Over
the past few years, one of my Winter Sunday sporting highlights has been
Tynemouth CC’s participation in 6-a-side indoor cricket. Skippered by the
Brearleyesque deep thinker Martin Pollard, the Croons have won the
Northumberland and then North East titles for the last 3 seasons, before
falling a step from Lords in the Northern Final at Old Trafford. As I normally associate the first rungs on
the ladder, at South North, as being contiguous with the opening of Advent
calendars, it came as something of a surprise when Poll informed me at TCC’s
annual fireworks display that the opening round was taking place the day after;
Sunday November 10th. The
so-called game of the season between Liverpool and Man City certainly took
second billing to the Northumberland Cricket Board first qualifying round of
the National Indoor 6-a-side competition in my eyes.
Having
graciously accepted a lift up to leafy NE3 from the captain, I took my place in
a frenetic, hysterical, baying crowd of 2 while a bumper roster of 7, allowing
for squad rotation if you please, made short work of Cowgate (loud and messily
attired) in the first game and even shorter work of Backworth (young and neat)
in the second. As a result, a place in the county final on December 8th
was assured. Over the next fortnight, Benwell Hill and then South North also
secured their places in this potential group of death.
Last
year’s final saw Tynemouth win, in the immediate aftermath of Newcastle’s last
second home defeat to Wolves, on the day True Faith’s ham-fisted handiwork
had fatally undermined the proposed anti-Ashley boycott of SJP. This year, in
front of the lowest crowd for a league game in almost a decade, Newcastle came
from behind to grab the points with a late Fernandez winner. Great result. I
didn’t attend (obviously), nor did I watch events unfolding on a dodgy stream,
but I received updates as I pedalled to a now leafless NE3. There was no lift
available on this occasion as Captain Poll was down in Leeds, so therefore unavailable,
allowing Andrew Smith to step into the role. Rather like a football team’s
supposed interim manager bounce, the hope today, especially against the home
side’s Galacticos, was to receive an interim skipper bounce. The rest of the
side, showing 3 changes, lined up as: Nick Armstrong, a seriously hungover Matty Brown, the
recently retired and then unretired Graham Hallam, David Mansfield and Sam
Robson.
Even
before a ball had been bowled, the chances of Benwell Hill were dealt a
devastating blow as they only had 5 eligible players, though the 6th
one present was allowed to field, but not bat or bowl. Despite the usual
trademark Tynemouth chaotic running that saw 3 run outs, we made 127 all out
off 11 or our 12 allotted overs, with Sam top scoring with a very useful 57. In
response, the Hill spooned a catch via the ceiling from the very first ball and
failed to recover, eventually subsiding to 45 all out. While we adjoined to a
deserted and closed bar to watch Brighton v Wolves, the Hill did no better
against the hosts, leaving the local titans to battle it out in the final,
deciding game.
Bowling
first, we did well to restrict a side including Adam Cragg, JDT and Jonny
Wightman to 96 all out. In response, we took it slow and steady against the
naggingly insistent and accurate bowling of Jonny W and Simon West. Despite not
being there, MLP demanded updates and after initially sending one each other,
it came down to a message a ball as it got tight. However, with 5 needed from 2
balls, my battery died, and the phone switched off. One can only imagine the
frustration of Poll, pacing the room down in Leeds, waiting for updates; hoping
for the best, though fearing the worst.
He
wasn’t to know it until much later, but we won with a crazy 5 from the
penultimate ball; 3 for a run that hit the side curtain, followed by 2 more for
an overthrow that hit the other side curtain and a scampered run. As a result,
we qualify for the North East Final at Durham on February 23rd or
thereabouts; opponents yet to be decided.
Well
done lads; let’s get to Lords this time around!
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