Game 4: Glamorgan (H)
DemolitionBy James Woodroof
Cardiff's firsts have kept up their imperious form with an eight-wicket demolition of Glamorgan, and remain joint top of the BUSA Premier.
Glamorgan won the toss and decided to bat, hoping that the pitch would deteriorate. It may well have done, but they did not hang around long enough to find out.
Cowden attempted to launch Oli Stewart's first ball of the innings over mid-off, but James Woodroof was right underneath it. Left-arm seamer Ben Walker then removed Taylor with his second ball, with the help of a diving catch from Woodroof.
With Glamorgan 2-2, Cardiff were delirious. Stewart struck again in his next over, as Glamorgan limped to 20-3 off five.
Wickets continued to tumble as Glamorgan feared the mythical demons in the pitch, and Stewart and Walker kept putting it on the spot.
The tail failed to wag, as Cardiff's opening bowlers destroyed the lower order, reducing the visitors to a woeful 56 all out off just 16 overs. Stewart and Walker finished with five wickets a piece with a showcase of fast bowling.
Cardiff have struggled to find a consistent partner for solid Steve Paul at the top of the order. Captain James Woodroof took it upon himself to open with Paul, and the pair did exactly what was needed.
They batted sensibly, nurdling the ball around the demoralised fielders, reaching 40 before Woodroof was trapped LBW for 23.
Some feckless umpiring accounted for Chris Allen in the next over, but by then the damage was done. Paul (22*) and Lloyd (8*) guided Cardiff to an impressive eight-wicket victory.
Cardiff now find themselves in a potentially tricky situation. Although they are top of the league, a defeat to UWIC in the final game of the season would leave them out of the Championship qualification spot.
Cardiff are without a substantial part of their regular team, but will go into the UWIC epic knowing a win is essential to seal the title.
GLAMORGAN
Cowden Ct Woodroof B Stewart0
TaylorCt Woodroof B Walker1
PicknorLBW Stewart12
LeemingCt Foot B Stewart5
Freeman B Walker5
EasonCt Tame B Stewart3
FuryCt Foot B Walker4
SnellyB Stewart4
LowesLBW Walker0
HoltNOT OUT2
Pickles B Walker0
Extras 20
16 OversTOTAL56
Bowling figures:
Stewart 8 - 2 - 27 - 5
Walker 8 - 0 - 20 - 5
CARDIFF
PaulNOT OUT22
Woodroof LBW Holt 23
AllenLBW Holt0
LloydNOT OUT 8
18.3 OversTOTAL57-2
Bowling figures:
Eason 5-1-10-0
Fury 3-0-10-0
Lowes 3-0-11-0
Snelly 3-1-8-0
Holt 3-0-8-2
Pickles 1.3-0-9-0
CARDIFF WON BY 8 WICKETS
Game 3: Southampton (H)
Crisis averted as Cardiff go topBy James Woodroof
Cardiff firsts have gone joint top of the BUSA Premier League, following a narrow 23 run victory over Southampton University.
After the demoralising loss at the hands of Solent, Cardiff were eager to put their demons to rest. Put into bat, Cardiff changed tact slightly by opening with Steve Paul and wicket-keeper Greg Fury. Sadly it didn't pay off, as Fury was caught at cover in the fourth over.
Debutant Will Butterworth joined Paul in the middle, and the pair added 85 for the second wicket, before Butterworth fell to leg-spinner Green for 27.
Paul again showed grit, hitting his second fifty of the season, punishing anything short and wide. He was caught behind off Maurice, although whether he edged it is contestable.
Cardiff's middle order floundered once more, but luckily Oli Stewart and James Excell added sixty for the seventh wicket. Excell's strokeplay was elegant, as Stewart kept the scoreboard ticking over, guiding the home side to 214-7 off their allotted overs.
With over four an over needed, Southampton never really got started, but looked comfortable at 32-2 off 10 overs. Their run rate began to increase until left-arm spinners Excell and Orr were brought on to bowl. Excell ripped through the heart of the middle order, leaving them 80 for 5 at the halfway stage.
With the game seemingly in the bag, Cardiff took their foot off the gas, and it nearly cost them dear. Southampton's number eight Pat Turk was considerably their best batsman, and he led the fight-back.
With eleven overs left, the heavens opened. Southampton needed 69 runs, and Cardiff were understandably reluctant to go back out in the drizzle and dim light. The umpires waited forty minutes before sending the teams back out, and it looked as though Southampton were confident of an upset.
They kept up with the run rate required until the 41st over, when Orr and Fury combined to remove Turk for a valiant 46. Eight-down, Southampton desperately clung on with Green offering resistance (22).
Southampton required 30 runs with six overs remaining. Cardiff turned to their quickest bowler Stewart to try and remove the tail. He struck twice in eight balls, reducing Southampton to 191 all out - 23 runs short of Cardiff's total.
After being in such a commanding position throughout the game, Cardiff relaxed at the pivotal stage, which could have been disastrous. Nevertheless, the win leaves them joint top of the BUSA Premier League with two games to play. They play Glamorgan on Sunday, and a possible title decider against UWIC on Wednesday.
CARDIFF
FuryCt Green B Maurice5
PaulCt Edwards B Turk55
ButterworthCt Anderson B Green27
LloydC & B Turk13
Stafford LBW Green 0
FootCt Felstead B Green 11
WoodroofCt Green B Anderson17
StewartNOT OUT28
ExcellNOT OUT36
WalkerDNB-
OrrDNB-
Extras 22
50 OvsTOTAL214
Southampton bowling:
Felstead 10-1-51-0
Maurice 6-0-18-1
Anderson 9-0-51-1
Howlin 5-0-17-0
Turk 10-0-37-2
Green 10-1-29-3
SOUTHAMPTON
GatesCt Woodroof B Walker8
SternLBW Excell10
Kirkham-BrownCt Woodroof B Walker4
HowlinB Excell21
MarshallB Excell10
EdwardsLBW Excell12
AndersonLBW Orr4
TurkCt Fury B Stewart46
GreenSt Fury B Orr22
MauriceNOT OUT9
FelsteadB Stewart2
Extras 43
46.2 OvsTOTAL191
Bowling
Stewart 7.2-0-25-2
Walker 10-2-30-2
Stafford 7-1-30-0
Excell 10-2-20-4
Orr 10-1-49-2
Woodroof 3-0-26-0
Game 2 v Southampton Solent
Complacency costs Cardiff 1sBy James Woodroof
After the resounding win over Brighton, complacency appears to have pegged back Cardiff firsts bid for the BUSA Premier League title.
Newly promoted Southampton Solent won the toss and elected to bat to the bemusement of Cardiff's veterans. The pitch at Llanrumney usually does no favours for batsman this early on in the season.
Nevertheless, the visitors got away to a flyer, with an opening partnership of 141 between Morton and Attfield in just 24 overs. Their aggressive, albeit fortunate, style took Cardiff's pace men by surprise, who struggled to find a good length.
Left-arm spinner James Excell got the breakthrough, which marked the start of a comeback for shell-shocked Cardiff. The wickets began to tumble as Excell and fellow spinner Ben Orr piled on the pressure, reducing Solent to 156-4 off 33 overs. The game was in the balance, and Cardiff showed some real grit to finish Solent off for 224. Much of this was due to left-arm seamer Ben Walker, who took 4 wickets for 15 runs at the death.
However, such a turn-around by Cardiff's bowlers was not reflected by their top-order batsmen. Vice-captain Aled Lloyd was unlucky to drag a ball from well outside off-stump onto his stumps in the second over. Brighton's match-winner Steve Paul followed in the next over, leaving Cardiff well behind schedule on 3-2 before the bowlers had even broken sweat. Fury and Allen provided a brief fight-back, before both gave their wickets away cheaply.
The middle-order didn't hang around either, as Cardiff slumped to 41-6 off 14 overs. Stewart and Excell dug deep, but the damage was already done. Cardiff lasted just 33 overs, plundering to 98 all out, 126 short of their target.
Solent gave Cardiff a wake up call. The Premier League is the pinnacle of University cricket, and the title is not a dead cert. They will be approaching Sunday's game with Southampton University with renewed impetus, in a game that could shape their entire season.
The defeat has blown the league wide open, with Cardiff, UWIC, Southampton, Glamorgan and Solent all winning one and losing one.
SCORECARD
Solent
AttfieldCt Woodroof B Excell62
MortonB Orr72
RoseB Stafford50
HaywardLBW Excell0
ColemanSt Fury B Orr3
WalkerLBW Orr2
AlsopSt Fury B Walker1
BenjaminLBW Walker0
DucillaB Walker17
HamidB Walker2
FordNOT OUT0
Extras15
49.1 Overs TOTAL224
Figures:
Stewart 6-0-50-0
Walker 10-1-36-4
Stafford 5.1-0-27-1
Excell 10-1-42-2
Woodroof 4-0-23-0
Orr 10-1-25-3
Foot 3-0-16-0
CARDIFF
LloydB Morton1
PaulLBW Hamid0
FuryCt Hayward B Ducilla17
AllenCt Attfield B Morton9
Foot LBW Morton0
StaffordCt Hamid B Hayward6
StewartCt Attfield B Hayward13
WoodroofCt Morton B Hayward6
ExcellCt Ducilla B Hayward15
WalkerB Coleman6
OrrNOT OUT3
Extras 22
33 OversTOTAL98
Game 1 v Brighton
BRIGHT START FOR UNI CRICKET SEASONBy James Woodroof
Cardiff's cricketers have started this BUSA season will two magnificent wins over Brighton and Bath.
Cardiff 1sts travelled to 2005 Champions Brighton and expected a tough match. Cardiff's problems were compounded once more through lack of availability and injury of key players, but the eleven players selected proved more than capable for the challenge.
Brighton were put into bat on a track that offered assistance for Cardiff's seamers. Debutant paceman Oli Stewart picked up a wicket in his first over thanks to a sharp catch from Steve Paul at cover point. Brighton's Kenyan international Mo Aga looked dangerous before he was magnificently stumped down the legside by keeper Greg Fury for 16. Fury was in action again in the following over, with another sharp stumping off Stewart. Fury's stumpings changed the game; Brighton were racing away on 30-1 from 4 overs, before Fury's glovework reduced them to 35-3 off five overs.
Cardiff continued to apply the pressure, as the run rate was pegged back by Woodroof and Walker, who between them removed the middle order. Cardiff were clearly on top, and their aggressive tactics ground Brighton further into the ground. Spinners Orr and Excell turned the screw even further, and Brighton were left shell-shocked, finishing on 142 all out, with over nine overs remaining unused.
But the job was only half done. Openers Aled Lloyd and Steve Paul were positive from the off, accumulating a partnership of 59 before Lloyd was caught behind off Aga. Fury didn't hang around, leaving Chris Allen and Paul to dig in. They added 44 for the third wicket, before Allen's off stump was removed again by Aga. But Paul was in sublime form, smashing two sixes and eight fours on his way to a match-winning 75 not out. Cardiff reached the total with thirteen overs to spare and seven wickets intact.
The firsts have showed incredible potential throughout the winter and over Easter on tour in Sri Lanka. After under achievement in the past two campaigns, Cardiff appear to have a new stronger mentality and team atmosphere, which stands them in good stead for the Premier League title trail. They face newly promoted Southampton Solent and Southampton University in their next two fixtures, and are in no mood to let this momentum subside.
SCORECARD
Brighton
WorthingtonCt Paul B Stewart0
WallaceSt Fury B Stewart17
AgaSt Fury B Stewart16
MeldrumB Stewart0
TreloarB Woodroof4
BrandomB Walker14
FeaseyCt Stewart B Woodroof11
GoddardNOT OUT40
BevanCt Fury B Orr5
BruttonLBW B Orr5
LesterB Excell2
Extras28
40.2 Overs TOTAL142
Figures:
Stewart 5 - 0 - 31 - 4
Price 4 - 0 -29 - 0
Woodroof 10 - 2 - 28 - 2
Walker 6 - 1 - 21 - 1
Excell 9.2 - 2 - 13 - 1
Orr 6 - 0 - 20 - 2
CARDIFF
LloydCt Goddard B Aga28
PaulNOT OUT75
FuryCt Feasey B Aga2
AllenB Aga14
Foot NOT OUT4
Extras 20
36.1 OversTOTAL143-3
