Aaaargh!

When it hurts that much, in several places, just to reach out for the keyboard then the new season must have started.

For the last two years this fixture has been settled dramatically, with the last ball of the game, both times in Chelsfield’s favour. This year we took a team bristling with talent to reverse our fortunes. The top of the batting order might have been lifted from a first team sheet, although the bowling had a less familiar look.

Having elected to bowl first, we began with Brad rolling down the hill with the wind and your Ageing Hack labouring uphill into it. Shortly afterwards, when Sree arrived, he was used to do the uphill duties and Khrishna later relieved Brad. Eventually, everyone except the captain, the wicket-keeper, and Sam and Monty (who were having restful afternoons in the field) had the opportunity to turn their arm over.

The early season fielding was not at all bad, and we made cunning use of the long grass by hiding Nick Walker in it, from where he would unexpectedly spring out to nearly make some astonishing catches.

It was dificult to extract much life from the pitch and, behind the stumps, Paul was troubled more by balls passing his ankles than by anything higher.

Though the grass was long, the nearness of boundary on the allotments side meant that anything short of a length was likely to be converted into a four or a six, and three balls were used so that play could continue whilst the early spring greens were searched for those that had already been hit over the hedge.

Chelsfield steadily accumulated a very respectable 209 for one less than it would have been had Monty not been engaging the square leg umpire in conversation when the run-out appeal was made.

Khrishna, who picked up two wickets, was probably the pick of the bowlers. Brad, Bob Simms, Ray and Sree all bowled tidily, whilst Wyn bowled untidily and profited from the usual crop of batsman who couldn’t believe their luck until they managed to pick out a fielder.

When Chelsfield took the field they employed their two long-serving bowlers for all but about ten overs of our innings. Jim and John bowled accurately, but without much reward. Nick and Sree opened and had made around 40 before Nick hit a ball straighter than he intended and found the fielder at mid-on instead of the boundary. Sree’s arial shots were better placed (usually by design) and he and Andy picked up much where they left off last season. Everyone else spent the rest of the afternoon sitting in the sunshine or scouring the allotments.

Though the result was never in doubt the game had it’s own dramatic finish as Andy hit the winning runs with a six that also brought up his first (not out) century of the season.

Wyn

Posted on Tuesday, 28th April, 2009 in Friendly Match Reports.