"Hello...Hello...It's good to be..."
Okay, okay, I realise you can't go around quoting Gary Glitter in this day and age (I have to ask people to be in my gang on a weekly basis - Doc), but you know where I'm coming from. Many thanks to Larry for bailing me out while I suffered my internet gremlins, and keeping us all informed of events in his own inimitable style. Oh, and if by submitting it several days late, as was the last one, it was intended as a tribute to me, it was indeed a moving one. I'm touched, Larry!!
We all know by now that Larry has unfortunately injured his hand and is likely to play little cricket before the tour, but it has to be said that my own hand was more than a little sore after so many introductory handshakes, such was the amount of new faces dragged along to help us out this week. It’s usually the DoC's spadework that brings about such miracles but on this occasion it was mostly the work of Larry, who managed to recruit the Sheen guys. With the much longed for return of Treve Brown, hopefully only temporarily retired, to the ranks it would at least mean there'd be no strangers when the tour comes around, and of course it also meant we somehow managed to put together an X1 for this fixture. A pat on the back for those who did the recruiting and also a big thank you to Treve, and Sheen boys Mike Noblett, Alok Rege and our old mate Prahant Patel for helping us out.
We're at Otford again, the sun is shining, our opponents are Southborough and Tony has won the toss and asked them to have a bowl at us. Tony and Adrian opened up again for Beechwood, and for the first time this season they were able to spend some time together in the middle. Both were more circumspect than usual due to the two-paced nature of the pitch, but Beechwood had advanced serenely to 57 before Tony (21) was dismissed. The serenity was soon disturbed however when a few overs later Beechwood were floundering at 62-4. Mike and Treve were back in the hutch without scoring, both victims of Constable, and Adrian became Brown's second victim when he was caught for 24. Time to rebuild then, and it was up to Larry, in his new middle-order role to drop anchor and hope the lower middle-order could score a few around him. Alok was looking up to this task and was extremely positive from the word go but it has to be said that his calling was occasionally comical. His shout of "Looking!" while his partner Larry was lying face down on the pitch was perhaps the most optimistic potential quick single call I'd ever witnessed. Hope he and Bobby will get to bat together on tour! Alok was perhaps unfortunate to find a fielder clinging on one-handed above his head as he attempted to go aerial, but the resulting catch meant that Beechwood were 81-5 with time starting to run out. The DoC, Dodgy and myself were not able to stick with Larry for long, all of us out to shots we'd rather soon forget about, and it was down to Ian Mac, languishing down at number ten to cajole Larry along with some intelligent quick singles and the odd boundary to get Beechwood up to their total of 127-8. Yes, it was a respectable effort but the fact remains it's still a disappointing total for Otford whatever the pitch on offer and especially so as the batting ran pretty deep this week. Still at least Larry showed some good technique and discipline for his joint top scoring 24*.
Ian Mac provided us with our necessary nutrition this week... why are we always batting first?...I'm not getting full value out of the teas!!...Anyway, well done to him on that front and soon it was time for Southborough's openers to venture out to the middle for their innings. Alok bowled the first ball of the innings and to be quite honest it was a half-tracker, and opening bat Spencer could have guided it anywhere he liked or seeing as it was first up, could have just stepped inside it, but no, he screwed a pull somewhere in the direction of yours truly walking in from backward-square. Now to those with the sun on their backs it probably looked regulation and it was certainly catchable but even the most simple of dollies require you to keep your eyes on the ball and, well sorry guys, I couldn't do that, and so it was that I merely parried it over the bar. For a few seconds after the spillage there was silence, so much silence it was almost deafening...certainly deathly, but once we emerged from our tacitness we were left to reflect that at least an opening bat playing a shot like that first up wouldn't be around for long, would they?...Oh dear. The incident certainly didn't stir us however and in spite of both Alok And Dodgy bowling some jaffas they weren't helped by the opening right/left hand combination and the occasional loose balls were put away.
'Boro were scoring at five an over before left-hander Jagroop holed out to Larry at mid-off, the resulting catch leaving Larry with a broken finger and while I'm pleased Alok got a wicket I'd have rather seen the ball sail straight through Larry's grasp than him getting injured and facing a lay-off. Prashant almost immediately broke through new bat Hibbert's defences and 'Boro were pegged back on 49-2 but after 12 overs 'Boro were already halfway towards their total. Me and Stuart were introduced into the attack and although we kept it reasonably tight and snuck a couple out along the way, 'Boro were able to take few risks in knocking off the required runs after the start they'd got off to. There was just time for the DoC to sneak an over in and pick up a wicket along the way but 'Boro comfortably got home with four overs to spare and just five wickets down. Not sure if or how they tinkered with their line-up but another 25 runs from ourselves would have made things interesting. Oh, and guess who was not out at the end? A certain Mr Spencer (51), not flamboyant, but no more chances either...Can we re-set the field for that first ball Tony?!
Congratulations to Southborough on their victory, they certainly deserved it and played the game in good spirits, and thanks to our various guests and honoraries who helped us out for this fixture. Here's hoping to see a few more of the Beechwood squad next time out because we surely can't keep getting THIS lucky with personnel. Oh, and skip...great kingfisher spot!!
Beechwood:
Brown, Boss, Cooksley, Culhane, Freeman (c), McCrea (wk), Noblett, Patel, Rega, Savory, Warner
Final words from the DoC:
Cheers to one and all from both sides for an enjoyable game of cricket once again. We seem to be having fun this season, despite the final score! |
