28th July 2011 Home To Wyre

So here we are back at "Fortress" Hodgson for our last home game of the 2011 campaign. Ad after suffering three defeats on the trot we need to get our backsides in gear tonight !

The game started off well as Dave won the toss. Naturally enough we decided to bat and thanks to a combination of some good batting plus the short boundaries (courtesy of Tom's expert setting out of flags - ed.) we end up coming back after piling 161 runs on the board. And special mention must also go to Dave Stoddard who volunteered to open the batting with Tom and was very unlucky to get bowled on 22 - his highest score of the season (if not his Jollys career - ed.)

So Wyre came out to bat knowing they had their work cut out but, far from being daunted by the task in hand, they proceeded to get stuck right in ! But it has to be said there were some comedy classic moments early in the innings as their batsmen slid all over the place on the greasy surface. Sadly for us though we were inept enough not to take any of tthe run out chances this gave us :)

But the game soon turned into a cracker with us steadily taking wickets but Wyre creeping their way up the score board. So the game ended up with Wyre needing 26 to win with 3 overs to spare and with their last two batsman in. However despite their best efforts it was not to be their night as Jolyon took a tremendous catch just inside the boundary to give us the win.

Once again you can see score cards of the Jollyboys and Wyre innings.

Stop Press: Sadly we have to inform our eager readers that the "Ump" cam and "Stump" cam footage was sadly mostly unusable. Both cameras didn't end up taking much footage as the batteries ran out rather quickly and, due to the positioning of the headbands, what footage they did take consisted mostly of the sky ! Oh well, we'll just have to try again next week...



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Once again Dave wins the toss and we naturally decide to bat.

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But what's this ? Tom is half way to the crease when we find this weeks other opener is none other than Dave Stoddard !

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And Dave's quickly off the mark with a single. So with the dreaded Golden out of the way he's got the opportunity to settle in and play some shots.

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And Tom's in his usual good form with the bat as he starts with a few well placed singles.

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Well a scant few overs later and Tom has already retired (Hmmm... I wonder what gave him the short boundaries idea ? - ed.) so in comes Will to support Dave who is still going strong.

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Well Will was certainly keen to follow Tom's example as he positively stormed to a quick 25. So in comes youg Joe who sadly gets bowled by a cracker before he could even get off the mark.

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Which means it's time for Jol to show us some more proper cricket shots.

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Botheration. Just when it looked like Dave would manage to get his 25 and retire he gets bowled on 22. But congratulations are still in order as I believe that's a personal best (definitely for this season - ed.)

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Well Stuey Holloway comes in having seen Tom, Will and nearly Dave retire so he decides to join in with some attacking shots.

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Well Jol's been bowled by another good ball so in comes POwelly. But it's not a good day for team Powell as he gets a top edge and is caught for 1.

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And it was an even worse day for your humble scribe as he gets a edge on the first ball to be dismissed for a Golden. Still this means Dave's in to bat.

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By this point the runs have positively piled up, Stuey Holloway has retired on 25 and the midges haven't even turned up in force. All in all it's a good day for the spectators !

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And team Stoddard continue their good form as Baz gets himself 9 runs.

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But now there's a mystery as my memory has failed me (no change there then - ed.) and it's clear that Tom has returned to the crease, Dave is marked down in the book as "not out" but Baz hasn't been marked down as being dismissed. Ho hum...

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But what's this ? Is the the karate Kid ? No ! Thanks to the miracles of modern technology we've acquired two cheap Chinese MD80 clones which have been fashioned into an "Ump" cam and a "Stump" cam.

So with Dave carrying a strain here's Stuey modelling the "Stump" Cam.

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Meanwhile Frosty has donned the "Ump" cam and immediately feels it's Ninja powers rushing into his veins !

(Grud on a Greenie ! it's the Hai Karate kid - ed.)

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And what's this ? With Ogs still out injured from last week he's arrived just in time to take over camera duties and he starts by getting a cracking shot of a flying Wyre batsman (who was wearing quite the slippiest boots ever seen on a cricket field - ed.)

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And in case you're wondering this isn't a shot of the "Fortress" Hodgson midges it's the local rookery settling in for the evening.

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Well Wyre are keeping up withthe run rate but they're getting a little too eager and Ogs captures Dave as he's just about to break the wickets to put their last man in to bat.

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So with 4 overs left Wyre need 26 to win but a mighty blow sees the ball fly off towards the boundary... straight into the waiting hands of Jol who catches it cleanly then looks round to check that he's still on the field.

Meanwhile in the foreground a delighted Joe punches the air as we end our run of bad form with a Win. But commiserations also to Wyre who put up a splendid fight.

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So once again we return to the Old Town Hall where Kirsty refuses to pose for her usual picture with the butties. However this results in me getting another picture of her bottom so a spot of blackmail later she aggress to posee for a more flattering shot in exchange for me not publishing the other picture !





Sadly we have to end this weeks report on a sad note as news has reached us of the death of regular Jollyboys supporter Mr. Finch, seen here as Dave passes him a fixture book after our 2006 home win against William Stuarts Kitchens.

As his back garden backed onto the Hodgson wicket he would regularly come out to cheer on, and more often than not chortle at, the exploits of the Jollys. (not to mention the fact that he always let us come and get our ball back when big boys had knocked it into his garden - ed.) We shall miss him in the seasons to come.


Well we couldn't leave this weeks match report on a sad note. So to cheer you all up here is a link to a true YouTube classic. Episode 1 of Alrugo films lost classic "Italian Spiderman" ! And if you like this I'd thoroughly recommend that you pop on over to YouTube where you can also watch the other 9 episodes !


biting_midge_small.gif Midge Report: What do you mean this was the last home game of the season ? Bzzzt. Oh buttocks we'd forgotten and had all gone off to visit a local barbecue. Bzzzt. Bzzzt. Oh well looks like we'll have to wait until next season for another bite at the fat fools. Bzzzt. Bzzzt.

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