Bedouins v Open GI at Enville – Wednesday, 1 July 2015

Bedouins won by 9 wickets

At about the half-way point in their 2015 season, the Bedouins can at last bask in the glow of what it feels like to win a game.

Erstwhile Beds playing member, Des Johnston, brought his Open GI team over from Worcester on the hottest evening of the year, and proceeded to receive a bit of a “roasting” from a home team that finally lived up to its potential.  Chasing a competitive total of 119 to win, the Beds lost only one wicket in getting there, with an over or so to spare.

A resounding win, all right, but “Nil DES-perandum, Des” (see what I did there?), there’s always next year.

Traffic problems in Kidderminster – so what’s new? – resulted in a late start on a sultry evening, with the light fading almost from the start, much to the consternation of the elderly gent in the scorebox, who was having some difficulty in telling his Lippo from his Spratters.  Open GI got off to a terrific start, with 50 on the board in the first six overs.  John Pearsall made his customary 30 retired, as did his fellow opener, and the Beds looked to be in for a tiresome evening.

Adrian Susman then got to work on a hard wicket that suited his variety of leg-spin.  A return of 4 for 9 in 4 overs told its own story.  Austin Gregory took two wickets and Jon Stanier 2 for 4 in one over, and there was a wicket apiece for Lee Bywater and Richard Spratley.

Two other points worth noting.  Firstly the Beds recorded a “nil” figure in the “wides” column, which definitely makes a change this season.  Secondly, catches were held – mostly!

Never noted for the extreme youthfulness of their team, the Beds new opening pair of John Howells and Jon Stanier set the record-hunters a-flutter, with a total age of somewhere around 120.  But they  showed that they knew their stuff, with each hitting the boundary rope half-a-dozen times.  Both reached the 30-run retirement point.  They were followed by Krishna Balthu with 30 not out and Lee Bywater 19 not out, as the Beds reached their target of 119 for just one wicket with the second ball of the final over.

The annual meeting with Open GI is the Beds’ longest standing fixture, now probably well past its 20th year.  The trophy now returns into the Beds’ hands, which will come as some relief to the trophy engraver in Bridgnorth, who had become used to putting the Bedouins name on the shield each year until the last two, in which h it had been in Open GI hands.  Welcome home, baby!

Open GI 118 all out (Susman 4 for 9; Gregory 2 for 18; Stanier 2 for 4; Spratley 1 for 20; Bywater 1 for 34)

Bedouins 119 for 1 (Howells 32 retired; Stanier 32 retired; Balthu 30 not out, Bywater 19 not out)