2009 Review Back to 2009 Review Index
Under 15s
XI Report
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It is always
difficult to get started at the beginning of a new season when there are
so many other sports concluding theirs. We held outdoor nets on the first
Tuesday of the school’s academic new term and the weather only interfered
on the one occasion throughout the season. The small squad of players
showed plenty of enthusiasm but it was obvious to trainee coaches -
Michael Lloyd and Nicholas Davies that a lot of work was needed on the
basic skills of bating, bowling and fielding. We only had two weeks (or
should I say two sessions) to get prepared for our first game. Alex
Kurobasa was voted captain with the other nomination, Tom Francis as his
vice. Bethan Moorcraft had the credentials with being an international
ladies and junior player but these commitments meant she had enough on her
plate.
The first game
of the season was at home in the first round of the Welsh Under 15’s Club
Cup competition against Sully. The team relied on the services of two
Under 13 players namely Chris Brace and Sam Wood who both contributed with
bat and ball to give the team a winning start. Sam opened the batting with
a sound 14 but it was captain Alex with a retired not out score of 50 runs
and Bethan with 23 that gave the team a total of 120 for 6 from the
allocated 20 overs. Bethan 0 for 15 and Chris 1 for14 bowled a good line
and length to restrict Sully to 113 for 4. The batsmen were unable to
score more than one run off Alex’s last over when 8 runs were needed for
victory. A winning start by 7 runs.
The first
league match was again at home against Whitchurch on the artificial pitch.
Our opponents elected to bat first and scored 110 all out in their 20
overs. Bethan with 4 for 16 was by far the best bowler with Nick Oakes
contributing well with 2 for 12 runs. The other three bowlers failed to
find line and length bowling 18 wides, which in effect gifted the
opposition runs and gave them three extra overs. This resulted in gifting
the game to Whitchurch as our batsmen only reached 84 for 6 from the 20
overs against much tighter bowling. This hopefully was a lesson to be
learned. It was heartening to see two year nine boys, George Brown and
James Lister-Sims score 12 and 9 runs respectively.
The next two
games came quickly and are best forgotten. Lack of communication meant
that we fielded teams short of their full compliment against the two
strongest teams we played against during the season. Firstly, there was
Miskin in the second round of the Cup at home – we only had eight players
and were heavily defeated. As a result, morale was low for the next match
away at St Fagans playing yet again with a player short. They batted first
and scored 147 for 4 with Bethan being the best of the bowlers taking 2
for 15 in 4 overs. Young Sam Wood and Harri Collier both gained valuable
experience bowling to accomplished batsmen. Harri was the best of our
batsmen in attaining 11 runs in a total of just 64.
Strong words
were said after those two matches and even stronger were used when we lost
a game that we should have won against Pentyrch away. Batting first we had
a frantic start with Sam Wood scoring 17 runs and Alex Kurobasa 35
retired, putting on 50 for the first wicket which was continued by Tom
Francis, 13 and Gethin Davies, 15 runs. At 93 for 4 in the 13th
over, a score of 140 plus was expected but failure from the rest saw us
all out for 111 in the final over. We looked on course for a win when
Pentyrch had only reached 54 for 3 in the 14th over however,
poor bowling and poor fielding under pressure allowed a certain G. Holmes
to play a great innings to claim victory by 4 wickets with an over to
spare. It had been a great spectacle.
We learned a
lot from our previous three games and produced the goods and the double
over Sully the following week. Fine batting by Harri Collier, 35 retired,
Tom Francis, 21 and George Brown, 15 saw us reach 120 for 6. Much better
bowling, especially from Alex, 2 for 15, Tom 1 for 20 and George
Hawksworth 1 for 13, kept Sully behind the run rate to the end with Sully
all out for 105 – a win by 13 runs.
Jac Davies
joined the team for the remainder of the season and he has been an
acquisition. Against Llantwit Major, on the school field, we batted first
again and scored our highest total of the season, 151 for 5. Both Sam, 36
and Harri 35, retired not out and with Jac 21 runs, and Mike Barnett, 20
runs, the large total was reached. Llantwit were never in with a chance
once their opening batsmen had fallen to Jac and this allowed the skipper
to give new recruit, Morgan Etheridge a chance to bowl competitively for
the first time in a match. Llantwit were all out for 92 runs.
The next match
against Radyr was abandoned at the half way mark with us 118 all out. The
game was rearranged for the following week and Radyr batted first. Good
bowling by Chris Brace, 2 for 27, Sam Wood 2 for 10 and George Hawksworth
1 for 6 restricted the opposition to 79 for 6. This should have been an
easy target to reach and when Alex scored 18 and Tom 13, everything looked
comfortable. However, wickets fell at regular intervals thereafter and the
run rate slowed. George Brown scored 15 runs but when he was dismissed it
was left to hero of the day, James Lister-Sims, to hit the winning runs
with three balls to spare. Another great game of cricket played in the
best possible spirit.
If some of the
previous matches had been exciting, then the next one was from the top
drawer! On a blustery cold evening with showers all around, Penarth’s game
at the Athletic Ground had it all. Captain Alex Kurobasa led the way when
asked to bat first hitting 33 runs and the tempo continued with wicket
keeper Gethin Davies scoring 23 runs, Chris Brace 15 and a retired 35 from
Tom Francis giving Cowbridge a total of 144 for 4. Penarth’s three top
order batsmen kept the opposition ahead of the run rate until A. Sims and
H. Hudson had to retire. Young Sam Johnson, making his debut for the Under
15’s, took three quick wickets to turn the game around for Cowbridge.
Unfortunately, overs 18 and 19 were expensive meaning that Penarth
required just 6 runs from the final over to be bowled by Tom Francis. This
is how it went: 1st-dot, 2nd-4, 3rd-dot,
4th-wicket, 5th-wicket – now scores were level with
the last ball to come. Unfortunately, the non striker knew what to do and
was already down the wicket as the ball was delivered to gain the vital
bye and victory for the opposition.
Next up was the
young Cardiff side at home. After an opening stand of 50 between Alex
Kurobasa and George Brown, the other batsmen contributed very little to
the low score of 106 for 7. Cardiff started well but once opening bat, D.
Broadman went for 30 runs, Alex was able to use 9 bowlers who shared the
wickets between them to bowl out Cardiff for 82 runs. The highlight of the
game saw Morgan get his first runs and first wicket for the team. This was
win number 4.
The last game
of the season was away to Llanrumney on the University playing fields.
Cowbridge batted first on a good wicket. Alex and George Brown went
cheaply and it was left to Tom Francis, 29 not out and Jac Davies 35
retired, to get the bulk of the score of 93 for 9. A feature of this game
was 3 run outs with batsmen unsure of how to take quick singles. The whole
team would have to field well and the bowlers bowl accurately if the
season was to end on a high note. T. Ikram gave Lisvane a sound start with
a retired 35 runs but a slow innings of 22 by H. Price in 17 overs put
pressure on his team mates and they only accumulated 85 for 5 in their 20
overs. Captain Alex Kurobasa showed the way by taking 3 for 5 in his 4
overs. The rest of the bowlers bowled tightly.
The season’s
statistics read in the league: Played 9, won 5 and lost 4. We won and lost
one in the Cup. Our final position in the league was 4th,
behind St Fagans, Penarth and Sully. On reflection, we should have beaten
Pentyrch and Penarth to meet St Fagans in the final. We certainly missed
the services of Bethan in the final games but congratulate her on bringing
recognition to our Club while playing international matches. I thank Mike
and Nick for all the coaching, scoring and umpiring throughout the season
and their good rapport with the players.
From my point
of view, it has been a most enjoyable season with a group of youngsters
that have been fun to be with. Alex has matured as a captain in one of the
most difficult, if not the hardest game to be a leader. I am hopeful that
Jac Davies will take over the reign next year. Cricket is a one chance
game. One might be lucky and get more than one chance but the whole game
is based on sound basic technique in batting, bowling and fielding. It is
sometimes boring to the individual to keep perfecting these techniques but
eventually one will reap the rewards. The saying goes “you can’t score
runs back in the pavilion”. A coach will always support the player that
will take on board instruction, act upon it and then reproduce it in a
game or pressure situation. He has little time for the player that makes
excuses for his own failure. The other reward that is gratifying is to
develop a player that has turned up at nets to be with his friends knowing
nothing about cricket at the beginning of the season and to finish up as a
regular team player. I single out Morgan Etheridge and congratulate him
for being that player. There is nothing more pleasing than to hear his own
team mates shout and applaud his first ever competitive run and mob him on
the field having taken his first wicket.
May I, in
conclusion, thank the many parents that supported their youngsters whether
from the boundary edge or in providing transport. More importantly than
all that, you were willing to share their experiences in one of the
world’s great sports.
Hugh Williams
Under 15 Coach
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