Plain sailing in the shorter form
Past
experience of games at Byfleet have been such that we arrived anticipating
a tough game against crack opponents and we had thus gone to some lengths
to ensure that we had a good and well rounded side out. I was met however,
by a rather glum Byfleet captain who apologised for the poor quality of
his side and suggested that it might be best if we were to bat first.
Having been caught by this ruse before I was immediately suspicious but
a surreptitious examination of his side revealed a number of very young
lads, a grandfather and a gentleman with a very severe haircut which indicated
that he was more used to the football terraces than green sward.
Accordingly I acquiesced, and being in good humour I also agreed to a
40 over game. Thinking that my offspring was in need of a long innings
against ordinary bowling, I sent him in to open with the experience of
Edgar at the other end. Before he went out, I gave him strong paternal
advice to play forward to everything and in true filial style, he ignored
me, played back to a yorker 4th ball and had his stumps rearranged. He
returned to a glowering father and had the good sense to remain in the
changing room for some time. He also cheerfully admitted to being caught
behind of his first ball but as nobody seemed to notice, he thought he'd
just carry on.
Edgar, however, found the bowling much to his liking and set about it
with a number of meaty hooks and cuts and was for a brief time joined
by Doug who seemed slightly at odds with himself. Indeed after tinkering
about he lofted one to mid off and was out for 11. Rob Symondson now joined
Edgar and the assembled throng ( a crowd of about 6) were treated to shots
all round the wicket as Ed and Rob put on 131 for the 3rd wicket until
Ed, tiring of the carnage, rather sportingly ran himself out for 82. Rob
carried on for a while but he to seemed to become bored and lofted a return
catch to the bowler for 69.
The innings then subsided rather as batsman after batsman found interesting
ways of getting out, the most notable being Brian who found himself run
out after venturing no more than 12 inches from his increase. Nick Parkinson,
having run the full 22 yards had taken up residence in Brian's area so
Brian had to go displaying his fury in rather petulant manner it must
be said. Steve Reece played some nice shots for 21 and Matt, seemingly
determined to play himself in, blocked everything until the last ball
which he drove for 6. We finished on 241 for 8.
The Byfleet innings began badly for them as their opener was caught behind
in the third over and the no. 3 was taken in fine fashion at slip by Ed
diving to his left. The other opener and the skipper then batted well
and put on about 40 until Ed, entering the fray, turned one past the defensive
stroke to bowl the opener. Very quickly after, he did the same to the
skipper and the Byfleet innings was in tatters. Nick Parkinson had bowled
a tidy opening spell and was finally rewarded when the skipper took a
running catch at mid off.
Nick Wright then came on to bowl some medium pace and, after two rather
wayward overs, settled into a good length at reasonable pace and was rewarded
with 3 wickets which, in company with two clean bowled for Steve Reece,
polished off the innings for 112 in 29.3 overs.
To be frank, a somewhat disappointing afternoon of non competitive cricket
but at least Ed got a chance to improve his batting average!!