Christ, I'm knackered!!
So it's back to Otford to kick-off our home campaign...Otford fixtures are usually bankers for the following; The teas will be top-notch, there'll almost certainly be runs aplenty, the showers will be ridiculously hot, and that if Buckhurst are the oppo they won't be there for the designated start time. So, tick all four there then. The Otford track looked much the same as it usually does but in spite of this the visiting skipper, calling correctly at the toss, elected to have a bowl at us...well, a couple of us anyway...
The old guard of Freeman and Kelly opened the batting, Deano picking up a bat for the first time since september, and set about building a partnership of 166 runs. As in all partnerships of such duration there were a few streaky runs along the way and a few chances spilled as well but for the most part, as you'd expect from these two, it was made up of authentic shots with no need for the long-handle or to go the aerial route. As the partnership progressed they both started to accelerate and get their left legs out the way but by now Dean was starting to splutter a little bit, so much so that when a run-out attempt was fumbled twice next to the stumps, Deano was walking home a la Ranatunga...still got in though!
Both batsman were past 50 by now with Dean winning that particular race and when he reached 62 he was finally bowled, attempting one heave to many. This brought Warner to the crease. Adrian having sat with his pads on for a couple of hours was then in the unenviable position of having to keep the momentum going for the last four or so overs. He managed 14 off as many balls with Tony finishing undefeated on a well made 87 and Beechwood closed their innings 194-1 from 40 overs with a few runs being declined towards the end...Could that prove costly? All the Buckhurst bowlers tried hard and bowled as well as they could have hoped for on an Otford deck...I should know... I was the standing umpire to most of them!!
Tea...which was a superb spread...well done to all involved.
A new opening pairing of Garnett and McLachlan were entrusted with the ball on re-start with Scott breaking through to remove opener Riley almost immediately. The downside to this was it meant an early entrance for R.Axtell, for it was he who lead from the front in Buckhurst's chase. Savory put him down early at square-leg and although this was the first of several drops and refusals this was the costly one apparently...Indeed. Savory was then introduced at Hamish's end and wheeled away for a few overs until after drinks when he caught and bowled Sharp with Buckhurst on 84 with 18 overs left.
Mr Axtell was still there though and the big fella was starting to impose himself on the game now, firstly seeing off Scott who had bowled well nonetheless, he now set his sights on the newly introduced Hill. Brad's first couple of overs were tight enough but Axtell took a shine to his third, biffing it to all parts and the resultant 24 runs taken from it rather took the wind out of Beechwood's sails...and Brad out of the attack, with said over looking more like marks from figure-skating judges in the scorebook!! Hamish had by then caught Das off Savory when the score was on 94 and Brad had replaced himself with Boss, with Stuart faced with bowling to a batsman who was by now well set and Beechwood struggled to keep him off strike for most of the time as this third wicket steadily gnawed away at our score. The luckless Stu was replaced by Hamish after just two overs with Hamish joining Savory(still wheeling away!) to bowl the last 7 overs with 36 needed...or simply a run a ball.
Some of us were getting a little hot under the collar with each other by now and while this is perhaps understandable in tight games it solves nothing and just makes the job easier for the oppo when they see this...let's hope we've all burned away this negative energy from here on in. Back to the match and Buckhurst were still well up with the rate and with four overs to go and 20 required Savory managed to screw himself to bowl a maiden at Drown,the other batsman, turning he pressure back on Buckhurst... both Hamish and Savory's next overs went for six apiece so as we entered the final over Buckhurst required just 8 runs to win...could Hamish and indeed all the fielders hold their nerve?...This final over was an eventful one to say the least...Drown, on strike, takes single off first ball...bad news as Axtell is now facing but the next ball is a dot so the big man has to force the pace now...third ball and it's launched high and coming down towards the safe hands of Adrian at mid-off but...alas, it's grassed and worse still they scamper back for a second...three balls left and five to win...another dot ball follows and the pressure back on the batsmen but this is relieved when the fifth ball is adjudged to be a wide...Bradley, already livid at an earlier unsuccessful stumping appeal is ready to blow a gasket now but just in time Hamish bowls Axtell for 130 with the score on 191. Some of us made our way over to the batsman as he trudged off to acknowledge a truly heroic effort...some of us just shrieked...whatever, it left next man in Sayers to hit a boundary from the final ball but he was unsuccessful in doing this and was run out turning for a third, Beechwood clinging on for a draw by the skin of their teeth.Phew!
I for one, was drained as I came off the pitch and I suspect I wasn't alone there, but as I've stated before, these close games maybe torture to play in but they're the kind that makes me want to still do it week after week. Well played everybody, especially the Beechwood guys who never got a chance to get in on the action and to Buckhurst as well, especially Mr Axtell.
Deano, you must be hurting! ...get well soon... I'm still knackered!!
Beechwood:
Boss, Cooksley, Freeman, Garnett, Hill (c), Kelly McCrea (wk), McLachlan, Robinson, Savory, Warner
Final word from the DoC:
I agree with our star reporter - the more the opposition hear you argue with each other, the more it spurs them on! |
