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4THS FINISH A CREDIBLE THIRD

  
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Saturday, September 05 2009 @ 02:50 AM BST
Contributed by: committee
Views: 630
Following a tough league campaign the 4ths finish third in D DIVISION WEST. Below is a captains thoughts on his season and team

At the AGM when I voted into the position of 4th team captain some people laughed but the majority wished me the best of luck and then turned away and laughed, I did not fully appreciate at that time what a difficult job that i had inherited from Joe CUNNINGHAM.
I started the year full of enthusiasm and set about recruiting a team for both on and off the field in an hope of making my life alot easier.
At this point I would like to thank the Chairman Jerry CALEY who umpired the majority of my matches, Jack BARNES who scored at all of my matches and my wife Tracy who without realising it was dragged in to help with the catering, she did with my help (not!) prepared some mighty fine teas.
There were many others who helped througohut the season and again THANK YOU.
Also following the departure of our long time ground staff ABBO with his usual enthusiasm took on the groundsman job at Mount Wise. He became 'the troll who lived in the covers bag' popping out only when the rain stopped to prepare good tracks for Rob BUTTON to score runs on.
My idea was then to recruit a core of a team who would remain loyal throughout the season and achieve my goal of promotion.
From Cornwall I found this small chap who talked a good innings and I felt he was worth a net, he did remain loyal scoring well over 600 runs at an average of over 56.00 and took forty wickets (not bad for a web toed dwarf) known to you all as Rob BUTTON. Rob had various names throughout the season many of which we can't say but he was known as bit of a fairweather player until on 250709 we played away to Whitchurch. The pitch was a pudding and after the loss of any early wicket Rob made a faultless 151 not out (his first senior century), he lost the fairweather tag but did keep the remaining names.

The league return was played 18, won 8, lost 7, 1 winning draw and two cancelled fixtures. This was a good return for a team which was never finalised until about 1100hrs on Saturday morning and had an age span of players from 11 - 50years and similar waiste sizes.

Rob was clearly the stand out player but he did have two bogey sides these being *censored*ington and Plympton, unfortunatley we lost of all of the four fixtures against these two sides. He was known in the league for a number of reasons, his run scoring, the way he ripped the ball, his big guns and his dodgey eighties hair colour.
Throughout the season numerous players started in the fourths and progressed up to the other sides one particular pleasing factor was the number of juniors who finished the season playing in the teams above.
The fourths i will not have it said were a one man team and i would like to express my thanks to a number of players who remained loyal throughout the course of the season. Dale HALFORD who was my ever present wicket keeper and got better with every match, Jordan HAN*censored* who after a slow middle season returned to his best form, Richard GILL who put in a number of important scores and never let the side down when bowling, Matt ALLATT who you could ring at 5 mins notice and would still arrive which his usual enthusiasm.

During the season two matches stood out for me the first being the first match of the season away to Babbacombe. At 1200hrs we were still struggling to put together a side and even worse manage to transport them as we had only three adults supported by eight juniors the youngest Barney COULDWELL who was only 11 and i had to keep wicket.
When we arrived at Babbacombe i lost the toss and we were put in by a captain who felt the win was already in the bag.
We made 163-9 Rob BUTTON top scored with 64 but many of the boys added valuable contributions.
After tea we took the field and opened up with harry BARNES and Jordan HAN*censored* who restricted Babbacombe to under 20 in the first ten overs removing three of the top order. The spin twins Rob BUTTON and Ben STEIN were introduced bowling out Babacombe for 57 Rob finishing with 4-12 and Ben STEIN 3 - 9 and even i got in on the act completing two stumping and taking one catch. (Oh captaincy seemed so easy)
By 7.00pm i was already dreaming of the C Division.
The other match which I will always remember was away to Cornwood on 30.05.09 it was a hot day, the wicket was dry the outfield was quick and Cornwood who were top of the league were fielding a strong side. I won the toss and put Cornwood in and after 10 0vers they had scored over 80 and three of our bowlers had been hit out of the attack.
We had a team meeting and Rob BUT TON and Richard GILL agreed to bowl and slowed the run rate whilst wickets fell at regular intervals, the bowlers were supported by some fine catching and in the end they were bowled all out for 228.
The team were in confident mood and Ben STEIN and Sanjay opened and set about reducing the total. Ben made 38 whilst Sanjay made 96.
Following Ben's departure Rob BUTTON made his way to the wicket and scored yet another fifty as we finished on 229-3 in 41.4 overs.
Cornwood's faces were so down they had gravel rash on their chins.

Oh there was a third match i will remember for the wrong reasons away to Torquay on 220809. I won the toss and decided to bat as some of our team were lost and we couldn't put out a team by 1.30pm. The team batted well as a unit and we scored 202-9 in our 46 overs (top score guess who? no you were wrong Richard GILL 59).
In reply Torquay started quickly but the pitch was livley at times and I decided to put in a short leg for both Richard GILL and Rob BUTTON. always going by the motto don't ask others to do what you wouldn't do yourself I took up the position. It started well i took a catch off of Gilly, stage 2 i took a catch off of Rob. Stage three by now James Morecombe was at short leg and I was at silly mid on, new batsmen comes to the wicket I speak to Rob, pitch it up he hits everything to cow corner, next Rob bowls a half tracker and the next i know i am laid out on the floor my eyes rolling, an ambulance is called and I am carted off to hospital, strapped into a harness looking like hannibal lector. What was worse after the match i was blamed for dropping the catch and reducing the overs which prevented us from winning, a helmet is on my Christmans list.i am ok but my wife was not happy as she thought i might undergo some facial reconstruction.

I do not have all of your stats for the season but I would like to add that
I have really enjoyed the season and would like to thank all of the players who supported me during the year and hope the younger members continue with their developement. Next year we aim for the top, staying where we are is not an option!
 
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4THS FINISH A CREDIBLE THIRD
Authored by: twigs on Saturday, September 05 2009 @ 03:40 PM BST
Just wanted to add what a great job roy has done as forths skipper this year. The development is obvious for all to see. Its not easy being a captain of any of the sides but 4ths captain has a host of other issues to consider, good job mate. Continue the progress next year and get that top spot. twigs
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