SCORECARD

It’s a funny old game.

Winning the toss and electing to field was the obvious, and probably right, approach for skipper Adrian Martin on a green wicket barely different from the rest of the outfield.

The Richmond Hill Road ground, complete with ‘Media Centre’ doubling as The White Swan is always a pleasant venue despite the rudimentary cow shed doubling as a changing room for the visiting side. The catering prices have gone up in the last few years since ‘The Dirty Duck’ as transformed itself into a ‘country pub and eating place’ (please – it’s in the middle of the second largest conurbation in the country!).

Your correspondent took up residence in the hospitality area feeling at home with the orange leathery ones feasting on Pinot Gringo and individually priced leaves masquerading as Sunday Lunch. Were it not for the leaves (the tree versions) being in full swing, he would have had an excellent view behind the bowlers arm for the Fitmen’s fielding effort. Tragically there were plenty of leaves so spying on the performance was limited to the occasional peer through the arbor canopy.

It looked pretty good from a distance with Guy back to his old form and attempting more than last season’s two pace ‘walk up’ before deliverance. Sunny, Sid and Ash formed a good quartet of decent pace in helpful conditions and have The Sportsman on the ropes at 68 for 7. However a terrific fightback from the middle/late order including a mountainous six into the archery field brought the hosts back into the game. A sterling 68 from the Sportsman’s number 8 meant that a decent, if not formidable, 156 was posted.

Now being safe to return, your cricket reporter witnessed a more than decent batting display after the relatively early removal of Raj (10). Jack and Si proceeded to make the target look like a formality and were sailing along at 80-1 before a controversial run out preceded a batting collapse.

Prior to this, Jack’s 31 looked to be just the start of a match winning partnership with Si (54). Both were looking fluent and the away dressing room started to pack the bags in readiness for retiring to take post match refreshments. Si’s knock, a faultless half century producing a wagon wheel that this season’s Pears would die for, made a mockery of the earlier tumbling wickets, but with the run out came the jitters. First up was Chas with a golden, then Sunny also without troubling the scorers. Your correspondent was starting to envisage a route back in to selection if everyone gave in – even Tucker made an effort to pave the way for a comeback for the club ‘senior’.

More cheap wickets followed but then a chink of light with the left footed Skip seemingly in control. Tragically his personal hygiene (presumably) meant that no-one was keen to stick with him. Promising starts from Ash and Syd came to not much, but the Fitmen were still closing in on the score.

Jonny Youngster strode to the crease as the last man standing with some work to do – as long as Ade could keep him away from the strike we could get this. But he couldn’t, and we didn’t, falling an agonising couple of runs short. Bowled out for 151 and a victory for the Sportsmen by 5 runs.

Still – look on the bright side, we finished in time to catch the last 10 overs of Engerland’s Glorious despatch of the Aussies at The White Horse. A fine selection of ales, large screen with live coverage of our courageous Saffers dominating proceedings in Barbados, along with convivial surroundings and strains of ‘Crickitt’s Coming Home’ rounded off a pleasant day out.

Revenge is a dish best served cold, so get those big bats out for the ‘return leg’ on Wednesday as the two sides meet again in the shorter version of the game – in fact the version of the game that ‘we’ are the best in the world at!

Kick off 6pm – hospitality suite next door open for business as usual.