Tag Archives: somerset

Cricket: Batters Make Hay as Bowlers Toil in the Hot Sun!

August 8, 2022Article, NewsBlind and Partially Sighted cricket, Blind Cricket, Cricket, metro cricket team, partially sighted Cricket, somerset, vi cricketSaul Wynne

Metro vs Somerset 6 Aug!

Download: Scorecard

Saturday saw clear blue skies and hot sunshine all afternoon as Metro entertained Somerset, with both clubs still hoping to win the BCEW league title.

The pitch was hard and dry, and the outfield brown and yellow as the visitors looked to avenge their cup defeat earlier in the season. It was first blood to them, too, as they won the toss and asked Metro to bat on a day where drinks were to be taken every ten overs because of the heat.

Matt Dean had a new opening partner in the left-handed Asif – perhaps because Damion, who had travelled from Scotland for the game, arrived only just as the match started. Asif was trapped LBW by the visitor’s skipper Ed at the end of the third over to bring Andy Law to the crease.

Matt farmed the strike during their partnership which ended just before drinks, as Andy, who had seen several strong shots blocked by the close in Somerset fielders yet again, could only find a fielder with a well hit shot.

The ball struck David and looped up gently in the air to give Ed a simple catch at square leg with 96 runs scored, off the bowling of Jason.

This brought Damion and Matt together, and both hit the ball firmly to all parts of the ground; Damion hit six boundaries and a six, while Matt had eight boundaries and a brace of sixes in their partnership of 197. Damion’s contribution was 94 and Matt’s 87 when Rory declared after twenty-five overs to deny Damion a first century at Highgate and the pair to post a 200 partnership.

The declaration was essential as Metro had to try and win to give themselves a chance of winning the league title – Sussex having taken a strong lead after Northants had to concede their matched scheduled for the same day.

After a tea of pre-packed sandwiches, Somerset started the chase with Rob and their Matt.

The game was being played with the new, slightly larger and perhaps lighter ball, which was perhaps harder to grip. Ed had completely lost his grip at one point in the Metro innings and after an excellent opening over that went for just two runs, including a bye, Rory seemed to struggle in his next over as he bowled four wides, the first of many that Metro conceded as the match continued.

After his match-winning cup over, Asif opened the bowling with three tidy overs in the first eight taking the wicket of Graham LBW for 19 runs; that LBW had been set up by Andy. It was the second wicket to fall before drinks as Amit had earlier bowled Matt, and the visitors added another 23 to be on 88 at drinks, just eight behind the Metro score.

From that point, the game belonged mostly to the batters as Rob and Ed did get a partnership above 200, twenty-nine exactly when the match ended with a Matt Dean wide delivery in the thirty-first over of the chase.

There had been chances – Rory making a great effort in the deep, both Gareth and Amit chasing possible caught and bowled, and one that went towards Matt, who failed to see the ball in the awkward light.

Ed had scored 134 with sixteen boundaries and two sixes, while Rob’s contribution of 64 was part of his 91 as he joined Damion in just missing out on a century.

The sides meet again in Somerset next week if the logistics can be resolved with a rail strike planned, where another win would leave Somerset well placed to challenge for the league title in their final match of the season against Sussex the next day.

The Sharks will meet Metro in the Primary club cup final on the 3rd of September – now Metro’s only chance of a win this season.

Those partnerships? – Somerset’s second-highest behind the same two players who scored 263 in 2013 and Metro’s eighth highest – with only one higher by a pair that does not include Matt.

Match report by Paul Toplis

Metro Devils – The Development Team

Would you like to play cricket? We are always happy to welcome enthusiastic new players, so if you are interested in playing this season or taking part in training sessions, please contact lucy.simper@metroblindsport.org 07966 260089

Interested in volunteering?

If you want to try volunteering, please contact Lucy at lucy.simper@metroblindsport.org at 07966 260089

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Cricket: 630 Days Earlier …

May 24, 2021Article, NewsBlind Cricket, Cricket, somersetSaul Wynne

630 Days Earlier …

Matt Dean is thrown the ball for the final over of Somerset against Metro, with 94 to defend and Somerset seven wickets down. Four runs are scored and Metro win the BBS Primary Club cup for the first time after it was renamed in memory of Heindrich. Nobody then thought that a whole season of cricket would be lost and the start of the next season would be delayed to start in late May.

So with puddles on the outfield and some slightly soggy patches of ground even on the square, it was fantastic that with a shorter boundary at the score box end to avoid the puddles a match was able to start at one thirty.

There were nerves about how much play would be possible as the sky looked leaden and there was little breeze to help the drying out to continue. Somerset won the toss and asked Metro to bat, with Matt Dean opening alongside Hassan Arif on debut.

Metro made a slow start against the Somerset opening bowlers and had just 16 on the board when Hassan was caught, the Somerset skipper taking a great diving catch at mid-wicket at the end of the fifth over.

Just a dozen more were added in the next three overs – most of those a well struck boundary through mid-wicket by Andy Law, who was then bowled by a ball that just dribbled onto the stumps.

Matt Dean however had now settled in and began to increase his scoring rate, reaching his 50 from 42 balls, with eight boundaries just after the third wicket had fallen and he had been joined by Rory with the score on 65. Some sun had sneaked out and there were hopes that the weather would improve for the rest of the day.

Hopes that were dashed as Metro were pushing the score along and had reached 180 when a sharp shower that included a light dusting of hail forced an early tea to be taken during the twenty-fifth over.

Matt had reached his 100 by then, his second fifty in 9 balls less although with one fewer boundary, well supported by Rory rotating the strike and with 20 to his name. Tea was a covid secure affair of canned drinks and brown paper bags of food, with egg it seemed the least popular filling.

The pitch was considered safe enough to continue play after a three quarter hour break. Metro then returned and continued to push the scoring along closing the innings after 30 overs on a score of 227.

Matt has gone four balls faster for his third 50 ending the day on 159 and Rory on 34. Their partnership was 162 with 100 coming from 66 balls and 150 from 104 balls.

Mo Ghalib set his usual standard with an opening maiden in the Somerset innings, but after 10 overs the visitors were ahead of the Metro worm on 62 without loss. The introduction of Justin however made a big hole in the chance of a successful chase when he bowled the skipper Ed with his sixth ball.

Two deliveries later and Rory had the other opener caught at fine leg by Mo and from that point, the game was about Metro trying to bowl Somerset out while the visitors looked to bat through for a draw.

Matt Dean caught the visitor’s Matt on debut off Hassan K’s bowling after he had shown some confident shots, particularly on the leg side. Gareth bowled Steve Cook off an inside edge and then Prem took a good catch behind the stumps to give him a second wicket in the twenty-third over.

As the clouds thinned and evening sunshine came out the efforts of all the home bowlers could make no further inroads to expose the tail that included three totals.

Mo completed a third maiden in his eight overs, and a late rush of thirty two runs in the last three overs only brought the total to 148. The sides meet again in Somerset on 5th June in the BBS cup when Metro will hope for a similar scoreline to give them a home cup semi-final on 3rd July.

Report by Paul Toplis

We welcome players of any ability and age. So, even if you’ve never played cricket before, but you fancy giving it a go, please do get in touch. Contact Email: rory.field74@gmail.com or Phone: 077 4232 3224 (Rory Field)

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Cricket: Gareth grabs a “Five for”

June 4, 2018Article, NewsBlind Cricket, Cricket, Gareth, Highgate, metro cricket team, somerset, Vision impaired CricketSaul Wynne

Gareth Grabs a “Five for” to setup a win over Somerset

2nd June 2018

Saturday a Highgate was an almost perfect summer day for cricket; the pitch was well prepared and the outfield free from the early season soggy patch in the shaded area outside the score-box, or tea hut. The sun was shining and warm when not passing behind the high crisply white clouds in a Metro light blue sky; only the breeze gusting and wayward was a little unhelpful to the bowlers.

This was a game – unlike that at Northants where the Metro keeper had clung on to a nick to complete that much anticipated Matt Dean hat trick, where fortunes swayed back and forwards almost as often as the sunshine waxed and waned.

Ed called “heads” to hand Rory a win at the toss, and thus naturally the visitors were asked to bat. So began a long period of hard toil for the home bowlers as Ed and Rory batted carefully while taking the scoring opportunities on offer, reaching 79 at the first drinks break. By that time all five Metro bowlers had been tried without creating any clear wicket taking chances.

The home side kept positive in the field and it was the return of the opening pair that, at last, prised out a wicket as Rory just nicked one from Gareth which was held by the wicketkeeper. The bowling partnership continued to apply pressure and Mo was able to complete the LBW to dismiss Graham as only 9 runs were added in three overs.

The big turning point however came when Ed, who had scored 71, could only hit a ball from Gareth up into the air and Mark ran down the wicket avoiding the batsman to hang on to his second catch. That was 125 for three, and from that point on hard work in the field and good bowling restricted the runs – with no more boundaries scored as the next seven wickets added just 30 runs. Gareth bowled Kathryn who resisted for 28 balls, had Alan caught by Nick and finally Tom who added the most, late, runs, 8, from the bat who skied another straight up which Gareth called for and grabbed for his fifth wicket; giving him the best Metro current bowling average and strike rate. Somerset had resisted into the thirty-fourth over so Metro had 26 to reach the victory target.

The start of the run chase however went Somerset’s was as Nick was caught in the covers off just his third ball after Matt had hit a couple of uppish shots in the first over that had not gone to hand. The ebb and flow continued as Andy struck the final ball of the second over to the square leg boundary – starting a 98 run second wicket partnership with Matt.

The Somerset bowling was disciplined and accurate with just nine extras conceded in that partnership, which ended when Andy, who was half out LBW, was bowled by Ed. That was in the first over after the drinks break and the visitors had more to celebrate in the next over as Steve Cook held to a one bounce catch at short square leg to dismiss Matt for 80 from 52 balls.
However the rate required had been reduced to a very manageable one of less than four and over so that Simon and Mark could take their time and afford to defend the good balls from the three visiting quick bowlers.

They made sure they took advantage of the remaining total over and ran hard to take the singles that were on offer to reach the target with just over four overs to spare – to end a good game played in an excellent spirit. Next week Highgate will host the BBS cup quarter final with Warwickshire the visitors before cricket takes a break for a week as attention shifts to the Mile End stadium for the Metro games.

Report by Paul Toplis

Cricket – Northants v Metro , BCEW League

January 8, 2016EventsBlind Cricket, Cricket, metro cricket team, Rory Field, somersetSaul Wynne

Venue:

Northants

Time:

1pm - TBC

Phone:

N/A

Date:

22nd May 2016

Cost:

Free

Contact:

rory.field74@gmail.com

We welcome male and female players of all abilities and ages. So, even if you’ve never played cricket before, but you fancy giving it a go, please do get in touch.

Metro has two cricket teams – Metro and the Metro Devils.

Metro play their home matches at Highgate Wood. Training is also held at the cricket nets at Highgate Wood on Thursday evenings in the cricket season. Visit the ‘Events‘ page here or the quick link on the right of this page for match dates.

For more details on Metro’s cricketing activities, please contact: Rory Field
rory.field74@gmail.com

Blind Cricket

Cricket for blind and partially sighted people is played with a normal junior football with ball bearings inside to enable players to hear the ball. The game is similar to mainstream cricket. Teams consist of 4 blind/severely visually impaired players and 7 partially sighted players. Metro will consider subsidy requests for travel and subsistence, kit, venue hire etc..

Metro is one of the founder members of the National Domestic Blind Cricket League and also competes in the BBS Knockout Cup Competition. Metro has been very successful in both competitions, winning the BBS Knockout Cup on 11 occasions since 1990. Metro has two teams, Metro and Metro Devils (Metro’s second team), taking part in both league and cup competitions in the 2012 season.

Want to know more?

Blind cricket – B1 category – batting and bowling – Video Below!

Blind Cricket – B2 category – batting and bowling-Video Below!

Blind Cricket – B3 category – batting and bowling-Video Below!

Videos above by ECB

ECB Disability Cricket: www.ecb.co.uk/development/disability-cricket/

For more info, visit the Blind Cricket England and Wales homepage at
http://www.bcew.co.uk

For more details on Metro’s cricketing activities,
please contact: Rory Field rory.field74@gmail.com

You may also find these links of interest:
Cricket for Change: www.cricketforchange.org.uk

Cricket – Metro Devils v Gloucestershire (T20)

January 8, 2016EventsBlind Cricket, Cricket, metro cricket team, Rory Field, somerset, T20Saul Wynne