Availability issues throughout the club reached a new low this week. But 32 players including 1 female took to the field aiming to get 3 wins from 3 for the first time this season.
A few changes from last weeks 2’s side saw us lose Drew, Foxy and Phipps for the home clash with Purleigh, who had yet to secure a win yet this season. After winning the toss and choosing to bowl, we began well, George Davis bowling one opener with a beauty which cut back and clipped off stump. The other opener should have gone straight away too, dropped in consecutive overs by Nob and Ed in the slips off both DQ and George, luckily it wasn’t too costly as he departed for 24, caught behind by stand in Keeper Banny, off George Davis. Olly and John bowled economically to begin with and John picked up a wicket in his second over, whereas Kendall surprisingly went wicketless from his 10 overs. Jimmy Hay took a wicket in his first over, a filthy long hop hit down Nob’s throat and after 30 overs the visitors were 126-4 and the game was fairly even. Then the sloppiness began. Some poor bowling, some unlucky, a severe loss of concentration in the field and a couple more dropped catches. Even the simplest things like remembering your fielding positions and throwing the ball to each other couldn’t be achieved. The last 15 overs yielded 121 which with a real kick in the teeth and certainly 50 more than it should have been. Ethan (3-48) took his first 2’s wickets and George (2-38) bowled very well but the damage was done in the field.
Jimmy McVicar Mini Dicko Reverend Hay was on teas this week and I think we may have found his calling in life. The cake selection was quite fantastic and the amount of cocktail sausages ample. There wasn’t any fruit but I’m not sure Jimmy would have considered the fruit and veg isle when making this tea. 8/10
We set about our innings with the target to be in the same position as the visitors, 130 after 30 overs. We were not too far off, we had 115 after 30 overs, but we had also lost 9 wickets and were earlier 36-5, so it was tough to be optimistic. An innings full of batsmen playing across the line, to straight balls, followed by the inevitable death rattle, was an all too familiar sight. The only batters to go away with any credit were 10 & 11, Jimmy Hay and Olly. Jimmy played straight, got in line and batted sensibly before unfortunately being ran out and Olly, batting with a limp, belted his first ball for 4 before adding 59 for the last wicket with Nob. The bowling wasn’t particularly good, but the batting was particularly bad.
A real disappointing game against the bottom of the table who we should be beating, and with better availability we would have done.
Star Man - Jimmy Hay. Great tea and batted well.
