, Gareth Tompkins took the new ball with James Ashby.  The pair began well despite there being no assistance from a pudding of a wicket, but it was Ashby's worst ball of the spell which picked up the first wicket, left hander Lunney somehow playing around and over a log hop which clipped the top of the stumps on it's way down.

 

Ashby bagged a second wicket when Bridgeland was hit on the pad by a full toss and was adjudged leg before for just 4.  With the wicket offering very little pace, Lilley employed a man on the drive instead of a second slip and were rewarded when the dangerous Brodie (7) drove Tompkins to skipper Perry at short cover who took a superb low catch.

 

Bexfield and Austin began the Offley rebuilding effort, but runs were at a premium as the opening bowlers and then Allbones gave the batsmen nothing to hit.  Taz Qureshi was introduced at the clubhouse end and got a major breakthrough when Bexfield (18) could only miscue an attempted pull straight to Brad Tompkins at forward square leg. 

 

Austin and Richie Barker were Offley's last recognised batsmen and needed to stay together for Offley to have any hope of posting a challenging score.  Tim Perry came into the attack bowling off spin and was turning the ball appreciably.  He bagged the wicket of Austin with a ball which bit and spun through the gate, leaving Barker to nurse the tail.

 

Keeley made the grave error of taking on Craig 'Screech' Paddington with a tight run.  The pint sized Point Predator swooped, picked up the ball one handed and produced a direct hit with his under arm throw to leave Offley reeling. 

 

Offley's major hope of late runs disappeared when Barker (30) spooned the returning Ashby (3-14) straight up in the air and GT made no mistake with the catch.  Chris Latino became the second run out victim when Taz Qureshi produced another direct hit, capping a flawless fielding effort from Lilley and helping restrict Offley to just 117 for 8 from their 40 overs.

 

Low totals are notoriously tricky, so Lilley needed a solid start.  A solid start is exactly what they got, as Ashby and Brad Tompkins turned in another half century opening stand.  Tompkins survived a chance at slip and Ashby one at mid on, but the pair batted otherwise unflustered.  Ashby hit four fours and a six in his 35 before he was stumped, attempting to charge Barker's loopy spin but crucially missing the ball in the process!  Brad Tompkins was caught soon after for 18, Lilley 66 for 2.

 

Gareth Tompkins came in and smashed three quick fours but he tried one shot too many as he holed out in the deep on the leg side for 15.  Skipper Perry and Allbones played sensibly, edging Lilley closer to the finishing line as the Offley fielders began squabbling like Alonso and Hamilton at the McLaren Christmas Party.

 

Perry was the fourth wicket to fall, bowled round his legs by rotund seamer Freeman and burly hitter Eyres was soon back in his jeans as he finished the season off with a duck, gifting Freeman a second wicket by tamely lofting the ball to mid on.

 

Allbones (15 not out) was resolute though and in Karl Berry (18 not out) he found a partner to see Lilley home.  Berry, fresh off the back of his half century last week, smashed four fours in quick time as Offley ran out of bowlers and ideas.  Lilley romped home with six overs to spare by five wickets. 

 

Cue more Tantrums and Tiaras from the home side before both teams retired to the clubhouse to drink many, many jugs and chew over almost as many excuses!  The battle will continue in 2008....

 

Bovingdon (152-3, Ashby 3-39) beat Lilley (149 all out, Berry 63) by 7 wickets

 

Karl Berry hit his maiden half century for Lilley, but could not prevent the visitors slipping to their fifth consecutive defeat today.

 

After some chaotic attempts at meeting at Stockwood, Lilley eventually assembled under the temporary control of acting Captain Gareth Tompkins at picturesque Bovingdon.  Several of the Lilley contingent were running late, so batting first was the only real option. 

 

Ashby was dismissed, caught by deep mid off, for just four before Eyres (10) and Berry produced some resistance.  Eyres perished after hitting a couple of boundaries, miscuing a long hop to mid on and then running a suicidal single, unfortunately finding a village cricketer who could shy and hit from twenty yards.

 

Dan Mills showed some good touches and looked solid in defence, but he was bowled for 5 soon after.  Chairman Phil 'The Power' Horner was next in and as is typical of his season, was soon heading back, courtesy of an inside edge onto his stumps.

 

Az Sakhi biffed a couple of typically meaty boundaries before being caught for 10.  Meanwhile at the other end, Berry was looking good and hit some pleasant boundaries and some not so pleasant!  He found a partner who wanted to bat for more than five minutes in Skipper GT, who looked fluent if not at his best.

 

Berry hit two superb straight boundaries and followed them up with a four through third man to bring up his first Lilley half century, proof if proof were needed that the left hander has ability.  He was eventually bowled for 63 soon after, a knock containing eleven fours.

 

GT's brother Brad joined him at the crease, but his post Malia nightmare continued as he was sent packing for a duck.  Brother Gareth needlessly followed him, making 35 in quick time before holing out to mid off with fifty minutes left to bat.

 

Taz Qureshi carried on the procession, making 6 before he was bowled and emergency replacement Azad (in for house moving Donovan Tompkins) managed 3 before he was caught, leaving the Vomit Comet Craig Paddington high and dry unbeaten on four.  Lilley has mustered just 149 on a wicket which had been a good batting track throughout, bar a few lifters.

 

Lilley's bowling effort got off to a good start when Ashby had Lawson caught at cover by Brad Tompkins after a good set up.  Soon after he trapped Simpson leg before for 11 and with Qureshi bowling a tidy line at the other end, Lilley had half a shout. 

 

Roberts and Blackburn got stuck in however, the latter hitting some fine boundaries on his way to a quality half century.  Gareth Tompkins reverted to pace half way through his leg spin spell in a bid to find some wickets, but even that was ineffective against the two in batsmen.

 

Ashby (3-39) returned after three fruitless BT overs and bagged a third wicket, somewhat fortunately, via a full toss which Roberts spooned straight to Steve Eyres at mid on.

 

It wasn't enough however and Blackburn edged the winning runs through third slip, Bovingdon 152-3 and convincing winners by seven wickets.

 

Breachwood Green (204 all out, 39 overs, Clarke 4-44) beat Lilley (85 all out, 23.1 overs, Perry 17) by 119 runs

 

Lilley's league season finished with a whimper yesterday as second placed Breachwood Green thumped the league newcomers in a one sided league season finale.

 

Breachwood won the toss and elected to bat.  Although it meant Lilley chasing at Offley, never a good option, it did mean Lilley got use of the new ball for the second week running.  Ashby and Perry kept it tight early on and an early breakthrough came when Jon Hall was trapped leg before by the former for nought.  He could have had another, finding the edge of Johnson's bat, but GT spilled a relatively straight forward catch at second slip.

 

Perry, one of several Lilley men struggling with niggling end of season injuries, was replaced by Gareth Tompkins' leg spin at the pavilion end.  The change brought an immediate wicket as Stu Johnson was trapped leg before for 15, Green 39-2.

 

Ashby was replaced by Clarke as Breachwood began the rebuilding exercise.  Healy and Bashir both rode their luck as they looked to punish anything loose.  Clarke should have had Healy at slip, but Ashby's one handed dive wasn't quite good enough.  He eventually struck however, bowling Bashir for 19.

 

Junaid came in and carried on where Bashir left off.  GT was in uncharacteristically erratic form, sending down pies of the lowest order as his six overs went for 53.  Philo at the other end was growing frustrated at Healy's success with the cow corner spank as the right hander passed fifty.  He soon got his man however, bowling him for 66 to make it 143-4.

 

Fortunately for Lilley, the wicket started the rot in the visitors batting line up.  Yassir was trapped leg before the very next ball by Clarke and he soon added Green skipper Pallav as he finished with 4 for 44 from his eight overs.  Brad Tompkins and Taz Qureshi came into the attack and both bowled well, grabbing a wicket apiece to leave Breachwood on 192-8.

 

Junaid continued to threaten and had moved onto 44 before the returning Ashby cleaned him up and then added the wicket of Gibbons, the fifth leg before of the innings, to finish with 3-21 from 8 overs, Green all out for 204 in 39 overs.

 

The chase needed a good start and when the first ball of the innings was hit for four, things looked good.  Ashby had looked in good touch for the first four overs and had moved onto 14 before he played back to Gibbons and was bowled off his pad, Lilley 15-1.

 

Brad Tompkins soon followed for nought, bowled by the nippy Yassir Arafat.  GT and skipper Perry looked to stamp some authority on the game and both hit attractive boundaries.  Tompkins looked in fine touch, quickly moving to 13, before he too was bowled by Yassir.

 

Donovan Tompkins became the third member of the South African clan to be bowled by Yassir when he was castled first ball and Lilley were suddenly on the ropes.  A mature, patient innings from Taz Qureshi was required and that's exactly what Lilley didn't get as he spooned a ball from Gibbons to Junaid at gully for, gone for nought. 

 

Skipper Perry's resistance eventually gave way as he was bowled by Bashir's loopy off spin for a top score of 17!!  Perry has yet to pass 38 with the bat this season, although I understand he's hoping to be 'in the teens' in Majorca...

 

Dan Mills recent promise saw a promotion in the order to seven, but he could only make 4 before he was bowled by Pallav.  Craig Paddington's season best last week meant he was sent in at nine but he reverted to type by aiming a dubious swat at Bashir's moon ball with inevitable bail-disturbing consequences.

 

Phil Clarke and Mik Carman were hidden down the order because of injuries sustained in the field, but even the mercurial Philo (4) couldn't survive more than a few balls as he became Bashir's third victim, Lilley slumping to 67 for 9.

 

Karl Berry was joined at the crease by Carman and the pair set about trying to drag Lilley into some sort of respectable waters.  Carman was in typically explosive mood and powered two vicious fours over deep cover as he raced to an unbeaten 12.  Berry was the last man out, bowled for seven, as Lilley's dismal chase ended 119 runs short on 85.

 

 

Graveley (225-9, Ashby 3-27) beat Lilley (179 all out, G Tompkins 65) by 46 runs

 

Lilley continued their current dry spell in the win column with defeat in a good tempered affair at the picturesque Graveley Cricket Ground yesterday despite a half century from returning Gareth Tompkins.

 

Tim Perry won the toss and invited Graveley to bat and set Lilley a target to chase down.  Perry and James Ashby took the new ball and despite beating the bat on a few occasions, the Graveley openers survived comfortably enough.  An injury to Perry's shoulder meant an early taste of bowling action for Philo Clarke, back from injury, and he was right on the mark straight away.  Gareth Tompkins replaced Ashby at the pavilion end, once again preferring to bowl his leg spin over pace.  GT and Philo each struck soon after, Clarke bowling Murphy for 15 having tied the batsman down with nagging line and length and GT spinning a leg break which Nick Cross (11) could only edge to Phil Clarke at a deep gully, who took a magnificent diving catch.

 

Clarke, who has already seen two slip chances spilled by Qureshi off his bowling, bagged a second when he had Cartwright (12) caught by the same fielder having moved from the slips to short third man!  Bracey and Noddy Logan started a repair job for Graveley, although both batsmen were tested by some fine bowling from Tompkins and Clarke.

 

With Graveley three down for less than a hundred at drinks, Lilley were in a good position.  GT (2-36) trapped Bracey (33) leg before after the resumption with his slider and Hobson (4) was sent packing by the returning Perry following Clarke's fine spell of 8-2-34-2.  Logan and Barnham rode their luck for the home team, but importantly they rapidly increased Graveley's scoring rate.

 

Perry (2-44) eventually removed Barnham for 27 with his off cutter and the reintroduction of Ashby into the attack saw two wickets fall in successive balls as he bowled Bennett and then found Wraight's edge first ball which Berry took comfortably behind the pegs.  Any thoughts that the new batsman Logan may be nervous coming in to face the hat-trick ball disappeared, with the ball, over point and into the adjacent field as the left hander crunched the first of two big sixes in a whirlwind cameo.  Ashby (3-27) eventually dismissed Logan for 17 with his slower ball, but not before he had hit Taz Qureshi for an absolute monster of a six over midwicket.  Graveley saw out the final balls of their innings to post 225-9 from their 40 overs, Noddy Logan finishing unbeaten on 62.

 

Lilley's reply started in disastrous fashion.  Ashby miscued a pull off the second ball of the innings, a rank long hop from Barnham, and Logan took the catch comfortably.  Brad Tompkins joined him in the pavilion soon after for 4, also miscuing a Barnham long hop this time to Cross in the covers.  One brings three they say and Taz Qureshi duly entertained the cliche by spooning Barnhams's slower ball to Cross again to leave Lilley 8 for 3.

 

Perry and GT restored some sanity to proceedings with some measured batting.  Perry was sent packing for 14 though, when caught playing back to a ball which shot low for the second week running, Lilley 47 for 4.

 

GT, although not playing anywhere near his fluent best, was at least giving the Lilley crowd something to watch!  Steve Eyres gave a debut to his new 'Hero' bat, possibly starting a 'trade descriptions' lawsuit in the process.  Eyres it was who was left laughing at his shrewd investment however, as the first opportunity arose to wield his new weapon of war and he duly obliged by spanking it with aplomb to the boundary.  Two more boundaries followed before he was bowled for 14 by Bracey, Lilley 76-5.

 

Karl Berry, nursing a hangover, didn't use up too much of the scorers ink as he was bowled by the ball of the century from left armer Cartwright, a spinning, ripping, spitting off break which drifted devilishly in the air before hitting a crack, biting and somehow evading Berry's unconvincing swat before dislodging the bails.  Well, I think it turned a bit anyway.

 

Donovan Tompkins arrived at the crease and finally Lilley found someone who could hold an end up while GT blazed away at the other.  GT brought up his third half century of the season and there were one or two strands of hope left for the visitors.  Donovan's demise for 10 removed one of those, but in Phil Clarke they knew they had someone who has been there and done it and has a decent technique and eye to match.

 

Sadly for Lilley, GT was bowled soon after by youngster Bennett for 65, including 12 fours and a six.  Philo was joined at the crease by the Jeans Way Ripper, Craig Paddington, last seen on a cricket field (save substitute appearances) ripping out the heart of Eaton Bray's lower middle order.  Paddington made light of some comments suggesting he couldn't pile on the required hundred for victory, carving a Caribbean classic cut shot for four.  He made it to 11, his equal highest all time Lilley score, before he was cruelly caught and bowled by Murphy, Lilley 163-9.

 

Steve McArdle made his mcway to the crease, intent on sitting down for a meal at the Graveley table rather than just putting in a drive thru appearance.  He played a mcnugget of a shot to get off the mark, a fine flick through mid-on for two - his first ever Lilley runs!

 

Phil Clarke hit the accelerator, hitting two more fine boundaries as he moved into the twenties, but victory sadly wasn't on the menu for Lilley and Big Mac-ardle was bowled by Murphy's devilish mcslower ball.  Lilley then all out for 179, a defeat by 46 runs, Philo Clarke not out 23.

 

Codicote (155-4, M Carman 1-16, S Perry 1-16) beat Lilley (154 all out, Hanley 50) by six wickets

 

Lilley's hopes of a title winning return to league cricket were thwarted by Codicote this weekend despite returning Neil Hanley's fine half century.

 

Lilley, again missing several key men through holidays and injury, were dealt a fresh blow before the start when Taz Qureshi pulled out and had to be replaced at the last minute by skipper Tim Perry's Dad Steve.  He joined Neil Hanley and James Ashby is a side which was probably marginally stronger than that which lost to Titanic the previous week.

 

Perry won the toss and unsurprisingly elected to bat on a typical looking Offley track.  James Ashby returned to open the innings, with Perry continuing in his role as temporary opener in the absence of Brad Tompkins.  Things almost started in disastrous fashion for Lilley as Ashby inside edged the first ball of the innings agonisingly past his leg stump.  The pair soon settled however and looked comfortable against the Codicote new ball attack when bowler Lewcey again found Ashby's inside edge as the right hander defended away from his body, this time the ball cannoning into the middle stump and ending the opener's innings on 13.

 

Perry was joined by Neil Hanley at the crease and the left hander instantly made his intentions and quality clear with a tremendous flick through square mid wicket for four.  Perry fought hard to give Lilley a solid platform, but came a cropper when he played back and was bowled by a shooter from Lee Richards for 8.

 

Karl Berry did little to rid himself of the curse of number four, edging through wide gully for four before misjudging a straight one, leaving it and being castled middle stump all in the space of six balls.  Hanley continued on his merry way at the other end, but he could only watch in despair as Donovan Tompkins set off on a suicidal run having just arrived at the crease, run out brilliantly by Richards direct hit.

 

Steve Eyres provided some sort of stability at the crease, albeit with one or two fortunate early strokes.  Having run for a sharp single, Neil Hanley pulled up with a hamstring tear and was forced to use a runner for the remainder of his innings.  This certainly gave a Laurel and Hardy feel to proceedings, as on more than one occasion there were batsmen stranded in the middle or three calls of varying types ringing round the ground.  At the best of times Steve Eyres running can resemble someone blindfolded with their shoe laces tied together, so the addition of a third party was akin to torture for the big Darlington lad.

 

Hanley went about his business, mixing sensible singles with some classical strokes and deservedly brought up his half century despite clearly struggling with the hamstring injury.  Fifty would be all he would get however as he was bowled by the impressive Carl Richards shortly after.

 

Mik Carman came and went for 3 and when Eyres eventually was bowled for 12 and Phil Horner departed without scoring, Lilley had slipped to 105-8 with plenty of overs to go.

 

Dan Mills and Joel Mellor were the Lilley pair charged with somehow trying to use up more than ten overs.  Mills played in astonishingly mature fashion, leaving the ball well early on and taking his time to get his eye in.  Mellor too looked intent on seeing out the overs when from nowhere he produced a picture perfect on drive which not only made the boundary, it cleared it easily - his first ever six!!

 

Mellor went on to make a season's best 17 before he was caught attempting late order runs, but he and Mills had by then seen out more than 8 overs and taken Lilley to the brink of their allocation.  Steve Perry joined Mills at the crease and scored his first ever run before Mills took centre stage in the final over and hit three superb fours to finish on a Lilley best of 23 not out, a fine effort and again signs that he is a real talent for the future.  Lilley finished on 154-9, still 30-40 short but a damn sight better than it might have been but for the late order!

 

Lilley's bowling effort was always likely to be a struggle given the bowlers missing, but in Ashby and Perry they at least had a bit of bite early on.  Ashby had a strong leg before turned down again in form Lee Richards, but the right hander succumbed next ball in the same fashion, this time the umpire having no hesitation in awarding the decision.

 

Tempers threatened to boil over soon after.  Dan Mills appeared to have caught opener Clarke at point off Ashby and despite the fielding team's celebrations, the batsman and umpire were unmoved.  The bowler obviously wasn't best pleased, which made the next delivery - a throat high beamer - look all the more sinister!  Despite the bowler's immediate apology and hand shake, it was clear the batsman was shaken up and he top edged a Perry short ball next over to Ashby at fine leg, who took the catch.

 

Mik Carman was brought into the attack and despite a difficult start, he found some rhythm and line.  He bowled a good maiden before castling Mcqueen for 6.  Sadly his spell was cut short at the drinks break, as Lilley's lack of bowling meant Karl Berry was required to turn his arm over having kept for twenty overs.

 

Steve Eyres at the other end bowled a steady six overs, but Berry couldn't find line or length and was sent to chew the cud in the outfield after two overs which went for 22.

 

With Lilley now looking likely losers, Tim Perry turned to his Dad Steve for a few overs, with Dan Mills bowling his spin at the other end.  Perry Senior stunned the on-looking crowd with a fine spell of five overs for 16 runs, with the highlight being the wicket of Carl Richards, who chopped on for 39.  All the years of prowling the boundary have served him well, as there is certainly the hint of the best bits of some of the Lilley legends about him.  A Philo/Hammond/Paddington hybrid, if you will.

 

Mills' spin at the other end also was promising, but with Codicote only needing 3 runs an over, their number three and astonishing George Galloway Doppelganger, Avent, saw them home with consummate ease.

 

Codicote winners then by six wickets in the 38th over and rightly so.  They played the better cricket over 80 overs and exposed Lilley's lack of bowling and batting options well.

 

 

Lilley 126 all out, lost to Titanic 127 for 3 by 7 wickets

 

Not the best mannered affairs by any stretch of the imagination, Lilley knew they were in for another verbal barrage when Titanic turned up and immediately started moaning about the outfield, "you gonna cut it before we start", was probably the most witty comment they would make all game.

 

The day started well however, the Titanic captain making the classic mistake of calling tails with the coin coming down heads. As the captains walked back to the pavilion a Titanic player shouted out "did you check the coin?".........it was going to be a long day!!

So it was Lilley batting first and with Brad and James out of the team the unusual opening pair of Perry and Berry opened up. The lively Fox opened from one end with the more sedate Cooksey (not a nickname) from the other. It was Cooksey who produced the first wicket however, Berry playing one in the air toward cover to Diamond (again, not a nickname)!

 

Next up was guest superstar Tony Allbones! Him and Perry started to frustrate the Titanic boys (literally boys), and saw off the opener Fox. With Titanic frustrated verbal diarrhea started spewing from their mouths. One of the funniest comments made was a sarcastic "well these are really division one facilities", to which the captain replied "well considering Offley and Stopsley play here, they are!" Also its nice not having a moat round our ground so we don't have to play with dog balls all the time...

 

With Fox out of the attack the off-spinner McGowan was brought in. His off spin was difficult to get away and was extracting turn and bounce from a fairly placid pitch. After a wide sent down the leg side by McGowan, correctly called by the umpire, the classic comment "they set the standard" came out of the closet. If a ball a foot down the leg side is setting the standard, its a good one surely?

 

After yet another wide sent down from McGowan, the ball pitching on middle but turning miles down leg, first slip piped up "its not a wide if it pitches on middle and turns, but hey, what do we know?!" Well, obviously not very much!

It was McGowan however who got the breakthrough after 10 overs of stubborn resistance from Allbones (5). A rare ball outside the off stump saw him edging behind to the keeper. Next up was Taz, and he was next to depart, edging his first ball behind in a copycat dismissal the very next ball. Lilley 28 for 3 after 15 overs.

 

With Eyres and Perry at the crease the run rate started to climb, the tricky left armer Maskell hit out of the attack by a massive 6 by Eyres. Perry was fired into action after first slip continued to talk while the bowler was running up, so much so that the normally placid (???) captain was forced into telling him to shut up. Perry proceeded to hit the next ball for 4 and Titanic were unusually quiet.

 

It was Perry who was next to go, having seen off the main bowlers he tried to up the rate against the pie bowler Smith, but went back to a ball he should have been forward to and was bowled for 33. Steve Eyres started to kick on and hit two wonderful sixes followed by 2 fours until the returning Fox got one to shoot along the ground and bowled him for a quick fire 33.

Lilley, now 92 for 5 after 28 overs, were in a good position to push on under normal circumstances, but with so many batsmen out it was a precarious situation. Donovan Tompkins was next to go for a useful 13, Kamran Quereshi (1) followed soon after but seemed pleased to still have scored more runs than Taz. Phil Horner did well to see off Fox but was caught out off Cooksey for 0.

Imran Quereshi and Dan Mills shared an important partnership of 23 to take the score to 126 before Dan (7) was trapped LBW by Maskell. Taz had taken alot of abuse for turning down previous LBW appeals and did a great job telling them to shut up and got on with making correct decisions. The atmosphere was so aggressive Allbones walked off from umpiring, wanting to enjoy his cricket rather than taking abuse.

 

The young Tom Mills was in next but was powerless to stop a good ball from Maskell who finished the innings well. Imran Quereshi was left not out on 13.

 

With Lilley in the field their ears were allowed some rest from the increasingly annoying Titanic.  Instead it was the supporters who started to take the abuse.  After asking about showers and being told they thought there were some in the clubhouse, the lowest form of wit was once again brought out, "well there had better be, its not like I'd want a shower after a hot day in the field."  In fact they spent most of their time moaning about the facilities, all of which are far and away better than what they've got at their place.

Back to the game and things started really well for Lilley. Perry and Allbones turned the screw early on and put real pressure on Titanic.  Perry made the breakthrough, Fox frustrated, slogging at one only to find Imran at mid off who took a good catch out of the sun.  Perry also had the other opener, T.McGowan dropped early on at slip by Berry. 

 

With Allbones still hungover from the previous night, Imran came on to bowl and kept it tight after a difficult first over.  After 7 overs Perry withdrew himself from the attack and brought in Berry who made amends for his earlier drop by bowling opener McGowan for 24.  Lilley struggled after drinks however, Allum and S.McGowan batting well and hitting some sweet boundaries.  Into the attack came partnership breaker Eyres and his mix of high full tosses and wides proved too much for Allum.  After being hit on the thigh by a high full toss Lilley were surprised to see it called a no ball.  A high full toss is only a no ball if its above waist height, therefore the batsmen walking away from the crease rubbing his thigh should be enough evidence for the umpire not to give it. This decision was understandably questioned by a few Lilley players who then received a torrent of abuse from both the umpire and the batsman. "How long did you bat for?" was aimed at Imran, who actually batted for quite a while and ended up not out, what this had to do with the decision anyway was beyond us! The batsman then complained about the amount of beamers bowled by Lilley's medium pacers, obviously forgetting their pace bowler Fox sending down at least 3 at vicious pace at varying batsmen.

Next ball he was out however, charging down the pitch he managed only to hit yet another high full toss (probably above waist height rather ironically) to Allbones who took the catch well.

 

This was to be Lilley's last wicket however with Taz from one end and Perry then Allbones from the other unable to take a wicket but bowling well and keeping good pressure on the batsmen. S.McGowan scoring 44* was the pick of the batsmen.

 

So a loss for Lilley but no more defeats will still make us contenders for the title. We showed today that even with many of our better players out we can still fight hard and I was really proud of how well we did against a tough opposition. It would have been easy to give in early and use the verbals as an excuse but we fought hard right till the end and showed really good character. Onto Codicote!!

 

Report by T Perry

 

Lilley (211 all out, G Tompkins 85), beat Eaton Bray (174 all out, Paddington 5-30) by 37 runs

 

No, I shit you not.  Re-read that top line.  Yes, it happened.  And here's how it did...

 

The day started in farcical fashion, Lilley and a healthy supporters following arriving at the gates of Eaton Bray's ground in time for a 2pm start only to find them firmly bolted and not a soul in sight.  Immediately, furrowed eyebrows of suspicion were cast in the direction of Lilley's hapless Fixture Secretary, Craig Paddington, who at the best of times has the whiff of incompetence lurking amidst his jaunty t-shirt collection.  As it was, despite several concerned phone calls from Screech Paddington and a trip to the local hostelry, it was a simple case of mistaken start time - 2:30pm the planned start.

 

The scheduled start time was met with a tremendous August downpour.  Fortunately, we have actually experienced a little sun this week, so the rain drained away without any fuss and the start was delayed by ten minutes at most.

 

The home side inserted Lilley having won the toss on a wicket which had 'been a bit up and down so far' this season, according to those in the know.  Whilst James Ashby struggled with some invariable bounce early on, Brad Tompkins made light of the conditions by creaming several picture perfect boundaries.  Ashby was dismissed in unusual circumstances for 4, stumped off the opening bowler after some sharp glove work.

Gareth Tompkins signaled his typically aggressive intentions early on, plundering three quickfire boundaries off some generous offerings from the home side.  GT hit some mighty boundaries, including some sixes which were perhaps a touch too close to some expensive vehicles for the watching public's liking.  Skipper Perry's Grandparents, down watching the game, strategically positioned themselves in front of their own car purely to deflect any stray balls which may affect their no claims bonus.

 

Bradley was dismissed, you guessed it, shy of another half century.  On 38 he got a ball from left arm spinner Jones which pitched twice and scooted along the deck, hitting him plum in front of all three.

 

Perry's stay at the crease was short lived as he was bowled by a suspiciously straight offering from Jones and despite two more attractive boundaries, Berry went for ten after being bowled through the gate.

 

GT went on to register his second half century of the season and pass 400 runs for the year as he powered an impressive 85 before being bowled by Hurren.

 

Taz Qureshi and Donovan Tompkins - today batting right handed - put together a useful partnership before they both perished, for 17 and 16 respectively, attempting to push Lilley on in the closing stages.

 

Dan Mills (2), Craig Paddington (0) and Alec Crump (2) soon followed as Lilley were all out in the 35th over for 211, Tom Mills the not out batsman on nought.

 

Lilley's bowling effort started in lively fashion, with Ashby and Perry both extracting pace and bounce from a volatile Bray track.  Both batsmen took bruises and blows early on, but ultimately survived the early test of pace.  Lilley's luck changed when spin replaced pace, with a double Tompkins introduction of Brad and GT, still bowling his leg breaks of Saturday.

 

GT it was who struck first, a ripping leg break finding the edge of Kerins bat through to Ashby at first slip.  Brad was soon in on the act, bowling the other opener Piggott with a straight one to leave Eaton Bray 39-2.  GT struck again not long after with a flipper which completely deceived Wilson and bowled him via about fifteen deflections off various pads and boots!

 

Lilley had to wait some time for the next breakthrough as Perry continued his weekend policy of giving everyone a go with the ball.  GT's brilliant eight over spell of leg spin finished, amazingly with only two wickets to his name and Perry's reintroduction a while later yielded Lilley's next wicket, Burton leg before for 27.

 

The policy of 'giving everyone a go' was taken to it's furthest limits when Craig 'Pixie Express' Paddington was introduced into the attack.  He almost bagged a wicket immediately when he duped a batsman into smacking him to deep mid on, but Brad Tompkins couldn't hang onto the stinger and it seemed The Vindaloo Kid would go wicketless.

 

Or so it seemed.

 

With Hurren set fair on 42 and comfortably punishing any tosh sent his way, he made a grave error and played a Paddington delivery too early.  Far too early.  The ball cannoned off the back of his bat and flew to the welcome hands of Ashby at slip, to give Paddington his first victim.

 

But the Jeans Way Ripper wasn't done just yet.

 

Mr Tickles was the next lamb to the slaughter.  Paddington, uniquely mixing testing straight deliveries with full tosses and wides, somehow drew a false stroke from Tickles, who ballooned the ball to the safe hands of Karl Berry at point.  Two wickets to the man who had previously only ever taken three in 13 years of Lilley cricket...

 

Happiness soon morphed into delirium when Paddington produced the best ball of his spell, a middle stump yorker, to account for Barker for 2.  Three wickets down and with only two more of the ten man Eaton Bray side left, a joker in the outfield suggested Paddington was on for a five for.  Ha!  Ashby scoffed in the slips, but the sage Crump at Gully wisely ruminated that 'it wasn't over yet'.

 

That it wasn't and the Lilley following were in raptures moments later as Paddington bagged an unthinkable fourth as Harvey hacked wildly at a ball outside off stump and GT made excellent ground from the covers to complete the catch.

 

Suddenly the ground was hushed and what was previously a pipe dream became a distinct possibility - a Craig Paddington five wicket haul.  Evens 'Drunkards Corner' purred with anticipation as the last man, Jones, lolloped to the wicket to face the fiendish Paddington, a symbiosis of Malinga's angle, Muralitharen's bent elbow and Snape's pace.

 

Ken Hammond once told Craig in a moment of nonsensical fervor that his 'hour of cometh might come', and here it was.  Come on Craig, bowl a f***ing straight one.

 

And that he did.  The ball arrowed back at Jones, missed his half hearted prod and struck his front pad.  The Lilley players to a man appealed like crazed baboons, as did the Lilley Massive on the sidelines.  The slow finger of death was raised, Jones adjudged leg before and Craig Paddington had bowled Lilley to victory with his first ever five wicket haul.  Including garden cricket.  And beach cricket.  Against his sister.

 

Fittingly, Paddington led the Lilley side from the field, the battered cherry which he had so brilliantly used as his tool of menace raised aloft to the brilliant crowd who had cheered the Lilley boys on.  A great moment for everyone at the ground.

 

And so it was done...Lilley victors by 37 runs in a relatively inconsequential friendly which will probably fade into memory quite soon.  What won't be forgotten however is the Pixie Express and his five for....well bowled Sir!

 

 

Lilley (234-7, Ashby 95) beat Ivanhoe (77 all out, G Tompkins 4-5) by 157 runs

 

Lilley made it four wins on the bounce with a resounding thrashing of Ivanhoe at a typically sun drenched Royal Vet College in North Mimms yesterday.

 

Ivanhoe, like Lilley, were several players short.  Lilley drafted in Ian and Tommy Mills as well as Donovan Tompkins retaining his place from Rosslyn.  There was also a welcome return to action for Neil Hanley in a youthful Lilley side.

 

With skipper Tim Perry running late, Gareth Tompkins stood in for 'tossing' duties and duly called correctly, much to the relief of the Lilley bowling attack.  James Ashby and Brad Tompkins looked to continue their fine opening form of late, which has seen opening stands of 81 and 115 in the last two league matches.

 

Whilst Christie produced some good tight bowling early on, fellow new ball bowler McDonald struggled and several log hops were punished.  Brad Tompkins enjoyed two lifelines, twice dropped by Phil Parnell at first slip, but the pair generally looked solid as they cantered along at six an over.

 

Ashby passed the fifty mark for the fourth time this season with a straight four off the impressive Saj and began to play more freely with several batsmen to come.  The Lilley opening pair posted another century opening stand before Ashby eventually fell just five short of a century when he was caught at deep mid off on 95.  The stand of 159 for the first wicket had set the visitors up nicely though.

 

Brad Tompkins once again fell agonisingly short of the illusive half century, caught on 44.

 

Neil Hanley had sat and watched the Lilley opening pair plunder runs, so it was almost inevitable that his much hyped return to Lilley action would end with a dismal golden duck, caught at extra cover!  Still, it should encourage the mercurial left hander to play again this year so as not to finish with an average of zero!

 

Taz Qureshi and Dan Mills were now at the crease and Mills showed some genuine class in picking two balls off his legs and dispatching them to the backward square boundary.  Qureshi meanwhile was playing all sorts of ludicrous shots, including an ill advised reverse sweep which hit his glove before smacking him square in the chops.

 

Mills was caught for a Lilley best of 12 and Donovan Tompkins made five before being bowled round his legs.  Taz Qureshi's entertaining innings came to an end on 23 when his nine iron chip shot finally found a fielder! 

 

Karl Berry and Tim Perry looked to push the run rate on in the final throws of the Lilley innings.  Berry hit two fours and was looking in good touch until a running calamity (well, Tim almost lapped him..) left the left hander stranded, run out for the second time this season for 12.  Berry angrily protested towards the Captain, chuntered on the boundary and eventually failed to win support from the less than sympathetic pair of Qureshi and Ashby at the scoreboard!  There's no 'i' in 'team'.  But there are two in 'not out innings'.

 

Perry (12 not out) and Gareth Tompkins (2 not out), saw Lilley to 234 for 7 at the Tea interval.  An excellent tea it was too.  Basic, but done well.  Gammon ham.  Mmm.

 

With a mammoth score on the board, skipper Perry took the opportunity to rest himself, Ashby and GT and turn to some of the lesser known bowling fraternity!  Karl Berry and Neil Hanley formed an unlikely 'new ball' pair, although the match ball provided by JJB sports appeared to have turned into a spongy red egg.  Berry's first over was loose, but he soon got into a nice rhythm and very much looked a bowler.

 

Neil Hanley cast aside his left arm finger spin and opted for some left arm chinamen to open at the other end.  The balls that pitched were snorters, but 'balls that pitched' were about as common as a Craig Paddington cover drive.  It mattered not however as Evans spooned a full toss straight to Brad Tompkins at point and Phil Parnell promptly looped his first delivery straight to Taz Qureshi at mid off!  Hanley bagged a third wicket shortly after, finding a leading edge which Gareth Tompkins caught well at mid wicket.

 

Perry shuffled the bowling round, bringing Taz Qureshi and Dan Mills into the attack.  Mills bagged his first ever Lilley wicket shortly after, having Collins caught brilliantly by Karl Berry behind square on the leg side.  Mills' younger brother Tommy replaced Taz and he produced some excellent deliveries in his first bowling stint in a Lilley.

 

With twenty overs called, Lilley turned to Gareth Tompkins to spice up the action.  He duly immediately removed opener Parnell, bowled for 18, before turning to leg spin!  Brad 'Van Pan' Tompkins joined his brother at the other end and the Tompkins spin twins demolished what was left of the Ivanhoe team.

 

Brad clean bowled McDonald and Saj whilst GT produced false strokes on three occasions to pick up 4 for 5 in a little under four overs to skittle Ivanhoe for 77.  GT's leg spin will have been real food for thought for Perry, as he looked a genuine menace with the ball turning, spitting and bouncing appreciably.

 

The major turn up from the 157 run victory was that Lilley...dare I say it...didn't drop anything!!!!

 

 

Lilley (179-9, 40 overs, B Tompkins 47) beat Rosslyn (145 all out, 39.2 overs, Ashby 3-8) by 34 runs

 

The summer finally arrived yesterday at Tudor Park in New Barnet as Lilley grabbed victory and a vital bonus point having almost tossed the game away under the scorching August sun.

 

Lilley Captain Tim Perry did the unthinkable and actually won the toss!  'Tails' has stretched it's 'never fails' slogan to the point of a potential trade description act law suit this year, but the Lilley bowlers were delighted to be not toiling away in temperatures of almost thirty degrees.

 

James Ashby and Brad Tompkins opened up for Lilley and despite the ball swinging and some indifferent bounce, they negotiated the early overs with relative ease.  Tompkins it was who looked more fluent, striking three classy boundaries in the early stages.  The pair saw off the new ball and appeared to be heading for a second successive century opening stand when the heat finally got the better of Ashby and he holed out to deep mid off for 36.

 

Gareth joined brother Brad at the crease and the Rosslyn side were instantly on alert.  GT smashed a brilliant 82 the last time these sides met and they made no attempt to hide the fact that they rated the young South African - "Get him and they all go".  Charming.  Tompkins Junior provided a chance early on, pulling the ball to the deep mid wicket boundary where Padharia somehow managed not only to spill the chance but also palm the ball over the boundary for six!

 

At the other end, older brother Bradley was looking fluent.  He seemed destined to finally end the almost inexplicably long run without a half century when again heat and tiredness got the better of him and he was bowled by Ghafor for 47.  The groans from the massive Lilley following were an indication how much everyone wanted him to reach the milestone, but that shouldn't detract from what was a very fine innings indeed.

 

Karl Berry added weight to the view that the number four batting position is cursed by once again being bowled without troubling the scorers.  Three knocks for Berry at number four have yielded just one run...  Lilley's hopes of late runs to push the score on took another knock when Gareth Tompkins (21) was caught and bowled attempting to smack a wide one to parts unknown.

 

Perry and Hammond pushed the ball around nicely with the Captain picking up three fours before he was sent packing via an extraordinary stumping by 'The Beast', the Rosslyn 'keeper.  Perry (20) advanced down the track, the ball clipped his pad and seemed destined for the stumps, but it bobbled through to the keeper.  The Beast feigned a throw and Perry ambled back towards his crease.  As quick as a flash, the Beast unleashed a shy at the stumps which was missing by some distance.  The ball hit a bump and bounced back into the stumps, with the Lilley Captain yards short!

 

Hammond went shortly after attempting a lusty blow to put some late runs on the board.  Steve Eyres (11) was bowled in the final over having opened his sixes account for the season with Mellor (2) and Paddington (0) also falling to the impressive Johar.  Lilley finished on 179-9, Rosslyn just shy of the bonus point.

 

Hammond and Ashby opened up for Lilley and Patel and Clement set about trying to block out the opening overs.  Several appeals were declined early on and Paddington put down a chance at gully but the home team openers appeared set to block out the 40 overs!  Gareth Tompkins and Perry were brought into the attack and again some very strong appeals were declined as tempers became frayed.  The first drinks break brought welcome relief after some fiery exchanges in the middle. 

 

The resumption saw the introduction of Brad 'Van Pan' Tompkins' off breaks into the attack and with instant reward.  His first ball was toe ended high in the air by Patel to Ashby at mid wicket who, for once, made no mistake with the catch.  Matters were to get worse for Rosslyn as the very next ball fellow opener Clement was bowled through the gate for 10.  The hat-trick ball looked good and straight, but unsurprisingly the appeal was turned down.  Ghafoor's stay wouldn't last long however, as Hammond came back into the attack and bowled the little right hander with a fine delivery to leave the home side 54-3.

 

Johar and Sterry steadied the Rosslyn ship and after some brief consolidation, they began hitting out.  Brad Tompkins' off breaks came in for some treatment, although he was unlucky not to snare Johar at mid-wicket when Ashby put a tough chance down.  Lilley were running out of overs to get seven wickets and more alarmingly, the run rate required was down to around five an over.

 

Then, the breakthrough.  After several strong leg before appeals, Perry it was who broke through, bowling Sterry via an inside edge to make it 124-4.  Ashby was re-introduced into the attack and soon took the vital wicket of Johar, caught behind by Berry for 40.  There was a suspicion of it possibly being a bump ball, but the ball traveled quickly to the keeper and the batsman himself walked, so the umpires were spared making a decision, which would have almost certainly been in the batsman's favor.

 

Padharia Junior lasted just a few balls and Ashby bent back his middle stump and suddenly Lilley were in with a sniff of victory and a bonus point.  Gareth Tompkins replaced Perry and snared the wicket of Dey, caught behind to make the home side 133-7.

 

Brad Tompkins came back into the attack with overs running out and trapped Bafna plum in front for nought to finish with 3 for 50 from his eight overs.

 

With three overs remaining, hopes of a win for Rosslyn had gone, but Lilley needed two wickets to grab the bonus point.  Ashby (3 for 8 from 8 overs) bowled V Padheria leg stump from round the wicket leaving the Beast and Gravina as the two men between Lilley and five points.

 

Gareth Tompkins (2-18) was the man to bowl the final over with the Beast on strike.  He safely negotiated the first ball but was powerless to keep out GT's second which cannoned into his off stump, Rosslyn all out for 145 in the 40th over.

 

So a hard fought win that almost never was.  If the league comes down to a matter of the odd point then this bonus point will be like gold dust.  A word must also be said about the Lilley following.  To have more than twenty people travel just to watch Lilley in a game in North London is absolutely brilliant and testament to what a good thing we have at this club.

 

 

Lilley (237-6, 40 overs, Ashby 70) beat Graveley (143 all out, 37.1 overs, Clarke 3-31) by 94 runs

 

Lilley claimed a crucial win over fellow title challengers Graveley in convincing fashion at Offley yesterday with a strong all round display.

 

With both sides ravaged by hangovers, pretty cricket was unlikely to be the order of the day!  The visitors it was that won the toss and asked Lilley to bat on a wicket which was still wet from the weeks rain battering.

 

Despite threats to re-jig the order during the week to allow Brad Tompkins to bat down the order, Lilley skipper Perry stuck with the same opening pair of Tompkins and James Ashby, principally because of the Captain nursing a miserable hangover himself after birthday celebrations.  With the wicket very two paced and the outfield lush, boundaries were hard to come by early on, but a bevy of wides helped push Lilley along at four an over with little effort.  Tompkins played in compact fashion and Ashby rode his luck, surviving two relatively difficult catching opportunities, but the pair took Lilley comfortably along to 80 without loss at the midway mark of 20 overs.

 

The resumption in play brought a change of gear and the pair passed 100 shortly after.  Ashby's fourth boundary brought up his third half century in four innings and he duly pressed the accelerator forthwith with a six and four in the same over from Cartwright.

 

Brad Tompkins finally became Graveley's first success with the score on 115 as he was caught and bowled by Murphy for 27.  Younger brother Gareth replaced him and made an instant impression by nailing four fours in a single over from Shane Baines.  A flurry of fine strokes was eventually brought to an end in his next over however as he played back to a ball which kept low and took the inside edge onto the stumps, GT registering a quickfire 28.

 

Karl Berry came in at four and in revolving door fashion was soon walking back to the pavilion.  Having sat padded up for more than 30 overs, Berry somehow managed to play back and inside edge his first ball onto his pads then stumps!

 

With over called, Ashby faced the next ball at the other end and he too was castled, this time by a fine ball from Murphy for a season's best of 70. 

 

With Lilley having slipped from 154-1 to 154-4, there was little time to consolidate with overs running out.  Ken Hammond and Taz Qureshi were the men charged with taking the Lilley score towards two hundred and that they did with some aplomb.  Good running and some fine power play - the pair hit six fours and four sixes between them - saw Lilley past two hundred and then some!  Hammond eventually fell, stumped, for a season's best 39 and Qureshi registered the same score unbeaten with Perry run out on the last ball to help Lilley post an impressive 237-6.  Importantly, Graveley were denied the bonus point.

 

Lilley had work to do with the ball, but plenty of bowling options with Philo Clarke back in the side.  Ken Hammond was back opening the bowling with Ashby after recovering from a calf strain and was back with a wicket early on.  He trapped Baines lbw for 1, although he was the only person appealing with the ball apparently sliding down leg side.  The man with the best view, umpire Hockey, thought otherwise and the peroxide blonde had to go.

 

Opener Nick Cross and Hobson began to build a solid partnership and the out of sorts Ashby was replaced by veteran seamer Clarke.  Clarke bagged his first wicket of the season when Hobson played across the line and was bowled middle stump, shortly followed by Barnham, who spooned to GT at mid wicket off Clarke.

 

Cross found a willing partner in Murphy and the pair continued to push the visitors on until Cross attempted a second six off Clarke's (3-31) final ball of his spell.  The ball flew high in the air to long off where Mik Carman steadied himself and took a fine catch.  Lilley's fielding in general was far better, with the only early chances going down being a difficult one by Mills at square leg and what would have been hands down catch of the season by Ken Hammond, throwing himself full stretch to his left to just miss a caught and bowled effort.

 

Gareth Tompkins and Brad Tompkins both came into the attack and GT was soon causing damage of all sorts, breaking a bail in bowling Wraight (5) then skipper Logan for 4.  Brad Tompkins should have had a wicket when Murphy spooned the ball to Ashby at mid on, but the once reliable hands continued their season of misery as he dropped another sitter.  Fortunately, the drop wasn't too costly as Brad spun one through Logan's defences the next ball and then Smith's for nought. 

 

Ruddell and Murphy were the last pair, with Cartwright nursing an injured hand having dropped a sharp caught and bowled effort earlier in the game.  Having survived a few overs of spin with relative ease, Perry finally called for pace and brought himself into the attack.  His seventh legal delivery was the last of the match, Murphy attempting an aggressive shot but succeeding only in spooning it high in the air, where Taz Qureshi ran in and pouched the catch comfortably.  Graveley all out for 143, Lilley as a result picking up a bonus point.

 

Lilley (186-8, 39.4 overs, Ashby 51) beat Flamstead (182-6, 40 overs, G Tompkins 3-32) by two wickets

 

Lilley finally got back on the winning trail with a thrilling two wicket win over Flamstead yesterday.

 

With rain falling for most of the week, the match was switched to Flamstead's all weather strip.  Tim Perry's miserable luck with the coin continued and Flamstead elected to bat on a true surface with the outfield in remarkably good nick.

 

Lilley got the best possible start when James Ashby bowled Taylor with the fourth ball of the match.  Gareth Tompkins sent Greensmith's off stump cartwheeling and Ashby ended former Lilley trialist Keith Green's brief stay at the wicket.  Tompkins did opposition skipper Brown with a fine slower ball, to leave the hosts reeling at four down.

 

With Ken Hammond reduced to specialist batsman by a calf tear, Lilley's bowling options were limited.  Tony Allbones was a last minute replacement for Taz Qureshi, who pulled out late on.  Lilley spilled numerous chances once again, seven in all going down including two sitters by Ashby.

 

The next breakthrough came when Tim Perry brilliantly ran out Mills for 15.  Clarke and Guy staged a fine recovery, riding their luck somewhat, before GT's re-introduction into the attack spelt the end for the former for 51, Tompkins finishing with 3-32.

 

Flamstead's late flurry took them up to 182-6, a score which was perhaps 30 or 40 light on a good track.

 

Lilley's reply started poorly as Brad Tompkins feathered behind for 4 and GT hit two fine boundaries before being clean bowled for 8.  Bad went to worse and Allbones completed his weekend pair by edging Westwood to slip, Lilley on 41-3.

 

Ashby at the other end was going well and although not at his best was punishing anything too short or full.  Berry (11) joined him and looked in good nick until he was unfortunately run out attempting a tight second run.

 

Ashby brought up his second half century of the season with a drive over straight mid wicket but perished shortly after for 51 attempting a reprise.

 

Ken Hammond and Tim Perry provided the calm experience in the middle order and continued building patiently towards the victory target of 183.

 

Hammond fell for 36, caught at third man attempting to up the run rate, but with Lilley 166-6, they were still in the box seats.  Phil Horner made his first appearance of the season but could only manage 1 before he was adjudged leg before.  Joel Mellor, who had started on the Magners in anticipation of not batting, played a suitably drunk prod and was bowled by the impressive Bray, his fourth wicket.

 

Craig Paddington joined skipper Perry at the crease and provided the whippet like running that Perry needed.  With seven balls remaining and seven runs needed, disaster struck for the home side as the ball evaded the stumps and wicketkeeper before cannoning into the boundary for four - the equation from the final over being three needed for victory with two wickets in hand, but importantly, Perry on strike.

 

Perry turned down a few singles off the first two balls but showed his class by grabbing a tight two and then powering a straight four to seal the win by two wickets with two balls to spare.

 

 

 

Breachwood Green (139 all out. B Tompkins 2-21) beat Lilley (99 all out) by 40 runs

 

Lilley slipped to their second league defeat of the season at Breachwood Green yesterday as the batting wheels once again fell off the visitors wagon.

 

Breachwood won the toss and chose to bat in fairly overcast conditions, principally because several of their players hadn't turned up at the match start time!  Things started brightly for Lilley, with a different new ball pairing of Ashby and Perry picking up a brace of wickets in quick time to leave Green reeling on 20 for 4.

 

The home side staged a recovery in the form of Bashir (29) and Yasir (32) who both hit some fine shots before falling to Hammond and Gareth Tompkins respectively, both caught.

 

Hammond's wicket came as he shortened his run up to just a couple of yards having pulled his calf muscle two deliveries previously, an injury which forced him out of the attack after the wicket and onto the treatment table.  Well, he had a pain killer.

 

Brad 'Van Pan' Tompkins replaced Hammond and was immediately in the wickets, clean bowling Healey and Kuljit to grab 2 for 21.  Lilley's other spinner, Qureshi, replaced GT at the other end and after some lower order hitting from Gibbons (29 not out) eventually grabbed a wicket himself by snaring Law in the slips - brilliantly caught by the diving Hammond.

 

The final wicket fell courtesy of a run out and Breachwood Green had posted a fairly paltry 139.

 

The tea interval saw what can only be described as a torrential deluge.  The rain pounded down for the entire interval and as the players returned to the ground afterwards, it was clear it would take some effort to get the game completed.  Fortunately, the water was draining away well and a 6pm re-start time was agreed. 

 

Unfortunately during breaks, people get bored.  As some of the Lilley players gathered round the square, Dan Mills was pushed over by Rich Kendall, causing a muddy knee.  Dan's proportionate response to this was to cover drive Rich's head with a cricket bat, or at least pretend too.  Unfortunately for both parties (but particularly so Kendall), both comedians moved their respective equipment (in Dan's case a bat, in Rich's case his head) in the same direction to avoid the comedy jape, resulting in the bat cracking into Kendall's bonce, a sickening blow.  With claret everywhere, an ambulance was summoned for what must be the most bizarre of reasons in the history of Lilley CC...

 

In Cluedo terms, it was Dan Mills, with the cricket bat, on the cricket pitch.

 

So the game resumed, the wicket and outfield still wet but very much playable, with Lilley down to ten men.  Sadly, the wet seemed to have given Lilley's batting order a serious case of rot.  Ashby aimed a lazy hack to a full ball and was bowled for 3 off bat then pad.  GT continued his post-record slump, registering a duck and not to be outdone, Brother Brad also notched up a round score to leave Lilley's hopes of a chase in tatters. 

 

Skipper Perry restored some sort of order, although survived a chance when a ball popped on him and took the edge, only to be spilled at slip.  He got 14 before eventually falling to Junaid, the bearded spinner.  Karl Berry and Ken Hammond continued the re-building process with Berry in particular playing some fine shots.  Hammond fell for nine, edging Bashir to slip and Qureshi replaced him.  Lilley were in the hunt, but with a handful of wickets left only.  Sadly, the drinks break came and with it went Berry's concentration.  The left hander was bowled by off spinner Bashir for a Lilley best of 29, a knock including six fours.

 

Qureshi and Carman played as they always do - viciously!!  Qureshi was the first to perish of the two, caught for 13.  Carman continued his fine hitting form of last week before being bowled by Bashir for 17.  Craig Paddington was joined at the crease by Dan 'GBH' Mills, with the opposition rather amusingly diving for cover when he got to the crease!  All the excitement seemed to get to the youngster as he prodded forward and was stumped for nought, leaving Paddington high and dry on three not out and Lilley all out 40 runs short of victory.  Oh for that extra batsman....

 

Houghton Town (214-7, Ashby 2-41, 37 overs) beat Lilley (213 all out, Ashby 50, 39.5 overs) by three wickets

 

Lilley came up against their toughest opponents so far this season in a strong Houghton Town 2nd eleven at Catsbrook Park yesterday, falling just short of what would have been a memorable victory.  Lilley's arch nemesis, namely their catching - or perhaps dropping is more fitting - cost them dearly as the slipped to a three wicket defeat.

 

Lilley stand in Captain Gareth Tompkins won the toss and elected to bat on a good, dry looking surface at Catsbrook.  James Ashby and Brad Tompkins resumed at the top of the order and were immediately milking the opening attack, with the opposition several fielders light for the opening couple of overs.  Reinforcements soon arrived in the form of fast bowlers Maqsood and Ali, who were immediately brought into the attack.

 

'Max' it was who came into the attack first and fizzed the ball down at a genuinely serious lick.  His pace was accompanied by some real over the top histrionics, including the most ludicrous LBW appeal on the circuit.  The persistent declining of his leg before appeals did nothing for his mood and his bowling became more aggressive in return.  Brad Tompkins took a fearsome blow on the lower back before escaping to the other end.  Ali was introduced from the other end and although not as quick as Max, he swung the ball both ways.  He immediately accounted for Tompkins, LBW for 8 out of an opening stand of 78!

 

It was almost inevitable that the younger Tompkins, Gareth, would fail the innings after his mercurial century.  And that he did.  Max took his first wicket, spearing the ball into GT and bowling him off his pads with the South African not offering a shot.

 

Ashby at the other end continued working the ball around and shortly after brought up his first fifty of the season with a single off Ali.  Unfortunately fifty is all he got as his battle with Max at the other end was finished by the quick bowler, inducing a fine edge behind to the wicket keeper with a shorter ball.

 

Karl Berry and Steve Eyres set about the task of seeing the quicks off.  Eyres got off the mark for the season with a brilliant single, only to be bowled by Ali soon after.  Berry was joined by fellow left hander Ken Hammond, the task still to see off the pacemen.

 

Berry had looked quite solid until he was struck on the elbow by a shorter ball from Max, dropping his bat before performing a tantrums and tiaras style strop about not bowling short in friendlies.  He walked to the other end to find some solace in his partner Ken Hammond, which was quite an unlikely prospect given that Hammond used to make a living out of smashing various facial features of batsmen in 'friendlies' in the 90's..

 

Play resumed and Ali was seen out of the attack.  Berry couldn't capitalise on the change of bowling however and spooned a ball from Izhar straight to mid off for a tidy eleven.

 

Hammond is the archetypal 'seasoned pro' and he used all his guile to see off Max with a combination of stout defence and cowardly running.  I'm not saying he didn't fancy any runs to the danger end, but at one point I believe he set a tent and hammock up at the non strikers end.  None-the-less, the plan worked and Maqsood went out to graze in the outfield.

 

Hammond (17) and Qureshi (17) had worked the ball around well until the former got himself into a tangle and was bowled by spinner Abbas.  Qureshi also went soon after, holing out to long off from the same player's bowling.

 

Mik Carman strode to the crease, with not many innings and even less runs to his name this season.  You would never believe it however, as he began creaming the ball to the boundary with some extraordinary stroke play.  Dan Mills came and went for 1, stumped, and Joel Mellor (0) was also beaten by Abbas' dobbers.  I can't call them pies because, frankly, I know a pie wouldn't have got past Joel without being eaten.

 

As it was, Carman was left to bat with 14 year old miniature debutante Tom Mills, brother of Dan.  He immediately got off the mark and then past his brothers score to grab bragging rights over the coco-pops this morning.  Apparently buoyed by his new partner's stickability, Carman continued the murderous carnage, smacking 8 fours in a bristling Lilley best of 39 before he finally fell to the innings' penultimate ball, a quite brilliant return catch by Saeed.  Mills Junior finished unbeaten on four and looked completely unfazed by the chirp around the bat.  Lilley all out for 213, a competitive score.

 

Houghton chose to open with a youngster and one of their better batsmen, Shazad, so GT opted to give Mik Carman the first over.  Although rusty, it almost worked a treat as Shazad nailed the ball back at the bowler only for Carman to shell a very difficult chance.

 

Hammond at the other end ended the younger Abbas' short stay at the crease with a straight one and GT, replacing Carman at the playground end, clean bowled Shazad for 12 - Lilley tails were up.

 

Lilley were short on regular bowlers and need early wickets to compete, however Rahat and R Abbas dug in and began setting upon the Lilley second string attack.  Steve Eyres bowled a mixture of the brilliant and the down right offensive in a two over burst which yielded 23 runs but also the magnificent caught and bowled dismissal of Rahat for 53.

 

Ashby removed R Abbas, caught at point, and Lilley were suddenly back in the game.  Max came in and swatted some meaty blows before falling in farcical fashion.  Having smashed the ball towards the deep leg side boundary, the ball drifted towards Dan Mills.  Mills was looking at the ground and only the screams of his team mates woke him from his daze!  He reacted and got under the ball, but unfortunately dropped it.  As Max turned for the second, Mills' throw went halfway to Ken Hammond, who collected and arrowed a flat throw to Berry to duly removed the bails to complete a comfortable run out!

 

Qureshi bowled Shah and Ashby trapped Ali leg before as Lilley turned the screw on the home side, but Saeed and J Abbas dug in.  Qureshi and Brad Tompkins spin was punished, so skipper Tompkins had no choice but to use his and Hammond's final overs.  The introduction of Hammond should have seen the breakthrough, as Saeed flicked his first ball to the deep mid wicket boundary.  Ashby made up good ground to get to the ball, but dropped the chance to the despair of the Lilley faithful.  Tommy Mills too put down a chance under pressure having earlier just missed a brilliant one handed effort at backward square leg and it became clear that it wasn't going to be Lilley's day.  The Houghton pair kicked on and saw the home side to the victory target of 214 with three overs to spare.

 

 

Lilley (253-9, 40 overs, G Tompkins 174) beat Weston (55 all out, 25 overs, T Perry 5-8) by 198 runs

 

Arise Gareth Tompkins!  Finally the precocious Cape Town born all rounder yesterday made the transition from promising talent with the bat to genuine class performer with what was surely the finest century ever seen at Lilley Cricket Club.

 

Given the week's torrential June downpours, it was somewhat of a miracle that Lilley and Weston even managed to get a game in this weekend, so due credit to Offley's ground maintenance team must be given for managing to produce a track at all.

 

The wicket was still understandably damp and their were a few eyebrows raised when Tim Perry won the toss for Lilley and elected to bat.  It would however turn out to be an inspired decision! 

 

Gareth Tompkins made the decision to ask to be moved to number three in the order after an indifferent start to the season with the bat which meant an unlikely promotion for James Ashby to open on the back of two ducks!  The hat-trick was averted, but it was Brad Tompkins who was first to go, calling a suicidal single having batted out a couple of maidens and paying with his wicket.

 

Ashby was joined by Gareth Tompkins and he enjoyed a huge slice of luck when he was shelled by first slip having scored just 2.  It's a drop that would eventually cost the visitors dearly!  Ashby (19) was next to go having looked in reasonable touch, falling in comical circumstances.  Left armer Bennett banged one in short and Ashby's pull shot might have been ok on a normal track, however the ball stuck in the wicket and as the batsman went through the shot, the ball ballooned slowly past him and onto the stumps.

 

Tim Perry joined Tompkins at the crease and looked relatively comfortable until a James Stevens inswinger trapped him leg before for nought.  Tompkins continued his patient start, leaving the ball well outside off stump and punishing anything loose.  Phil Clarke (6) provided good support, before getting himself out caught and bowled to probably the worst ball he faced!

 

Ken Hammond was next in and similarly to GT began in circumspect fashion, punishing the bad ball in between.  Tompkins at the other end, began moving up a few gears and passed fifty with his first six, a mighty blow into the trees adjacent to the pavilion.

 

Hammond too looked in good touch, at one point crashing three consecutive fours in an over, until he holed out for 23.

 

Rich Kendall joined Tompkins, who by now was simply on a different planet.  He serenely breezed through the seventies and eighties with another three sixes interspersed with a flurry of fours as the Weston change bowling was put to the sword.  The opposition Captain tried all of his bowlers against the South African but none of them could provide any answers to his magnificent array of strokes.  The nineties loomed, the area where GT the teenager so often fell, but this was a more determined Tompkins than we have seen before.  He sensibly pushed the ball around for ones and twos, edging towards the three figure mark.  On 97, he was served up an opportunity too good to miss and he duly obliged by crashing his fifth six over deep square leg to bring up his maiden century for Lilley, to the delight of the on looking Lilley crowd.

 

But that was just the beginning. 

 

What we thought was top gear was then eclipsed by a display of astonishing hitting as GT turned on anything and everything.  Opening bowler Mckean was brought back into the attack to try to stem the flow, but Tompkins dispatched him for three consecutive sixes including one mighty blow into the furthest goalmouth of the neighbouring football pitch.  He added a fourth later on in the over and from the furthest strip on the square cleared the pavilion on the other side of the ground, almost wiping out the club sponsor who was taking a leak round the back at the time!

 

At the other end, it was almost like a different game being played!  Kendall's support act came to an end when he was bowled by Mckean and Taz Qureshi lasted just one ball as he was caught behind without troubling the scorers.  Dan Mills came and went, run out, as he helped GT try and pile on late runs.

 

Tompkins passed Neil Hanley's previous best of 135 and also the 150 mark as the carnage continued at the other end.  The magnificent knock was ended eventually by the pick of Weston's attack, the highly promising 13 year old James Stevens.  Weston Captain Burton had turned to one of his experienced bowlers to bowl the last over, but he declined.  The only person who put there hand up was Stevens and he bowled a brilliant last over, having Tompkins finally well caught by Kilbey on the boundary for 174 and conceding just 2 runs in the over.

 

Tompkins left the field to a standing ovation from the pavilion, his 174 eventually including 17 fours and 12 sixes in Lilley's total of 253-9 in 40 overs.

 

Lilley were understandably relaxed defending what was a very good score on what still was essentially a tricky wicket to bat on, for mere mortals at least!  Ashby and Hammond opened up, although the former was uncharacteristically sedate.  Hammond made the breakthrough, bowling Kilby for 5, but Lilley met stern resistance in the form of Moore and Bergman.

 

Skipper Perry replaced Ashby and he grabbed the second wicket after a lively start, caught and bowled.  Hammond was replaced by Centurion Tompkins with Phil Clarke nursing a swollen ankle in the outfield and he had Bergman caught behind by Taz Qureshi, donning the gloves in place of the unavailable Karl Berry.

 

Perry took the key wicket of left hander Sampson with a lovely swinging delivery, clean bowling the all rounder for just 3 as Weston began to wobble.  GT reverted to off spin against youngster Papworth, but it did the diminutive batsman no favours as Tompkins clean bowled him straight away with a lovely cutter.

 

GT made way for older brother Brad at the clubhouse end and he enjoyed a stress free afternoon with the ball, his two overs conceding just one run and yielding both Jack and James Stevens' wickets for a family pair.

 

Perry at the other end continued his menacing pace and sliced through the Weston tail with aplomb.  He had wicketkeeper Marriot brilliantly caught at short leg by Dan Mills before bowling Bennett for zero and trapping Captain Burton plum in front to bowl Weston out for just 55 and seal another bonus point for Lilley, the result a crushing 198 run win.

 

Perry's spell was quite excellent and it is on very few occasions that a bowler will take five wickets for eight runs and be totally forgotten in the match context!  Rightly so in this case however it is Tompkins who will be remembered when the story of this game is recalled over the years to come.  At twenty, he has already hit eleven half centuries and a century for the club, a tremendous record.  Here's to the next one!

 

Titanic (135-3) beat Lilley (131 all out) by 7 wickets

 

The less said about this match the better!  Lilley lost the toss and were curiously asked to bat on a belter. 

 

Things looked rosey after McGowan's first over of rank pies which GT sent into various fields and canals in Broxbourne.  Titanic's other opening bowler Bassett also served up some all sorts, but he some how snared Brad Tompkins caught and bowled off a leading edge.  GT soon followed for 23 off about five balls, attempting to pull another McGowan long hop over square leg but finding the fielder.  Ashby (0) even more bizarrely got another leading edge back to McGowan off a leg side full toss, Lilley crumbling against some of the worst new ball bowling you could imagine.

 

Perry provided some light relief (so to speak) with a quick 14, but he was cleaned up but a McGowan rarity - a straight one.  Phil Clarke and Ken Hammond needed to bat a long time and although Philo kept his part of the bargain, Hammond was run out attempting a risky second.  Karl Berry hit two attractive boundaries before becoming the third caught and bowled victim, for 9. 

 

Lilley finally found some sort of resistance in Clarke and Rich Kendall, but their demise for 20 and 19 respectively spelt doom for Lilley.  Qureshi looked good at the crease, picking up a couple of boundaries, before he was trapped leg before for 14.  Mills was the last man out for 4, Lilley probably one hundred runs light on a good track, all out for 131.

 

Titanic had few scares in chasing the total down, losing McGowan to Ashby for 11 before Salmons and Allum set about punishing anything loose from Lilley.

 

Taz Qureshi did bag the pair late on, both clean bowled, but not before they had dispatched him into and over the nearby canal on several occasions.  Titanic eventually sank Lilley by seven wickets (sorry...tried to avoid it...), comfortably Lilley's worst performance of the league season thus far.

 

 

Lilley (188 all out, G Tompkins 82, 37.2 overs) beat Rosslyn (82 all out, Hammond 4-18, 28 overs) by 106 runs

 

Lilley cruised to a convincing win to go second in the Broadview North Herts League Division 2, thanks to a fine knock from Gareth Tompkins and clinical seam bowling.

 

The visitors won the toss and surprisingly elected to bowl in warm, muggy conditions with a good looking wicket prepared at Offley.  The opening attack of the nippy Sterry and left arm swing bowler Johal served up a few loose deliveries early on which allowed Lilley race out of the blocks, reaching 30 in just over 3 overs.  Brad Tompkins fell during the fourth however, attempting to turn a delivery from Johal to leg only to get a leading edge back to the bowler, out for 12.  His replacement at the crease James Ashby almost beat him back to the pavilion, bowled by a fine inswinging yorker first ball to leave Lilley 30 for 2.

 

Sanity was restored by Tomkins Junior and skipper Tim Perry, who set about building the Lilley platform.  Tompkins in particular played some fine attacking strokes.  Just as Perry began to look solid at the crease, his famous balsa wood bat finally died.  The replacement obviously threw the Captain, as he was bowled shortly after by Ghafoor for a tidy 17.

 

Karl Berry followed soon after in farcical circumstances, stumped by the wicket keeper off the same bowler whilst still concreted in his guard a foot outside the crease - I guess it happens to everyone once....Ken Hammond hung around for some time, but he never really got to grips with the bowling attack and was uncharacteristically subdued as he was bowled by the skiddy Patel for just 7.  Taz Qureshi's stay at the crease was all to brief, bowled by Hanley (no, not that one) for a single.

 

It took the stout defence of Rich Kendall to provide GT with a bit of stability at the other end as Tompkins gracefully passed the half century mark batting at a sensible pace.  Intelligent singles were combined with ruthless murdering of anything off line or length, including one meaty six over mid wicket which missed an elderly spectator by a cat's whisker.  GT was eventually dismissed in tired fashion, attempting another big shot off a rank long hop only to sky the ball high in the air and back to bowler Hanley for a well made 82.

 

Philo Clarke was afforded a welcome stint at the crease and he soon had the Ref scampering up and down for runs, testing his recovery garter to the max.  Kendall is Lilley's answer to Rahul Dravid.  Maybe not 'The Wall', as the Indian Captain is known, but certainly a decent sand bag.  Kendall's defenses were penetrated soon after as he was bowled by Patel for 8, but Paddington continued where he had left off - well, for a minute or so.  The fines Chairman spanked a meaty 2 before becoming Sterry's sole success of the day, clean bowled.  Dan Mills continues to improve week by week and looked solid as he and Phil Clarke looked to add useful late runs.  Mills became Johal's third victim, clean bowled for 6, as Lilley closed on 188 all out, Clarke unbeaten on 13. 

 

Rosslyn had the benefit of a few extra overs after Lilley failed to use their allotted amount but it soon became apparent that it would be an irrelevance.  The sun shine which had roasted the Rosslyn attack during the early part of the afternoon was replaced by a blanket of cloud and Hammond and Ashby soon had the ball swinging at pace.  Patel and Verrill survived some big early LBW appeals, but with the visitors score on 27, the big man Hammond made the breakthrough.  Patel nibbled at a slower one which rose sharply and was nicked behind, where Berry took a comfortable catch.  Ashby struck in the next over, Ghafoor following an outswinger and edging it to Qureshi who pouched a tidy waist high catch at first slip.

 

Hammond was in the wickets again, trapping Verrill leg before for 10 and then bowling Hanley for nought and when Ashby bowled Sterry for another duck soon after, Rosslyn were staring down the barrel.  They positively climbed into the barrel next over, Hammond castling Johar to leave the visitors 34-6, quite a slip from 27 without loss!

 

Hammond (4-18) and Ashby (2-12) completed their allocations of overs and the younger pair of Perry and Gareth Tompkins replaced them.  GT made another breakthrough after a brief and decidedly fortunate partnership between Yip and Dey, bowling the former for one having hit him in the box moments before. 

 

Dey and Corera provided further stubborn resistance, but when Dey needlessly ran himself out having been dropped by the diving Kendall, Rosslyn's number was up.  Dey had pulled the ball high in the air and despite Kendall's brilliant effort, the chance went down.  The two batsman meanwhile had run and while Dey was half way down the track for the second, Corera was having none of it.  Rather than run back to his end, Dey chose to berate his colleague, a foolhardy decision as GT fumbled Kendall's throw in to the stumps, accidentally broke the wicket with his body and had to remove the stump and ball together to run Dey out - by which time he could have been in and had a cup of tea!

 

With the tail clinging on against the quicks, Perry turned to the spin of Qureshi for a breakthrough - and Taz delivered.  Hammond theatrically caught Ali at mid off, making the simplest of chances look like a Collingwood special and Corera was trapped in front by a full toss to give Qureshi 2 for 1 from his solitary over, Rosslyn all out for just 82.

 

So, Lilley register a third straight win in the league and but for the 'no result' forced by rain some weeks ago, they could be top.  As it is, it's on to Titanic next week for another league clash.

 

Lilley (52-9, 24.5 overs) beat Weston (51 all out, 23.3 overs, Ashby 6-13) by one wicket

 

The darkest day, at least in the modern playing era of Lilley CC, was probably the farce that was Whitwell v Lilley four years ago.  The match saw Lilley blow the home side away, bowling them out for fifty with James Ashby bagging a six for, only for the then Captain to mess around with the batting order and watch as his batsmen crumbled to 31 all out.  It's the sort of performance that the lay fellow probably wouldn't believe possible once, let alone twice...but boy oh boy, Lilley had a damn good go at a reprise yesterday at picturesque Weston.

 

Tim Perry won the toss and chose to bowl on a reasonable looking track, albeit with an outfield which could have done with a good trim.  Weston's side was packed with youngsters, the club clearly going through a transition.  Two of the experienced campaigners, Lamprell and Sampson, opened up, but were both back in the hutch with a single between them as both Hammond and Ashby struck with inswinging deliveries.  The first of the youngsters, Jack Stevens, failed to trouble the scorers as Ashby clean bowled him and skipper Peckham followed soon after when he nibbled a swinging length delivery from the same bowler through to 'keeper Karl Berry, who pouched a sharp catch.  Hammond bowled youngster James Stevens and when Ashby grabbed his fourth wicket, bowling James' father Phillip, Weston were staring down the barrel at 26 for 6.

 

Weston staged a brief recovery, but Ashby soon struck again, taking his 400th wicket for Lilley Cricket Club by bowling Tim Stevens for 2.  He made it six soon after, bowling Ben Mills, leg stump and finished with 6 for 13 from eight overs.  Hammond finished off his spell and returned an impressive eight overs, four maidens, 2 for 12 - eight more wickets for the Lilley opening pair.

 

Gareth Tompkins struggled with his run up and was replaced quickly by Taz Qureshi, the off spinner.  Qureshi struck soon after, Dan Mills taking a smart catch at short leg to dismiss Marriot.  Tompkins rounded off the innings by bowling Benoy, Weston posting just 51 from 23.3 overs.

 

The quick finish meant tea would be taken at the conclusion of the game and Tim Perry took the opportunity to give everyone a go by mixing the batting order up.  Rich Kendall and Joel Mellor were then men charged with getting Lilley away to a good start in the run chase, but the former lasted just two balls before being bowled by nippy left armer Sampson for nought.  Brad Tompkins, in fine form so far this season, had made just two when he became Lilley's second wicket to fall, controversially adjudged leg before by umpire Hammond off Peckham's right arm medium pace.  Joel Mellor crunched a tremendous off drive off Sampson but fell next over to Peckham to reduce Lilley to 8 for 3, with a few raised eyebrows starting to appear in the Lilley camp.

 

Taz Qureshi replaced Mellor at the crease for his first knock of the season but he could manage just four as he too was bowled by Sampson, Lilley 13 for 4.  Karl Berry came in and looked solid initially, but he too was bowled playing a rash stroke to a straight one - suddenly Lilley were 20 for 5.  Panic was perhaps not quite the word, as Carman, Perry, GT, Ashby and Hammond were still to bat and only 32 runs were needed, but there was certainly an air of apprehension!

 

Apprehension became utter despair as Gareth Tompkins, Lilley's Batsman Of The Year 2006, was bowled for nought, Dan Mills was bowled for four and Mik Carman was sent packing first ball to send Lilley into full panic mode at 21 for 8!!!!!!!!

 

Fear not, still Perry and Ashby at the crease, with Ken to come.  No problem.  Right?  Wrong.

 

Perry, playing back, inside edged onto his stumps to register Lilley's fourth duck and leave Lilley languishing in the jaws of defeat at 21 for 9, still short of their lowest ever total.

 

The job for the last pair, unusually Hammond and Ashby, was to see off the opening bowlers and hope for generosity from a young first change attack.  Part one of the plan was executed, with Peckham finishing with amazing figures of 6 for 9 from his eight overs and Sampson with 3 for 11.

 

Frustratingly for Lilley, the young change bowlers were outstanding.  Tim Stevens, a thirteen year old left arm seam bowler, is a name worth remembering.  He bowled with not inconsiderable pace, swung and seamed the ball, bowled a well disguised slower ball and gave the batsmen very little - incredible for a young man who has only just turned teenager.  His fellow colt team-mates were not far behind him and between them kept the pressure on Lilley's experienced pair to the last.

 

Ashby, stout in defence and Hammond, the aggressor, edged Lilley closer to their target of 52. 

 

The pair took Lilley to within five runs of victory when Ken Hammond inside edged Ben Mills towards his stumps, missing the leg stump by inches.  The near miss fired the big man up and he shifted his mind set to attack, crunching a powerful straight drive for four to tie the scores next ball.  Next delivery Hammond swung again but this time miscued the ball towards cover.  The fielder made a despairing drive but the ball dropped agonisingly between his hands, allowing the Lilley pair to scamper the single needed to seal the narrowest of one wicket wins and five more points for the Lilley league total.  Hammond finished unbeaten on 21, with Ashby 7 not out.

 

So another win for Lilley - 100% still in league games actually played.  They will have no doubt learnt many more lessons from this game...notably that the game is not over until you're drinking that first beer in the bar!

 

And on we go to Kempston...

 

 

LILLEY (198-5, 40 overs, Ashby 48) beat Datchworth (191 all out, 39.3 overs, Perry 4-55) by 7 runs

Offley & Stopsley (321-5, S Hoar 134) beat Lilley (114 all out) by 207 runs

A relatively in-experienced  Lilley CC arrived at their new shared home for the 2007 season eager to put in a performance, on the back for some of a hard winter of nets.  Lilley fielded in overcast conditions on what seemed a wicket which may keep low.  The first overs for the day bowled by Tompkins and Hammond were on the money and things looked good when Cerasale was bowled by Tompkins for 0 and Hammond bowled Barker for 21.  Steven Hoar was joined by Mo Choudry who took the Lilley second string bowling apart, Kendall, Eyres, Berry and Dave Carman being carted all over the ground. Dropped catches by Mills, Berry , G Tompkins and Paddington along with the odd misfield didn’t help Lilley’s cause.  The loss of Mik Carman to a suspected pulled Achilles heel brought in Steve Mcardle to the fray as a super sub.  Lilley were up against it as Offley raced passed 100.  With skipper for the day Tompkins scratching his head for divine intervention, Clarke was bowling well at one end.  It was the other end which was offering problems, consistent no-balls, wides and byes adding quickly to the Offley score.

Hoar went on to his 100 in quick time smashing Kendall for 26 off one over, Kendall already in-line for a trophy this season, much to Hammond’s mumblings about last years awards and averages………..meanwhile Choudry edged Eyres through to Tompkins for 77.  Hoar finally retired on 134 much to the relief of the beleaguered Lilley second string of bowlers.  Tompkins returned to the fray to dismiss Hamid for a quick fire 23, Brodie came and went lbw to Hammond , leaving Cutts not out on 3. Offley had amassed 321 from their 40 overs, with Lilley gifting 62 in extras.  The positives of Hammonds 2 for 19 from his 8  and Tompkins 2 for 59 from his 8, overshadowed by Kendall’s 72 off 5, Berry’s 57 off 4, Carmen 3 overs for 28 and Eyres 1 for 35 off 4.  Hopefully Lilley’s part-time bowlers will have learned from their mistakes for the season ahead.

On to the batting, with a massive score on the board, Lilley needed an excellent opening stand to start them of but this failed to materialise, Gareth Tompkins out for 6 caught by Barker at first slip off Qumar’s bowling.   Kendall batting at 3 entered and hit his second ball for four off Qumar.  At the other end Brad was looking his usual classy self hitting consecutive fours with ease.  Things were looking fine before Kendall stopped on a shot and drove the ball off freeman being caught by a diving Nathan Brodie. Eyres came in and went bowled Freeman off an inside edge for 0.   Hammond using Paddington’s bat was next in and was bowled for 0 also by Freeman in the same over, Lilley a shocking 27 for 4.  Clarke entered and looked solid with Brad before being bowled by Qumar for 9. Debutant Berry with new bat in hand strode out to the crease and the pair took the score from 45/5 to 82 before Tompkins was stumped off the gentle spin bowling of Cutts for 31.  Tompkins can be pleased with his knock which once again showed the potential he has with the bat.   Berry was joined by Mills who went stumped by the same partnership that snared Tompkins for 2.  The writing was on the wall for Lilley at 87 for 7.

The old campaigner Carman strode out and politely asked umpire Kendall if it was alright to borrow his equipment…………there really wasn’t any answer Kendall could give.

The next few overs saw Carman hit 1 six and 2 fours and Berry play sensibly around him.  Carman’s exciting innings was cut short when he edged through to keeper Hoar off Baron’s bowling.  Berry lost his wicket to a ball from Rizwan that kept very low for a sensible innings of 21 which included three 4’s. Surely more to come from the man on debut.  Mcardle replaced Berry and was duly dismissed without score by Rizwan. Leaving Paddington stranded on 0 without facing a ball.

Overall Lilley were very disappointing and left vice Captain Tompkins to ponder the performances of many that took the field. Captain Perry will hope that Brad Tompkins finger injury isn’t as bad as first thought.

LILLEY STAR MAN: Brad Tompkins – Quality glove work and decent with the bat.  Impressive.

Match Report by R Kendall