Bedouins v Fossils at Enville

Sunday, 14 June 2015 – Bedouins lost by one wicket

The Bedouins welcomed Fossils CC to Enville for the first time, on a reasonably fine Sunday afternoon – a welcome change from the Armageddon-style rain of the previous day that had washed out all cricket throughout the UK.  And before anything else, let’s get the final few minutes out of the way.  They are worth recording in detail:-

Final over arrives with Fossils needing three runs to win, with two wickets in hand (Adrian Susman bowling from the pavilion end)

1st ball – number 10 batsman clean-bowled

2nd ball – number 11 (head Fossil John Reynolds) blocks

3rd ball – number 11 blocks

4th ball – number 11 hits through close-set field, takes two runs and tumbles over turning for the third to win the game.  Beds do the decent thing and help him to his feet instead of running him out

5th ball — number 11 hits the winning single

So, a win for the Fossils by one wicket with one ball to spare, after chasing a fairly moderate Bedouins target of 130 off 35 overs to win.

But that tells only part of the story.  The Fossils scored just 92 runs in total in their 35 overs.  The remaining 38 came from extras and included no less than 28 wides.  Clearly the Bedouins have not yet got used to bowling at three stumps rather than a couple of beer crates.

Having agreed a 35-over format with the opposition skipper, the Beds batted first and got away to what is becoming their customary fairly slow start, producing only 21 runs in the first eight overs for the loss of two wickets.  They included the skipper who scarcely had time to recover from the shock of running a “two” from the fourth ball of the first over before playing on for 10.

Adrian Susman and Lee Bywater got things moving a bit, but the latter managed to sort out deep mid-on nicely to be caught after hitting two boundaries.  That brought Pankaj Mishra to the wicket, and some urgency was brought to the innings.  He and Ade put on 45, before Pankaj was bowled for 31.  Susman then took control and eased his way towards the 50 retirement point.  But someone hadn’t told him that getting there would not necessarily result in having to buy drinks all round, and he went for a big yahoo, only to be bowled for 49.

With a beefy 13 not out from Ross Morgan, the Beds managed to get the score up to 129 for 7 at the close.

The cunning plan to cripple the Fossils with delicious cakes during the interval was only partially successful, with four of the first five batsmen getting to double figures.  Lee Bywater got rid of their capable opening batsman for 16, Tony Hancock discovering that the secret of a good catch is to take the ball in the hands and not, as the previous time, with his chin.  Adrian Susman completed a good day by taking 3 for 17 in his seven overs, and the Welsh wizard, Gareth Callow (he of the Strictly Come Dancing run-up) reeled off seven superb overs taking 3 for 15.

But it was those damned wides that really did for the Beds this time, and the result was the thrilling, but ultimately fruitless, finish described above.

Bedouins 129 for 7 (Susman 49; Mishra 31; Morgan 13 not out)

Fossils 130 for 9 (Callow 3 for 15; Susman 3 for 17)