Category: 2018 Match Reports

By Chris Langley

We went, we played, we returned victorious

Last season we managed to play out a 20/20 in the pouring rain. This year the picturesque Windsor Great Park ground was all azure blue sky and golden fire. Our scorer Laurie called for a sun-shade and dispensed sunscreen. The skipper was as always horizontally tardy, (a hard crack to case?), however he made up for this by winning the toss and doing the right thing.

On a dry, dusty, lively track Westie and Vidishka gave us a good start. This momentum was maintained by the team with the stand out contribution coming from Prateek who was severe on anything short. Billy didn’t die thinking about it at the end of the innings and 168 looked pretty good.

The Windsor Great Park groundsman opened the reply and standing more than a yard outside his crease (in order to nullify the bounce), smote the ball all over the place. His innings had us all reeling until Ant did for him via a played-on inside edge. Galvanised, Ant then took a further three wickets (in five balls) including that of their skipper and a caught and bowled that looked like the first CGI dismissal. Billy took a wicket with his first delivery that looked like a bit of a ripper, Langley chipped in with a couple and Sunny polished off the tail. All told, a good performance and a happy return to winning ways.

Windsor Great Park boast the best showers anywhere, ever, the power of the water knocking you to the other side of the room and having finished early we supped a few pints and for the benefit of the skipper discussed the merits of early starts. Should it be 1.00pm or 1.30pm? No-one was sure. Except for the skipper who felt he was increasingly over-worked on Saturday nights. Should we play more 30 over games because 40s too long? Ant, who brokered the subjects, sat limpet-like to the fence, musing that 1.15pm and 35 overs would be best. The beshorted Langley won the bad behaviour award but the skipper’s one handed dropped catch was considered shabby when two is always better than one.

By Jimmy Campbell-Smith

A series of unfortunate events…

Nestled in the comfortable surroundings of Eastergate Cricket Club in the South Downs, any casually interested passers-by on Sunday (around two ‘o’clock) would notice an extraordinary sight. With the mercury topping 30 degrees and most fielders under threat of passing out under the sun, the opening batsman was still wearing a full knitted jumper. To any Scotties arriving late, this simply meant Rupert was opening the batting. The extraordinary thing to them would be that we had started roughly on time. The opposition had sportingly agreed to let us bat first whilst the skipper was held up in traffic, due to the apparently spontaneous combustion of an Audi Q7 somewhere up the A3.

Rupert and Grant set off the Scotties innings at a steady pace. The scoreboard was ticking along slowly until Grant was undone by a young lad who was getting more bounce than the pitch belied. In fact, this was turning out to be not the easiest scoring pitch, with a little uneven bounce, anything in the corridor of uncertainly threatened to clip the top off-stump. Mr Van Der Horst was undone in similar fashion, driving forwards to a ball that danced a little off the seam.

From there on came something of a procession as Rupert held an end, and the opposition unleashed their most dangerous weapon; a leg spin bowler so slow that it would have been advisable to steal Jimmy’s copy of The Saturday Times Magazine and catch up with Giles Coren’s latest meal as he was running in, tuck it neatly under the arm as he released and then, and only then, shape up to bat. You would still be forgiven for playing through the shot. Which is exactly what Prateek, David Watson, Uncle James and Roop all did, resulting in a variety of clean bowled, LBW and dollies to the assembled fielders. Francis Ward, the bowler, was having quite the day.

On came the Skipper, ready (or so he thought) to feast upon the delicious pies being served up by Mr Ward. A number of well timed drives and a few almighty slogs meant that he quickly got the scoreboard moving once again with a number of boundaries and a few gentle strolls between the wicket. Unfortunately however, during one almighty heave with an aim to smash the ball through a conservatory a hundred metres away, he also managed to throw all of the tendons in his arm towards the conservatory. Needless to say, the ball went through to the wicket keeper for no run. A short time later, our skip was on one of his gentle strolls between the wickets when he must have stopped to admire a particularly interesting beetle, for it appeared that he had stopped altogether. Unfortunately for him, the ball had not crossed the boundary and in the midst of his beetle admiration, he was run out. By this time the ‘Goose’ Campbell–Smith was at the wicket and shortly before the skipper’s dismissal, played one or two slices and a scored a streaky four and a few singles before having a massive flap at something that could so easily have been simply blocked. Through the ball went to middle stump.

With this, Messrs ‘Head Boy’ Cooke and Thickett were left, in vain to score a few. The total result was all out for 136 off 39 overs. A few too short, some said over tea.

It did indeed turn out to be a few too short. A fine effort was put in by Ant who was unlucky not to take a few more wickets, and special mention must go to Uncle James for a top effort. He was rewarded with three fine wickets and could rightly be pleased with the days efforts. Prateek and Roop backed this up with some nice lines and a decent bit of turn, but alas we were outdone as their top order ticked off the runs with 6 overs to spare. Another 40 runs was the consensus to make it a more competitive match, but as all retired to the pavilion for liquid refreshment, it had been a decent day out against a bunch, on a lovely day. One cannot complain too much. The match teas weren’t bad either.

By Captain Scott

Saturday league conditions on a Sunday?!

Coming from all parts and congregating in Wembley, proved more difficult for some and believe it or not the Skipper was early, as were the opposition, who, all of Asian decent, were more interested in warming up and practicing slips catches than getting involved in England’s football team thrashing of Panama.

With regular service restored the Skipper lost the toss and Captain Scott were inserted into the field. Starting only 35 minutes later than scheduled. The opposition started confidently, losing their first wickets for 51 in the 11th over.

While mentioning overs, it’s worth noting, while this is a Sunday friendly game, the over rate, after the first eight overs, was mentioned to the Skipper by one of the umpires. This definitely endeared the opposition to Sean, who gracefully accepted the rebuke (though never quite running from mid-off to mid-off between overs), continued with his game plan.

After the first wicket fell, the others fell regularly and we had them all out for a questionable 172, by questionable, I mean we’re not sure how they got from 130-odd with three overs to go to 172 all out, without anyone quite going at 9s or 10s an over. The scorebook was sparse to say the least, with the bare minimum having been filled out.

I have to quickly mention the great catch Dan Cooke took out on the boundary, which resulted in him completing the catch with a little celebratory jig, which all happened to be in vain, as Ant had overstepped and a no-ball had been signalled. It was a great catch, alas it was not meant to be and Dan has to continue to persevere to achieve his first Captain Scott catch.

The innings was complete, two balls short of a full innings, by 16:25. 35 overs bowled in 2 hours and 20 minutes – let the record reflect 15 overs an hour is not a bad over rate.

Tea was taken and Scotty’s two openers took the field and the game resumed shortly after 5:00pm. This was after the scorebook had been interrogated and it was “calculated” that we required 173 to win.

The Skipper and myself also took to the field, but under the guise of umpires to cover for Xanthe who was in Barcelona (with god-knows how may ex boyfriends – much to Dan’s chargrin) on a photography and art class trip, while Ant did his best to replicate our wonderful scorer’s work, who was living it large at the Hickstead Show jumping in Sussex. When I say replicate, I simply mean record what’s going on in the outfield while hoping it all balances as the end.

It takes persons of strong character and iron will to umpire a game like this. The appealing for LBWs when the ball was merely in the pad’s vicinity or the incredulity that a wide be called when the ball passed the batsman, though in a different post code, was amusing. Let’s not even mention the outcome of a close run out chance. You’d swear this was the final game of a league season and a win was required to clinch the silverware.

Still smarting from being denied the run out chance, it was too much to bear for the keeper and the skipper when one of the bowlers was called for a wide. From my vantage point at square leg, it was very amusing to watch their skipper, all 4’7″ of him, run up to Sean, from fielding in the covers, indignant that a wide be called as the wicketkeeper hadn’t moved while taking the ball (it didn’t matter that the keeper was standing a foot outside off stump and had taken the ball on his right hip and then brought his hands back in from of him) . It looked like a Rumpelstiltskin-lookalike having a mini fit because his circus bear wouldn’t do as instructed and climb upon his little bicycle. This all before we’d reached 30 runs.

Ayman fell with the score on 29, David Watson and Langley put on a 67 run partnership before Chris edged one to the keeper. Rishi and David both fell at 115 and when Prateek fell with the score on 125/5, Sean strode to the crease, with a steely glint in his eye, to set the record straight and add another mark in the win column. Accused of a slow over rate, of not giving a run out and being being further abused by a tall dwarf for calling a wide. Enough was enough!

Sean and Jock added 42 runs, before Jock fell with six runs still required. Jamo-Love then ably assisted his older sibling in seeing the win home. The pièce de résistance, with us only requiring a single to win from six balls, was the skipper deciding he should bowl the final over. He then proceeded to bowl the first ball for a wide, assisting Captain Scott in reaching their target of 173 after three hours and 25 minutes in the middle. 10 overs an hour, no wonder over rate is so closely monitored.

It turns out the cricketing gods do have a wry sense of humour after all.

The detailed scorecard can be found here.

By Captain Scott

Enough time for a curry?

The Skipper regained his mojo and was back to adding winning notches to his belt. In what is a perennial low scoring affair, the Skipper marshalled the troops to claim a convincing win.

Losing the toss and being asked to bat, at 34-4, plans were being made, by certain Scotties, to book a curry, for 6:00pm, somewhere nearby. Uncle and Langley settled things down for a while, but they both fell after the drinks break for 61-5 and 70-6, respectfully. The skipper batting at seven fell soon after and at 78-7, no one quite sure if it was a good ball or the thought of a good curry that was the Skipper’s downfall. It seemed the bowling was going to have to be impeccable, if we couldn’t post a 130 plus runs.

Enter Dan “Jock” Vale who was playing his first Sunday game in the 2018 season. Those hoping for the 6:00pm curry had forgotten to involve Jock in the plans, so Jock proceeded to work with the wagging tail and see out the 40 overs, he himself adding a red-inked 40 to his name and allowing the team to post a 144-9. The highest batting total by either team from this and the all the other games from past seasons.

After tea, some tight opening bowling by Ant and Jock, forced Sandhurst into playing shots and great rotation of the bowlers, by the Skipper, saw wickets falling regularly. Though, I think it was Uncle’s right-handed snaffle, at the extreme reach of his outstretched right hand, which broke Sandhurst’s spirit, who happened to be sitting comfortably at 75-4. Spirit broken, Sandhurst stumbled to 114 all out. A 30 run win in a low scoring affair is a virtual chasm and a great win.

Walking off the pitch at 7:40pm, celebrating the win, the aforementioned curry long forgotten.

The detailed scorecard can be found here

By David Watson

Scotties show their strength in depth to make it 4 and 1

Temporary Captain James Reilly has entrusted me with the responsibility of commiting this week’s game to the annals.

I must say, that when Dan and myself rocked up to Chipstead and Coulsdon CC at 1.45pm, there was a general sense of foreboding among the Scotties with both Our Glorious Leader and our Glorious Communications Officer declaring themselves unable to take the field on the morning of battle.

Many wondered, what kind of beating would the Scotties receive without these cumulative decades of experience, skills and general athleticism around the park? Some wondered, when was the last time the Scotties had overcome Chipstead and Coulsdon – if ever? One or two wondered (J Reilly), would the Scotties in fact do better??

There was certainly one unusual feature, which was that all 11 Scotties had arrived and were ready for action at least 5 mins before the official start time!

We lost the toss and the oppo decided to bat, understandable given the road-like nature of the track and the c 27 degree temperatures.

I admit to thinking, ‘well, at least we’ll all get a bat when they hit 300’. Happily, Ant and Ayman had other ideas and kept it superbly tight, with the oppo on around 80 after 18 overs. Tight bowling increased the pressure on their openers and Jim took our first wicket at 80-1 as they looked to accelerate. Chipstead’s danger man had clearly got the instruction to get a move on as he skipped down the wicket to hit Ayman for four to bring his score to 71 and the team to 136-3. Ayman was unamused – middle stump removed from the ground next ball.

Doc’s left arm orthodox then came into play, with both their no 4 and no 5 holing out to long on and deep mid wicket respectively, leaving Chipstead at 165-5. Dan’s catch at deep mid wicket was a decent one for a rapidly aging guy. I note, however, he did shell their danger man at first slip off Ayman (presumably incurring a significant fine).

Chipstead reached 175-8 before, generously, declaring after 38 overs. We would probably have batted a bit longer in the circumstances. We would have about 45 mins plus 20 overs to bat, chasing 176 to win.

Ultimately, Chipstead missed their main bat from last year, who recently signed a contract with Harlequins rugby team.

Jim and Dan opened up with their 22 year opener showing some decent nip. Unfortunately for Chipstead, an archilles issue kept him to 4 overs. Jim and Dan laid a solid platform with some nice driving and cutting, Jim eventually falling on 49-1. Chris picked up the baton with the two going strong until Chris was bowled by their off spinner when we on 96-2. Dan continued to rack up 105, clattering the ball to all parts until he was caught (playing his favourite game of trying to hit the tree which is inside the pitch at deep midwicket) when we were 172-3. Ayman and I got the rest, featuring some classic glory hunting by Ayman at the end.

As far as Sunday games go, that brings us to 4 wins, 1 loss!

Full Scorecard can be found here

By Captain Scott

Long may the run continue

It was an action packed game, with centuries on both teams, a hat-trick and a thrilling final over.

Pitching up at Stratfield Brake Sports Ground, there wasn’t a pitch ready and waiting, instead there was one field with a lush green square, another field with the covers still on and an assistant manager who knew sweet fanny-adams and kept asking us to wait until his manager arrived, who was right round the corner at the local Sainsbury and would be here very soon. Yeah right!

David and Jim (Copeman – Scottie debutant) took the initiative and decided to remove the covers from the square and see if we could get a game started. The opposition captain was eager to get going and obviously had a strong batting line-up as he asked if each bowler could bowl eight overs in a 35 over game – it’s a friendly, so why not… “Sure thing Dave, eight per bowler”. Seeing people removing the covers Dave then asked if we could toss. We headed out and Dave didn’t even look at the square and said, “Ready?”. I wasn’t sure what we should do, but tossed and Dave called tails, tails it was. “We’ll bowl!”, no hesitation or deliberation. Well at least I didn’t need to decide…

The mysterious manager turned up and it appeared that there were no boundary markers or stumps. Kidlington CC had everything locked up and even though you can hire a square, that’s all you’re hiring. To be fair, our awesome President and Tea-Maker had warned me to bring stumps, but a couple of eager beavers packed the car and I forgot the stumps – doh! I did have bails in my bag, as did the umpire. At least it wasn’t 100% village!

With two pairs of plastic stumps found in the nets (one set were buggered) play started while I rushed down the A34 to a Sports Direct, I was assured contained stumps on sale. I arrived and managed to find two pairs of spring stumps (no normal stumps available)… not great, but better than the classy plastic stumps we had.

Two pairs of spring stumps purchased, I then careened back the the ground, only to get there to find the idiotic salesperson had sold me one set of adult stumps and one set of youth stumps… FFS!! And to top it off, the youth stumps didn’t contain any bails. Double FFS!!

Unbeknownst to me, the one plastic set were so rubbish, they were rotating the decent plastic stumps every over. Now at least we had a decent pair of spring stumps and a decent [enough] pair of plastic stumps – rotation was no longer needed.

Most surprising, after all my toing and froing, was the opening pair of Mr Hunt and Mr Daniels were still going strong and shortly after I arrived back passed a century partnership, but it was not to last as one of the Butler fielders held a catch and Jim was gone for 42.

While I was stump shopping, Lisa had quickly [and quietly] arrived and delivered a top-class tea and then did a runner… something about her family being more important than the needs of 22 willow and leather obsessed blokes.

Dan Mitchell, a Sunday game debutant (not a complete debutant, as he has toured with Scotts this year) was in at three and looked to settle in on pitch that took a little getting used too. While Dan was trying to get to grips with the pitch, Paul Daniels was taking the bowling apart and brought up his century in style. Dan, while on 7, hit a great shot that the mid-wicket unfortunately managed to somehow get a paw under while falling over. It was an incredible catch and one that no one should ever feel bad getting out to…

Next debutant Jim Copeman, who’d looked great in the nets, and received a sound piece of advice from centurion Daniels, about having a look first. His first ball was an awful ball down the leg-side that should have been called a wide (umpiring, I’d begun to signal the wide, before I realised he’d hit it), however Jim somehow managed to get bat on it and send it straight down the neck of fine leg. Suddenly the bowler, T Wilson, was on a hat-trick.

In strode Prateek, and Butler’s skipper put all the men round the bat. In ran the bowler and tried a bouncer which bounced and was on it’s way down when Prateek attempted a pull and proceeded to knick it to McCormack behind the stumps who juggled it and almost, put it down, almost, but not quite. The Butler XI were cock-a-hoop. 162 for 1 was 162 for 4 and Wilson had a hat-trick. Wilson, having not yet conceded a run, proceeded to bowl two wides and took no further wickets. The skipper then immediately pulled T Wilson from the attack, stating he was protecting his average.

Mr Stoddart (from Mr Daniel’s Alma Mater) took to the middle and a sense of normality resumed… by normality, I mean the Butler boys dropping catches and allowing Stoddart to continue adding runs. It looked like Paul and David had spent years batting together. The opening bowler returned and Paul managed to play round a straight one and was out LBW for 124. Great innings and one that gave the team impetus.

Jimmy CS and his bat, which had been made from a willow tree in his village, that, one, WG Grace once urinated against just before it was struck by lightening, strode to the middle, proceeded to score a run and then hit it to a fielder. 210 for 6 and only a few more overs to go. Tommy “Panther” Mac looking to up the scoring rate, hit two great fours off sequential overs and then also got caught with nine balls of the innings remaining. Final over and hat-trick boy Wilson is brought back, deciding to bowl spin, instead of his medium pace… first ball and Stoddart edged an innocuous ball onto his stumps, gone for a respectable 28.

Enter Tomlinscote School and Sixth Form College’s newest head-boy, Dan “Cookerooni” Cooke for his second season at Captain Scott. He blocked the first ball, knocked his second for to mid-wicket for a single and then proceeded to tell the umpire at the non-striker’s end, Jim Copeman, that he’d just scored his first ever run! Dan was off the mark in more ways than one. Another single and Dan was back on strike. Dan then hit another ball to mid-wicket and scampered his second run on the final ball of the final over. Two not out, twice the amount of runs scored in four innings last season. Well done Dan, and I hope your cricket career is long and enjoyable. We at Captain Scott look forward to watching you grow in the coming years!

That was tea and the Butler XI had to chase 229 in 35 overs for the win. It was a great tea and I have to admit, I completely over indulged on the prawn mayo sandwiches. They were mighty fine!! Thanks Lisa!!

We started brightly enough with T Wilson, the bowling hero, going for a duck on the fourth ball of the first over. 1 for 1. Enter their dark horse and ringer, a Saffa with an Aidan-esque build, who apparently had his sense of humour removed by immigration when he arrived on these shores.

The game proceeded to ebb and flow, a few tight overs and then the release. We eventually removed Steve McCormack for 56 and it was 122-2, enter their big-hitter who’d pulled his groin while fielding, so was accompanied by a runner. His first scoring shot was a large six over cow, after he’d sashayed (groin and all) down the pitch. Pulled his groin you say… not just a lumber-some cart-horse, who needs a runner to turn singles into quick twos? A single and then a four and then bowled, their big-hitter could rest his injury. 140-3 and in strode Tom Cruise from Risky Business wearing a cricket helmet. A partnership of nine and Tommy Mac was in the wickets again, a large hoick, slick glove work, a foot stuck in the pitch and Prateek had an actual stumping to his name. 149-4.

At this stage I could turn to Magic and asking him their required rate, I was then fed, runs required, balls remaining and their required rate… Who would hold their nerve?

Batsman number six, not very long in the legs, joined the party and after adding two to his name, decided a second run to put the surly Saffa back on strike, was a good idea, obviously hadn’t heard that you don’t run on a misfield. Dan Mitchell grabbed the ball, fired and hit the stumps… stumpy was out and unhappy about it. 156-5.

In strode, the silver fox, David Price QC, of Fleet Street. Tom and Dan were bowling well and bringing a halt to the runs and causing the run rate to increase. At this point there was a load going on and I think it got to a point that they needed 34 from 4 overs. seven runs off the 32nd over and eight from the 33rd over and they needed 19 from the last 12 balls.

My final over, dot, dot, dot, single, dot, wide (doh) and a four, three metre’s from Paulie on the short boundary, but difficult to stop. We were still in with a  chance…

They needed 13 from the last six balls. Dan Mitchell entrusted with the final over… He ran up and delivered the first ball to the Saffa, who’d now passed his hundred but due to his team-mates poor scoring had him on 91, he hit it straight and long, six runs. Seven from five balls. Squeaky. Bum. Time!

Dot.

Seven from four balls.

They could only manage a single and David was on strike. Six from three.

Dan ran in and David cut it to deep backward point on the boundary, two was the shout. I chased the ball as it rushed towards the boundary, Tommy Mac fielded on the boundary and pushed the ball towards me. I grabbed it and cannoned it back to Prateek who whipped off the bails, David was short of his ground. He was out and they’d only scored a single, 224-6.

Five from two balls and the new batsman was on strike, with the Saffa stranded down the other end, his sense of humour being closely watched by Sajid Javid’s staff. The field was brought up to stop a single or a suicide run.

Dot. Straight into Prateek’s gloves. No chance of a single. It wasn’t over, but we were in the driving seat.

Five from one (a four to tie or a six to win)

Dot.

The Captain Scott Invitation XI had won by four runs and still had a 100% record for Sunday Friendlies in 2018. The Butler XI were both physically and mentally beaten, they’d snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. Bet David Price now wished they had batted first.

Great game and well done to the match day XI. All round great performance…

The scorecard can be found here

By Captain Scott

A sunny Bank Holiday Sunday, in May?

We thought it was a 14:00 start and they thought it was a 13:30 start, so Kew were a little upset with us, plus the wonderful weather brought out millions of sun-seekers, which snarled London traffic, which definitely didn’t help those who usually plan to arrive with five minutes to spare.

Needless to say with the weather set hot and sunny and four players still MIA, the Skipper had a fifty-fifty chance of winning the toss, he called and once the coin landed, their skipper had absolutely no difficulty in deciding we should field (albeit with only seven players) first. Oh they did offer us a fielder for little while, bless their cotton socks.

Their umpire, who I thought was an official umpire and not a player/umpire, dressed in his civvies, had a minor conniption fit because Danny, running slightly less late than others, took to the field in his shorts. Danny then went to change his shorts for whites and was due to take the field but the umpire refused to let him on, until the end of the over, even though a player can take to the field at any time as long as the umpire is made aware (which he was) and the player doesn’t hold up play (which he wasn’t). In this case the ill-dressed umpire of disrepute, held up the game explaining that it was a local law (which were not discussed at the toss) allowing fielders to only take to the field of play in between overs and thereby forcing Danny to retreat from the field of play again.

After this is was fairly plain sailing. Kew started brightly, quickly scoring 36 in the first four overs, but with a plan set and bowling a tighter line we began to take wickets and Kew’s scoring opportunities were restricted, allowing them to reach 187-9 in their allotted 40 overs.

Surprise find of the game was Jim Hunt’s bowling, which he hasn’t done since he was 16 and he’s bloody 47 now (his words, not mine). He snared two wickets and it should have been more if he and a few other players didn’t shell the ball at opportune times.

After tea, we had 40 overs to chase 188 for the win, we made the task a little more exciting by being being 22 for 3 after not many overs. Danny and Prateek then settled things somewhat and at 95 for 3 after 19 overs, things were looking more favourable. But then again this is cricket and before anyone could fully grasp what was happening, Scotties found themselves at 100 for 6. Not all was lost as Danny was still at the crease, without a bead of sweat or a worry…

The seventh wicket fell at 121 and Billy and Danny then put on an eighth wicket partnership of 52 which saw us to 173 for 8. Danny now bored and wanting to take his daughters on the helter-skelter at the fair across the road, decided enough was enough and quickly dispatched the ball to the boundary a few more times while farming the strike saw us home on an unbeaten 117 from 114 balls.

Kew, graciously, bought us a jug of beer for win and Danny’s century. Danny didn’t drink a drop as he was on the helter-skelter, the cricket forgotten and his and his daughters’ joy unbridled.

The scorecard can be found here

By Captain Scott

Not only was the weather glorious, but the cricket wasn’t bad either.

The season opener was in the beautiful grounds of Headley Cricket Club on the periphery of Headley Heath in the Surrey North Downs.

Losing the toss and being put into field wasn’t a bad thing as if we’d won the toss, we’d have fielded… Headely started well enough and at 67 for 3 were well enough placed to go on and post a 200+ score for us to chase. However, while they are good batsmen, they simply want to hit every ball for a boundary (as the ground is rumoured to be one of the smallest in the UK, who can blame them), while this has it’s rewards, it’s also high risk.

Their approach in this instant didn’t pay off and from 67 for 3 they were all out for 111 in 28.5 overs. All the bowlers chipped in and Billy Smail removed their high scorer (29) and as well as ensuring the tail didn’t wag. He ended with 5.5 overs, 1 maiden, 14 runs and 4 wickets.

After an enjoyable tea, Sunny and Jim opened the batting and Headley CC were eager to prevent us from chasing the runs down. Unfortunately Jim (19) and Sunny (2) fell with only 30 on the board and Watson Senior (22) and Ryan “Spiceman” Spicer (29) put some of the loose bowling to the sword. At 74 for 2 we were cruising, but Dave missed a straight one and the umpire was left with no option, but to raise the dreaded finger. An unexpected (or expected, hence why we fielded first) wobble and we suddenly found ourselves 100 for 6 with Billy and, the stand-in Skipper, Brett at the crease.

Fortunately for Captain Scott or unfortunately for Headley CC, calm heads prevailed, forward defensives were utilised and the realisation that we required 12 runs in 15 overs allowed Billy and Brett to take safe singles and see Captain Scott home for a 4 wicket victory and a strong start to the season.

The full scorecard can be found here for those that would like to pick at the bones of the game.