|
Posted:
Friday 3rd September 2010
Source: Christopher Dean
Brought on to bowl from the Pavilion-end, as the
usual bowlers were not taking wickets, Rob Acton
managed to single-handedly remove Plymstock's
middle order. He bowled their captain (P
Birleson) with a (typically) ultra-slow
ball..... Actually, this was a reasonable ball
just painfully slow! Rob Acton then apologised
to the batsman stating that he (the batsman) did
not know how unlucky he was - 131 for 3! Mr S.
Ali came in and managed to play all round
another slow (but straight) ball - 131 for 4.
The batsman's dismissal was unusual as, despite
crossing his legs in an attempt to smear the
ball to cow corner, he successfully contrived to
let the ball go between his legs onto the stumps
to end the over.
First ball of Rob's next over, the batsman (H.
Kerton) successfully smeared a poor half-tracker
straight to Simon Bailey some thirty yards away
at mid-wicket (136 for 5). At this point, Rob
was to be seen running round with both arms
aloft and the rest of the team in hysterics and
disbelief. All round merriment and scurrilous
suggestions were being made that Simon should
have dropped the ball!
This spurred Rob Acton into tremendous action in
the field as he then took an extremely fine
catch off his own bowling diving low to his
right to remove Mr M. Blackmore for nought (140
for 7). Thereafter, spurred on by his bowling
efforts, Rob became a veritable fielding demon
and was seen running to prevent singles which,
normally, he would have lumbered after,
chuntering deprecations, to retrieve the ball.
He was seen 'sprinting' on at least three
occasions much belying his years and was an
example to the rest of the team.
He then bowled another hapless batsman for
nought (140 for 8). He claims this ball turned.
The Bradninch wicket-keeper rebuts this wild
allegation. Nevertheless, Rob's first ever
fivefer and hat trick (5-1-23-5) deservedly led
off the team at tea.
Not satisfied with his bowling performance, Rob
Acton also top-scored for Bradninch as they
chased a very mediocre 178 with 52 overs
available. A bright start, with 14 off the first
over was soon dissipated by some lacklustre
batting performance in this, the last DCL
fixture of the season. 32 for 1 soon became 62
for 4. Rob Acton and Simon Bailey went about
trying to repair the innings and brought the
score up to 100 before Rob was out for the fifth
wicket down, having scored 30. Yet another late
order collapse (115 for 6 became 137 for 9) and
it was left to Christopher Dean and Captain Phil
Chappell to try and thwart Plymstock. At this
point, a victory, although unlikely was not
inconceivable as there were some 18 overs to get
the remaining 40+ runs. Unfortunately,
Christopher Dean was unable to resist the left
arm slow-bowling young R. Maffey (13.2-2-44-6)
and was last out for 25 as Bradninch lost by 30
runs with more than 11 overs to go.
The origin or derivation of the cricketing term
"hat trick", first chronicled in the 1870's, is
that when a bowler achieved this feat, a
collection was taken from players and spectators
alike to purchase the bowler a new hat -
subsequently, this changed to a hat being used
to collect the money which was then presented to
the bowler. Whichever way, this would have been
an expensive year for Bradninch. Hat tricks are
usually exceptionally rare. In this season
alone, there have been five hat tricks achieved
by Bradninch bowlers:
Andy Nichols (40-6) 2nd XI vs. South Devon 8
May 2010
Ross Acton (24-5) in the 1st round of the Devon
Senior Cup vs. Axminster 9 May 2010
Simon Bailey (16-4) 2nd XI v Budleigh 29 May
2010
Pete Hardy Sunday XI v Old Grammarians
11 July 2010
Rob Acton (23-5) 2nd XI v
Plymstock 28 August 2010
While some might reasonably claim that Rob
Acton's achievement was the least anticipated,
it is here suggested that Pete Hardy's was the
most unusual, given that the third and final
wicket was achieved with his first ball fully
two years after his previous bowling spell when
he took two wickets in two balls to win the
match. CONGRATULATIONS ALL.
| 
