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Right, where shall we start? First off, there
were a few on holiday and others couldn't play because it was Aunt
Jessica's birthday, or something else entirely. We were a bit short
you see, but Howard Turner got a team together for this fixture. Young
Richard of the colts stepped up into the senior side to flesh the poor
old bones out and with a couple of other guests drafted in meant we
had a full side.
West End went in first, which indicates the stronger home side must
have put us in - we simply couldn't have won the toss! - and Cove
struck in the fourth over when Blowers (not Henry Blofeld) bowled Ian
Brown for nought. Johnno Greathead looked in good form, then having
settled in and made a couple of boundaries into the bargain he too was
bowled, this time by Harvey. Richard was next man in and showed a bit
of nerve in the face of good bowling. Adie Lamberth followed before
too long, his stumps being slightly disorientated by the accurate
bowling of Harvey, which brought the Captain himself up to the crease
with our score on 21 for 5 wickets.
Cap'n Beefy took on the current bowlers and followed a couple of
careful singles with a four to show his intentions. With Richard in
tow, Beefy settled in nicely before Amin got Richard to snick an edge
to the wicketkeeper and that was that, a wicket-maiden for the bowler
too. Lew West partnered Beefy now, and the score ticked over and crept
along a little better. With the Captain on form anything is possible
until he too gets out, again bowled by Amin with his last over, also a
wicket-maiden. Guest Stan Clarke partnered Lew and out of six scoring
shots between them, four were fours, so gaps were to be found in the
field. Either that, or they couldn't be bothered to run! Their
partnership of 26 ended when Clarke went, caught by Harvey who
couldn't keep out of the action, as he also clutched the ball off
Lew's bat. Phil Dawson was the not-out man after the tail refused to
wag or even swing to and fro apathetically.
Phil Dawson and Lew West opened the bowling as enthusiastically as
they could for Cap'n Beefy and kept the runs down as best they could.
No breakthrough was forthcoming in their 12 overs that made up the
opening salvo and when the Captain himself came on he was surprisingly
expensive, Moss and Randall having settled in nicely by now and nearly
doubling the scoring rate before long. Moss decided he was happy to
play second fiddle to Randall who exerted the most pain to the
bowlers. Passing his half-century was not nearly enough and had Moss
just stayed there with him the hundred itself may have been on the
cards. He had to make do with his 73 not out, the winning runs scored
off Massey during the twentieth and (unfinished) last over.
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