No disrespect to previous Tornados sides but, on paper at least, this year’s side was the strongest in the team’s short and illustrious history.
Not only did the team feature 2009’s major contributors Andrew Moxon, Paul Bruce and Paul Flood, but we welcomed back Neal Taylor and Giles Tebbitts. If that wasn’t enough, the side also included the new boys Richie Duncan and Mark Morrell.
With the match being given a Caribbean theme by our hosts, we arrived hoping our efforts would resemble those of the great Richards, Garner and Holding West Indies side as opposed to the somewhat more mediocre achievements of the current side.
Umm.
Toss won, the Tornados chose to bowl with Neal and Richie sharing the new ball. Success was quick in coming with J. Bruce Esq being caught for a duck off Neal’s bowling. Unfortunately this only ushered in D. Cumberbatch Esq. In line with previous years, he tucked into the Tornados’ attack with the relish of Eddie I approaching a BigMac and before long the Tornados’ fielders were becoming well acquainted with the pitch’s boundary.
Mark, a tidy medium paced bowler, finally claimed D. Speer Esq. leg before wicket and before taking “Big Dave” caught and bowled.
Andy Mox, Paul Bruce, Paul Flood, Gilo and even the skipper had a few twirls at the other end, but wickets were hard to come by and it was only when Richie and Mark returned to the fray for their second spells, that the wickets of Cuddington’s captain, R. Winnicott Esq., E. Parsons Esq. and D. Cuthbert Esq fell.
Cuddington finished their overs with a score of 211 for 6. Mark had taken 3 for 32, Richie 2 for 38 and Neal 1 for 37. It was going to take a momentous effort from the Tornados to overturn such a score.
The two Pauls (Flood and Bruce) opened the batting with a steady, if reserved, approach. After 10 overs the pair were still their and bang on schedule with the run rate. Things were brightening up!
As is so often the way, it was a change of bowler that proved the tipping point. First Paul Bruce was caught behind (by his brother J. Bruce Esq.) and then Paul Flood was given out leg before wicket two overs later. It was a controversial wicket, however if nothing else, Paul will be able to tell his grandchildren about the day he was given out by a professional dancer from Strictly Come Dancing and, as the saying goes, very bored they will be!
Suddenly the dynamics had changed and at 77 for 2, the Tornados had the tricky task of digging in while scoring runs. Two overs later and I. Clarke Esq. took his haul of wickets to four with the dismissal of Mark (10) and Neal (4). Richie (24) and Nick Mox (10) steadied the ship and when his cousin was dismissed Andy Mox (a whopping 56) began the fight back.
The scales tipped back towards Cuddington following another bowling change when D. Speer Esq. took both Richie and Ed (yup, a duck) in the same over. Andy Mox continued to make a game of it with 5 fours and 2 sixes, but he began to run out of partners as Gilo (10) and Woolfy (1) fell to run outs. Mox finally fell with the score on 189 leaving Floody (0) to carry his bat.
Tonsley Tornados’ “Man of the Match award” would have gone to both Richie Duncan and Andy Mox in a tie – if I had remembered!
It had been a great day and I would like to thank all at Cuddington Kites Cricket Club for the huge amount of effort that they put into hosting the match. However, with the Kites seeming to get stronger each year, one is left wondering just how an aging Tornados side will ever wrestle back the trophy!
SW
