As summer has finally arrived, and I’ve had both of my jabs I thought it I’d head down to foxfields for what was the first home game of the season, in week 7 no less! Bloody rain.
The coin was flipped and Harlestone looking at a dry and cracked wicket thought… we don’t fancy that, let’s see what it does for our bowlers, much to Pinny’s annoyance who maintained it would play well and true.
Well, it did, just a shame our openers didn’t use it, both JT and Sparrow back in the hutch/car in record time, GP 10-2 with Jonny and John at the crease (that’s right, 4 J’s to start). Next we saw the fastest trigger finger in the west… with John M being given out after middling one on to his pads, his consternation with the umpire threatening to bubble over.
Aussie came to the crease to join Jonny, feeling good following on from his 71 the previous week, and the two set about rebuilding the GP innings with some good running and lusty blows. Ryan made 56 before missing a straight one, leaving GP on 104-4, and a nice 88 run partnership with Jonny. Pinny came and went in strange circumstances, the 1st change bowler throwing up two ice laden pies (the second of which Pinny did hit, but slipped, fell and looked like a turtle on his back in the middle of the wicket), the third and decisive ball, a rocket Chirs Wade would be proud, beat Pinny all ends up.
Jake clearing suffering from his previous day’s exploits in the hollies stand at Edgbaston came and went for 1. Ricki finally stuck with JR for a little while and helped him get to a second successive 50 (albeit with a game in the middle missing) – then… his dad turned up and jonny got out, I should just copy and paste that every week ;).
Ricki (17), David (15*) and Zubair (10*) all managed double figures, skipper Tiger continued his depressive run of form to ensure GP finished with their customary 4 ducks in an innings – the final total a lacklustre 170.
So, what could my boys do with the ball? well, the batting was better it turns out.
Tony (2 – 35) and Zubair (1 – 36) took the new pill and bowled relatively tightly, picking up a few wickets, managing to get their umpire to use his trigger finger again.
Their number 3 batsman Pooley was the key though, brought to the wicket relatively early, he flayed the GP bowlers to all parts, getting pretty lucky on a number of occasions it has to be said. A hard chance went to a full-length diving Jon T, who could only tip it over the bar, and when Pinny (0 – 59) replaced Zubair, Pooley slapped a cover drive to Ricki in the deep that he just couldn’t cling on to.
Who knows how the game would have transpired if either of those chances had been taken, I guess that’s why I invented the saying ‘Catches Win Matches’ back in the early 1900s.
Pooley took advantage and blasted his way to 97, only to fall to the Big D (2 – 20), snaffled by Jonny, but by this stage, Harlestone were on 163-4 and cruising. Another couple of consolation wickets fell with Jac (1 – 15) and Big D, ultimately demonstrating what might have been if we’d managed to get rid of Pooley quicker.
That’s 4 defeats from 4 games, you’re better than this foxes, take a leaf out of your LMS side’s book and start stringing a couple of wins together please (and Ricki well done for the Foxes – time to do it on the big stage now!).