SCORECARD

Fine season opener – Opening day victory at last!!

You have to head way back to 2013 to find the last Fitman season opening day victory in April. Old Dom’s away won by 23 runs. When Tom Caesar regularly played and opened the batting. Chairman TC (8-2-26-1, 1 catch, 1 R/O) still not getting a bat. Mythical names of Brentnall, Healey and Hussain destroying opposition batting line ups. Raj Singh fit! Skipper on the day Tuckerrrrr out for a golden duck, triggered LBW (probably by Guy)

https://fitmen.org.uk/stats/match/445

The only 2 Fitmen left from those heady days were skipper for the day, Jade Martin picking up “Do you know where I live?”, Sharif. After 13 years of giving you a lift? Have you moved house? “No”… FFS. You can’t beat the opening day of a Fit season. With Fix Sec Nicks and wicket keeper Timmsy fully recovered from his horrendous off-season finger reconstruction, picked up, the electric Fit-bus was well and truly on the road.

Erdington, North of Brum? Heads of course…The pitch looked green and damp. With the depth of bowling talent available, we’ll have a bowl. My main concern was that apart from Harry, my recognised batter, we had 10 bowlers who all could bat a bit. Game on!

A superb opening bowling display and some excellent fielding put the Fitmen in a great position at the half way point. Rameez bowled a great line with a few off-cutters making things difficult for the Aston Unity openers. A mis-timed shot crunched straight to Stevie Nicks who pulled of a quality catch to get us off and running. Waseem as ever, accurate and consistent, bowled full and beat the outside edge a number of times. The Aston skipper was a quality batsman, probably the only player who timed the ball well all day was making the Fit fielders earn their corn. Particularly Nicks, who for a while was putting on his own 1 man show.

A super-fit, slimmed down Kev Cuthbert came on 1st change, bowling beautifully with a whole array of newly devised balls. Yorkers, slightly slower swingers, quicker cutters and the mandatory beamer, 2 for 24 was excellent stuff. At the other end, Man of the Match Rana delivered a supreme 4 for 39, getting rid of the talented skipper C&B, the next ball clean bowling their next bat, Hatrick ball denied and the 5 for so close, despite one of his overs going for plenty when cramping up due to effort put in for the team, Rana bowled with control and menace throughout. Quality.

Aston Unity were well and truly in the mire. What they didn’t need, was the destroyer of tail end Samuel L Nokia swooping in from the Top end. 2-1-1-2 are figures mere mortal simply dream of. Well dream on. Unplayable. A superb catch again from Stevie Nicks and other pouches from Waseem and Harry, topped off a good effort in the field. Dee Digpal who had fielded with vim and vigour brought the innings to a close with a wicket of his own. Aston Unity 127 A/O

No tea provided, but skippers chicken n stuffing salad sarnies, alongside egg n free range black pepper, looked the pick of the self-made stuff. Note to not ask Timmsy to bring “fresh” fruit along, as the 3 proffered banana’s were over-ripe disasters.

128 to win on a tough green variable bouncing April pitch, it was down to the openers to tough it out for as long as possible. Skipper just 12 off 25 balls, had to be watchful. Cover drives went for singles in the long grassy outfield. Runs had to be earnt by grit and determination. Eames got a 1st ball beamer straight at his throat during a 34 ball 5 runs before being bowled through the gate.

Just 20 runs off the 1st 9 overs, but at least we were only 1 down. Martin bowled via a ricochet of a meaty thigh, 20 for 2. Timms 1st ball, caught by a high class take in the slips 20 for 3. Collapse anyone? Not to be left out Nicholls bowled, swiping at a wide one, played on, and it was 22 for 4 after 13 overs. The Unity opening bowler 7-5-3-2. A tidy spell indeed.

A crucial stand of 44 was then put on by Sharif and Waseem. It was massively helped by 12 wides bowled by their spinner who had a mini nightmare. In fact the 38 extras given up by the Oppo’ (11 byes, 18 wides and 9 no-balls) were the top scorer and key difference between the 2 teams with the Fitmen only allowing 10 extras in total.

Waseem decided that pottering around waiting to get a low shooter was not the way and smazzed a giant 6, 3 boundaries and 4 2’s getting Sharif’s heartbeat and blood pressure nicely buzzing. An extremely important 30 runs before getting out caught with a loose shot. Lockyer in at 7 endeavoured to get on with it with a sprightly 19 ball 4, before being out bowled to a very Lockyer-esque looping vegetable product of a ball. Sharif going along nicely for a 47 ball 20, then ran himself out at the non-strikers end, their skipper throwing the stumps down from 20 yards. Sharif with the turning circle akin to a Super-tanker embargoed in the straights of Hormuz.

Tickety boo at 90 for 5, needing 38 off 12 overs? Easy. Cuthbert in at 8 with new bat (pink stickers) in hand. Game over surely? 12 balls later, bowled by a daisy cutter for 2 and it was 99 for 8. The game had swung yet again.

The Fitman tail however had other ideas. If Rameez steadied the heavily rocking Fit ship, then MOM Rana took full ownership with a courageous innings packed full of incident and high drama. They brought their Saturday league players into the attack, 4 Byes, 2 4’s, no-balls and wides. Hard run 2’s and scampered singles, Rana dragged us to 123 before getting out bowled. Last man Dee Digpal, needing 5 to win the match dug deep facing the returning opening bowler to tough out a maiden. Then with some no-balls and a final thick edge, the Fitmen were home for a memorable Victory.

The sun shone. The Fitman changing room was bouncing. A game well worth the 13 year wait!