It seems unusual to head for Limpsfield as the away team but there was little unusual in being locked out of our supposed home ground... memories of Otford spring to mind...let's hope that the lock and key situation can be resolved before our next visit. Pinewoods were hosts for today’s fixture and it has to be said that when the weather has permitted, most of our games this season have gone to the wire, with many an exciting finish... could Pinewoods provide similar entertainment this afternoon? Time would tell...
Acting skipper Cooksley won the toss and resisted the temptation to insert Pinewoods, electing to bat first. Freeman and Makin opened for Beechwood and as per usual got us away to a steady if unspectacular start. Tony, in particular, rode his luck a couple of times, with a couple of mis-timed shots ballooning safely down on the square. Neither batsmen looked particularly happy dealing with the slowish medium pace of Pinewoods' openers but were both chipping away before Tony was undone by Dunne with the score on 40, Tony having scored half of our total. Warner was next in and looked to up the tempo a little. Dunne, who had bowled well, was replaced by Byles and he quickly removed Adrian, caught just inside the mid-wicket boundary for 14, and Garth Perkins, who mis-timed and was caught in the ring. 85-3 then, and Salmon was next to the middle for his first knock of the season. As you'd expect, a wheezing Keith was having a job keeping pace with the fleet-footed Glenn but no disasters occurred and Glenn hit two maximums on his way to 21 before he too, was a victim of Byles. Robinson joined Keith and everybody hoped for a few moments of entertainment from these two and after a couple of trademark shots from Colin, Keith duly called him for a tight one from which Colin was unable to make his ground. 130-5 and time was running out so Keith, having completed his half-century opened his shoulders and was bowled by young Jack Thompson for 51...a good effort from the old-stager. With the balls running out McCrea and Cooksley nudged and swung Beechwood's total up to 148-6 from 41 overs.
Pinewoods' tea hit the spot nicely and fortunately the interval passed by peacefully this week with only the odd wasp threatening to cause anybody harm! Pinewoods opened with Tarr and Byles and Beechwood opened their bowling with Savory and McCrea, the DoC holding back Sunday morning call-up Woodward. Savory's first ball was hit for a single but it wasn't until the eighth over that they forced a second one off Macca. The tone was set and the DoC set about trying to force the issue replacing Savory with himself and Macca with Woody. Tarr was starting to look more positive and a couple of chances went begging through the slip region, but after 16 overs only 19 runs had been put on the board. The DoC had got a few to turn square though and decided to replace himself with Boss from the pavilion end. "Grippper" was getting a few to grip but still no breakthrough was achieved. Savory and Woody were re-introduced from different ends, the 20 over countdown started, and Savory experimented from both sides of the wicket but STILL no breakthrough until the 29th over with the score on 68 when Woodward found the edge of Byles bat and Tony did the rest at slip. He'd scored 10 runs in nearly 30 overs, putting a bit of pressure on the next batsmen if the win was still on their minds. Beechwood were 7 overs into their 20 when Savory bowled Harris round his pads. 69-2 but new bat Tilston came out looking to be positive. Tarr had passed 50 and Tilston set about launching Savory through the on-side and Tarr hit him for successive boundaries but Savory held his nerve, bowling Tilston off his pads with a quicker one with the score 93. Just a few more runs were added when Woody was back in the action, this time finding Tarr's edge and again it was Tony at slip who cleaned up.
Tarr had scored 70 of his teams 99 runs. With seven overs remaining Beechwood needed six wickets and Pinewoods needed 50 at seven an over for an unlikely win. Savory was starting to enjoy conditions now, especially with the left-hander long gone, and on 101 the DoC caught D.Ellis in close. This brought birthday boy Lipscomb to the crease but Savory's only gift was a sharp-turning leg-break which found a leading-edge and again the DoC was in position to snaffle, diving forward. The 40th over would be a key one for Beechwood with P.Ellis steering Savory to point where Woodward clung on one-handed and then clipping Dunne's off-bail next ball. Kevin Thompson joined son Jack at the crease and Kevin was perhaps a little unlucky to be adjudged stumped off the 'keeper's grille, but it still meant three wickets fell in the over and our old mate and nemesis Martin Bashford striding out to save the game. Jack bravely saw off Woody's last over which meant Savory had six balls at Bashers to win the game. History would make Bashers favourite for this encounter and after four balls it looked like history would be repeating itself. The fifth however, pitched outside leg-stump and unfortunately for Bashers turned enough to bowl him behind his pads. Victory against Pinewoods at last and while everybody was shaking hands upon the fall of the wicket, Savory set about on a scatty romp all on his own! For the record, Pinewoods were bowled out for 104 with one ball remaining.
A potentially turgid afternoon turned into yet another nail-biter, which for once Beechwood came through on the right side. Thanks to Garth for helping us out and to Woody who stepped up when needed. The DoC's good run at the helm goes on...can it continue at Tatsfield?
Beechwood:
Boss, Cooksley (c), Freeman, Makin (wk), McCrea, Perkins, Robinson, Salmon, Savory, Warner, Woodward
Final word from the DoC:
If I have to skipper any more close games this season then I'm going to need a pacemaker too! |
