Minster Lovell - Home - Defeat
It’s that time again! welcome to the new season and the first game of the year and with that, we require the first write up of the season… I, (PoD) volunteered, gives me the chance to big myself up a bit more. Last Sunday, we took on Minster Lovell at home, 2pm start, great weather. Okay that’s the boring “factual” bit done.
Almost everyone managed to make it on time, or close enough anyway. Minster Lovell were there before most of us though; Nothing new there though i guess. I’d like to welcome the two newest members of the club, Sam and Andy, who did manage to get there on time. I will get onto their new nicknames later on - Peachy has been busy again.
I’ll move swiftly past the usual changing room banter. Stuey “Danger Angel” put his pyjamas on, Steve “Nordic” being generally naked and the like. There is certainly one thing of note though, (no not “gifted”), its was Graham “Gorgeous George’s” birthday, so happy birthday sir!
On to the game. Incredibly, skipper Nordic won the toss and decided we should have a bat. Good, good. It’s always good to get into the action early in the first game back. Myself and new boy Andy opened the batting. Andy lasted only the first over before being caught at point trying to cut a short ball. I think all agreed it was the right shot to play, just maybe a tad early. This brought Danger Angel to the crease. I didnt last much longer, first ball of the fifth over was all. Andy and I got 2 and 3 respectively. Now, with Bully and Nordic batting things were looking good! Until someone, desperate to get off the mark, called a run through which would of been tight at the best of times and Nordic was run out. Dave took to the crease. At this point Stuey was looking semi-safe, Dave looked safe but unable to get the ball off the square. These two batted well and took the score on to 100 odd before Dave was bowled by the first semi-decent ball the guy bowling at him had bowled. Bully got to his 50 to the great applause of the crowd, but by crowd i mean his family. He struggled to get many more and it was M00bs who was doing much of the scoring. Bully was finally dismissed for 53, opening the door to Peachy to test out the new bat, pads, batting shorts. Some might say he should have spent the money on a laptop instead so he could read this but hey-ho. These two played some interested shots; I hesitate to call some of them cricket shots. Moobs was playing lovely to leg, but driving (attempting to mow through cow) wasn’t quite working. Peachy had clearly been reading the batting manual and was desperately trying to get out of the line of the ball, however this isn’t always the best thing to do when the bowler is bowling straight. Moods got himself out on the penultimate ball leaving Rich to come out to face the final ball, dot. We finished on 141 for 7 from our 40 overs.
Final batting figures:
Gray 2, C Mercer 3, S Bulpitt 53, Bramley 2, Henson 22, G North 0, Mabbett 28, Peach 11.
Tea time! Now I remember why I play cricket. Libby had again out done herself, cookies and cakes of the highest standard as per usual. It’s a shame we don’t rate our home teas, because they would certainly be up the top.
So this means we have a total to bowl at, a total which is possible to defend. Stuey and Moobs opened the bowling, not like they had done anything much already today. The first wicket we took of the season was thanks to some fabulous fielding by new boy Sam. Direct hit run outs always go down well with your new team. This singlehandedly, probably did enough to move his nickname away from Demi (as in Demi Moore) onto Bruce (as in Bruce Willis). According to the nickname secretary Peachy, Demi wasn’t manly enough. Moobs bowled well with little success, some good batting made it tough. Stuey bowled tight lines and touched upon the swing he found last season, but was still struggling with his wheels. Officially he bowled the slowest full bunger of all time! Stuey finished with figures of 6-1-25-0, and Moobs 6-1-24-0. First change saw Muppet and Sam “Bruce” bowling, after a very ropey start Sam found his length, first over went for 20 odd (10 from first 2 balls). With the opposition requiring another 30 or so runs. Time to bring Peachy on. 9 balls later they had the runs they required. Well bowled Peachy! Between his over and a half, I stepped up to bowl an over. One wicket, no runs, top average in the club methinks! The wicket was a horrendous half tracker the batsman mistimed in Rich’s direction who took the catch with ease. Easier than the earlier one that he had made a meal of.
I promised to get onto this, Andy’s new nickname, thanks to Peachy and his description of catching technique, he became “Dundee”.
Man of the match had to be Bully for the batting, champagne moment the run out by Bruce, pigs ear was again Bully for running Nordic out.
Next week we go to Cold Ash. Artificial wicket here we come!
