Story Three Lions on the Shirt? - Match Day: Northamptonshire fight back!!!

[thesweepmaster]

Well then Tom the pressure is on you, now you have to show people that you can be as good as you were before, but i don't think you were that good anyway lol, only joking. I think if you get some wickets, then maybe Glamorgan can win but if they get on top of you, well you may need something to protect you.

Great work mate, keep it up!

 

[Highlander999]

Too Little, Too Late?



Standing by my mark, waiting to bowl that first ball at Grant Flower, my blood was really pumping around my body, with the adrenalin coarsing through it as well. I could feel my muscles really tensing up and I tried to keep myself loose and limber, so as to bowl at the best of my capability and avoid injury. I spent a long time fiddling around with the field. I wanted it perfect so both singles and boundaries would be hard to come by.

That first over to Grant Flower was one of my best opening overs I have ever bowled. I beat the edge of his bat, four times, had a very close LBW shout and one ball hit him on the helmet,

"Come on old man, try and get that old body moving"

"Ah, my boy, when you get as old and wise as me you'll realise how silly you sound."

"You keep talking old man, meanwhile I'll be sending you and your stumps back to Zimbabwe."

This did hack him off, and the slips and Mark were heckling him, which I think was winding him up slightly. I did feel unlucky not to get a wicket, but I had placed the marker down with the two batsmen. I meant business!!!

Bopara at the other end was being quite agressive, and cracked me for a four, in my second over. It was a full and wide delivery and he smacked it straight back at me with such power that I had to throw myself to the side to avoid injury It was also now the end of the power play overs. I had bowled two overs and gone for five runs. Worringly for Glamorgan, the partnership was now 27 runs, with Essex 47/4 needing only 22 more runs to win. If something was going to happen, it would need to be soon.

David came over to me at the beginning of the seventeenth over and had a wee chat with me,

"Excellent work so far Tom. You've kept it very tight and have top quality figures. However, I really need this partnership broken as these two look like they might be able to take Essex home. Can you do it for me?"

"Well, to be honest skip, it's gonna be hard, but then you do have the legendary Tom Baker playing for you, so anything is possible "

"Well you tell that legendary Tom Baker that he needs to make an appearance very soon."

"You can count on him skip "

Once again Grant Flower was at the receiving end of a fiery over from me. I beat the bat with the first four deliveries, and was really firing it down there. With that fourth ball, there was a big cheer from the home fans. I looked around in surprise. I had just broken the 90mph mark. That was a personal best for pace. It did show how fast I was going. It was ironic that my very next ball was a slower ball AND IT GOT A WICKET :happy Full and on middle stump, Flower tried to flick me away, but did not pick it up and spooned it straigh to the skip at square-leg. A massive cheer went up, from a Glamorgan crowd which had been getting very quiet recently. I looked around just in time to avoid being flattened by a charging Cooky, Dizzy and Tom. David was thumping me on the back, but I was locking eyes with Flower as he walked off. 1-0 to me I think. It was a massive wicket for us.

Essex were now 51/5 needing 18 more runs to win. David gatheed us all around,

"Firstly, great job Tom. We needed you to perform and you did just that. I can't expect anymore. However, we still have a lot of work to do. Irani and Bopara should still be able to take Essex home. We have built up a nice amount of pressure though, and lets hope they crack under it."

We broke apart from the huddle with a big yell. Irani was walking out with "Maria (I like It Loud)" by "Scooter" playing. Our comedian Cooky piped up,

"Hey Tom. This is appropriate music. We'll be sending him back to the pavillion nice and fast. We should let him use a scooter "

Scooter. Very appropriate music for the situation

Cooky never stopped cracking the horrendous jokes I was waiting by my mark as Irani tried to settle down. The big question was, was it too little, too late? Only time would tell...........

 

[westindies2007]

:happy Nice update :hpraise

 

[Pakistani Army]

To be honest I think it is little too late but it has been a fantastic performance by you guys so far especially you Tom. You have given it your all and thats what the team needed.

Should be easy for Essex here but who knows...Fantastic update Tom. Absolutely fantastic!

 

[Karachi Xpress]

Well too late to get those wickets but who knows you could still get this win. Great spell for you Tom! And I suggest you get a hair cut

Great update! Nice work! KUTGW!

 

[tonka998]

5 wickets with only 20 odd runs in hand is a big big ask - but if anyone can do it - Tom Baker can! Great update as usual

 

[Dr. Pepper]

You have Beer Brains? Figures. Lol at you. Your mouth is filled with blood. Your eyes look evil and you have a dead ferret on your head. As for your cricket, it's...below par to say the very least . Only 1 wicket, pfft!

 

[saladguy]

Yay! Glamorgan look like they are going to win this! KUTGW Tom this story is coming along great!

 

[treva]

Yay! Glamorgan look like they are going to win this! KUTGW Tom this story is coming along great!

Can I ask what you've been smoking?

Tom (AKA: Ferret head) took a lucky wicket with an accidental slower ball. I reckon Bopara will slap him about now and Essex will make it easily.

 

[OrderDX]

another brilliant update mate and 90mph is impressive and getting the wicket of Flower lol stared him out! Great work mate as usual and a great story with so many ebbs and flows!

~Luke

 

[Highlander999]

Can I ask what you've been smoking?

Put it this way. I sold it to him

Tom (AKA: Ferret head) took a lucky wicket with an accidental slower ball. I reckon Bopara will slap him about now and Essex will make it easily.

You have Beer Brains? Figures. Lol at you. Your mouth is filled with blood. Your eyes look evil and you have a dead ferret on your head. As for your cricket, it's...below par to say the very least . Only 1 wicket, pfft!

Oh dear. I think old ferret head might need to be edited out. Or maybe I'll keep it for the humour factor

:happy Cheers everyone for the comments. Keep 'em coming :happy

 

[thesweepmaster]

So just the 1 wicket, I think that dead ferret on your head is affecting your cricket skills lol. Anyway I think Essex will now get home and win without a problem but you may get another "accidental" wicket .

Great work mate, keep it up!

 

[Karachi Xpress]

You think you should give something to the highest poster in this thread after you??

 

[chosen151]

Whats happening with the sotry?

 

[Highlander999]

Another Loss for Glamorgan


I was standing there pacing up and down like a caged animal, whilst Irani settled down. He was the gazelle, I was the lion. He was my prey and I would be giving it my all to get this wicket. Finally Irani settled down and the umpire signalled to me. I came thundering in and released the ball. It was very short and shot up striking Irani on the helmet and it sent him flying

"You like that you poofter? Plenty more from where that came from"

The very next ball was defended back to me, but I threw it back at the stumps as he walked out of his crease after playing the shot and only just made it back in. A couple of bouncers later, Irani was beginning to get softened up very nicely as I came steaming in. Unfortunately I couldn't get his wicket and this was very frustrating.

At the other end, Bopara was still dominating. Slowly but surely the required runs begun to slip away as Bopara kept hitting the odd single and boundary, backed up well by Irani who was being given a tough time by a charged up Scot

"Hey Tommy. You and Andre Nel swapped personalities? "

This got quite a few laughs. I was putting this agression on as I was trying to intimidate the batsman. However, Irani was not going for any of this and was keeping me out, showing how important experience is. Eventually Bopara cracked a boundary and just managed to take Essex over the line. Him and Irani jumped for joy as the Glamorgan players started shaking the hands of the opposition. We were all pretty gutted as it was another loss for us, we had still yet to win a game this season. We had been so close to causing a massive upset and the bowlers had done an excellent job. Yet, it was not to be

Back in the pavillion we all just sat down in a kind of dumb-founded state. Even people like Cooky, Crofty and Tom were quiet. We just all sat there. Eventually coach got up,

"Right gents. I know you will all be gutted by that loss, I know I am. We got pretty close there and were thwarted by the Essex middle order. However, credit to the bowlers, all of them gave 110% and showed that we have a very dangerous bowling attack. My concern is our batsmen. We have not been making the scores and that is what is losing us the games. We really need to focus on our batting back in the nets. We need to concentrate on using up all our overs and not losing wickets. Then we can start worrying about run-rates. Ok?"

Coach was right. Once again we had let ourselves down with the bat. An extra 50 runs could have won us the match. I knew I would have to perform with the bat if I was going to be noticed.

Sky Sports was showing all the stats.

I was pleased with my bowling stats. I had a sexy economy rate, plus, had got a wicket. In fact all the bowlers had done an excellent job, we just had not had enough runs on the board. I could also see how the Bopara/Flower partnership had taken the game away from us. If only I had been able to get the wicket of Flower earlier.....

Once everyone had got dressed back into their trackies, we all warmed down and headed back home. Gemma already knew the score, so I didn't have to go through that akward conversation. I was pretty gutted. So to take my mind of it, I decided to go out clubbing with a few mates and Gemma. We spent most of the night in Shanghai Club having a complete rave. It was nice to be able to let my hair down () and just relax. A load of crazy Russians turned up though so I ended the evening by myself and Cooky KO'ing some Crazy Ivan. Made me feel loads better