So the Northern Gateway VI approached their penultimate game of the season with an outside chance of winning the league. Two wins required, with other results also needing to go our way. First hurdle, beating West Bergholt, so far unbeaten all season.
For the first time this year, I had very little struggle getting a side out. The usual suspects of Yeates, Slice, RK and Pook we're complimented by the lesser spotted Pigeon and GD who wanted to try out the pads & gloves he'd got for Christmas.
15 minutes before the game, Pigeon calls. His refereeing love-in had overrun by 45 minutes and thus he would be 15 minutes late to cricket. Shocking. I then promptly lost the toss and shock we were bowling. Encouraged by the tactics of Coggeshall from the game before, I set a 2-1 offside field and told GD & RK to bowl in their half only. It works a treat, just 20 runs from the first three overs.
Time to introduce the Yeeter, 6 runs first ball. But the batsman was far too overconfident next ball trying the same shot again, dragged on and we had our first wicket.
Pigeon then turned up in a very fashionable black refereeing top, white trousers and black trainers, and one contact lense and we were back up to the full compliment. Jack then fell over his laces/didn't see the ball/made a right tit of a bit of fielding pretty soon after joining us. Showing us exactly what we'd been missing. Although that wasn't the worst bit of fielding of the day, with RK seeing three balls and picking the wrong one to try and catch allowing the real ball to pass slowly between his hands for 6.
The West Bergholt opener batted well, retiring. But the rest of their order struggled to get going, a run out, another Yeeter wicket and West Bergholt finished on 110-3 from their 12. Criminally not getting their best batsman back in and probably 30 short of a really tough total. Special mention to RK & GD who bowled most of their overs 1 man less in the field, and both went at less than 8 runs and over. Serious spells.
This is GTCC however, so chasing is never straightforward. Yeeter opened with Slice, and Yeeter nearly BBQ'ed Slice without facing, and would have too by a long way had it not been for the keeper dismantling the bails before collecting the ball. All running thereafter stopped, and we trickled along to the inevitable collapse.
Shawne nicked off, GD missed a Googly and Timbo was caught. I rebuilt with Pigeon and the run-rate kicked back up to where it needed to be. I retired bringing RK to the crease who clearly enjoys being number 6 (11) some gung ho and suicidal running saw us almost all the way there needing just two from the last.
Then chaos. RK finally ran himself out (having tried to do it several times before) and then pigeon was caught immediately after. Queue large celebrations from one of the West Bergholt cohort, who did not realise it was last man stands. Next ball driven for three and the game was ours.
West Bergholts first loss of the season. Need a Coggeshall loss against Witham, and to beat Great Bromley in our final game of the season and the league title could be in our grasp.
