Things had been going a bit too well!
For only the third time in 15 matches this season, we were bowled out for under 140, and consequently lost a game we certainly could have won, had we batted with a little bit of application. We restricted Singleton to 170 all out with Edgar Fernandes returning the best bowling figures of the season, with 7-30, including 4 wkts in one over, equalling my feat against Merrow last month (I thought that would be a club record for years). After I contributed a tidy 3 wicket burst, assisted by a smart slip catch by Jerry W., and a superb flying catch by Nick W. at mid on, Edgar then completely bamboozled the Singleton middle order reducing them to 114-7, but some late slogging boosted their total. Bowling figs. were Matt H. 8-1-16-0, Alex C. 5-0-24-0, Jerry W. 5-0-26-0, Toby C. 8-1-30-0, Edgar F. 6.4-0-30-7, and myself 10-1-19-3.
Given the way we had been batting this year it seemed very achievable at tea. However our reply started badly with Edgar caught behind down the leg side for a duck second ball; then Jerry W., 'Mr Consistency,' this year, drove straight to mid off for 2, and Alex C. back after a seven week absence holed out to extra cover for 4. With three of our four 'form' batsmen out, we then badly missed Ashley W. and Jerry S. who has made 5 thirties this season in the middle order. Nobody could stay with Frammo , who decided to launch a 'one man' counter attack, whilst wickets fell regularly at the other end. Dave scored 69, his highest score of the season and his fifth fifty in his last eight innings, with some lovely clean hitting including one huge six. When he departed, serious resistance ended, but yours truly, with great support from H. coming in at number 11, managed to survive 13 overs before I was agonisingly lbw two balls from the end of the 20 overs. It was very disappointing but, apart from Frammos' innings, we failed to bat as a unit, which has been our strength this season.