Bedouins v Enville Over 40s at Enville – Tuesday, 26 June 2012

Match tied

Spratters writes:

We hadn’t been told whether the game against Enville was home or away, so I took a gamble  and went to the home ground.  A 50/50 chance but luckily all the Beds were there, and the warm up routine (carrying the bags from the car to the changing room ) was in full swing…….

I can never decide if it’s best to write these reports referring to myself as I or Spratters. I think they call it ‘first person and third person’ or something. ( I don’t know where the second person got to).  I’ll do ‘third person’.

Beds batted first, and Spratters was to get the shock of his life – OPENING the batting with skipper John Branch. This was the first time Spratters had been asked to open for any club since 1985 at Kirby Muxloe CC when he was handed a tin of peaches and a tin opener by one of the tea ladies.

A solid but slow start, (Branch solid, Spratters slow) saw the Beds to 46 for no wicket after 11 overs, seeing off the opening bowlers, Moran and Roberts. Branch retired on 30, and was replaced by Woodhouse who was unfortunately bowled through his legs for a duck .  Next in was Gregory, who hit three super fours but was then caught and bowled for 12. Johnson next, bowled for 2 and Bywater, came down the wicket to off spinner Perkins and was unfortunately stumped for 1. I think by this time Spratters had been bowled too, again by that Perkins bloke for a tentative 19.  This brought Hanckock and Hill Jr. to the wicket, the former looking good for 9 before being caught off the bowling of Moran, and Hill Jr. hitting a quick 17, including two sixes, before being bowled by T. Davis. George and Pearson batted out the remaining overs ending on 3 and 4 not out. A total of 106 for 9 off 20 overs.

The Beds opened the bowling with Spratters and Bywater. Bywater keeping it very tight with 4 overs for 8 runs. Spratters not so tight with 4 overs for 19, but picking up the wickets of the openers  M. Perkins (bowled) and Davis caught behind, ( a good clean catch by Hill Jr.) After 8 overs, Enville were 32 for 2. Next to bowl were Gregory and Pearson, Gregory 3 overs for 19 and Pearson 4 overs for 25.  At 15 overs Enville were 71 for 2 and the Beds needed to slow down the scoring and get some wickets.  Woodhouse and Matt Grainger, a regular Enville player drafted in to make up our 11, came on to bowl the last 5 overs. Woodhouse’s first over only going for 2, and Grainger’s first a bit loose and going for 8 but picking up the wicket of  Pearsall. Woodhouse then bowled Sandford, on 21 (an important wicket) in his second over, leaving Enville needing 14 off the last 2 overs. Exciting stuff!! The 19th over went for 9 and Grainger had to bowl the last over with Enville needing 5 to win. So no pressure then. Two dot balls and then a wicket, that of  Roberts who was looking a bit dangerous. 5 needed off 3 balls. Next ball a dot, and then the next driven for 4 by new batsman Perkins. Scores level and one ball left. Perkins hits the ball but it doesn’t go far, and they set off for a run, the ball is hurled to the keeper and the bails removed before Craven the non striker makes his ground. Scores level and game over!!

Bedouins v Wilkes Tranter at Enville – Wednesday, 20 June 2012

Bedouins win by 80 runs

Report by Spratters, who apparently has the Caps Lock jammed on his keyboard. I’d try and make it more legible but I’m pushed for time. Have I told you I’m going away?

WITH ONLY NINE BEDS AVAILABLE, TWO YOUNG WHIPPERSNAPPERS, TOM DAVIES AND TOM NEWELL, REGULAR ENVILLE 3RD TEAMERS, WERE DRAFTED IN. (IS EVERYONE UNDER 16 CALLED TOM THESE DAYS?)I WAS CONCERNED THAT THIS WAS TO BE A CHALLENGING GAME. AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH OUR STRETCH ROUTINES AND PRE MATCH PHYSICAL JERKS I COUNTED 23 MEMBERS OF THE OPPOSITION, ALSO WARMING UP. THANKFULLY 12 OF THEM WERE INTERLOPERS WHO HAD COME TO USE THE ENVILLE NET FACILITY. BUT AS IT TURNED OUT, THE OPPOSITION COULD HAVE DONE WITH AN EXTRA 12…..

I DON’T KNOW WHO WON THE TOSS BUT I ASSUME IT WASN’T US BECAUSE WE BATTED FIRST. THE WILKES TRANTER OPENING BOWLERS CAUSED LITTLE PROBLEMS FOR OUR OPENERS – BRANCH AND LIPPET. THE CONSISTENT SHORT DELIVERIES AND LOOPING FULL TOSSES FEEDING MR. BRANCH’S CUT SHOT AND LIPPO’S TRADEMARK LEGSIDE SLOG. BOTH OPENERS REACHED THEIR RETIREMENT (31 EACH) AND WERE REPLACED BY WOODHOUSE AND TOM NEWELL. (PITY LIPPO HAD TO STOP, HE LOOKED GOOD FOR AT LEAST 35).

A FINE INNINGS FROM WOODHOUSE SAW HIM RETIRE ON 32. NEWELL WAS STUMPED ON 6 STORMING DOWN THE PITCH ATTEMPTING TO LAUNCH THE BALL OVER THE PAVILION. HILL JR. WAS BOWLED FOR A DUCK, AND HANCOCK CONTINUED HIS RECENT GOOD FORM WITH A USEFUL 12. THIS BROUGHT BYWATER AND SPRATTERS TO THE WICKET FOR THE LAST FEW OVERS, THE LATTER MAKING A TENTATIVE 4 AND BYWATER LOOKING GOOD FOR 7 UNTIL THE LAST BALL, UNFORTUNATELY RUN OUT DUE TO SPRATTERS CALLING FOR A RUN TO DESPERATELY TRY AND INCREASE HIS TOTAL TO 5.

SO WE WERE SITTING PRETTY ON 135 AFTER 20 OVERS. A GOOD TOTAL. ALL THE TEAM WERE IN GOOD SPIRITS EXCEPT LEE BYWATER WHO WAS IN A BAD MOOD BUT DIDN’T WANT TO DISCUSS IT.

THE INNINGS OF WILKES TRANTER STARTED WITH SPRATTERS AND DAVIES OPENING THE BOWLING, KEEPING IT REASONABLY TIGHT FOR THE FIRST 3 OVERS (IF YOU DON’T COUNT SPRATTERS BEING SMACKED FOR 6). THEN IN THE 3RD OVER DAVIS FINDS THE PERFECT LINE AND LENGTH AND PICKS UP TWO WICKETS, BOTH BOWLED.

GEORGE REPLACED SPRATTERS AT THE KINVER END, KEEPING IT TIGHT, AND THEN IN HIS THIRD OVER, DAVIS BOWLS ANOTHER ONE, THE DANGEROUS LEFT HANDED TOP SCORER. AND IF THAT WASN’T ENOUGH, IN HIS FOURTH OVER CLEAN BOWLS ANOTHER TWO TO FINISH WITH FIGURES OF  4-1-9-5. A SUPERB PERFORMANCE.

NEXT TO BOWL WERE BYWATER AND PEARSON, THE REMAINING BATSMEN IN THEIR INTERESTING VARIETY OF SHORTS, OFFICE SHIRTS AND ODD SOCKS FACING AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK.

PEARSON PICKED UP ONE WICKET FOR NINE OFF FOUR OVERS, (A SUPERB GROUND LEVEL SLIP CATCH BY SKIPPER JOHN BRANCH) AND BYWATER TWO FOR SEVEN, BOTH BOWLED. THE OTHER YOUNG TOM BOWLED TWO OVERS FROM THE PAVILION END, PICKING UP TWO WICKETS AND FINISHING THE GAME, JUST AS SPRATTERS WAS LIMBERING UP FOR ONE MORE OVER TO TRY AND JOIN THE WICKET PARTY (HURMPH!)

WILKES TRANTER ALL OUT FOR 55 AND A CONCLUSIVE WIN FOR THE BEDS. AFTER THE GAME A DELICIOUS TEA WAS SERVED, THOUGH THE HERO OF THE GAME TOM DAVIS DISSAPPEARED AFTER A QUICK PRESS CONFERENCE TO AVOID THE PAPARAZZI. PLEASE CONTACT THE CHAIRMAN FOR INFORMATION ON THE NEWLY FORMED TOM DAVIS FAN CLUB. BENEFITS INCLUDE BADGE, T-SHIRT AND MONTHLY FANZINE.

(We didn’t even get him to sign the contract – Ed)

Kinlet v Bedouins at Moffat School – Wednesday, 13 June 2012

Bedouins win by 4 wickets

This seasons skipper Branch kept his 100% winning record with an away win at Kinlet. It was a good team performance from the Bedouins in a game that was finely poised and keenly contested throughout and played in the fabulous surroundings of Moffats school. You’d be hard pressed to find a more rural setting for a game of cricket.

Susman (shoulder) and Hill A. (back) were both out through injury, with both facing a late fitness test before running away to Tenerife with the tea ladies. Captain of Vice, George, was back in the side after his sojourn to Egypt. Thinking about it, where was the tan? Did he leave his hotel room at all? Lock was also back in the side.

Kinlet like to play a form of the game where everybody bowls two overs and batsmen retire at 25. That suited the Bedouins who had a strong side of all-rounders out. That and the fact that the wicket was playing low and slow meant the ball was hard to get away.

Kinlet batted first with their opening partnership realising 35 runs. George opened the bowling with the rather interesting bright pink ball and only conceded 3 runs from his two overs. The trip away obviously did him good. He even managed to hold two catches in the deep – something has concentrated his mind.

Bowling and fielding was generally well executed apart from a dropped catch from Lock (there’s always one from the Bedouins) and there were wickets for Bywater, Gregory, Lock, Hancock and Spratley. This saw Kinlet kept to a score of 92 for the loss of six wickets on what is usually a high scoring ground.

Bedouins started the run chase with Branch and Lippitt at the crease. Both made the retirement mark of 25 and this gave the Bedouins a good solid start. There followed, however, the sort of mini collapse that was witnessed in the previous home game. A worrying trend for the Bedouins. Woodhouse departed first ball, followed by Gregory for a duck and also Hill J. for a duck. This meant Bedouins had gone from 42 for no wicket to 48 for 3.

The pressure was now on. Bywater was anchoring one end but runs were needed, and quickly. Enter The Flashing Blade. Lock was not going to die wondering and launched the ball over long on for six. This was followed next ball by a four and the Bedouins were back in the game.

Beds inched ever closer to their target but Lock was bowled when on 11 at which point Hancock marched to the crease and continued to take the game to Kinlet with two lusty blows to the boundary for 4. The target was reached in the 19th over with Bywater finishing on 7 not out and Hancock hitting the winning run and finishing 9 not out.

A good win for the Bedouins then with Kinlet being hard to beat on their own ground (in fact, on any ground). The Beds were then made very welcome, as usual, at the Eagle and Serpent for a beer and a bite to eat. Thanks to Francis and the boys for their kind hospitality.

Match photos available here.