Remembering Riding Mill Cricket Club’s Historic Dice Cricket Virtual Tour of Australia

Posted on June 12, 2023 by thecricketlibrary

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when cricket around the world was put on hold, a group of cricket-starved Englishmen and enthusiastic Australian cricketers decided to answer the call for the game to be played. Riding Mill Cricket Club, an English cricket team, embarked on a unique virtual tour of Australia in 2020, bringing the excitement of cricket to life through dice cricket. Led by Matt Ellis, the Australian tour coordinator from the Cricket Library podcast, the Riding Mill Cricket Club’s dice cricket tour brought together players and fans from different corners of the world. This article delves into the concept of dice cricket, the historic virtual tour, and the impact it had on the participating teams.

The Advent of Dice Cricket: Dice cricket has a rich history, and for Matt Ellis, it has been a long-standing passion since he discovered the game as a child. The concept is simple: players roll a dice, and the numeric value on the dice determines the outcome of each delivery. A one represents a single, a three signifies three runs, and a five triggers an appeal for a wicket. A subsequent roll of the dice determines the mode of dismissal, adding to the excitement and anticipation of the game.

Connecting Through Cricket: The Riding Mill Cricket Club’s virtual tour of Australia came to fruition when Brian Watson, a member of the club, reached out to Matt Ellis through social media. The team from England was seeking an opportunity to continue playing cricket and connect with fellow cricket enthusiasts during the pandemic. The dice cricket format provided the perfect platform for socialising, banter, and camaraderie among the players, despite being physically distant. Through social media channels and WhatsApp groups, the cricketers from Riding Mill Cricket Club could enjoy the thrill of the game and maintain their friendships in a unique way.

The Tour: The virtual tour commenced with the Cricket Library Invitational 11 taking on the Riding Mill Cricket Club in the tour opener, held at Matt Ellis’s residence in Burrabadine, near Dubbo. This double-header event kicked off the tour, which spanned various locations in Australia. The participating clubs included the Dubbo CYMS Cougars, Wagga Wagga RSL Bulldogs, Kissing Point Cricket Club, UTS North Sydney District Cricket Club, West Meadows Cricket Club, St Kevin’sOld Boys, Parkdale, and the Morley District Cricket Club. The tour concluded with a game against the prestigious Morley District Cricket Club in Perth.

Engaging Australian Clubs: Brian Watson was pivotal in engaging cricket clubs from across Australia to participate in the virtual tour. Through persistent communication and his passion for dice cricket, Watson managed to secure the involvement of various clubs, allowing them to participate in this unique cricketing experience.

Following the Action: To keep cricket enthusiasts engaged and updated, the tour scores were posted on the Cricket Library’s Twitter handle (@CricketLibrary). Score updates on Twitter were the primary method of following the action. The clubs themselves distributed the scores within their own groups, generating banter and excitement throughout the tour.

Conclusion: The Riding Mill Cricket Club’s dice cricket virtual tour of Australia in 2020 brought the joy of cricket to life during a time when the world was grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the unique format of dice cricket, players and fans were able to connect, compete, and experience the thrill of the game from the comfort of their homes. The tour showcased the power of cricket in bringing people together, transcending physical boundaries, and creating a sense of camaraderie and community, even in challenging times.

This interview originally aired on ABC Radio on June 12, 2020, when the world was shutting down as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Surbhi Vaid – Star on the Rise – The Cricket Library

Surbhi Vaid is a young broadcaster on the rise, having worked as an on-air talent in the IPL and WPL. She sits down with Matt Ellis to share the origins of her passion for cricket, embracing the nerves that come with being on camera, working with Aussie legend Brett Lee, the positive impact of the WPL and of course Surbhi will reveal the three people that she would invite to a dream Cricket Net session. Please remember to subscribe to the Cricket Library Podcast on your favourite podcast provider and leave a positive review to help us to continue sharing stories that inspire a love of cricket.

Mill finish with a Bang!

Posted on January 23, 2022 by thecricketlibrary

Riding Mill have had the perfect finish to their dice cricket virtual tour of Australia with a 3 wicket win against the well credentialed Cricket Library Podcast XI.

After winning the toss and electing to bowl, Riding Mill had immediate success removing Clifton and Penna both out LBW to deliveries that looked to keep a bit low from Scott Dickson.

The umpires were certainly earning their money with yet another LBW decision seeing Devlin on her way for 6 when she was trapped in front by Jonny Bennett.

The wickets flowed steadily for the visitors with Greenwood taking a good catch to remove the dangerous Ludeman for 18 off the bowling of Riding Mill skipper Liam James.

Steve Kent soon joined the party removing the experienced Stevens for 16, yet another player to depart LBW on a surface that was showing signs of unpredictability for the batters.

Cricket Library Weekly podcast co host Robbie Mackinlay looked very impressive for his 16 but found himself out stumped by Greenwood to a ball from Aly Hall that hit a crack and deviated past the edge of his bat.

Captain Matt Fiction was building a formidable partnership with Andrew Ellis before Ali Raza got one to jag back and trap the podcast xi skipper in front for 13.

Ellis and McDermott started the rebuild taking 16 off the Longstaff over which was the first over of the innings without a wicket falling. Unfortunately for the hosts, when dice cricket veteran Brian Watson removed Ellis, out stumped for 25 and then Hughes a couple of balls later for three, Riding Mill were well and truly in the box seat and very much on top.

Alister McDermott and Josh Lalor restored some pride with some strong late order hitting before Potts claimed the 6th LBW of the innings leaving the hosts all out for 140 with one ball left in their allotment of ten overs. Traditionally this score would be considered below par but with a strong bowling line up we would have to wait and see if it was indeed enough.

Riding Mill got their run chase off to a positive start with last ball hero in the previous game, Tony Potts forming a strong partnership at the top of the order with Mark Butcher.

Emma Hughes was able to get the breakthrough however removing Potts who was out to a good catch by Ludeman for 17. Very next ball Hughes accepted a sharp return catch to see Greenwood on his way without scoring.

When Alister McDermott followed this up with two wickets in his over, firstly dismissing Butcher for 12 out to a good catch by Andrew Ellis and then some smart glove work by Ludeman saw Brian Watson on his way for a 2nd ball duck out stumped.

At 4-38 Riding Mill needed to rebuild their innings which Longstaff and Raza began to do taking 11 off the Ellis over that followed. The podcast xi skipper Matt Fiction then provided Ludeman with another stumping when he lured Longstaff out of his crease sending him back for 13.

Another over of consolidation followed with 16 coming off Mackinlay before Nina Stevens picked up the big wicket of Ali Raza who was looking like seeing Riding Mill home after playing some exquisite strokes on his way to 42 from 15 deliveries.

Sam Devlin was able to put the breaks on further removing Aly Hall with Ludeman again taking a good catch to see him on his way for 9. Steve Kent and Riding Mill skipper Liam James were left with the task of collecting 30 runs off the last two overs to win.

This was made more challenging with some very smart bowling from Penna, restricting Kent and James to just 13 from her over. It was Steve Kent however, who found an extra gear hitting a six and a four off the first two balls of the final over before finishing the game with a towering six to wrap up the win.

Players and virtual fans stormed the ground to embrace Kent who had batted magnificently for his unbeaten 36. It was Ali Raza though that was officially named player of the match for his 42 that set up the victory as well as the big wicket of Matt Fiction with the ball.

Thus ends another successful tour with Riding Mill finishing with four wins and four losses of the tour and leaving the virtual shores of Australia with their heads held high.

Riding Mill will now continue their preparations on the field for what is expected to be a huge English summer ahead.

Please make sure you subscribe to the cricket library podcast to show your support of the dice cricket tour organisers.

Surbhi Vaid – Star on the Rise – The Cricket Library

Last Ball Thriller As Mill Sneak Home

Posted on January 19, 2022 by thecricketlibrary

Riding Mill have returned to the winners circle in the most dramatic circumstances with a last ball one wicket victory against SUCC in the penultimate game of their dice cricket virtual tour of Australia.

Things started will for Riding Mill skipper Liam James winning the toss and electing to bowl first, something that Riding Mill had not done since their dramatic one wicket victory against Dubbo CYMS.

After a steady first over from Tony Potts, Butcher copped some early punishment from Shawn Mepham before he got one to nip back and trap him in front for 23 from 8 deliveries. The SUCC batters really struggled to get themselves in with wickets falling in clumps thanks to some excellent bowling from Aly Hall who claimed Ball LBW for 9 and bowled Pass for 7 to have the home side 3-40 after 3.

Joel Marks continued building the pressure not allowing the new batters to settle with Steve Kent providing some smart glovework behind the stumps to see Marshman on his way without scoring and Hood departing for 4. When Iain Longstaff then chimed in with the wicket of Dunstone for 9, it looked like it may be an early night with the hosts on the rack at 6 for 68 at the halfway mark.

SUCC knew they could still post a competitive total provided they kept wickets in hand. A positive partnership between skipper Maria Buster and her nephew Andrew Kirk saw the score move to 89 before Steve Kent was again in the game claiming a sharp chance down the leg side to see Buster on her way for 19. Sam Buster came and went, advancing down the wicket to see the ball spin past his bat and into the gloves of Kent who completed an easy stumping.

At 8-103, Riding Mill just needed to deliver the knock out punch to ensure they would be well on top going into the innings break. Counter attack was the response from SUCC with Andrew Kirk and the recently married Leon Dhemba building a handy partnership which saw Kirk notch a half century and Dhemba hitting some powerful 6s on his way to a career best 21 not out.

The SUCC total of 8-159 was certainly one they were capable of defending and we certainly had a game on our hands.

The run chase got off to an explosive start with Scott Dickson top edging the opening ball of the innings over the keepers head for six, followed by the next ball flying down to the third man boundary for four, pushing one into the onside for 2 and then two more sixes and a four to finish the over.

Dhemba was able to stem the flow momentarily when he removed Dickson thanks to some fast hands behind the stumps from Kieran Ball but the runs kept flowing with the score racing to 1-46 after two overs and Riding Mill well ahead of the required run rate.

Sam Buster was able to chime in with a double breakthrough however, removing Bennett LBW for 20 from just six balls and then Collins on his way for 1 again thanks to some smart work behind the stumps from Kieran Ball who had his second stumping for the night.

Wickets would be the recipe required to stem the flow of runs and SUCC’s Andrew Kirk despite getting hit for three boundaries and a six, was able to remove Riding Mill skipper with a gem of a delivery for 26.

Longstaff and Raza were building a nice partnership and were still well ahead of the rate hitting boundaries and rotating the strike as needed. Colin Dunstone was able to provide the breakthrough however, nipping one back into the top of off to see Longstaff on his way for 13.

Next ball Michael Marshman trapped Raza in front for 19 and finished his over with a straightforward caught and bowled to see Hall on his way for 9 and the pendulum swinging back in favour of the home side with the score at 7-119 and still a job to do for the lower order.

Steve Kent came in with his intentions clear, hitting a towering six of Simon Hood before surviving a huge appeal for LBW before nicking one to Kieran Ball behind the stumps effecting an elementary catch to see Kent back to the virtual pavilion for 7.

The equation was now 30 required off the final two overs with just 2 wickets in hand with Joel Marks the last recognised batter at the crease on 7 with Butcher yet to face a delivery.

A six off the first ball followed by another 3 balls later from Marks had Riding Mill in the box seat but there was another twist in the tale with Marks controversially given LBW on the final ball of the over. On close inspections of the replays, the snicko technology detected the faintest of edges before the dice crashed into the pads. Marks had to go however, and we were set for a grandstand finish with 11 needed to tie and 12 to win from the final over.

Shawn Mepham was left with the responsibility of trying to close the game out for SUCC and with the field up, he nearly had the breakthrough on the first ball of the over when Butcher was struck on the pads. After what seemed like an eternity, the umpire said ‘not out’ and the over continued with scores tied on the final ball. A thick outside edge off the bat of Potts somehow trickled into the third man boundary with the Riding Mill faithful bursting into rapturous virtual applause.

The Riding Mill players stormed onto the ground jubilantly and surrounded the last ball hero Tony Potts who had pulled the visitors out of the fire to come away with a miraculous last ball one wicket win.

It is unusual for a player on the losing side to be awarded the player of the match honours but the official judges could not go past Andrew Kirk for his magnificent 62 not out that kept his side in the contest.

All eyes will now be on team announcements for the final game of the tour with speculation that there will be some current WBBL and former BBL players named for the Cricket Library Podcast XI in a fixture that is set to capture the attention of dice cricket lovers around the world.

Surbhi Vaid – Star on the Rise – The Cricket Library

Albury next stop for Riding Mill on dice cricket virtual tour of Australia

Posted on January 14, 2022 by thecricketlibrary

Proud Sponsors of Albury Cricket Club
https://kdec.com.au/

In what has been a memorable virtual time down under for Riding Mill Cricket Club with their tour taking them to places such as Burrabadine, Dubbo, Wagga Wagga, Sydney, Pomberneit and now to the beautiful city of Albury on the majestic Murray River.

Albury Cricket Club will play host to Riding Mill this Saturday night 9pm UK time and 8am Sunday in Albury for what promises to be an interesting match up with Albury boasting some wonderful credentials as a cricket club yet making their debut in the dice cricket format.

Riding Mill have mad two changes to the team that lost by 7 wickets to Pomberneit during the week with skipper Liam James & top order batter Steve Kent making way for Aly Hall who will take on the captaincy duties and Brian Watson who is again expected to take the new dice.

Ross Dixon will captain Albury with coach Jerim Hayes excited about the prospects of the side adapting their skills to the dice format and has high hopes of being very competitive on the weekend despite the fact most of the XI will be backing up from playing on Saturday afternoon.

Of course you will be able to follow all of the action via our official twitter feed with full scorecards and match reports to follow after the game.

Surbhi Vaid – Star on the Rise – The Cricket Library

Tom has Place in Pomborneit CC History with Dice Cricket Debut to Remember

Posted on January 12, 2022 by thecricketlibrary

Tom Place has had a dice cricket debut to remember claiming 2 for 11 and peeling off an incredible 89 not out to see the Pomborneit Bulls claim victory over the touring Riding Mill Cricket Club on their virtual tour of Australia.

After winning the toss and batting Riding Mills first assignment was to ensure they batted their full allotment of ten overs having been bowled out in their previous two fixtures.

Things did not get off to an ideal start for the tourists at the virtual Pomborneit Recreation Reserve when Sam Darcy had Riding Mill opener Jonny Bennett trapped plumb in front for 6 in the opening over.

Scott Dickson and Steve Kent who was coming off runs in previous fixtures set about re-building the innings moved the score along to 54 before Kent edged one through to Dave Murphy behind the stumps off the bowling of Josh Place for 26. Dave Murphy again chimed in with a smart catch to remove Collins for 1 and giving Josh Place the very tidy figures of 2 for 7.

Dickson was building his innings nicely as Riding Mill skipper Liam James came and went for 0 out LBW to Pomborneit captain Grant Place bringing Ali Raza to the crease. Raza rotated the strike well giving Dickson the opportunity to bring up a well made half century off just 19 balls.

Riding Mill were on track for a big score at 4-124 with two overs to play, however, Tom Place was able to put the breaks on with a double breakthrough. Scott Dickson skied a short ball that took some catching from keeper Dave Murphy which saw him on his way for 83. Luke Reynolds then chimed in with a sharp catch to remove Raza for 6 with the game still well and truly in the balance.

Iain Longstaff and Joel Marks scored some valuable runs in the final over to take the total to a respectable 6 for 155.

The run chase got off to an explosive start with two towering sixes hit in the opening over as well as the departure of Dave Murphy who was clean bowled by Potts after getting off the mark with a 6.

Tom Place got into his work immediately taking a liking to Butcher dispatching him over the virtual rope first ball of the over and followed this with an exquisite boundary through the covers and then back to back sixes and another boundary before nudging a single to fine leg on the final ball of the over to retain the strike.

Steve Murphy was enjoying the view from the non-strikers end more than happy to ensure Place was facing the majority of deliveries. The partnership continued to build with Place going past 50 much to the delight of the virtual crowd and at 1-98 at the halfway mark, the hosts were thinking that dice cricket is a pretty easy game.

Riding Mill skipper Liam James had other ideas however, trapping Steve Murphy in front for 39 and finding himself on a hat trick after Easton Wood skied the next delivery into the safe hands of Iain Longstaff. Luke Reynolds negotiated the hat trick ball with he and Place deciding to see off the skipper and look to find runs elsewhere.

Unfortunately for Mick Collins, he copped the brunt of some more powerful striking from Tom Place who raced to 76 dispatching two boundaries early in the over and completing the damage with two consecutive towering sixes to conclude the over.

Steve Kent and Jonny Bennet were not able to reel them in, despite a huge shout for LBW when Place was on 88. Luke Reynolds brought up the victory with a well timed on drive to bring up the winning runs.

It was no surprise that Tom Place was awarded the official player of the match honours with his performance with both bat and ball.

Riding Mill now need to re group before heading to virtual Albury on the weekend to take on the Albury Cricket Club who are also making their highly anticipated dice cricket debuts.

Surbhi Vaid – Star on the Rise – The Cricket Library

Dice Cricket debutants looking to dent the hopes of Riding Mill

Posted on January 11, 2022 by thecricketlibrary

Pomborneit Cricket Club was established in 1883 and has a rich history of being an inclusive and progressive club. They have men’s senior teams who play in the South West Cricket Association in Victoria as well as 2 grades of women’s senior cricket in the Colac District Cricket Association’s Women’s competition.

They also have junior boys and girls teams as well as a Woolworths Cricket Blast Centre where the next generation of players can learn and develop their cricket skills.

It is our understanding however, that this may be the first time that Pomborneit Cricket Club will be taking part in a game of dice cricket. No doubt the anticipation levels are high as players prepare themselves to take on seasoned campaigners Riding Mill who have toured Australia previously and participated in domestic dice cricket leagues in the UK.

Riding Mill have played four games on their tour to date including victories over Burrabadine and Dubbo CYMS before going down to the Wagga Wagga RSL Bulldogs and Kissing Point.

There are a couple of changes for Riding Mill who continue to utilise all members of their 13 strong touring party with Brian Watson recovering from some muscle stiffness after his cameo at the batting crease against Kissing Point while it is believed Aly Hall is just being rested and will return for the game on the weekend.

As usual you can follow the coverage of the game on the official Cricket Library Twitter feed with full scorecards and match reports to follow the completion of the match.

It is great to have Pomborneit involved in the tour and we wish them all the best for their dice cricket debut!

Surbhi Vaid – Star on the Rise – The Cricket Library

Can the Bulldogs stop the Riding Mill Juggernaut?

Posted on January 3, 2022 by thecricketlibrary

The Wagga Wagga RSL Bulldogs are priming themselves for what promises to be another dice cricket blockbuster this Wednesday night 6:30pm UK time when they take on a Riding Mill outfit who are riding high after back to back wins to start their virtual tour of Australia.

When they last toured, it was a high scoring affair with Riding Mill coming away with a 6 wicket victory after peeling off 170 in 8.4 overs on the virtual Wagga Wagga Cricket Ground surface that was very batter friendly.

With a wet start to the summer in Australia, it will be interesting to see if the runs will be flowing in a similar manner early this Thursday morning Australian time. The Bulldogs will be again skippered by their first grade captain and leg spin bowling all rounder Sam Perry. Sam’s younger brother Ethan is expected to be a key man at the top of the order after registering a rapid 47 off 14 the last time the two teams met with Joel Marks the one to snare the key wicket.

Riding Mill have continued to adopt a rotation policy with Brian Watson and Scott Dickson making way for the return of Iain Longstaff and Tony Potts. Steve Kent has been moved to the top of the order and will be looking to take the opportunity with both hands.

As always you can follow the action via the official Cricket Library twitter feed with a full match report and scorecards to follow the day after the game is completed.

Surbhi Vaid – Star on the Rise – The Cricket Library

Barber Brilliance Not Enough To Get CYMS Home As Riding Mill Go Back To Back

Posted on January 2, 2022 by thecricketlibrary

Tom Barber has claimed a hat trick and scored 30 off nine balls but it has not been enough to get Dubbo CYMS across the line as Riding Mill snuck home to claim a second consecutive win on their virtual tour of Australia.

With conditions perfect for batting, CYMS skipper Angus Norton had no hesitation in batting first after winning the toss. Norton would be joined by his opening batting parter Marty Nelson getting the CYMS innings off to a flyer racing to 0-39 after the opening two overs from Watson and Butcher.

After surviving a huge shout for LBW, Marty Nelson was the first to depart out to a neat catch by Greenwood behind the stumps off the bowling of Collins for 18. This was soon followed by another good catch from Greenwood off the bowling off Kent to remove Norton for 32 off just 10 balls.

Joel Marks copped a bit of punishment from the powerful Paul Suckling who deposited one in the virtual tennis courts before Marks had the last laugh bowling Suckling for 15. Hall soon picked up the big wicket of Patterson LBW for 5 and the game was evenly poised with Dubbo CYMS 4-98 with a nice partnership building between Weekes and Barber.

After some further consolidation with 17 coming off the Ali Raza over, skipper Liam James had an immediate impact removing the set Barber for 30 off 9. Edmunds came in and immediately got the runs flowing getting off the mark with a huge six that crashed into the virtual scoreboard.

Dickson was able to tighten the screws with Greenwood adding to his two catches with the stumping of Edmunds for 23 off 9. Debutant Ben James got his first taste of dice cricket finishing 2 not out with Gavin Weekes steering the ship at the other end making a valuable 26 from just 13 deliveries.

The Riding Mill run chase got off to an absolute flyer with Scott Dickson clearing the virtual pickets on three consecutive deliveries before Corey Suckling had the last laugh sending the stumps cartwheeling to remove the dangerous Dickson for 18 in an eventful first over.

Ben O’Donnell was greeted to the bowling crease by Liam James who deposited his first delivery into the virtual cricket nets before he struck back wrapping the skipper on the pads and was sent back to the pavilion for 8.

Ali Raza and Jonny Bennett were increasing the score at a rapid rate before debutant Ben James finished his over with the wicket of Bennett who had compiled a more than useful 37 off just 12 balls. Despite the wicket, Riding Mill were well and truly in the box seat at 3-76 with 6 overs still to be bowled.

A steady flow of wickets continued to provide hope to CYMS with Edmunds removing Hall for a golden duck, Patterson accounting for Marks who made 12 and Paul Suckling luring Raza down the track before Weekes had the bails off in a flash to se him depart for 27.

However, the Riding Mill run rate continued to escalate with the score moving to 6 for 130 leaving only 22 runs to get off the remaining 18 deliveries. This would normally be a walk in the park but what was about to happen would turn the game on its head.

Tom Barber after being hit for 6 by Steve Kent was caught behind thanks to an athletic catch from Gavin Weekes. Next ball, saw Barber taking the catch of the tour so far, moving briskly to his left to see Butcher on his way first ball and finding himself on a hat trick.

Captain Angus Norton brought the field in for the hat trick ball which Greenwood skied high into the Dubbo skyline with the ever reliable Paul Suckling moving steadily to his right to claim the catch with the CYMS fans going into raptures in acknowledgement of the heroics on display.

Brian Watson strode to the crease with he and Collins needing to find a way to reach the total without losing the final wicket. Collins hit a six followed by a three to put the number 11 on strike. Somehow, Watson managed to get a thick outside edge sending the ball down to third man. Despite a valiant effort from Norton who had to cover a lot of ground in the field and prevent a boundary, the Riding Mill batsmen made it home for the three most valuable runs of Watson’s distinguished career, bringing up victory for the visitors.

Tom Barber was named the Cricket Library player of the match with reports that there will be an official presentation of the match dice at a later date in acknowledgement of his hat trick and all round performance.

The next assignment for Riding Mill is on January 5 when they will take on the Wagga Wagga RSL Bulldogs at the virtual Wagga Cricket Ground.

Surbhi Vaid – Star on the Rise – The Cricket Library

Butcher and Watson Huge Inclusions For Riding Mill

Posted on December 31, 2021 by thecricketlibrary

When England omitted James Anderson and Stuart Broad from the first test of the summer at the GABBA it raised a plethora of questions.

Needless to say when evergreen Brian Watson was not named in the starting XI for the opening game of Riding Mill’s virtual tour of Australia there were many eyebrows raised. It does appear to be a masterstroke however, with Watson and Butcher both inclusions for their highly anticipated clash with Dubbo CYMS with the tourists coming off a first up win against Burrabadine.

The rotation policy employed will ensure that players have adequate rest and recovery between games and no doubt ensure the longevity of players on the month long tour. In this case it is Longstaff and Potts who will look to freshen up and perhaps take the opportunity to take in the sights at the Iconic Dubbo Western Plains Zoo.

When Riding Mill last toured, it was Aly Hall who was the key man against Dubbo CYMS claiming a hat trick in his figures of 4-5 after scoring 46 from 17 balls. It was not enough however, with Dubbo CYMS coming away with a nail biting win.

Dubbo CYMS new recruit Angus Norton has been handed the responsibility of captaining a side that has plenty of dice cricket experience with a couple of new faces looking to make an impression on the big stage.

It is understood it should be a good virtual surface for the clash that is certain to be followed closely by dice cricket lovers around the globe with coverage of the fixture on the official Cricket Library Twitter feed from 8am Sunday Morning in Australia and 9pm Saturday night UK time.

Surbhi Vaid – Star on the Rise – The Cricket Library

Success in Australia For Riding Mill Bringing Hope To A Nation

Posted on December 29, 2021 by thecricketlibrary

In what has been a difficult time for fans of English cricket, some hope has been restored with Riding Mill claiming first blood on their dice cricket virtual tour of Australia.

Riding Mill are no strangers to Australia having completed a successful virtual tour in 2020 and with plenty of their experienced campaigners returning along with a mix of some fresh faces, hopes have been high for another successful voyage down under.

Conditions were perfect for the opening fixture with Riding Mill skipper Liam James having no hesitation in batting first after winning the toss.

Michael Steven took the new dice for Burrabadine with parallels being drawn to the Mitchell Starc dismissal of Rory Burns on the first ball of the Ashes when Dickson survived a huge shout for LBW on the first ball of the match. Dickson survived the shout but was bowled later in the over by Steven with commentators mixed in their opinions has to how much the ball swung. Some were suggesting Dickson just missed a half volley on leg stump while others were praising Steven for the late swing he was able to produce.

Gary Fisher had an immediate impact sending Bennett back to the pavilion after he skied one to Peter Ellis who was fielding at mid on. Fisher had a tidy finish to the over restricting the Riding Mill batters to just 10 runs from his over.

The third over saw a third wicket in the match with Jack Ellis picking up the key wicket of Riding Mill skipper Liam James who looked good on his way to 20 off just 7 deliveries. Ellis clipped the inside edge of James’ bat with the experienced Brockley moving smartly to his left to claim the catch.

Calamity then ensued with Luke Olsen targeted by Hall and Raza who dispatched him to all parts taking 27 from the over. Hall launched two massive sixes, one which was deposited into the virtual car park and the other landing on the roof of the library. Raza didn’t miss out either with a top edge flying over the rope behind the keeper.

Diamond was able to calm proceedings down and was unlucky not to pick up the wicket of Raza when he was struck on the pads on the final ball of the over. There was a huge appeal which fell on deaf ears and with no DRS available Raza remained at the crease with Hall continuing to build a partnership.

Brockley was back in the action once again the following over with his silky hands whipping the bails off to see Hall on his way back to the pavilion for a destructive 35 from 11. Peter Ellis lured him down the track spinning one past the edge to claim the important wicket.

Joel Marks took an early liking to Tabbernor dispatching a six off his first delivery and following it up with a boundary. Tabbernor had the last laugh however, sneaking one between bat and pad to remove Marks for 13 off 4.

Meanwhile Ali Raza was building his innings nicely and had formed a strong partnership with the experienced Steve Kent. Mackinlay was able to produce the breakthrough however, after Raza skied one to Gary Fisher who is as safe as they come under the high ball. Raza went for 38 from 16 with Longstaff joining Kent at the crease.

After lengthy discussions prior to the game, Burrabadine captain Matt Fiction made a tactical change deciding to bowl the penultimate over of the innings. Fiction is known for his death bowling but felt it was time to give other players the opportunity to bowl the crucial 10th over.

Fiction delivered the goods in the 9th removing Kent with a yorker that crashed into the base of off stump sending him on his way for 22 from 9. Fiction kept it tight finishing with the impressive figures of 1-7.

In a fairly uneventful final over, Riding Mill closed things out nicely taking 14 runs off Clifton to finish with an about par 7 for 155 from their 10 overs.

The run chase got off to an explosive start with Fiction and Clifton batting like men who were running late for an appointment. No bowler was safe in the first three overs with Burrabadine racing to 0-61 after three overs and well on top in the contest with Clifton on 23 off 7 and Fiction on 38 off 11 including 3 massive sixes.

Steve Kent was able to produce the breakthrough in the fourth over after some tidy work behind the stumps from Greenwood seeing Fiction stumped for 38. Joel Marks was then able to tighten the screws even further with Clifton also stumped by Greenwood for 30 and Tabbernor coming and going for 2 sent back to the pavilion bowled by a ball that kept a bit low.

A tight over from Aly Hall ensured that the pressure was building on the Burrabadine run chase and when Raza claimed two wickets with his first two balls, the hosts were in real trouble. Raza knocked over Peter Ellis for 13 with Brockley falling next ball to another delivery that appeared to keep low. At 5-99, despite having the experienced Mackinlay at the crease with Diamond, the task was now much tougher for Burrabadine.

Liam James chimed in removing Diamond with an absolute Jaffa, hitting the seam and jagging back to hit the top of off stump. Meanwhile, Mackinlay was being starved of the strike and eventually falling to a top edge that was well taken by Greenwood off the bowling of Bennett.

Jack Ellis survived an LBW appeal first ball to go on and finish 18 not out, with Dickson removing Olsen who was out to another neat stumping by Greenwood and then trapping Fisher in front for 4. Some lusty blows from Steven made the total more respectable but in the end Riding Mill were deserving winners by 14 runs.

It was no surprise that Ali Raza claimed the official Cricket Library Player of the match award after starring with both bat and ball.

The tour will continue on the weekend with all of England expected to be right behind Riding Mill as they look to continue on their winning ways when they take on the highly fancied Dubbo CYMS who defeated the visitors on their last trip down under.