Laegue Match vs Coach & Horses, 31st May 2008, Springfield Park

Fields Lead Horses to Watery Pitch, Then Go For a Drink
by Atrhur Smart

Coach & Horses 173/6 in 36 overs
London Fields 174
London Fields win

Saturday saw an unbeaten Fields make the potential banana skin of a trip to Springfield Park. With the team mini bus in the garage or something, special thanks must go to the drivers for their generosity and safe navigation. With the filthy BBC weather predictions at the back of everyone's mind both sides were pleasantly surprised to get underway on time, albeit wary of a potentially hazardous pitch and similarly dangerous looking headwear being sported by passing spectators. The toss was won by 'Orse captain John, bravely choosing to bat. With Dave's assurance that he would have bowled anyway, an eager Fields took to the pitch intent on maintaining their impressive start to the season.

With a brief briefing from Dave H containing such inspirational vitriol as 'my table's booked for 8 so lets get this over with', Fields started brightly, Steve immediately finding an excellent length, testing both openers with the good movement off the soggy top. With accurate support from Simon and Taz, pressure mounted and wickets began to fall. Steve ended a fine spell with 2/7, with Coach's Dave providing admirable resistance, and using his attacking shot to good effect.

After an early reprieve from a memorable dropped catch (the very wet ball violently spinning out of the unlucky fielder's hands, who had done well just to get into position with a clear early call, much to the amusement of the gang of dangerous looking fourteen year olds at long off), Adam began to rebuild Coaches innings, defending solidly and putting away the looser deliveries offered up by Fields' change bowlers, whilst Dave continued his gritty resistance, making his way to a commendably irritating 52. [Ed's note - the fielder in this paragraph sounds very much like the author... ]

After a wicket which I can't remember the details of largely because my head was hanging so low in shame [Ed's note - aha!], Adam was joined by captain John who with a heavy bat and an eagerness to prove his decision to not put Fields in first a good one, set about trying to disturb the peaceful boat trippers' afternoon with some resourcefully meaty blows, resulting in an eventful 22, and despite Spanielesque searching from Richard, a lost ball.

Then followed the Horses' lower middle order, with obvious instructions to ignore both the pitch's disintegrating surface and conventional strokes, by again trying to hit high towards the waiting hoodies at long on and across the line towards the canal. Suicidal running between the wickets and excellent out-fielding set the tone for a tense final period, but frantic times call for cool heads, and with unerring accuracy, and some safer catching, Tony took on the critical final overs and bagged a deserving 3/30, with some unsloggable swing bowling. Coach and Horses finished with a defendable 173/6.

A leisurely half time turn around gave a chance for resident nutritionist Jason to impress upon the Southern and confused Antipodean elements of the team the virtues of a mid match Pork Scratching, thanks also to Tony whose carefully prepared orange segments complimented Steve's Spanish omelette in a combination reflective of Hackney's diversity.

Paul Tea and John 'Birdcage' Avery began a purposeful response against some tight Horse bowling, backed up by some enthusiastic fielding. Paul played some accomplished shots with solid defence, and began to push the ball around, looking to rotate the strike. Both batsmen seemingly beginning to enjoy the now incumbent sun, looked a little too comfortable as a confused "yes/no/maybe/well, maybe not/well, why not then/are you serious/no!" call from the batsmen not only confused each other to the point of deciding what to actually do whilst stood together at the bowlers end, but managed to mystify the fielder who in a act of true sportsmanship threw such a return that John had time to run the length of the pitch and continue his run off the pitch for a change of bat that had a better middle. He would come to regret this decision as the next ball was a sweetly timed full toss straight into the hands of short midwicket. John was left to reflect on what might have been if he had only continued to play with his rubbish bat.

Coming in at a lofty first drop, terrible shot selection had Arthur choosing a pitching wedge on his 5th as opposed to the recommended Big Bertha, attempting to clear the water hazard and being caught at mid wicket, leaving captain Hickey looking increasingly irritated as the clock ticked.

Fields this year have shown tremendous resolve when faced with the dreaded mini collapse, and with Paul still playing with a combination of freedom and resolute defence, the scene was set for Jason to redefine the word gritty. Accurate bowling, special mention to Sultan and Adam, and the difficult pitch only played into his hands as he embraced the backs-to-the-wall fighting spirit that has exemplified Fields' season so far, by nudging, deflecting and frustrating the p00 out of the opposition attack.

Things were again beginning to look too comfortable though, as Paul passed fifty with ease before cracking three excellent fours in succession, before in going for the fourth and being deceived by the slow pitch, getting through his shot too quickly and the ball spinning up to that craftily placed short mid wicket. This brought Taz to the middle with Fields still requiring six an over and the pitch rapidly turning into a pock-marked death trap. The Horse bowlers were using it to full effect by often cleverly letting the ball bounce twice for maximum deviation.

Having batted for bloody ages to make his spirited 13, Jason, reading the state of the game well, selflessly gave up his wicket, to allow RJ to enter the fray with the Horses beginning to sniff at the nosebag of a further collapse. After some resolute defending, Richard once again looked to the broader picture, selflessly sacrificing his own wicket to allow the Captain to come in and finish the game. Having spent much of the afternoon berating his players inability to 'baseball' some of the low bouncing long hops offered up by the Horses, Dave took guard, eyed up the leg side boundary and proceeded to misread both the pace and line of his first ball as it trickled under his bat and gently dislodged the bails.

Having already used the word selfless twice it would be errant of me to entertain a similar excuse, however with the situation becoming increasingly fraught, the Horses had begun to build up a head of steam with some continued enthusiastic fielding and some devilish double bouncing deliveries that had death bowler and umpire extraordinaire Tony scratching his head, Fields needed someone to stand and deliver.

With extraordinary events happening at one end, the stealthy Taz was slowly getting accustomed to the pitch and after a few sighters soon became adept at smashing Horses' tired bowlers all around the field, showing no mercy to the fiendish double bouncers and loose full tosses.

With able help from a cool headed Steve D, the run rate was kept reasonable and the Fields swept closer and closer toward the total, Taz completing a memorable 49 not out before Steve whipped the excellent Ian round the corner for an inventive single that claimed the game for London Fields and continued a winning streak built on a never say die attitude and fusion food.

Scorecard coming soon...