We're back... The cricket season is upon us once more, but the footie is still on most people's minds with everyone gloating about their respective teams' hopes and achievements...except for myself and Larry of course! Back to the cricket and it's good ol' Limpsfield providing the setting for our curtain-raiser with Badgers CC, our oppo for this occasion. Much as we all love Limpsfield, some major improvements needed to be made over the close season for any of us to be satisfied that we were getting our vfm, and to be fair most of those details, ie locks, showers etc have been attended to. I'm not sure exactly how serious Colin was being when, at the AGM, he brought up the subject of rabbit droppings - he suggested KHM for skipper at same meeting if we remember - but you'd have to say he did have a point if the outfield (and indeed, the square) on Sunday was anything to go by. I'm not suggesting we need to go back to the days of groundsmen kipping on site with blunderbusses under their camp bed - although Colin just might - but it could present something of a problem down the line, we shall see. Team news, and with KHM unavailable and Dean staying at home to work on his impressions, the DoC assembled an X1 before Woody pulled up lame Saturday afternoon which meant yours truly being summoned from the physio's couch...well, my couch anyway, to complete the final X1. Incidentally, young Larry appears to have shed quite a few pounds over the winter...I hope she's worth that sort of dedication mate!!
New skipper Tony won toss and elected to have a bowl on what was obviously going to be a damp deck, especially after an ominous-looking downpour which delayed the start for twenty minutes or so. Hamish and Larry opened the bowling for Beechwood and showed no signs of any Harmisonisms after their long break, and both bowled well. Larry broke through first, uprooting opener Pitts' off-stump with a good'un and then, with the score having reached 28, a near disaster was averted when two Beechwood heavyweights almost collided mid-pitch! Batsman Davenport top-edged a swirler into the ring...I was initially unsure of getting underneath it as it didn't go particularly high and stayed static for a few seconds, so bowler Hamish decided it was going to have to be his...I then decided it could be mine after all and set about attempting to get underneath... Hamish then called for it, but while there's obviously not much rpm produced by yours truly it takes a heck of a lot of bhp for me to stop so a very late over-ruling mumbled blurt of "no, mine!" resulted in luckily just minimal contact between our two selves. The result was rather predictably, poor Hamish taking a tumble, and rather less predictably, yours truly emerging, still clasped hold of the ball. 28-2, but that was close!! Myself and Tariq were introduced into the attack but opener Ward and new bat Mann had started to form a stand which Beechwood would find hard to break. Ward's knock was the more measured of the two with the pugnacious strokes of Mann not allowing bowlers to settle against him. The DoC replaced Shakey and was unfortunate not to remove Mann when a deflection off the batsman's pads failed to dislodge the bails. The game was drifting away from Beechwood until a brief shower juiced the pitch up a little. An eventual partnership of 111 was finally broken when Mann, attempting one yahoo too many was stumped by Ian Mac for a well made 44 off The DoC. Yours truly then immediately removed Ward for a fine 73 and the Doc/Mac partnership was back in business to dismiss Valentine. Redding, next in looked more than capable but unfortunately wickets were clattering around him. "Shaggy" Boss was introduced in place of The Doc, picking up a couple of confidence-boosting wickets along the way although typically he made a lollipop return catch look like a Peter Lorimer free-kick and duly spilled it. (The same batsman was dismissed next ball to be fair, this time The Skipper clung on) Badgers were dismissed for 166,with Redding stranded on 20; a decent score, but having watched them cruise to 139-2, Beechwood could be pleased with their efforts in the last quarter. Beechwood fielded energetically considering their lay-off and advancing years, with a rejuvenated Brad particularly impressive, throwing himself into the path of everything coming his way, and Macca effecting three stumpings through the afternoon. We were also treated to several of "Gripper's" legendary chases to the boundary... Scoobie-Doobie-Dooo!!
Tea was taken, of which Keith rather audaciously helped himself to all the best bits...I wouldn't mind but he hardly ever eats when he plays... I gather he's on teas-duty next week so expect to see the girls covered in flour again!! Beechwood's run chase was dealt a severe blow with the early dismissals of Tony and Adrian so it was left to Brad and Tariq - who we all hope to see regularly this year - to rebuild the innings. Both batsmen were playing well with Tariq sweetly pulling over square-leg for a maximum, before Bradley was unfortunately caught with the score having moved along to 69, of which he'd contributed 31. Colin had a brief but entertaining stay but almost immediately after his removal the key wicket of Tariq's was taken for a well-made 33 and with Beechwood stuttering to 78-5 it was now only realistic for us to try to save the game. Ian Mac continued where he left off last season in his "finishing" role and although Hamish was smartly stumped and yours truly tamely dinked one back to the bowler, Macca was joined by the DoC for the last few overs and they both saw it through to the end; The Doc mixing stout defence with some trade-mark cock-legged swipes. Beechwood closed their innings on 107-7. Hats off to the Badgers bowlers who gave very little away, especially Turner (4/28) and Gregg (2/27).
A good (if a trifle cold and wet) opening day out for all concerned. Well done Tony for keeping everybody involved, (and for easing me back in to the swing of things with just the thirteen overs!!!) and for the teas and for getting half of the team home!! We all wish him well for the season's remainder. Also congratulations to the DoC for securing the merchandise in the same year that the order was taken... unheard of in my time here!!
See you all at Otford... assuming we've all recovered!
Beechwood:
Boss, Cooksley, Culhane, Freeman (c), Hill, McCrea (wk), McLachlan, Robinson, Savory, Sheikh, Warner
Final word from the DoC:
Despite the weather (why do we play in April? I blame the fixture secretary!), it was good to be back with a nice, friendly game against decent opposition. Considering the long lay off, we didn't do too badly!
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