Bedouins v Beacon CC at Womborne – Wednesday, 30 July 2014

Beds lost by 17 runs

Another new fixture for the Bedouins, alongside the Staffs/Worcester Canal at Wombourne, where a straight hit for six would, at the appropriate end, always deposit the ball in the canal.  A fact that the Beds bowlers discovered all too soon in the Beacon innings.  It was one of those “He hasn’t played for a year” moments, when the batsman in question opened the innings and retired soon after, with three sixes in his 31.

There were another three sixes in the number four batsman’s 34, and three other double-figure scores, leaving the Beds rather licking their wounds in a 20-over total of 142 for 3.  That was almost literally true for Spratters, who took an almighty blow on his leg from the star batsman’s straight hit; another inch or two lower or, perish the thought, higher, and it would have been nasty.

It was a tough total for the Beds to chase, but the home side did the decent thing and held back the full force of their bowling, still leaving them with a win by 17 runs.  In the Beds’ total of 125, Jono Hill hit two sixes and five boundaries in his 36 not out.  Skipper John Branch made it easy on his somewhat creaky legs by hitting seven boundaries and a six in his 39.

Beacon had confessed, prior to the game, that they were fielding their professional.  But they kept him hidden away in the field until Austin Gregory found out just where he was.  A big hit to the mid-wicket boundary was fielded just inside the rope and, as Austin called for a second run, the throw came back, hardly rising above stump height all the way until it smacked into the keeper’s gloves an inch or two over the bails, leaving Austin stranded and muttering, as he made his way back to the pavilion.

In truth, Beacon were probably a bit strong for the Beds, but they were a friendly bunch – and the food was good!  We could be inviting them back to Enville next season.

Beacon 142 for 3 (Bywater 1 for 15; Spratley 1 for 16; Lemm 1 for 29)

Bedouins 125 (Branch 39; Hill 36 not out)

Bedouins v Enville Over 40s at Enville – Wednesday, 23 July 2014

Bedouins won by 6 runs

Every time the Bedouins play the Enville Over 40s, the opposition appears to get younger.  Is that just a product of the Beds getting older – or, perish the thought, could it be that Enville are introducing the odd “under-40” and the odd “proper” player?

Whatever the truth of that conundrum, the fact is that the Bedouins had to work hard to overcome the Over 40s at Enville.  Batting first on a perfect summer evening, when the ground looked as if it was ripe for heavy scoring, the Beds could muster only 92 for 7 in their 20 overs.

Opening the batting with the beloved skipper, Pankaj Mishra looked in fine form with three early boundaries.  But he was then unluckily run out for 14 and, with Paul Lippitt finding it difficult to get the “Lippitt dab” working as he top-scored with 24, the later batsmen also found runs hard to come by.  Double-figure scores came from John Howells, Lee Bywater and Austin Gregory, but 92 for 7 looked somewhat below par.

For Enville Over 40s, opener Tonks lived up to his name, as he made a quick-fire 17 before being caught by Bywater for 17 off the accurate bowling of Austin Gregory (2 for 13 in 4 overs).  There was a wicket apiece for Spratters and Bywater, but it looked as if the “oldies” would prevail when the final two overs arrived with just 11 runs needed.

“Mr Mackay” gave away just two runs and took 1 wicket in the 19th over, but it was that man Pankaj Mishra who finally swung it the Beds’ way, taking two catches off his own bowling in the last over for two runs, leaving the Beds triumphant by 6 runs.

Bedouins 92 for 7 (Lippitt 24, Mishra 14, Howells 14)

Enville Over 40s 86 for 7 (Gregory 2 for 13; Mishra 2 for 2; Bywater 1 for 12; Spratley 1 for 17)

Photos from the match are available here.

Bedouins v Kinlet at Enville – Sunday, 13 July 2014

Beds lose by 67 runs

Adrian Susman returned hotfoot (in fact hot-everything) from holiday in Morocco for the Beds’ annual Sunday meeting with our friends from Kinlet – not quite true, as he was due to come home anyway, but it sounds good.  He was back in time to complete a rare Bedouins hat-trick in a four-wicket haul and to top-score, but not to be part of a winning side.  The Beds lost heavily.

After welcoming another new recruit, former Enville stalwart John Howells, the Beds took the field in front of a large crowd – mostly, it has to be said, attending a christening party in the pavilion but spilling out on to the ground in the warm July conditions.  A few well-dressed children were unwise enough to continue frolicking in front of the sightscreen, but soon disappeared when Mr Mackay Bywater put on his best Winson Green manner and asked them to move.

Kinlet took full advantage of an unusually fast Enville outfield to hit 195 for 7 in their 35 overs (the match reduced from 40 overs for the benefit of those wanting the game finished in time to watch the World Cup final).  There was a 50 (retired) and 23 not out from the Allsopps, senior and junior, and 42 from Andrew Mooney.  For the Bedouins, as well as 4 for 32 from Adrian Susman, there were two wickets for Mike George and one for David Pearson, who once again made the lengthy round trip to turn out for the Bedouins on a Sunday afternoon.

In the Bedouins innings, there were double-figure contributions from the first six batsmen (17 from John Howells that included one or two strokes to remind some of us of his silky skills as a batsman), but none of them was able to get on top of the bowling or to go on to a decent enough score.  The home side’s 128 for 7 left the Bedouins 67 runs short at the close.

Which just left enough time for everyone to enjoy food kindly provided by the two Claires plus Lee’s mum before retiring to a nearby TV screen.

Bedouins v Pedmore Over 40s at Pedmore – Wednesday, 9 July 2014

Bedouins win by 5 wickets

The return fixture against Pedmore Over 40s (one or two of them would have needed a few biological tests to check their qualification to be regarded as “over 40”), was on the lovely Pedmore ground on a perfect summer evening.

Pedmore rattled up 123 for 5 in their 20 overs, with a couple of star batsmen helping the score along considerably.  The Beds were hampered when Spratters discovered during the first over that he had, after all, still got a muscle, which he proceeded to pull, leaving the Beds one bowler short.  The skipper had to bowl a couple of overs at the end, which, although expensive, at least yielded two wickets.  Most economical of the bowlers was Josh Lemm, with 1 for 15 in his 4 overs.

John Branch made his customary 30 at the top of the Beds order, and Pankraj made 26.  But it was Jono Hill who really got the Beds innings on the right track with a 30 (retired) which included one hit for 6 which went like a tracer bullet and disappeared into the nearby churchyard, never to be seen again

Just like the game in early season at Enville, this one went right down to the wire.  The last ball arrived with the Beds needing 2 to win.  Tony Hancock and Josh Lemm scampered for a single, as the ball was rightly called “wide”, giving the Beds a 5-wicket win.

Pedmore 123 for 5 (Branch 2 for 28; Pankraj 1 for 2; Lemm 1 for 15; Bywater 1 for 21)

Bedouins 124 for 5 (Branch 31 not out; Hill 30 not out; Pankraj 26)

Bedouins v Pedmore House (Austin’s Army) – Wednesday, 2 July 2014

Bedouins won by 7 wickets

Austin brought his Pedmore House team to Enville for the annual fixture, and it turned out to be a close contest, which the Beds just managed to win.

Pedmore House batted first and, with skipper Gregory retiring on 30, and Ian Woodhouse (yes, that Ian Woodhouse) making 18 before being cruelly run out by Michael George, the visitors managed a 20-over score of 82 for 4.  There was a wicket each for George, Krishna and Pankraj.

In reply, the Beds had the benefit of another retirement score (30) from skipper John Branch and 15 from Paul Lippitt.  It was left to Lee Bywater and Tony Hancock to guide the home side to a winning 83 for 3, with the latter hitting the winning boundary with a few balls of the final over to spare.

For some, the highlight of the evening was Austin’s barbecue, which proved a more than adequate substitute for the usual fish and chips.

Pedmore House 82 for 4 (George 1 for 18; Balthu 1 for 16; Pankraj 1 for 7)

Bedouins 83 for 3 (Branch 30 not out; Bywater 14 not out)