Who said cricket is a safe sport?
After making his cricketing debut for accountants KPMG in the Lord’s Taverners John Bright Trophy, firm director Matt Collinson has announced his immediate retirement from office cricket duties.
Not only did he badly bruise his hand taking a boundary catch and pull a hamstring scrambling to safety during a hectic run chase, the blow he received on his finger while batting has been diagnosed as a quadruple fracture.
He did have the consolation of playing a key role in the trophy holders achieving a frenetic last-ball win against solicitors Challinors by scoring an invaluable 16 while helping Keith Bell (35 retired), brother of the England batsman, retrieve a faltering reply to the 144/8 Challinors total.
Thanks to all-rounder Imran Khalid hitting a priceless final over four to the long-off boundary, KMPG needed two to win off the game’s final two balls.
After a scrambled bye levelled the scores, an overthrow gave them victory.
The week saw newcomers Savills, playing DTZ, gain their first trophy win in a match after the odd coincidence of each side’s opening batsman being bowled off the first ball of the innings.
A day later a depleted Mainstay Group suffered an untypical mauling after the side’s key veteran cricketer Charles Lucas failed to make the game after his car tyre was shredded by a nail while driving to the game from Lincoln.
The fact he had the team shirts with him meant that a couple of Mainstay players could be spotted wearing the pink and blue shirts they had gone to work in.
Bigwood again take the prize for being most entertaining side in the trophy.
After compiling a modest 136, victory seemed a formality when they had Deloitte struggling at 75 for six. But some wayward bowling and good battings saw Richard Helliker (19*) and Steve Deeming (18*) guide the accountants to a six-wicket victory.
The cricketer who protested to umpire Don Williams “That can’t be out lbw, it hit my foot!” shall remain nameless.
There was also another highly original bid for the 2011 John Bright Trophy Course Cricket Award from Bigwood’s Jon Forrest, who held a fine steepler catch in the Deloitte innings.
Coming into bat, he came to a halt and handed the umpire a pound coin that had somehow got lodged in one of his batting gloves. Well done Jon.
Results, Week 7
Monday June 6 – Bigwood 136 in 13.6 overs (J Ironmonger 34, M Kenkre 15, O Gilks 3-20, R Sharma 2-13, O Yasin 2-13, S Cumberbatch 2-25) Deloitte 137/6 in 14 overs (O Gilks 37 rtd, R Helliker 19*, S Deeming 18*, R Pinning 2-16, J Ironmonger 2-18, J Riley 1-13) Deloitte won by 4 wkts
Tuesday June 7 – DTZ 133 in 15.3 overs (I McArthur 40, W Clarke 17, B Allen 1-7, S Horan 2-5, P Gough 1-11, N Starkie 1-12) Savills 134/2 in 10.4 overs (C Thurbon 38 rtd, N Starkie 34*) Savills won by 8 wkts
Wednesday June 8 – Mainstay Group 75 in 13.3 overs (E Corfield 19, D Horne 11, M Howes 2-2, D Kok 2-7, M Lewis 1-7, N Watkins 1-10, D Henwood 1-14) Phoenix group 76/1 in 6.7 overs (D Kok 37 rtd, C Acaster 19*, D Horne 1-16) Phoenix won by 9 wkts
Thursday June 9 – Challinors 144/8 in 16 overs (J Neale 37 rtd, A Lee 37 rtd, B Tarry 3-16, P Evans 2-11, K Bell 1-11) KPMG 149/5 in 16 overs (C Weaver 35 rtd, K Bell 35 rtd, J Nasran 1-7, W Scott 1-11, N Thorne 1-15, C Lloyd-Smith 1-17) KPMG won by 5 wkts
