St. Michael’s Cricket Club – Weekend Match Report
Written by Kevin Rennie on August 14, 2013
Winning batting pair Ross Crawford (L) and Andy Veitch (R)Match report by Colin Taylor
St Michael’s Sunday XI enjoyed a rare local fixture when they took part in a 40 over friendly against Annan/Kinmount at Kinmount Estate last Sunday.
In mainly sunny conditions, Skipper Connor Bowie’s young X plus Colin Taylor fielded first against a home side in which veterans predominated.
Kieran ‘Mad Dog’ Moore and Colin Ferguson opened up with some tight overs on a slow wicket that was always going to be hard to score on. Once Moore had removed opener Davison lbw for four, a fascinating battle ensued as the home middle order battled hard for runs and successive Saints’ bowlers tried equally hard to tie them down.
Ben Johnstone ended a promising effort by Rafferty, beating him with an off break that turned considerably to remove the bails. Meanwhile opener John Smith survived until the drinks at twenty overs, by which time the score was 40 for 2.
After Taylor finally had Smith caught at mid-wicket, Saints made a key breakthrough when speedster John Woodhouse removed Mark Pagan’s off stump. Veitch then plunged Annan-Kinmount into serious trouble when he eliminated Patterson with an excellent direct hit at the bowler’s end. Even better, the returning Ferguson cleverly set up Kevin Bellis to miscue straight to Veitch when he unsurprisingly attempted to play across the line.
Johnstone and Ferguson claimed further wickets from the tail but it was young Daniel Veitch who finished it off, bagging three wickets with his left arm spin in a Stuart Broad-like burst. The Estate team had succumbed for 81 in the 36th over.
In response, Saints started out steadily until Woodhouse, who had batted with remarkable care up to then, hung out his bat to nick behind off Bellis for four. Unfortunately Darren Holt, who had kept wicket tidily in a very smart white hat, played a tired shot to the next delivery and was clean bowled. But any threats of a collapse were soon averted as Bowie started to play some eloquent strokes on both sides of the wicket. Meanwhile a watchful Ross Crawford kept his concentration going to keep the innings on track throughout and played one particularly fine on drive.
Once Bowie had holed out off the bowling of Pagan, the coming victory was considerably accelerated by the arrival of Andy Veitch, who quickly proceeded to mow the replacement bowlers into the legside undergrowth on several occasions. The target was duly passed in the 23rd over – just about in time to avoid the incoming showers.
This match was an excellent advertisement for “village” style cricket, to which the Kinmount venue is ideally suited, and was played in a jovial spirit throughout.
The British Veterinary Association Man of the Match Award was claimed by Andy Veitch for his 28 not out, excellent run out and brace of catches.
Scores: Annan-Kinmount 82-11 (sic) (Bellis 14, Rafferty 13, Pagan 13, Smith 12 ; D.Veitch 3-3) : St Michael’s Sunday Select XI 84 – 3 (A. Veitch 28 n.o. Bowie 28, Crawford 21 n.o. ; Bellis 2-8)
