Friday, 29 October 2010

Langa Township - the final curtain

All the Twyford party had tours around Cape Town townships in the morning and were duly chastened and informed by the poverty, inadequacy of habitation and yet many positive rays of hope of the thousands, who live in these most basic of homes.

Langa sports stadium, surrounded by a high wall, offers several sports pitches, nets and a vital clubhouse centre. The ground slowly filled with many locals, who came to support their team. The atmosphere was lively and  noisy; throw downs to the Twyford batsmen turned into fully fledged secondary games of cricket and Alison Fulton initiated a popular paper-plane airshow.

Once the mole-hills were temporarily flattened, the game began. Oscar won the toss again (I think we won all of them on this tour) and put in the township team. They seemed to vary dramatically in size (from bigger than Max to about the same size as Rory), in age (rumours of 19) and also possibly a girl in the team. Many shared bats and gloves passing them across as one batsman was out. Some did not have helmets. None of this diminished from their enthusiasm and commitment.

Batting technique may have been cavalier rather than "elbow high", but runs and wickets came in fits and starts. Rory was pick of the bowlers with three wickets, and Oscar picked up a couple. We got them out for 116, which was more than it looked at one stage and less than it might have been at another.

The Langa bowling was enthusiastic rather than disciplined, but their fielding was high energy, with many great catches and several direct hits on run-out attempts. Twyford made hard going of things, and it was Charlie and Gregor who had a great stand with zillions of singles, run out scares, overthrows and bold hitting, which swung the game our way; Charlie making a fine fast-pace 44.
Sadly, the late order could not quite match the run rate, and to hysterical jubilation Langa won by a dozen runs. Perhaps Twyford should have shown the discipline to win, but the team with the biggest heart on the day pulled it off - that is the joy of cricket.

Langa Township v Twyford - the attentive spectators

Thursday, 28 October 2010

Match 6 - Wetpups

This tour now has now had more frantic and exciting matches than the 2005 Ashes - official.
Another beautiful setting facing Table Mountain - but thankfully much warmer.

Wetpups were put in to bat and apart from an early wicket from Max, their batsmen looked very capable and built up a remorselessly increasing run rate. Eventually spinners, Rory and Felix, took a couple of wickets each, but the final total of 223 for 6 off the allotted 35 overs looked pretty handy; though the boundaries were very short.

Oscar hit a confident 20, until given out by a disgraceful lbw decision (only joking - sorry Mr Lewis), but wickets were falling and the run rate was looking challenging. Then Max detonated a one-man nuclear explosion with 56 runs off a handful of balls, including 5 enormous sixes. This gave the team the belief that a surprise might be possible. Simon then played the innings of his life.

The score reached 180 for nine, and Simon was joined by last man Angus, who also had to play the innings of his tour. Still about 40 to win and last pair at the wicket. Angus showed immense calm and control, as he defended at one end, while Simon attacked with great style at the other with nine sixes, some out of the ground. As the winning run was made, the other boys swept onto the pitch in wild delight. A quite unexpected and glorious win.  

Team (& Coaches) at Wetpups !!

Wednesday, 27 October 2010

"Hello Mum and Dad" - the Twyford Cricket Orphans alive and well

Reddam - the scoreboard

Match 5 - Reddam

Although the new school of Reddam nestles under Table Mountain, the area is infamous for its wind; in fact one parent told us that it was deemed uninhabitable for many years !! Conditions were very gusty and gradually became cloudier and colder - ideal for the Brits of course.


Oscar won the toss and elected to field. Like a phoenix after a quiet start to the tour, Ben produced a superb opening spell - taking three wickets from the top of the order, which put us in control, and we never really let their batsmen back in. Wickets were taken by Felix, Oscar, Christian and Rory 2; and it was left to Philip to sweep away the tail with two wickets in two balls. Plaudits to all the fielders, especially Max for three fine catches.


Reddam finished on 121 off 30 overs; this looked reasonably achievable, except the boundaries were deep, the grass long and the bowling quick and mostly a very good length.


Oscar faced the very first ball and, some 27 overs later, hit a glorious four to win the game. In the meantime he scored a well-paced 76 not out, solidly defending for long spells early on, and later playing many expansive shots all round the field. He was supported mainly by a brave innings from Felix (who had to face some fiery quick bowling) and a short bright cameo from Max.


This was a fine recovery from the Twyford team after their defeat the previous day. All the players contributed in some way, even those whose names do not feature in the runs and wicket taking lists.