Well… the sun was shining, the lads were returning to (not so) fortress foxfields for the first time this season, so I dragged my bedraggled carcass out of bed, and up to the sunny (and always windy) confines…
What was I to find, but none other than a bar serving some delightful refreshments! Oh yeah… and some cricket happened.
Barby got stuck on the motorway, so a worried Barby skipper won the toss and elected to bat to give his troops the opportunity to arrive slowly. John tossed the ball to Sparrow (Jac) and Rick and asked for more of last weeks line and length. They didn’t disappoint.
Sparrow started off with his now customary wides, and Rick probed away with some top of off bowling, the latter getting the first breakthrough (the pic above was actually the ball that delivered the first wicket) bowling the Barby skipper early.
The next 10 overs passed without too much of note, and John brought on Windy (arms not bottom) Adams and Young Mr Tiley (for his first bowl of the year). Tony got some instant impact with a smart pouch by the skipper behind the stumps off an attempted slog-sweep, whilst Tiley toiled at the other end. Tony then found the patch of all patches to send a pea roller under the bat of the old Barby skipper Hardbattle, I heard him chuntering as he walked off “needed a shovel to play that”.
Tiley (1 -32) and Adams (2 – 7) were replaced by ChuChu and Ballard, much to the amusement of Rick, who decided now was the time for some unbelievable “chat”, I heard, express, first-class, second class, carriage, Thomas, and various other train-related puns all in his first over!
Anand came on to mop of some of the rest of the innings, ably assisted by Sparrow, and eventually Barby stumbled to a below par (but above par for them) 121/9.
Justin now quite perturbed by there being two girls in the opposition side was relieved to see one of them strap the keepers pads on at half-time, halving his chance of being bowled. Out strode JB and Sparrow (is there anything he won’t open?).
with 21 on the board Jac fell to a straight one, playing all-round it and seeing the dreaded finger raised by none other than his skipper. ChuChu and Anand came and went without troubling the scorers (literally – both ducks, 7 and 4 balls respectively). Bringing the sex bomb Australian to the crease, how I’ve missed him and his Australian (via Northampton) drawl.
From what could have been a precarious position we saw JB and Ryan trade blow for blow, never really looking in any trouble, smashing a couple of 6s each (I know even JB can do it on this tiny boundary) and helping GP home safe and sound 122/3 off just 20.2 overs. JB finishing on 60* (one for the averages) and Ryan on 40* – top work guys!
John’s men march on, you just have to feel sorry for Cameron who spent all 20.2 overs padded up waiting for his chance after a decent warm-up net beforehand!
Man of the match has to go to JB for his unbeaten 60, let’s just hope that new baby can entertain itself once it arrives so we don’t miss out on a vintage JB season!
