Here comes my second instalment as temporary blogmaster, while Mr Shelton is away. This week's opponents were Pontypridd, a team who beat us by over 200 runs last season.
The team were led by the third captain in 3 weeks, and this week, the job fell to the famous Chinese captain of 2005, Gareth Berry, who stated, his 2nd team captaincy record is played 1, won 1. Which begged us to ask.. what his 1st team record is??? Answers on a postcard please!
On losing the toss, Ponty stuck us in on wet looking, but deceivingly hard track at Ynysangharad Park. The 1st wicket fell in the 1st over, which a shot that looked absolutely perfect, as if in a textbook itself, although off stump was knocked over, as Rhodri somehow left the ball. Clarky soon followed with the score barely reaching double figures.
Meanwhile, on the side, Saddam showed us all why he should be a Doctor with some fabulous knowledge on abdominal distension!
Then, enter RJ, who sent the bowlers all around the park, ablely supported by Mr Hall, who went about his business of nudging singles (Look out Lucy!!). Hall departed, and went to umpire, and in a familiar Hall fashion, of which his dad would be proud, he shot down RJ, for a superb 89 after being trapped in front. At this point, we were 156-4.
Next, the world famous Blackwood collapse. After a 5 or so more overs, the score got to 170-9, until Lee Bray and Bobby Matthews, saw us to 202, the 4th batting point, and a decent target.
Teas- not the best, although RJ did eat his body weight in chicken!
Opening the bowling, was Lee Bray who again impressed with a lovely length, and Gary Knott Spurs who bowled superbly, with Mr Knott taking 4 wickets in his 10 over spell. If only Villa could play as well as this! However, the main threat, the Ponty opener, remained and was Ponty's only real hope of winning the game.
Wickets continued to fall at a regular pace, apart from the opener.
Then came a moment of magic, the opener opened his shoulders and smashed the Butler down the ground, looking all the way 6 runs. Until young Andrew Clark, with both feet in the field, caught the ball over the rope, to seal the victory for Blackwood. Marlboro then took another wicket with his following ball, and had a L.B.W. appeal turned down for his hat-trick. Bobby chipped in a wicket the other end, and the victory was ours!
MOM- RJ, Knotty, Tom... take your pick please?
TFC- Rhodri- superb leave!
Special Mention- such an awesome catch, well done Clarky!
Top result fellas, lets keep this going, and we won't be too far away from the top!!

After a few heavy downpours on Friday, it was surprising to find the notorious wet Blackwood pitch pretty dry during the Saturday morning groundwork routine, apart from a patch across the wicket from the wind blowing the covers over during the night.
The Machen team arrived with a very young outfit, and we immediately fancy our chances. Mr Ford, aka Billy Idol, became our new captain, after a controversial decision to drop Mr Shelton after last week’s disappointing defeat to the Fugitives. (He was actually away for the day).
After winning the toss, Ford had no hesitation in putting Machen into bat despite Blackwood only having 9 players.
But in the 2nd over, Gareth Knott Spurs arrived with his new K-Swiss Spikes! But still no sign of Mr Gump, which had rumours flying around the pitch after the non-appearance of the week before. Many thought he was in bed, others mentioned that he had a cold, and it takes hours to wipe his nose.
For Machen, a friendly face strolled to open the batting, in the form of Gatchie, the Silver Fox, Mr Gareth Davis, father of Simon. Just imagine Simon with grey hair!
He took a barrage of blows from openers Marlboro Watkins and Boo-Boo Matthews. After a nasty blow to the crotch from a ball from Watkins, many were wondering would there be another Davis going to see a Doctor about a swollen testicle. He later fell from a superb reaction catch from Bucket Hands in 1st slip off the bowling off Lee Bray.
The other opening batsman was living a risky life, playing and missing; giving rise to a clap from the slip cordon every time he hit the ball. Marlboro finished an unlucky spell with 10 overs, 6 maidens, 0 wickets for 8 runs.
After 15 overs, Machen were 28-1, with 18 runs coming from extras! Something that needs to be tightened up for the tougher games to come!
With Gump away, we were thankful for Bambi for fielding until the 14th over, when from nowhere a car raced into the car park and Gump rolled out!
Meanwhile, away from the soap drama, Bray then continued to work his way through the batting line up, finishing his spell with 5 splendid wickets.
The other bowlers struggled to match Brahma including Myself who bowled 7 fruitless overs.
Ford saw it wise to bring himself on, and he bought a wicket, as did Bobby, but it was the Gumpster himself, redeeming himself after his lie-in, with 3 wickets in 3 overs to finish Machen off setting Blackwood 128 to win.
Teas- fantastic! Thank you Carol!
So Blackwood then set of in their chase of the 128 runs. A young Andrew Clarke and Bucket Hands opened, against an opening bowling partnership which not even Carol Knott could compete against. Ladies and Gentlemen, the Buffet is open!
Rhodri went after the bowling hitting some huge sixes, including one onto the car of RJ’s parents. He was quickly out, after giving catching practice to a shock catcher in the slips for 30.
Next in was Lyn Hall. After being unable to middle anything last week, he started well with a lovely cover drive into the scorebox. At the other end, Mr Clarke, was just in sublime form, and was sending the fielders back and fore to Ken’s Castle(soon to have a 10ft deep moat).
Hall, unselfishly, gave Clarky most of the strike, as well as Clarky knicking most of the strike, in ball counting to rival Ianto! He reached a half century with two lovely shots behind square. A fabulous 50!
With the score on 122-1, 6 runs were needed, Hall was on strike, not known for his six hitting, but who would believe it, the ball was hit in the air, into the wind, and went sailing 1/8 inch over the rope for the match winning runs, Clarke finishing 54 not out, Hall 34 not out. (Clarke finishing with 2 more runs than the combined total of 11 players in the 1s.)
A good win for Blackwood against a very weak Machen team. Nevertheless, these are the teams that we need to get 20 points against!

MOM- too close to call between Lee Bray and Andrew Clarke
TFC- Gumpy, for turning up at half past 2

Next up, Pontypridd away.
This a good game to judge where we are, after a stuffing there last season!

Mr Shelton is away on holidays for the next 3 weeks, so fellas, I'm afraid you'll have to impress me to have a decent write-up on the blog!
See you all bright and early
Mr Rowe

G Ford (c)*
RJ Coles (wk)
S Hall
R Evans *
G Jones
A Clarke *
L Bray
K Rowe
T Watkins *
G Knott
Rob Matthews

Meet 12:30

Those marked with a * meet at 9:30am to complete work on the ground

Actually they achieved it pretty comfortably!

The day got off to a poor start when strike bowler Gavin "The Gumpster" Jones failed to materialise at the ground, despite numerous phonecalls he could not be awakened from his pit - it was later discovered that he had not arrived home from work until 10am, went to bed and was pretty much dead to the world!

Not to worry though as a ready made replacement was on hand, a slightly portlier version admitedly but three overs into the game the cavalry in the shape of a rather rotund looking Geoff Ford rode into town (well drove into the car park to be precise)

As well as we bowled last week, we bowled poorly this week, the fielding was dire and the highlight of the Fugitives innings from a Blackwood perspective was Little Felix's wicket keeping - memorable only from a comedy perspective I should add!!!

Fugies ended up on 217-6 in 45 overs after being put in to bat by the Blackwood skipper (100% record in tosses so far this term)

After losing Tom Darling in the first over, bowled around his legs for the second game running - Rhodri 'Edward Shovelhands' Evans began to put the Fugitives bowlers to the sword, whilst Steve Hall at the other end struggled to hit the ball off the square and when Evans went LBW for 34 due to padding up to one that darted back into him we were, thanks largely to Evans himself, up with the run rate

Enter Adam 'Little Felix' Lusardi, using the new bat of Geoff Ford, and could he make a hero of himself - well he got off the mark with a six over point but struggled to get anything going and from the moment of his dismissal onwards wickets fell regularly and the Fugies skipper Steve Dursden took the last 6 Blackwood wickets and Fugies won when Ford was bowled first ball, playing down the wrong line of a straight one that did nothing. Oh for those halcion days of Hopkinstown!!

MOTM - Shovelhands
TFC - Fordy

Machen next week gents - the skipper unavailable for the next three weeks, Edbon opting to resume his first team career, Felix having to attend a retirement do, Gary Knott injured, Carl Gwilt still working (resign please!) Scott Gameson (rugby tour) we could be struggling in a must win game!

Until the next time...............