CELERIACS MASHED
17/08/04: Julian Shackel took 5-20 to inspire the OLCC to a 126-run victory in their first ever match against the Celeriacs. Richard Newell Price reports.
Celeriacs won the toss and put the OLs in on a firm but green, slightly damp pitch. Charles Allan and Andrew Moss walked to the wicket in a light drizzle that continued for the first 15 overs.
The wicket was lively and the bowling from Miller and Frankland was tidy. Both the openers stuck to the task well. Most notable was the curbing of Allan's usual excesses, although he was still scoring at good rate.
The pair had taken the score to 69 when Allan cracked a long hop to the mid-wicket boundary. Acland-Hood was right there and held the catch. Allan left with 48.
The opening stand was put in perspective as batsmen struggled to master Frankland's marathon spell of left arm spin variations.
Frankland bowled Moss as he tried to force the pace. Tom Carter drove gently to mid-off to give Acland-Hood another catch amid hoots of delight. Graham Carter and Dayalan Doraisamy soon followed. After a solid start the OLs were now 114 for 5.
Richard Newell Price, Ed Carter and Peter Straw steadied things for a while with some stolid batting, only relieved when Ed Carter hit what would normally have been two sixes in an over. The 2nd hit went high into the local rule cedar.
Straw was given a life when some synchronised Celeriac fielding began when 4 players ran towards each other from 4 points of the compass, and ended when the ball landed at their feet.
Newell Price departed with the score on 164 for 7 then a late flourish from Geoff Samuels took the total to 189 for 9 declared.
The Celeriac innings got off to a good start. Ed Carter started the bowling with a wide, followed by a long hop that Acland-Hood dispatched with a belt to wide mid-on. In the second over Allaway carved a four to backward point. The Celeriac innings had peaked.
In over three Allaway mistimed a drive into Simon Best's hands at mid-on: 12-1. H.Frankland hit a fine cover drive before departing bowled by a good full one from Tom Carter.
Acland-Hood was dropped at first slip and then later by the wicketkeeper, but the very next ball he dragged one on from Ed Carter. His stay of 34 balls was the longest of the innings. Tea was taken when A.Miller prodded a looping Shackel delivery to Straw at silly mid-off: 36 for 4.
Samuels bowled the first over after tea. The second ball was a regulation outswinger and Gillmor was castled. Torry continued to swish to little effect, and four overs after tea, Shackel broke the back of the Celeriacs innings.
He got W.Miller with a sharp c & b. Next ball he bowled Carr. G.Frankland survived the hat-trick ball but was out next ball; bowled trying to guide a well flighted delivery to mid-wicket. 45-8. The OLs now had a sniff of beating their record dismissal of the School for 53.
Celeriacs spared themselves that ignominy. The last two wickets fell to LBW appeals that eventually squeezed out positive decisions from the Celeriac umpires. Celeriacs: 63 all out in 20 overs.
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