Nearly the last cricket

Atisreal

It would be wrong to describe the selection meeting for this match as an embarrassment of riches but at least there was a relative ease in getting 11 players out even though 5 of them were ringers.

In light of the increasing shortness of the evenings the remarkable offer by Atisreal’s skipper to allow CW to bat first demonstrated a generousity of spirit rarely seen in today’s competitive sporting world and was grabbed with both hands.

Williams and Ringer A opened the bowling and although Williams perished cheaply he at least showed the right aggression. Halden seemed strangely subdued and after a couple of singles fell plumb LBW. With Earl similarly starting off quiet the pressure was on Latham A to keep the score ticking along but laughing in the face of that pressure he did.

Ringer B fell LBW to a decision of some dubiousness before Earl having found his range at last decided to amble a run and was run out when he should easily have been safe.

Wright and Ringer C gave it some of the long handle stuff and with Wright bringing up the century and retiring with a maximum things were looking pretty steady. Ringer D combined effectively with Ringer C to push the score up to 131 from 16 overs.

132 to chase down in 16 overs always looked a tough ask and with Thomas and Ringer A bowling some very tidy stuff the start made was slow. A slow start can be overcome but with a wicket each for the bowlers (Thomas bowling an absolute peach to claim his victim) the tide was turning very quickly against the chasers.

With Williams standing up to the stumps to almost every delivery and chuntering away in between whipping off the bails for fun (and not showing his disappointment when the umpires did not uphold his appeals (well not much)) the pressure really began to mount.

Ringer E and Earl took over bowling duties and both bowled two shockingly bad balls first up before settling down to the job in hand. Ringer E getting one through the gate whilst Earl somehow claimed 3 wickets (one thanks to a decent catch by Ringer A which was of itself somewhat of a surprise in light of the poor catching being shown around the field generally, Earl and Ringer C both dropping sitters).

Simmons and Ringer D were brought together to finish the job and with Simmons sticking to the simply maxim “you miss, I hit” and Williams at last persuading an umpire to accede to his appeals the match came to an early end (although at one stage Ringer D’s generousity caused some scares, 18 in his first over).

Yet another win for the team who now march on to their last game against Bevan Brittan. As usual an excellent game played in excellent spirit.

Man of the match was a toss up between Wright for his runs or Earl for this wickets but in the end Wright got the nod, we believe the adjudicator was swayed by Earl’s rubbish bowling between the wickets.