So, we've said goodbye to Otford for another season. No more close finishes, no more extreme temperature showers and sadly, no more scampi in the pub afterwards. Limpsfield shall be our home for the remainder of the summer with Sutton CC paying us a visit to us for this fixture. There were enough stand-bys to cater for the drop-outs this week and all were present in time to witness Tony lose the toss and be invited to have a bowl. After the usual Limpsfield debate about which would be the best pitch to use we were under way for this timed match. It wouldn't be Beechwood without a different opening pair of bowlers and so it was that likely tour spearheads, (for both games now!?!) Scott and Hamish were entrusted with the new ball. Scott likes to loosen up with a beamer or three, but once these are out the way he generally settles into his line and length and variations of pace, and today proved to be no different initially. It was Hamish however, making the initial breakthroughs, removing Gunn and Wright, both snaffled at cover by Larry to leave Sutton stuck on 5-2. This brought Dilshan to the crease and accompanied by left-handed opener Griffin, started to rebuild the Sutton innings. Dilshan was the dominant partner here and started to open his shoulders, putting Scott off his line and dispatching him into (and sometimes over) the air-raid shelters. Griffin was eventually dismissed with Sutton's score progressing to 72, KHM taking a spectacular diving catch in front of first slip one-handed with Hamish again the bowler. New bat Khan showed his intent by swiping Hamish back over his head for a maximum and with Dilshan still making hay, it looked like a long afternoon that lay ahead. Yours truly got the call to replace Scott, and when Farid launched me to long-on only to have Scott drop him over the boundary it looked a costly one but luck was on my side when I bowled him round his pads next ball. My next ball, albeit an over later, then saw Khan slash to a back-pedalling Ian Mac at slip who duly pouched to leave Sutton on 100-5. New bats Bosher and Lewis put on a handy stand of 40 but this would have been considerably less had Keith attempted a proper stumping as opposed to the virtual one he tried to effect with Bosher stranded well out of his ground..."Sorry Savers!"...
Bosher was eventually removed by Ian Mac, and it was great to see him get some overs under his belt at last, and a bonus that he was on the spot for the duration of his spell... Nice arrows mate! Lewis was starting to impose himself by now and so it was that Stuart and Larry got the call to try and stem the flow a little; Stuart reacting quickly off his own bowling to effect a run out; throwing to Keith while sat on his backside with specs around his mouth a la Captain Mainwaring to remove Fordham, and bowled tidily throughout his spell but Larry copped some stick from the effective Lewis and the agricultural Croysdill, with Lewis launching him onto the clubhouse roof, (where the ball still remains I believe.) Larry just about held it together to complete his spell tidily enough but despite the re-introduction of Hamish, no further breakthrough was achieved and Sutton were able to close their innings on 210-7. For the record Hamish was top wicket-taker with three and Dilshan and Lewis joint top-scored for Sutton with 60. (Lewis undefeated.)
Just one aside from the fielding... that couldn't have been our very own Director of Cricket sat at the foot of the sightscreen, decked out in the loudest of red shirts behind the bowler's arm could it??...Oh dear, I think it could have been... (guilty as charged! - DoC)
After another superb effort from tea-duty corner, this time Scott providing the goods, (putting further pressure on those of us yet to do one!!) Beechwood set about chasing down a decent posting for Limpsfield. The old guard of Tony and Dean got us off to a positive start, running well and putting the bad balls away and it was a shame when after a fifty stand that Dean,(30) was caught, looking to kick-on. Adrian joined Tony and kept up the positive mood; indeed, it looked like only time would be the victor over Beechwood at this point, and Beechwood edged up to 128 before Tony holed out for a well-made 58. Woody had replaced Brad on the morning of the match and duly inherited his batting position which was perhaps a little unrealistic an experiment, but Ashley gave it a go before perishing, leaving Beechwood 131-3. It was now time for the obligatory procession of wickets that the lower-middle order seem to be serving up of late, with dependables Hamish and Ian and a promoted Larry unable to disturb the scorers this week, and when Adrian (43) was given out lbw attempting to change his stroke in the middle of all this Beechwood were now looking to stave off defeat as opposed to scamper for a victory. 153-7 then, with the ever-erratic running of Keith and the potential latins Garnetto or Garnetti at the wicket, with only the in-form Stu and the in-crisis moi left in the hutch it was a tense final three or so overs for the watching faithful. Keith and Scott hung on in there fortunately though, and Beechwood closed their innings on 170-7 from 35 overs. Another entertaining nail-biter served up by our good selves.
I had the unusual pleasure of padding-up in a helmet, necessitated by Larry's throwing of anything he could lay his hands on after his duck! There is a red-head underneath that mild exterior after all and I'm a little bit worried about his impending enforced sugar deprivation...Sheen could be spicy!!
Beechwood:
Boss, Culhane, Freeman (c), Garnett, Kelly, Makin (wk), McCrea, McLachlan, Savory, Warner, Woodward |
