Nomads 227-8 dec (Alexander 59, Waller 6-44) lost to Headley 228-7 (Waller 67)

 
The scramble for players this week, although again left to just hours before the scheduled start, was only for one batsman, and the chairman again using his contacts added another 15 year old, George Tyson, who subsequently made a solid contribution and certainly punched above his weight.
 
With a batting line up the skipper thought, with hindsight incorrectly, to be a little lightweight the emphasis was to win the toss and insert the opposition who looked to be lacking any bowling penetration. With the toss won and Nomads inserted the dilemma of who to open the bowling with. Alex Mearns was back in the fold. With temperatures just nudging 20 degrees the Aussie left arm quick deemed it suitable cricketing weather. Alex Stone didn’t seem switched on the task of partnering Alan Clarke. Some might ask how this was perceivable but the decision was made. Clarke’s opening overs were disappointing but Mearns after an opening loosener soon found the line, length and pace he demonstrated in his debut season. He received an early reward with a snorter that accounted for the openers off stump.
 
From then on in the remaining opener, Alexander, and number 3 Peerless set about building the large target Nomads were surely going to need. Alex Stone replaced Mearns and Grant Waller the hapless Clarke. Both bowled a good line and length and the run rate was reduced. George Tyson replaced Stone and continued the good work of containing the run rate. Whilst the job of reducing the run rate was ongoing Waller started his usual capture of key wickets at key times. He dismissed opener Alexander who had amassed 59 runs and pretty much each new incoming batsman, bowling most of them with an assortment of full swinging deliveries. Peerless was proving much harder to remove but the bowling was tight and allowed him little opportunity to build towards a hundred.
 
With Nomads limping over the 200 mark and the tea stewing stand in skipper Pickering entered the fray to accompany the still going Waller. The pair continued to frustrate Peerless who was unable to achieve a deserved hundred and the Nomads finished at 227 for 8 after 47 overs. Grant Waller’s bowling figures of 19 overs 6-44 being a true reflection of a fantastic spell of bowling.
 
Grant Waller’s performance continued into the tea interval where his selection of delicately spiced tuna sandwiches and delightful bakewell slices tempted the Headley batsmen into a longer interval of 20 minutes but with a likely maximum of 37 overs available the captain was keen to see openers Gareth Noble and Mitch Pickering out in the middle.
 
The experimental opening partnership got Headley off to the ideal start with the left hand, right hand partnership prodding, pulling and smashing the ball to all parts of the ground. Pickering M demonstrated his growing maturity as a Headley batsmen by only hitting sixes to areas of the ground where the ball could easily be found, saving essential time to cram in some more overs. With a hundred runs on the board and both batsmen approaching 50 Noble entered jug avoidance mode for himself and for his partner by first running out Mitch Pickering for 49 runs and then holing out himself. At this point stand in skipper looked to his “go to” player Waller and promoted him up the order. No instructions were necessary and with the fayre on offer the only risk was to the supply of match standard balls. With George Tyson newly arrived in the middle the pair put on over 80 runs with Tyson demonstrating the deft touch alien to Waller’s game. The pair were unable to see Headley through to victory as Nomads skipper Michael Blumberg helped himself to an unlikely but fully deserved hatrick. Stand in skipper Pickering was joined by Alex Stone and they farmed the required 12 runs for an ultimately comfortable victory by 3 wickets with just short of 5 overs remaining.
 
With Waller contributing 67 runs in the chase, his 6 wickets and tea effort he was by a country mile the man of the match.
 
Whilst Waller was undoubtedly the star performer, the big talking point amongst onlookers was the appearance of Mearns for the first time this season. With a big summer against Australia ahead, Headley's decision to offer the man from Adelaide a chance to regain match fitness whilst acclimatising to English conditions has been much criticised, but stand in skipper Andy Pickering defended the controversial decision. "Headley is a competitive club and we will continue to do what is in the best interests of the region in all competitions. Alex is a good team man who fits well into our dressing room, and having him here can only benefit our large group of English young players as they continue to learn and develop their own games".
 
Star batsmen Max Page, Josh Pickering and Philip Chapman were all missing from this fixture, but Pickering expects them back soon. "For various reasons they were not involved here, but they are all working hard at practise and in the bar and that's all we can ask from them. With the big man James Moss returning from his sabbatical we should have a pretty handy line up come mid June".