6th May 2000 Tongans v Police away

At Last, Cricket!

Yes, the sun eventually came out to start off the Tongans season at the impressive Leeds Police ground.

Prior to commencement the Tong selection committee had ensured that none of the players was wanted by the constabulary for previous misdemeanours, as we didn't want to find ourselves playing with less than 11 men.

For those of you unaware as to the background to this, some weeks before the Police football team had been playing a game against a local side when they spotted that the opposition goalkeeper was 'on-the-run'. When a uniformed officer turned up to arrest the goalkeeper the police team were loosing 2-0, the police went on to win 3-2!

To continue our good form with the toss, big Phil Taylor called correctly and elected to bat!

For a time it looked as if this (unusual for Tong) ploy would come off as Horsley, Sowerby and Bean all made contributions. Chris' immaculate 35 included a stunning 3 wood shot to the long-on boundary. We'll give him a bat to try next week!

Dave Bean on the other hand decided to wear his partners out by running two's, thankfully something he might struggle to do in the home fixtures.

With wickets steadily falling to some very dangerous straight balls, 'Free Swing' Taylor walked out to the crease. He had just confided in your correspondent that he was now a more refined batsman, and yours truly felt that we might yet get nicely beyond the 120 mark.

I should have realised that PT was in a 'free swing' mode when he had sat next to me commenting on the poor quality of the slow, and medium slow, police bowling. He watched at least one ball and then swung! Ah, just like I remember him!

Three huge swings later he connects with one properly and we see the ball sailing to the longest boundary at cow corner. Another ball, another huge swing. "Clunk", no that didn't sound quite right and the ball ballooned tantalisingly between mid-off and mid-on for a single. PT calls for a new bat and Chris Horsley foolishly takes his own out to his skipper.

On exchanging bats Chris struggles back with what turns out to be half a tree, which, on inspection, has an enormous crack running up and through the blade.

More free swings are followed by more. But the Police by now have spotted what Phil is up to (must be all detectives they were so quick on the uptake!), and have brought back their very impressive left-arm seamer. The combination of this, and Chris' lighter bat, means that PT can manage no more than five more singles before he too fails to spot that deadly 'straight-un'.

Unfortunately, with the tail failing to wag, the Tongans innings ran out with the score at 81.

After a leisurely tea it was a chance to view the Tongans bowling attack, which was both impressive and unlucky. After 11 overs, the experience of Pat Sowerby and the youth of Chris Williams, had held the Police to a miserly 24 runs, and, had it not been for a dropped chance off only the fifth ball of the day, the Tongans may well have made further inroads into the opposition line-up ("it was the man in the middle with the moustache governor").

Failing with good bowling, CW decides on that old 'Ruley' trick and starts his sixth over off by launching a ball to Mars. It eventually comes down to earth still well short and well wide of the batsman, who initially makes a stride out of his crease, but then thinks better of it as the ball is now stationary at cover!

Chris continues to pepper the ball all over the place and the crowd can see that he is trying to lull the batsman into a false sense of security by letting him hit fours to all boundaries.

Unfortunately for Chris the opener must have been a very astute detective, for he was ready for the final delivery that was of both good length and direction, and he boringly blocks it out.

The Tongans fielding throughout was both keen and effective, with young men like Edward covering the older 'Can't bend my back' Horsley vigorously. Quite what Mark Dalton had done to upset the skipper I don't know, for he found himself out on the deepest long-leg boundary chasing a two in the very first over, whilst some much younger bodies took up positions on the square.

Dave Bean decided to play the hard man by fielding balls with his groin, whilst Jason and Duncan maintained their composure behind their respective shades.

Eventually Pat gained a much deserved wicket, snaffled up by the younger 'Headband' Sowerby behind the sticks, and the skipper took the other opener coming off his shortened run-up (the skipper that is!).

Steadily though, the Police approached their target and the game was eventually concluded by 5.30pm.

The 'man-of-the-match' award went on a sympathy vote to Shaun Charlton, who had both been left stranded at the end of the Tongan innings, and had spent most of the latter part of the afternoon wandering from mid-on to mid-on without ever seeing the ball.