And Hermione said to Harry… ‘Can you magic together a team for the Southborough game? There’s no one available!!!!’
…Oh sorry chaps and chapettes, it’s me again this week as Chris’ internet gremlins are hanging around like Newcastle in the Premier League, but both will have buggered off by next week so usual service should be resumed!
So it’s the second week of the season and by now all of the new season hype and excitement had long since gone as we rolled up to play Buckhurst. I don’t recall much about this fixture last year but as soon as we saw the rather striking lashings of maroon on the kit along with the names Axtell on the back, the memories surely came flooding back for a few! We were short again this week but it lead to the return of Kevin Thompson, the debut of his son Jack and the long awaited return of one Boris (Lee Morton). For those whom are new to the club and these reports, I’ve been informed that he is named after the German tennis player whom gets everything he touches pregnant, not the Englishman who is the butt of everyone’s jokes!
So we were ready and raring to go (well after Stu spent 10 mins trying to get his pole through the hole!... sightscreen issues…) and Tony won the toss and elected to bat first. It was he who fell first as he unable to follow on from a good batting performance from the previous day for Sheen by edging Scott to the keeper with the score on 18. Ade and Deano then put together a 50 partnership before the former fell for 36. A brief stay from Brad followed and it was Bopara/me in next. I say Bopara neither for the fantastic stroke play, nor the canny medium pace out swingers, I in fact say it due to a similar desire to try and run ourselves out! As I was doing this Deano was putting together the 1s and 2s and moving towards his fifty. I departed for 7 and new boy Jack came into to bat for the first time for Beechwood. Some good running between the two followed before Jack was run out for 0, it should be noted that if Jack had of hit a few of the back foot drives he played, there would be a 2 before the zero without doubt. Cooksley, Thompson Snr. And Boris all chipped in with a few runs as Deano brought up his half-century before the innings ended on 140-8. The innings may have been far shorter and void of runs had it not been for Deano and considering it was his first knock, bloody well done old chap! It should also be noted that in the middle of a wonderful knock, a cricket ball had ended up on the roof on the nets. This allowed Stu and Tony to show us their Chuckle brother impression a Tony stood high up on the ladder whilst Stu, trying to knock the ball over with a broom nearly whacked Tony off the ladder numerous times. After being left to his own devices Stu finally managed to get the ball over!
After a wonderful tea from Cooksley, me and new boy Jack set about trying to defend a below par score. Jack bowled well from the start, keeping the aggressive batsmen in check with only the rare bad ball and wide letting him down. However, his otherwise wonderful spell brought the downfall of Drown with the score on 9. This brought in the Axtell whom did the usual and started to get hold of the bowling, more so from my end, after a few near misses. Jack’s youthfulness worked against him as the daft bowling restrictions in place by the ECB meant that 5 overs were his lot for the time being. Brad replaced him and bowled well apart from the odd ball which was despatched by Axtell. Boss then replaced me from the cow end and bowled very well in spells. But as with all of the bowlers today, the bad ball let him down and damaged his figures which in retrospect, didn’t reflect his good performance. Still with only one wicket down and Axtell starting to free his arms it was up to Savors to save our skin, and he delivered taking the wicket of sharp with the score on 76. This set up Jack, who was brought back on at the cow end. We then witnessed a wonderful spell of bowling from the younger which saw the end of Sayers and Damm in successive balls. However, the hat-trick ball was well kept out but this did not stop Jack as he kept putting the ball on a six-pence to finish up with figures of 9-1-26-3. At the other end Savors took the big wicket of Axtell, quickly followed by Penny and we started to wonder whether we could snatch a victory. However, this was not the case as Scott and Leppard saw Buckhurst home.
The story of the day was a good performance in spells but the odd bad shot and bad ball consigned us to a defeat. A big well done to Jack, you done fantastically well and I’d hate to face you in a few years! Let’s hope we can get a team together for next Sunday!!!!!!!
Beechwood:
Boss, Cooksley, Culhane, Freeman (c), Hill, Kelly, Morton (w) , J Thompson, K Thompson, Savory, Warner
Final words from the DoC:
Very enjoyable match against the good eggs from Buckhurst. Next year we will definitely kidnapp Roy Axtell before the game and release him on the Monday. |
