M R's Cont 4
Game 12 9th Sept v Thorpe. A 40 over game which started late due to various members of the team deciding to take a tour of the vicinity before finally pitching up (excuse the pun). Without pointing any fingers...what exactly is it about Sri Lankan time keeping?? Anyway, the toss was lost by Jerricho (in Gam's absence), and Chadwick were put in to bat...thank goodness!
The batting order had an unfamiliar look to it as we got under way with Lailey and Cutler facing some accurate swing bowling which accounted for Lailey, Cox and Samarakkody with just 25 on the board. With Cutler looking solid, Jerricho came to the crease and Chadwick's fourth wicket went down with the score on 151 when Jerricho lofted one to mid-off and was caught for 31. So, that was a stand of 126 to put us in a strong position off just 25 overs. Talpe walked to the crease and then walked back again three balls later without contributing. Perera then joined Culter who was looking good for a ton, when he was caught behind on 94. 'That's the twelfth time that's happened!' he exclaimed. Ah well...next time Toby. So, with only Perera (28) making any significant addition, Chadwick suddenly found themselves bowled out for 195 in just 35 overs! Ouch! Tea!
Thorpe are traditionally a tough opposition, and they started well, cracking the ball to the boundary with regular ease, so skipper Talpe (present and correct), started mixing it up with Perera, Cox and Cutler adding 2 for 24 to a marvellous batting display, clearly making him man of the match!, while Dougall bowled through, ending with a very tidy 2/15. Then Talpe brought himself on, and bowled superbly, finishing his spell with 3/33. But all the time Thorpe were getting closer and closer with their No 6 looking very comfortable, before being bowled by the legendary guile of Perera, turning a slower ball a mile! Tight bowling all round and shrewd captaincy and field placing, just gave us the edge as we came to the last over with 8 needed to win with 9 wickets down. Griffith had been brought back for a final 3 over spell, and had pinned them down, so when they finally had to go for it, and lofted one high over his head and out to the long off boundary, we were sweating! But Lailey was out there to stop the boundary, gather the ball and make an accurate return over the stumps for Griffith to dislodge the bails, and give Chadwick a 5 run victory with the batsmen stranded. Good stuff all round. PJ
Game 13 16th Sept v Banstead. So I arrive at 12.55 for a 1pm start expecting to umpire and there's 3 of us, so on with the whites just as all bar the skipper Gamini appear like flies round pooh, Jerricho wins the toss and opts to field! Now we're one short and I'm crocked so ask our Banstead friends if they have someone who'd like a game, Joe Redding their skipper plays for us and I umpire, game starts 1.15, Gamini arrives 1.25 and as "senior" umpire I won't let him bowl for at least 25 minutes! Positive start as ever reliable Joe (2-45 off 10) and vastly improved, pacy, controlled and accurate swing bowling from young Ed (1-42 off 8) seems to pin them down, their top 3 scoring 18,12 and 19 and at 60 for 3 this looks like being a tight game, but then a 100 plus 4th wkt partnership puts them in charge, and despite me calling their no 5 for "one run short" 3 times he still finished 71 not out. Bizarrely he was "called" for ambling up from the non strikers end for an easy single and took his guard about a foot outside the crease without actually "crossing the line" and completing the run... I did check with the other umpire to see if I was right, told him why he was called and he still did it twice more!... anyhow they declared at tea on 234 for 5. Following a fabulous tea and some friendly abuse from the tea ladies ( i still stuffed my pockets with choccy bars girls!) we attempted to defend, and at 3 for 38 after 10 overs winning didn't look likely, going well was their man Joe (32) scoring reasonably freely (well he MUST know their bowlers!) whilst at the other end Jerricho (32 not out) attempted to bat out the next 35 overs, I'm sorry, but god it was dull viewing, and as the clouds rolled in the temperature dropped and i've never wanted a game to end so quickly. Two "Golden ducks" and dear old Bill Early on a hat-trick brightened up the proceedings for a couple of minutes (Ed defying the old boy!) but after 40 long long, looong overs we lost.... No Idea what the actual score was, as the Batting figures added up to 109, The bowling to 137 and the run tally to 139... sorry Tim but the book is a mess.. but hey at least he offers to do it!!
