Ichihara C.C v Adore C.C April 25 2004, at Fuji

Well, well, well. After last season it surely is great to be sitting where we are now.

The early six A.M start was warmly welcomed by nine Ichihara members meeting at Makuhari Hongo. All accounted for bar the skipper. Jason was seen going through his usual match day morning warm up ritual. After locating the captain and stocking up on nutrition for the pre breakfast road trip, we were out on the open road. An unusually open road it was too. The Tomei highway bathed in early morning spring sunshine (blinding to some morning eyes and oblivious to others that had decided to close up again) and with the famous Fujisan as our guide, we made quick time towards Fuji until stopping to refuel those ever-hungry gullets.

Arriving at the new Fuji ground it was apparent that this was going to be a special day. The big hill in the background was cloudless and weather wise it was a perfect day for cricket. David and Iain were collected and the Ichihara team started to test out the new Fuji number 2 ground. Finding the pitch to be nice and wide with extra length behind the stumps, not so dissimilar to the pitch at Hasib’s. The outfield was hard, flat and fast with short boundaries square of the wicket. The Ichihara top order were starting to salivate.

Hasib lost his first toss ever while wearing the red and green cap but was sent in by Adore to get first use of the pitch. A decision he would have made anyway.

Tim and I made our way to the centre to get stuck into the straight up and down Adore opening attack. It wasn’t to be Tim’s day though, looking slightly out of touch as he spooned a ball back to the bowler for 1 after surviving a close L.B.W appeal a few balls earlier. Ichihara 1 for 8 from 3 and in familiar territory. This brought Nick to the wicket and Nick knows nothing of the demons that haunted Ichihara last year. All out for 40 odd in our first game last year and Dabral have no meaning to him as he set about calming his jittery batting partner at the other end. The overs started to tick by and Ichihara were scoring at about 7 an over, pushing the good balls away for singles and finding the boundary with the loose ones.

At drinks we were 1/137 and both had our 50s.Nicks almost perfect, mine with a couple of dropped chances. After the break we were determined to get our first overseas tons but the umpire decided that 2 chances was too many for me and gave me out L.B.W off an inside edge 20 runs short of 3 figures. Geoff, another Ichihara newcomer strode to the crease and was determined to show what he is made of. He started by pushing the ball around for the 1s and 2s before getting the word from Nick that he wasn’t keen on all the running, so the boundary onslaught started. Geoff was seeing the ball well and hitting long and hard, his innings was highlighted by eight 4s and four 6s.Then on 80 he was wrapped on the pads right in front with only three balls remaining, bringing an end to an entertaining 48 ball innings. David, who had been wearing his pads for about 3 hours was itching to get out there and so had 2 balls to improve his average. He pushed a single from the first ball to add to his undefeated season total and Nick cautiously played out the last ball to ensure he remained undefeated on 152.Nicks innings was almost flawless and he didn’t give a chance all day. It was a pleasure to watch and I think every player from both teams will remember it for a long time.

Well done Nick!

Ichihara was then going to let loose their big quick left and right opening attack and reduce Adore to next to nothing and get back to Chiba in time for cold beer and Edamame. But it wasn’t to be as the Adore openers played and missed and slashed and missed but somehow got to 57 before the first wicket. Once again it was the Ichihara wicket man Brett who made the breakthrough on his second ball. He was unlucky not to have figures of 3/0 after his first over. But a wicket maiden is just what was needed. Brett was hitting the seam well and his final figures of 6 overs 1 maiden 2 for 23 don’t include the many other chances that he had. Then the spinners came on and wickets started to fall more consistently. Paul having his first bowl in Japan ended with 4 overs 2 for 25 after being on a hat trick. Everyone crowded the bat but still couldn’t pull it off for the left handed Londoner. Sanny also bowled a couple of interesting deliveries that scared the batsman into missing because of the verbal sting that they carried. His 2 wickets were a reward for his hard training over the last couple of months.

Special mention must also go to Jason out in the deep, who showed Adore how to get down and stop ground balls, saving a lot of runs.

The Ichihara bowlers bowled well and it was good to see the wickets being shared around.

Even when the final wicket fell at close to 5:30 in the afternoon Fuji was still cloudless.

It was a cheery trip back home for all as the Kirin suds quenched bare throats and more of those healthy foods that partner amber fluids so well did their job of holding the grumbling stomach beasts at bay until Ebina. Though from all reports Paul was catching a couple of hours of beauty sleep before his big midnight soccer, sorry football match and missed the party.

It seems that not only the cricket gods took a liking to us on that day but those traffic control gods as well, because we were quickly back at Makuhari by 10 P.M.

A great day out was had by all. Everyone contributed to a big win. It was a good all round team effort. But the day belonged to Nick and THAT innings.

A big THANKS FOR THAT MATE must go to Iain for coming down by Shinkansen to shuffle between scorebook and square leg all day.

Team on the day;
Hasib, Chris, Tim, Nick, Geoff.B, David, Brett, Paul, Sanny, Levi, Jason, Iain.