NOTES ON A LINCOLN SUNDAY PREM GAME

Market Rasen v Nettleham – 13/06/10
By Andy Richley

Rather than the usual match report for a game I’ve been involved in I thought I’d try something different for this match, as turning out for the Sunday side these days involves far more of a ‘watching brief’ than when I’m playing Lincs League 4 cricket with the 2nds. There follows a set of thoughts that might, or might not, hang together.
• Scoring’s fun. 40 overs of looking after Nettleham’s book reminded me of the pleasure that can be gained from scoring properly – especially when it all adds up at the end. Taking down all of the detail; when the batsmen went in, when they came out, balls faced etc. is just plain satisfying. It’s not better than playing, but it was satisfying. I’ll be getting a multi-coloured set of pens next...

• Just ‘cos a team’s young, doesn’t mean they’ll roll over. Nettleham turned up at Rase Park with Ed Bosworth, Warren Nel (their South African Pro) and eight youngsters. The plethora of Lincolnshire jumpers and caps should have given the Rasen side a heads-up that they weren’t complete mugs, but young Danny Lea still had us 2 down in the first ten overs.
Interestingly, it wasn’t until they turned to the experienced spin of Nel and Bosworth that Rasen’s batsmen were able to really kick on. The pair went for 109 from their 20 overs as Matt Rutherford (85, pictured) built a decent total of 204 for 6, with help from Graeme Bell (42) and Dale Christie (42 not out from 29 balls).

• It’s not essential to be quick out of the gate. Time and again I’ve watched teams do this to Rasen 2nds in the Lincs League and Rasen’s Sunday XI did the same to Nettleham. Rasen were 30 for 2 after ten overs and 75 for 2 after twenty. But wickets in hand meant they could crack on for the second half of the innings and still amass a competitive total. It’s an obvious point, but one that so many young players fail to heed.

• One man doesn’t make a team. Whilst Nettleham’s youngsters flung themselves around in the field to great effect, with the bat the visitors’ lineup consisted of Warren Nel (114 not out) and not much else. Once Bell bowled Bosworth for 22 it was a case of attacking one end for the home side and trying to give Nel the single wherever possible. The South African’s innings was even more impressive in that other than Bosworth, no other player got more than 6 as Rasen’s bowlers shared the wickets around. Nel even managed to tighten things up, taking 27 off Karl Bierlein in the 35th over off. Bierlein’s previous nine overs had garnered him 3 for 27. Nel’s attempts to turn a defiant last-wicket stand into a dash for victory were only undone in the 37th over, with Lea the last man to fall.

What could have been? Anyone who’s been in the bar at Rase Park on a Sunday will have heard this before, but Sunday’s game was a prime example of this question. Rasen’s side on the day contained:
Nine players who were educated at De Aston in Market Rasen.
All of whom played youth cricket at Rase Park.
Eight players who’ve played Lincolnshire ECB Premier League cricket.
Of whom six have turned out for ECB sides this season.

Unfortunately, only four of the side turn out for Rasen in the Lincs League. Most of the team are plying their trade at higher-levels than Lincs League 2 or 4 and this is the ultimate dichotomy of Rasen’s Sunday XI. When we’re somewhere near full-strength, like we were last weekend, we’re a handy outfit, even with your correspondent lumbering around in the outfield, it’s just a pity that Rasen aren’t playing at a level on a Saturday that means most of these lads are playing for us all weekend.

The win cements Rasen’s place, for the time being, in the top four of what is a competitive Premier League competition and sets things up nicely for the next few months, as long as someone can turn Boston over.