May the force be with you, Coton 2nds versus Wilburton 2nds

After the disappointment of the previous week's cancellation, Coton II welcomed Wilburton to The Rec.  In the absence of Ross, glory hunting at Wembley, Rob took the reins as captain (Ross had done all the hard work of getting 11 players out).  The team had the now typical mix of veterans (3)and teenagers (8).  There was a debut for Toby Smith the latest player to make the step up from the juniors.  This lead to confusion later whenever Rob tried to change the field.  He would always have Toby Johnson and Toby Smith running to the same position.

I'll start by saying that there are many positives in having all the juniors in the team: they are fit, skilful and responsive.  On the downside they don't buy jugs (but it does mean rounds are cheaper...)

We won the toss and decided that the youthful squad would be more comfortable setting a target than chasing. The team gathered around Rob to hear his sage words: "win the game we will, if bat well you do" he intoned (yes, it was somewhat like the Jedi master teaching his younglings).  Leaving Paul and Gabriel to organize the sidelines, Rob went out umpire reflecting that the aggregate age of the four youngest team members was less than his own.  40 overs later, he came back, batting skills unneeded once more. 

We opened with Bobby and Cameron: two of the more experienced youngsters.  They made steady progress against some reasonable bowling until Cameron (19) was bowled by the opposition captain.  This brought Oliver (18) to the wicket and he unleashed some excellent drives before playing around a straight ball.  The bowler was left arm over, and getting quite a lot of movement back in to our right handed batsmen.  The score was 71-2 in 15 overs.  There was lots of quick running between the wickets punctuated by the occasional boundary.

Patrick was next in.  The opposition had found a bowler that could exploit the ridge at the footpath end and he made the ball jump disconcertingly at Patrick several times.  But the latter hung in there and scored runs - frenetically - while Bobby moved serenely along at the other end.  They made it to the halfway point together, the score being 107-2.  Time to kick on.  

Patrick (18) eventually got bowled by the opposition skipper, and Gabriel (1) didn't last too long before being trapped in front by the same bowler.  We were now 141-4 and the innings was showing signs of subsiding.  Bobby stayed calm, however and was celebrating a studied half century.  He was joined by Dominic Fox who proved again that the club does have someone called Fox with cricket ability.  He was scratchy at first but having survived, be prospered.  Bobby was accelerating and twice hit back-to-back boundaries.  One was within inches of being a maximum.  In total, he found the boundary 14 times.  

Bobby and Dominic saw the 40 overs out with a minimum of anxiety.  A couple of overs from the end Bobby passed the landmark of his first century in senior cricket.  He was broadly congratulated by both teams.  

The innings closed on 228-4 with Bobby 110 not out and Dominic 23 not out.  Paul Bradbury had been due in next and sat throughout tea (thanks Mr Fox and family!) in his pads.  It was as if he was still expecting a bat ... perhaps with the opposition.

After tea, it was time to defend what was easily the biggest score on the Rec this season: if we could defend 45 (as we had done a few weeks earlier) surely 228 was achievable?  For a few overs it looked like it might not be.  Patrick and Toby Johnson opened the bowling, but the opposition skipper took them on despite some steady, straight deliveries.  A belligerent southpaw, the batsman twice deposited Patrick for 6 over midwicket, albeit that the ball was in Oliver's hands the second time.  it was time for change.  Oliver replaced Patrick and the skipper decided to take responsibility and brought himself on.  One was fast and hostile (if a little wayward), the other slow and taunting: you will need to work out which was which.

They had reached 65 in the 11th over when Oliver produced an unplayable yorker that castled the threatening lefty.  A couple of overs later, Rob trapped the other opener in front.  Rob was finding his traditional wobble, and supplemented that by getting considerable lateral movement with the ball.  In his next over, he struck again.  The batsman edged, Cameron dropped the catch but in between two the bails had fallen off.  The bowler's end umpire wasn't going to give but after consulting square leg it was confirmed: bails first, gloves second and off went the batsman.  

In Rob's next over it got even better.  The first and fifth balls were both chipped to Toby Johnson at mid-on.  The first catch was comfortable, the second less so.  Toby and Gabriel converged on the ball, Gabriel called but Toby took the catch, only to be rugby tackled by Gabriel a moment later.  Toby held on.  (CWO, please have a word with Gabriel about this!).

It could have been even better the next ball, which beat the bat and passed over the top of middle stump, missing the bails by a hairsbreadth.  With 4-15 in 5 overs, Rob took himself off: jug avoidance?   Well no, actually, Rob had told Toby Smith to get ready to bowl the first over after the drinks break from that end.  With two wickets falling in the 18th over, we took drinks after the second wicket.  After Dominic bowled the 19th, Rob was getting ready to bowl the 20th but found Toby already marking his run up.  

Dominic bowled three overs (2-7) of tight inswing, claiming two wickets.  The first was caught by Cameron - who had a fine game behind the stumps - the second clean bowled.  In between there was a run-out in Toby (S)'s first over and that 65-1 had become 94-8.  Toby bowled four very tidy overs for just nine runs, but with wickets running out Rob juggled his resources again.  Bertie Elmes came on to bowl 5 overs of offspin.  Neither he or Toby S got the wicket they deserved.  They were beating the bat regularly and the ball was in air half or dozen times or more but always short or between fielders.  Bobby had a quick burst without luck and the 9th wicket partnership was only broken by one of the opposition having to leave and so be "retired - out".  Rob was getting thirsty so decided to end things by bringing back the opening bowlers, and Toby J obliged by bowling the number 11.  They ended up on 125, just over 100 runs behind. 

A comprehensive win, built around Bobby's 110 with solid contributions from 4 other juniors (and a single from Gabriel).  In the field we were enthusiastic and solid, Toby J's two catches being the highlight.  Rob lead the bowling with his first 4-for since 2009.  He was ably assisted by 7 of the 8 teenagers.  There were first spells in league cricket for Toby Smith (4-0-8-0) and Bertie (5-1-11-0) which deserved wickets, but the pick was Dominic (3-1-7-2).  

The win puts us 2nd behind the unbeaten Bar Hill.  We play them back to back in July.  Let's hope that is for the league leadership.