Ten Beats Eleven

 After yet another week of trying to flog a team together to take on Wellow Exiles, we took to the field on a glorious Sunday with only ten players, one of whom was myself, a player for whom on some days the term "cricketer" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. 

I allowed my co-captain to run the show today, and as ever there was the pre-match panic of running around like startled cats to find balls, scorebooks and stumps, followed by an inept attempt to put up a pergola that was only solved by the arrival of our resident doctor of mechanical engineering. 

Our captain lost the toss as usual, sentencing us to thirty-five overs of fielding under a broiling sun. But as it happened our opening bowler, nowadays a first team bowler, wiped out the Exile's top order with three wickets in five balls. 

His reward, as is so often the case in friendlies, was being taken out of the attack to stop the game lasting only an hour. Hindsight eh?

He was replaced by the young bowler who had made such an impression the previous Sunday against Upton, and he promptly bowled a beautiful spell of left arm bowling, cleaning up an Exiles batter with an unplayable ball before getting another wicket with a full toss - my usual speciality. 

At 23 for 5, things looked rather grim for the Exiles. But they had a very good bat, whom last year at battered me all round the ground at Edwinstowe, and whom I was fated to bowl at again. 

I had him dropped at slip first ball, and immediately knew it was not going to be my day. I bowled another beauty to the other batsman, but that was it. Could not find a full length, always about a foot short, and this resulted in a barrage of runs. I had my field set right, so not everything went for four, but they ran two everytime on the big outfield. 

Final indignity was the captain, acting as wicket keeper, dropping the easiest catch in the history of cricket off this gun bat, who ended up making 96 not out out of Exiles' 153 for 5. 

I felt rubbish, as usual, especially after winter nets had gone so well. 

But, I was still part of a team I want to do well, and I take joy in the performances of others. Not that I had time to rest and contemplate this while watching the resident whitethroat warbler flying in and out of the bramble bush, but had to go out there and umpire for an hour and half. Luckily, our openers made a great start and I had nothinng to do other than wave my arms extravagantly to signal a boundary. They out on about 50 before one of them slapped a ball straight to square leg, and the other, having made an excellent 40, was plumb lbw.

We now had two youngsters at the wicket, and the required run rate was just starting to climb a little bit. 

No problem to them, they batted sensibly before opening up a little bit to keep us in touch with the game. The young bowler decided he was going to attack, and struck a very handy 24. This is why you need a competitive total to chase in these games, so younger players can have a good challenge and learn something at the same time. 

The fall of his wicket resulted in a father and son combination at the wicket, and with those two out there, we never looked like losing. It was a good seven wicket win, after a great game on a beautiful day, and it was well rounded off with beers as the sun sank lower towards the horizon. 

Two out of two.

Si

All text and images copyright CreamCrackeredNature 13.05.24