Match Report

Almondbury Casuals 200-5 (40 overs), Corinthians 200 (40 overs)

Played at Thongsbridge C.C., West Yorkshire, on Sunday 23 June 2002 (Ref. 200213)

Picture the scene at Thongsbridge - it's easy if you've been there before, and this was definitely Groundhog Day. A sunny evening in late June at this delightful setting, the Casuals have as usual won the toss and knocked up 200 in their 40 overs. This is the 12th Sunday meeting of the teams, and arch rivals Corinthians are for once hopeful of adding to their paltry tally of three wins. Both sides are full of the best cricket tea in the country, which may just hinder the fielding side. The ball races to the boundary time and again from the dashing blade of Malcolm Horwill, who hits the first century for the visitors in their 37th match in Yorkshire, before becoming Wilson's fourth victim. His 101-ball stay at the crease has produced 104 runs (86 in boundaries) and left his team just 14 to win from 29 balls.

If you are a betting person (which probably you are NOT since betting and cricket now sit uneasily together) there is surely only one possible result, as Corinthians level the scores with 13 balls left. Though two of the last three fixtures between the players have ended in a tie, it simply can't happen again, or can it? Having won last year's match with 71, it would be fitting for the home Chairman Greg Smith to be on the receiving end but Mike Matthews, who has already hit 9 off the over, cannot score from the last ball. Never mind, two overs and three wickets still in hand. Priestley to Clark, it's wide outside off stump and the batsman does not reach it. The umpire signals a wide, most of the home fielders start to move off and one of them removes a couple of stumps. On what result is your money now, punter?

Some people think it's all over ..... but it's not yet. In true Corinthian spirit the batsman refuses to win the match in such a way, and the umpire retracts his signal. Priestley bowls on the spot and Clark plays out a maiden. Now it's Smith to Matthews, no worries surely. The batsman is struck on the pad and given out, the fourth LBW victim - now that's taking the Corinthian spirit a little too far! Enter Geoff Morley, it's Chairman to Chairman, but after failing to penetrate the hungry ring he only succeeds in running Clark out narrowly. Enter the visitors' most senior player, President Noel Kenning - a Yorkshireman to boot - surely the host Chairman will allow Corinthians the victory they richly deserve? But no, they give nowt away here, and despite the pretence of a bad throw from Burgess it's still good enough for Kenning to be run out. If only the late Steve Netherwood had been on duty, he who first brought these teams together: HE was never one to let the correct decision get in the way of justice .....

Footnote: The Anti Corruption Unit wasted no time in starting its investigations after the match, which had seen the third tie between these sides in two years. They stopped the visiting Captain, and the umpire who thought he had won the game for the visitors, on the M1 and made initial enquiries about tax evasion. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED, they know who you are and where you live, so it's safer to lose gracefully if you can't win !! Even the home scorer will not sleep easily, as an audit of the Casuals innings indicated a total of just 196 (58 singles conceded by the bowlers mysteriously manifesting themselves as 62 singles against the batsmen). Could the official result change yet again?