MBCC Sunday XI v The Frogs 16th August 2015

M & B won their first match against established nomadic side the Frogs by 94 runs, captained by Bray's own Richard Lawrence. The match could well have been decided upon the toss as Lawrence won and rather kindly asked M & B to bat. M & B were bolstered by none other than James Coyne, making a rather unexpected and welcome Sunday appearance, as well as Aussie, Jim Billington. Regular Sunday openers William Cunliffe and Brian Dixon set about posting a defendable target for M & B, as they came up against another Bray player, Jono Wright. The Frogs bowled a tight line and kept the scoring under a tight rein, apart from one over where Cunliffe struck four successive 4's. In the 7th over with the score on 37, Cunliffe became the first to go in an all Bray dismissal - caught by Lawrence driving off the bowling of Wright. His dismissal bought the aggressive Coyne to the wicket and he was quickly off the mark with a cut to the boundary. A crucial turning point in the game came when on 5 Coyne pulled Wright straight to square leg's midriff, who promptly spilt the opportunity. Coyne continued to chance his arm amongst some quality strokes. The introduction of the nagging medium pace of Walsh paid immediate dividends as Dixon was lbw for 17, to leave the score at 55 for 2 in the 11th over. His dismissal brought Gunbarul to the wicket, at the unusual position of number 4. Advising the skipper he was unable to bowl, due to exertions in Saturday's league game, he was promoted up the order. He didn't let the side down though as he surprisingly out scored Coyne in a third wicket partnership of 88 in 14 overs. Early on Gunbarul was rather circumspect but once he got his eye in he plundered his normal leg side scoring areas of mid-on and cow corner. He finally got attuned to Walsh's line and length and smashed two 4's and a 6 in his 5th over to force him out of the attack. The partnership continued to prosper as both batsman looked to their half centuries. Gunbarul took a liking to the spin of O'Gorman as he again hit two 4's and a 6 in an over, as he raced past Coyne's score. With a half century at his mercy Gunbarul hit a buffet ball down deep log on's throat to depart for 49. Unluckily for the Frogs the wicket brought Aussie Jim to the crease to form M & B's tour de force of Coyne and Billington - Coyne's brute force and Billington's placement. Together these two put on 43 in 6 overs before Coyne was yorked for 76 in 20 overs, which included 15 4's. Billington, aided by colt Jai Chopra, add a quick fire 39 in 4 overs before Billington was bowled by spinner Marshall, aiming acros the line, for a well played 47 in 14 overs, which included 3 boundaries. In the end M & B posted 251 off their 40 overs, which was more than skipper Armstrong had budgeted for. M & B's own Wright was the pick of the Frog's bowlers, finishing with figures of 8/1/31/1.

As soon as the Frogs began their innings the light appeared to be turned off as the overcast conditions aided M & B's seam bowlers. Returning former colt of the year, Thomas Evans, opened up from the River End and bowled a probing line and length, backed up by Aussie Jim from the Road End, bowling brisk away swingers. In deed the majority of the early runs came by way of four byes. Evans made the initial breakthrough opening up opener Hardie to have him deftly taken behind by keeper Dixon. The Frogs quickly lost their other opener, as Coyne nonchalantly held a head high catch as the opener edged Billington whilst attempting to drive. Billington cleaned bowled the no. 3 with pace and movement to leave The Frogs in trouble at 33-3 off the first 10 overs. Armstrong then turned to the trusted Sunday spin twins of Allen and Butler, bowling to a ringed field with no boundary riders. Allen started his spell with a wide pie, which Walsh obligingly hit to widish mid-off, where Armstrong took a tumbling catch. In his 3rd over Allen got a ball to hurry on and trap Williams lbw. Despite claiming two wickets in his first three overs Thomas Allen took himself out of the attack after 4 overs, claiming he couldn't bowl with a newish ball and the proud seam ! Senior spinner Chris Butler toiled away on a stringent off side line, with a fair amount of flight, mainly at Frogs skipper, Lawrence, tempting him to pierce the off side ring of Cunliffe and Billington, which he did occasionally. In Allen's place colt Jai Chopra took the opportunity to tease the batsmen with his flighted leg spin. Despite attaching fields the Frogs batsmen were unable to hit regular boundaries as Butler recorded figures of 8/1/32/0 and Chopra 8/1/31/2, deservedly getting a second wicket in his last over. Skipper Armstrong brought himself on at the Road End and actually managed to pick up a wicket, courtesy of a well judged catch by the safe hands of the octopus, Gunbarul. As the ball was sufficiently old Allen was able to recommence his spell and in deed only required 7 balls to finish the game, bowling Trevedi through the gate and enticing Lawrence to try and hit over the top but only finding the safe hands of Gunbarul at mid-on. Lawrence ended with a slowish 43, but to be honest the damage was done early and it was unlikely the Frogs would recover from losing half their team for 60 odd. Thomas Allen finished with the outstanding figures of 5.1/1/18/4, despite pulling himself out of the attack, definitely as mad as a box of frogs !