Come in number 9, your time is up

Conversation overheard in a pub in the Cambridge area, 9 May 2015:-

A Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:-  Well, we got away with that not being able to identify the Coton Mystery Match Report Writer last week.  What are the chances we’ll get away with it again?

A Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:-  No problem at all.  Nobody read either report so that should be fine.

A Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:- Well, I saw that Ross and Matt were a bit short of players this week.  I told them (or was it you?) that they should tell people about the match reports then more would want to play to get a mention on these famous pages.

A Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:-  I know.  Get famous this way or Britain’s Got Talent.  We made our wise choice and we’re sticking with it.

A Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:-  And we couldn’t be happier.

A Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:-  So what’s the theme for this week’s reports?

A Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:- We won’t get away with that two chaps chatting in a pub lark again will we?

A Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:- Probably not.  Any ideas?

Someone of little significance:-  How about three chaps chatting in a pub?

So last week we were all over Over and this week we were to arrive at St Ive.... oh bugger it ends in an “s”.  It was actually St Ives 3^rd XI.  They have 4 teams so there game of musical pitches is more of a challenge.  They have a very large facility and after arriving in a disorganised too many cars we were about half way there as a long journey through their pavilion brought us to our changing room.  And that is saying something as St Ives is about half an hour away by car (obeying the speed limits).  There is an argument that we should boycott any club which does not have a CB postcode.  But we like St Ives so we’ll forgive them.  If we played March the following week we might not be so charitable.

We were assured that we were in the right changing room despite the showers being designed either for people who didn’t wash hair or who were very short.  It was an odd arrangement especially considering that there was a step down into the shower to allow 9 foot tall people to shower, presumably from the waist down.  Let’s hope they didn’t have any 9 foot bowlers with clean legs and dirty torsos.  But I digress.  There is a small chance that one or two of you reading this (the full readership?) may want to know a bit about the cricket.

An opinion poll put John Bason and Adam Bradbury top of the selection list following their top scores last week.  Just like all of the opinion polls leading up to last week’s general election the exit polls showed that this was wrong.  No doubt they would have been selected but they chose not to stand in the Coton Cricket Club 1^st (or 2^nd) constituency this week and were duly not elected to serve a term of this Saturday afternoon.  Would this have an effect on the economy or NHS?  Possibly.  But we are talking very long term here.  Not playing this week to revise for his exams may help Adam in a future career affecting the nation.  But this week he was not going to affect the result.

Presumably to make like easier and having to change fewer names we traded one John for another (Hartright came in for Bason) and one Bradbury for another (Dadders replacing Adders).  Also Cameron came in for Gabriel, thus requiring a bit more name changing and ruining this theme.

It has been traditional to win the toss and field as there is only one new ball.  However we observed last week that Over were swinging the 40 over old ball all over the place (but mostly localised on the stumps) so we wondered whether the older ball swung more than the newer one.  So Matt maintained his winning streak, won the toss and elected to bat.  All that winter coin-tossing practise has worked wonders.  Taking into account the cross wind at St Ives (we were assured it is there most days) and coefficient of friction on a coin rotating at 340 rpm at an altitude of 1.4m and calling the correct way..... actually I have no idea of who tossed and who called.  We correspondents should probably pay more attention.  Anyway, Matt chose to bat.

Hoping to get back to last year’s statistics for the opening partnership Dave and Bobby were chosen to open the batting.  It didn’t work last week but we won so who cares?  The St Ives bowling was not as potent as the bowling of last week and they opened with two of their younger players.  Bobby took first strike to a bowler with an “interesting action”.  If they were asking for advice (which they weren’t) I think a trained coach should have a little look before any bad habits set it.  Maybe one has and all is well.  The one at the other end was probably the youngest in their team and he looks a good prospect.  He bowled more consistently than his opening partner with a lot of away swing.  The theory of the ball swinging more in the 2^nd innings may have gone.  It is quite possible that it is down to the bowlers.  Who’d have thought?  What was apparent from an early stage was that the bounce was very variable.  Some kept very low and some good length balls went head high.  They bowled enough loose balls to provide run scoring opportunities so it wasn’t necessary to take chances.  The runs flowed with both Dave and Bobby hitting fours occasionally.  At least one person read last week’s match report to note that Dave is likely to be bowled by a yorker.  Luckily for Dave this one was delivered from 21 yards and not 22.  Richard’s call was loud and early.  Some charitably noted that Richard’s call probably put Dave off and that’s why he missed it.  Not so was the honest admission. 

A short while later and off the first over of the first change bowler the ball bounced and Dave got a top edge to an attempted nurdle to be caught at square leg for 33 after 12 overs with the total on 60-1.  Matt has asked for the total to be 80 after 20 overs.  I hope he wasn’t too disappointed that we may get their early.

John came in and started swinging through the arc from the word go.  He even managed to hit one or two whilst doing so.  The variable bounce was not his friend.  Bobby was finding his range by now and extras was putting is a strong contribution to the partnership.  Perhaps the thought of this 3^rd contributor to the partnership put John off in a way similar to the way a runner might put a player off but John called for a single which was tight even for his long legs and he was run out.  At least it was his call.  Dadders Bradders was next in.  He and Bobby got the scoreboard ticking along nicely and then they brought on a left arm spinner and had Bobby caught for another good score – 34. 

Cameron joined Paul and after having a good look at the bowling hit a lovely 4 to follow up last week’s fine innings.  Unfortunately that was that and his wicket started something of a collapse with Anthony following next ball to a big spinning delivery (that’s what he told everyone anyway).  Paul smacked a lovely drive over the top.  A couple of blinks and the way he got out soon dispelled the vision of a Chris Gayle mirror image.  110-6.  Dominic joined Roger for a mini revival where again extras was the major contributor until there left armer got Dominic.  We bat a long way down so it was reassuring to see Richard coming in at 9 who does a good impression of a yo-yo in the batting order.  Roger was soon bowled and Matt joined Richard – 131-8.  The wise sages converging on the scorebox (yes, they have a scorebox - we have a trestle table) decided that these two needed to put on a few to give us a good total.  Scotch was the only one left wearing pads and was a bit grumpy with the wise sages and hoping for the opportunity to prove them wrong.  Matt is a generous captain and agreed that Scotch should be afforded this opportunity and provided it by being Stevens’ 6^th victim.  There were plenty of overs in hand when Scotch joined Richard and they mixed wise defence with a healthy number of biffs to the boundary (including one by Scotch) and a smattering of entertaining calling mostly for (and in Richard’s case against) singles off the last balls of the over.  Having used up 38 of the 40 overs Scotch could not wait for a cup of tea any longer and was caught having combined for the 2^nd highest partnership of the innings (after the opening one) of 46.

9 of us wandered off to tea in the bar (they have a bar - we have a couple of trestle tables) whilst Paul led a recount.  The bowling figures added to one total, the batting numbers gave another and the numbers ticked off another.  Our total was somewhere between 187 and 190.  As it was our doing we settled on 187.  We presented these findings to St Ives who gave the impression that starting with 1 was the problem and not ending in a 7 or 0.  Their lack of faith helped tea to go down well.

And we were off.  We took to the field with Dominic sporting a new wrist bandage.  Last week’s was white and this week it was black.  We will be accepting bets on next week’s colour.  Repeats are not permitted.  I have 25p on red. 

Anthony opened and took a little while to tune in his radar.  Matt opened at the other end was more accurate.  It wasn’t long before Anthony discovered what happens if one is aiming at the stumps and swinging in.  Clatter.  Their captain was gone.  The variable bounce made the leg side ones that bounced sit up and their number 3 pulled 3 of them to the boundary which was quite annoying really.

Matt’s straight bowling was not reaping rewards so he tried a slow one which was wider than he wanted and invited a slash through covers.  He inside edged it on to his stumps.  They say (actually we said – several times) bowl straight – you miss, I hit.  Matt ignored this advice and hit anyway.

The next wicket goes on Anthony’s end of season figures but all there agree that Bobby takes the credit.  A pull was walloped hard to square leg.  Bobby dived forward just above the edge of their artificial strip and caught a brilliant catch 3 inches off the ground.  Or Astroturf. 

Anthony had bowled a couple of beamers which was unfortunate.  The first was in one of the most entertaining sequence you’ll see.  Their number 5 (their wicket keeper) ran a sharp one soon after he got to the crease and pulled up with an injury.  Having sought and been granted Matt’s permission to have a runner (they are always fun for a while) he decided he would play out the rest of the over.  Anthony bowled a beamer which he couldn’t avoid and was hit in the chest.  He was bowled next ball and the fun of a runner was not to be.  Not this week anyway.  5 wickets down and Anthony had 4 of them.  The next beamer would have been a waist high full toss had the batsman not been their youngest and therefore shortest.  He got out of the way very well. 

Meanwhile Scotch had replaced Matt to bowl some maidens.  As per usual.  Anthony hadn’t left him many wickets to take but he did take one.  Obviously.  Bowled.  Obviously.  We’d only have dropped it otherwise.

Bobby was given an opportunity to have a bowl replacing Anthony fresh from his brilliant catch whilst Roger took over from Scotch whose figures were a ridiculous 6-3-5-1.  Bobby’s first over was a bit wayward but he soon settled down.  After a few overs where it looked like they were playing for the draw their young lad finally hit one hard but straight to Dave at midwicket who had 3 goes at catching it before finally taking the catch.  A deserved wicket for Bobby. 

Bobby resumed his place at square leg when Richard came on to bowl.  After a few overs of nudging the odd single here and there the number 9 and top scorer (like our number 9) clipped a full toss to Bobby who is now our safest pair of hands in the field.  Noting the success of a full toss Richard bowled another one to their number 10 did exactly the same thing.  9 down and Matt brought the field in for the hat-trick ball.  All apart from Bobby who remained in his position of honour at square leg.  Richard made a catastrophic misjudgement and pitched the ball so of course it did not take a wicket.

However, in his following over he did mop up the number 11 and they made a total of 80.  They were right not to worry about those 3 missing runs.  Our scorers were relieved.

A good all round bowling performance with everyone in the wickets apart from Roger.  Well, what do you expect if you don’t bowl leg stump full tosses?  At least he was economical and was very close.  Judging by Cameron’s contortions a few moved too far to hit the stumps.

Scotch tried to convince Richard that his 3 wickets were more than half a jug and 43 not out the other half.  Richard wasn’t having it.  I don’t blame him.  Maybe a team jug then?

We’re still top of the table!

The Coton Cyclone

12:30pm, Saturday the 9th May.  A lone figure paints the lines on pitch #2 as the rain clouds gather and the rain falls.  Not the best of portents for Coton 2nd XI's first home game.  The players gather and they are put to work by Ross putting out the boundary ropes and tidying the pavilion.  

As 1:30 approaches, the rain eases and remarkably we start on time.  There are three first timers this week: Bertie "brother of Bobby" Elmes, Peter "father of Tom" Jarvis, and Jim Johnson (no relatives in the senior teams, but two offspring in the juniors).  Another by-product of the junior coaching programme is the pool of fathers (and possibly mothers) that can be cajoled into playing.  We await the debuts of Helen, Ginny and Vivien Bradbury.

Barrington 2nds won the toss.  On the basis that we had scored 250 batting first last week, they put is in to bat.  Sound logic that.  Ross applied equally sound logic by asking perennial "next man in" Rob Kaye to open the batting with Gabriel Fox (no relation to Dominic).  This was actually a cunning ploy on Ross's part so he didn't have to listen to Rob whinging on about not getting a bat again.  It didn't last long.  Rob, under orders to have a go obligingly pulled the eighth ball of the innings towards mid-wicket who took a tumbling catch. Gabriel didn't last much longer, picking out mid-off the following over.  It was soon obvious that this was a very different challenge to the previous week: a slow wicket against an older and more experienced team  and we were struggling.  

The early dismissals set the tone.  Paolo looked totally bemused by one that moved back a long way from outside his off stump and clipped the bail.  Dominic and Patrick were similarly undone by straight seaming deliveries that hit the stumps.  We were only just into double figures with 5 wickets down.  Ross and Bertie staged a mini recovery, that is to say a partnership that reached double figures.  Ross hit a fine straight drive but then perished to a wild stroke.  Bertie was struggling to score but much to his credit was getting in line and playing very sensibly.  At the other end Peter ("father of Tom") was "Coton'ed": LBW on the back leg, almost on the 2nd bounce by a ball he was looking to pull.  Toby Johnson (also no relation) played a couple of shots that were either (a) edges or (b) Dilshan-scoops that evaded the fielders behind the wicket.  Bertie finally lost patience and slapped a ball to a waiting fielder which brought The Coton Cyclone(TM) - you heard it hear first - to the wicket.  After one single-handed, off the back of the bat, shot to fine leg, Tom produced the 2nd, and final, boundary of the innings.  After that, it was over in a rush, with the Johnsons (Toby and Jim) being bowled.   All out for 45 in 18 overs.  After the higher scores of the last few years, this was more like the cricket that my anonymous correspondent remembers from when he first joined Coton.  It comes to something when the joint top scorers - Tom and Ross - made just 7 (not out in Tom's case, the first time he had batted in the senior team).

Tea was taken, a terrific spread provided by Madame Chandler.  I knew there was a reason that we let Ross play.

Ross gathered his troops and gave a speech the like of which Henry 5th, or maybe Winston Churchill would have approved, stressing that Barrington had succumbed for less that 45 the previous week.  Knowing we needed wickets, Ross opened the bowling.  After yielding an early boundary, he found his spot and with the last ball of the opening over took the first wicket.

At the other end Tom, the Coton Cyclone, got the nod.  If you recall the reports from last season, you may recall on Tom's debut that our anonymous correspondent noted that "Tom bowled with good action, lively pace and shaped the ball in".   All of these still apply, with the added bonus that he had grown (as people his age tend to) and gotten quicker.  Too quick and too good for the Barrington team, as he struck in his first over with a perfect inswinger.

Ross and Tom now proceeded to dismantle the fragile Barrington batting.  The wickets fell too quickly to recall the exact order.  Tom hit the stumps twice more, Ross got two more wickets, one caught and bowled the other superbly grabbed by Jim Johnson.  We need to observe and pay homage to Tom's cunning plan for his third wicket.  He has learned well from the senior bowlers.  A high leg side beamer for a no ball was followed by an equally wild off side wide.  The next one left middle stump almost horizontal and off trudged a suitably bemused Barrington batsman. 

The fielding was tight, lead again by Patrick ably assisted by Paolo, Dominic, Toby and the rest of the team.  Bertie was sound behind the stumps, despite getting a series of leg side deliveries with very low bounce.  We arrived at the 10th over with Barrington less than half way to the target and six wickets down.  And it didn't get any better.  Another superb swinging delivery from Tom rearranged the stumps one more time.  The Barrington batman nodded in appreciation to our tyro opener.  It would still only take a few lusty blows over the infield for Barrington to win, and their next batsman seemed to recognise this.  A cross batted swipe at the first ball hurtled back at Tom at a rate of knots and thudded into his chest as he tried to take evasive action.  As the more compassionate members of the team headed towards Tom to check on his health, the rest realised that the ball was still in the air.  The ever-alert Patrick was amongst the latter group and he swooped in from cover to take the catch. 

Tom was thankfully OK, and ready to take the team's acclaim for his first (and the 2nd XI's first) 5-for.  The team started to look forward to a jug of orange and lemonade, and it became apparent that Peter Jarvis's role in the team was as financial backing for his son.  The very next ball was lobbed obligingly at Patrick who, despite slipping on the wet turf, took a more orthodox catch: a hat-trick!   Now there was the prospect of a jug of blackcurrant and lemonade as well.  

The rest of the over was played out, with difficulty.  League rules and ECB guidelines now came into play.  Tom had to take a break from bowling with the figures of 5-0-10-6.  "What, no maidens" you ask?  Bloody rubbish.  

One wicket to go, and still around 18 needed.  Ross continued, and Paolo joined the attack.  The ball was in the air, frustratingly just over Jim, just wide of Ross, and just short of Rob.  The score crept up, as Paolo struggled to find his length but Ross was on hand to complete the debacle.  The last two Barrington wickets were his as he finished with 7.3.-3-8-4 and the opposition subsided 12 runs short on 33 all out.  

A seemingly improbable win was contrived through the virtues of straight bowling and tight fielding.   

So on the report card this week: batting: F, bowling: A, fielding A.  Man of the match: Tom "The Cyclone": six wickets, hat trick and joint top score (OK, the last one only needed a couple of scoring shots).  We are still joint top of the league after two games.  Who's daft idea was it to start a 2nd XI?

This is the Dawning of the Age of the 2nd XI

This report was passed to me in a lay by on the Barton Road between the St Catherine's Cricket Ground and Coton earlier this week.  Any resemblance to persons living, dead or reanimated is intentional.  This report is rated "MA" which mean that 7 of the 11 team members can't read it.

Saturday May 2nd 2015 witnessed the culmination of years of hard work at Coton CC.  In that time, we have seen success in the junior teams along with improved playing and practice facilities.  May 2nd was the day for several of those fledgling players to leave the nest and take the next step.  It was the debut of the Coton 2nd XI: the first time (in living memory, maybe the 1st time ever) that two XIs had been fielded on the same day.  That we had 22 players on a Bank Holiday weekend serves testament to the hard work and persuasive organisation of Ross Chandler and the team of coaches and parents.

The 2nd XI comprised 3 grizzled veterans, 7 teenagers and Adam Wright taking a day off from his trainings for the 2020 World's Strongest Man competition.  Cambridge Granta 4th was a similar mix of experience and youth: this made it a great introduction for our tyros.  

We batted first.  Oliver Bradbury and Cameron Black opened against a couple of bowlers of similar vintage.  Oliver was out of the blocks faster while Cameron rotated the strike.  Runs ticked over.  There was a team of willing volunteers on the scorebook to record the accumulation.  Granta tried a series of young bowlers to try and make a breakthrough.  Oliver passed 50, and the partnership had reached 99 before it was broken.

Perhaps the most pleasing (and unique) aspect of the innings was that the batsmen were following the coach's instructions.  Ross had set a target of 5 per over and it was being maintained (it has to be said that it was an immaculate college pitch with good, true bounce).  Can you imagine giving some of the senior players this type of instruction and have the follow it?  At the half way stage, during drinks he set a new target of 7 per over for the rest of the innings.  And it was achieved.

The breakthrough led to a mini-collapse.  The 2nds had obviously learned from the 1st XI in this aspect of the game.  Cameron (for a solid 30), Patrick Butterfield and Adam were all out in quick succession.  Normal service was resumed in the shape of another big partnership, this time between John Hartwright and Dominic Fox (both debutants for Coton, albeit of different vintages).  Dominic struggled at first.  In one over, he twice played and missed (missed being the key word, despite the impassioned appeals) and then edged one between keeper and slip.  He then unfurled a class cover drive and was up and running.  John - in the meanwhile - dealt with the teenage bowlers with some belligerence.  200 came up with just 4 wickets down.  John departed for exactly 50, and Dominic made 40-odd with growing confidence.  This was followed by some late innings hitting by Ross and brief cameos from Ed Wheeler and Rob Kaye.  Ross had tried the Matt Chandler tactic of deciding how many wickets he wanted to lose and then having Rob be waiting to come in.  He didn't quite get the calculations right.

We finished on 249-7.   Half centuries from Oliver and John, with good contributions from Dominic, Cameron and Ross: a good mix of old and new.

When we bowled, the Granta innings started in a similar vein to ours.  Good batting by a couple of their juniors against steady bowling from Tom Jarvis and Ed Wheeler.  The main difference was the scoring rate, which steadily but surely built up. 

The bowling was backed up by some fine fielding, with Oliver  and, particularly Patrick, leading the way.  This was complimented by solid wicket keeping by Cameron (the reporter couldn't remember any byes getting through).  Patrick was throwing himself around, stopping boundaries and turning 2s into 1s.  He need to learn that a sliding stop followed by flipping the ball up to a colleague only works if there is a colleague nearby.  If the supporting fielder happens to be Rob or John they are unlikely to be within 20 yards when the ball is fielded.

The highlight of Oliver's day must have been when Ross called out "nice fielding, Adam" after one good interception.  I don't know which of the Bradbury brothers should be more offended by this mistaken identity.  Ross later tried to convince us that he thought it was Adam Wright who had fielded it -- surely the eyesight isn't that bad?

When it came, Patrick took part in the breakthrough, taking a smart catch off Adam Wright who had now taken over from Tom.  Toby Johnson was bowling at the other end.  Still the required run rate crept up, passing 7, tending towards 8 an over.  A smart piece of fielding by Dominic followed by an accurate return to Cameron accounted for another wicket.  Dominic got a chance to bowl, and like the bowlers that had preceded him settled into an accurate line and length.  In contrast, Rob's first over was a little wayward, but he found his rhythm and consistently beat the bat or found the edge.  He would tear his hair out, if he had any.  

The run rate climbed some more.  Oliver replaced Rob, and Ross having judged that enough of the good batsmen were out brought himself on.  After a couple of sighters, Oliver found good pace and good line.  He was hoicked to long off by the opposition captain and responded by ripping out the off stump with the next ball.  Ross earned a couple of wickets with plumb LBW and a rearrangement of the stumps.

Another runout - this time a Patrick+Cameron combination - added to the pressure.

With the run rate now in double figures, more bowling changes followed.  Patrick got a bowl, and Ed came back into the attack.  With 70+ needed off the last over, John desperately tried to get the skipper's attention by practicing his bowling action.  Ross wasn't fooled however, you can never be too careful.  Patrick ended the innings with a wicket on the last ball of the 40th over.  

Granta finished on 182-9, 67 runs short of their target.  A great all round team performance with bat and ball and in the field meant that Coton 2nd had won their debut league game and like the 1st XI sit atop the table after one week. 

Coton 1st XI v Over 2nd XI 2 May 2015, by ??????

Conversation overheard in a pub in the Cambridge area, 2 May 2015:-

Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:-  I can’t cope.  The stress is too much

Someone of little significance:-  What’s wrong?

Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:- There are now two teams and there’s only one of me.  What am I going to do?

Someone of little significance:-  About what?  And by the way, who are you?

Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:- I’m the famous Mystery Match Report Writer for Coton cricket club and due to the amazing success of my match reports we now have two teams.  Everyone wants a mention in my match reports.

Someone of little significance:-  So what’s the problem?

Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:- As you can probably tell there’s only one of me.  So I can only write one match report.  So at the end of the season there will be people analysing scorecards, creating spreadsheets and databases to work out my real identity.  I will be hounded by the press.  Life will become unbearable.

Someone of little significance:-  True, but does anyone actually know there’s only one of you.

Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:- (Long pause)

Someone of little significance:-  In fact is there only one of you?

Coton Mystery Match Report Writer:- (Slightly longer pause)

Someone of little significance:- Maybe you are a bit like the Dread Pirate Roberts in The Princess Bride, you know the name gets passed around and there’s more than one of him.

One of the many Coton Mystery Match Report Writers:- Sorry, can’t talk now, I’ve got one, or maybe two, match reports to write……

At last!  Cricket, glorious cricket.  Finally the name Coton 1st XI is actually relevant as there is also a Coton 2nd XI.  The 1st XI gathered for a home game on Coton Rec which looked wonderful due to the sterling efforts of a small but greatly appreciated crew of cricketers.  Captain Matt tossed and made a fantastic start to the season by winning the toss and electing to bowl.  Matt opened the bowling at the top end and was mostly on target and generating some good pace and occasional bounce.  Anthony was due to open at the other end but managed to miss the start of the match, despite being there over 2 hours before the start to help with pitch preparation, as he’d forgotten his bowling boots.  So his warm up consisted of driving a roller, measuring and painting creases and cycling home to get his boots then back again.  So Dave Scotcher opened at the other end was his usual miserly accurate self.  Normal service had been resumed.

Matt’s 4th over was a bit erratic so the captain thought it would be a good idea to take him off.  Anthony had arrived by then and having been fielding at slip for Scotch for a couple of overs (where a chance had gone in his absence) took over.  He was quick, continuing from where he left off against Remnants on Wednesday.  So it was Scotch versus Anthony for the first wicket and Anthony won with the first of 3 catches behind the stumps by John to break a slow opening partnership.  The fielding was very good.  Dominic had been injured in a not-getting-out-of-the-way-quickly-enough-despite-neither-batting-nor-bowling incident at nets on Thursday (writing off a bag of frozen peas donated by Paul  - arguably the best use of a bag of frozen peas) and came adorned with a bandage which we assumed was a pre-emptive strike to excuse any misfielding.  He fielded very well with both hands.  Honestly, we weren’t fooled.  You can get a refund on next week’s neck brace now.

The number 3 didn’t look like he would bat for long and we were hoping that they were batting in order of ability in which case we were down to the tail.  No such luck and Anthony made the mistake of bowling him a straight one which he didn’t look like keeping out from the moment Anthony stated walking back to his bowling mark.  And so the number 4 come in and it became apparent that he was their best player.  By far.  The scoreboard starting ticking over.  Adam came on and worried them first ball with a beauty which went past the outside edge of a forward defensive.  He kept on beating the bat but their no 4 put away the occasional bad one and Paolo got a bit of uncalled for tap as well.  Adam bowled very well but that wasn’t getting rid of him so back to basics - a lovely full toss which he generously slapped not far off where Matt was standing at mid-on.  Now we really were in to the tail.  Paolo then took care of their no 5 with John’s gloves doing the work again.  The high fives were a bit hairy - our hands were sticking too.

After Adam’s spell Scotch returned and then did what Scotch does best - took wickets.  The only difference here was the lack of dropped catches, although he did ensure that the only catch required was by Mr sticky gloves.  The rest were bowled.  Lots of lovely wickets.  Between hm and the returning Anthony the rest put up little resistance.  Scotch had 5, Anthony 3 and one apiece for Paolo and Adam ensuring the the wickets were distributed in proportion to age.  Please submit your statistical analyses by the next match.  107 all out.

After a magnificent feast provided by Matt we felt confident that we had kept the down to a getable score but that would depend on how good their bowling was.  It turned out that their bowling was their stronger suit which they failed to tell us although I don’t think we can reasonably complain about that.

Dave opened with Bobby and after one over we were well on top of the run rate having scored 5 off their first over from their opening bowler, Lane.  That turned out to be nearly half of the runs he gave away and the 2nd over was delivered by their best bowler, Sorensen, who was also there best batter.  A bit later it turned out he was their best fielder too.  His first 3 balls were exciting - the first took Dave’s glove but he didn’t walk as his glove was no longer on the bat as the ball had taken off and whistled past at chest height.  The 2nd was similar and edged just short of slip.  The third was an away swinging yorker which Dave managed to jump over to be bowled.  It started getting interesting.  Paolo joined Bobby and between them they played a very valuable partnership as they kept out these very good bowlers.  When Sorensen had a break he had bowled 6 fast, accurate, swinging  overs, all of which were maidens.  He was replaced and it was clear that the two openers were their best bowlers and that should be able to get the runs of the others.  As runs started flowing from the 2nd string bowling Lane was nearing the end of his 10 when Paolo finally succumbed to him for the best 7 you’ll ever see.  He faced 43 balls for his 7 mostly off the openers who gave very little to hit so he was very unfortunate not to be able to cash in later.  The value of his innings became apparent when Lane then got Gabriel out bowled and Richard lbw in his last over.  He finished with 3-11 off his 10.  Did we have enough wickets left now that we’d seen him off?

Adam joined Bobby and runs began to flow.  Just after drinks Bobby’s finally went for a priceless 19 when the first change bowler Borley bowled a good one.  Dominic joined Adam and in a busy but short partnership looked positive until he bashed one straight back to Borley to flatter his bowling figures.  54-6 - oh dear.  This was getting a bit worrying.  Fortunately we were blessed with a very strong batting line up and John (the finisher) Bason was next and with Adam put together the biggest and decisive partnership to take us to 89.  The return of Sorensen did not slow the scoring down as both had their eye in but Adam was caught off Sorensen for a deserved second wicket.  A hunt around for the remaining batsmen did not immediately reveal Anthony who was found either having a look at the bowling from amongst the trees or feeling a bit homesick and going into the bush.  But Matt was before him and with John and only a few minor alarms managed to eke out the remaining runs with just under 2 overs left.  Phew!  What a game!  And played in a great spirit.

The major contributions were Scotch (5 for 15), Anthony (3 for 10) and with the bat Bobby (19), Paolo (the best 7 ever), Adam (25) and John (30* and 3 catches) and everyone for a very tight fielding performance.  We’re top of the table!  Long may it last.