Bedouins v Beacon at Wombourne, August 3
Bedouins won by 8 wickets
Most normal people would simply enjoy hitting a six. At Beacon’s beautifully manicured ground, where a straight hit can often finish in the canal that runs alongside the ground, there is the prospect of the added frisson (look it up!) of watching the splash as the ball hits the surface – and that’s what Ian Woodhouse reckoned was the biggest thrill of his innings. Well, he doesn’t get out much these days, you see.
In fact, splashing out in that way was only one of Woody’s excitements for the evening. His second six cleared the canal, and the towpath (narrowly missing an elderly couple out for an evening stroll), and the hedge, and disappeared into the farmer’s field beyond. “New balls, please.”
For once, the evening got off to a prompt start. Congratulations to the Bedouins players, who managed to get themselves on parade, “booted and suited”, for a start at 6 p.m. sharp. That, combined with hustle and bustle between overs, meant that the game was completed in reasonable light. And all the better for it.
Spratters was back to his accurate best, as the Beds were asked to bowl first. His four overs went for just nine runs, and he had one wicket to add to a good evening’s work. Josh Lemm opened at the other end and was similarly miserly, giving away just 17 runs in his four overs. It was Lee Bywater who fared best for wickets, having two Beacon batsmen clean-bowled.
On a fast-scoring outfield, the Bedouins did well to restrict the home side to 118 for 3.
A start of just two runs in the first two overs was scarcely promising in the Beds’ reply, but Ian Woodhouse got going with a couple of boundaries, as John Branch also hit the occasional boundary at the other end – none of that “all-run three” nonsense this time! Woodhouse retired on 33, and, in fact, all five Beds batsmen who got in reached double figures, Adrian Susman rolling back the years with a cleanly struck straight six in his 18 not out.
Neill Smith made 19 and Jono Hill 14 not out, as the Bedouins reached their winning target, 119 for 2, with nearly two overs to spare. An unbiased view – this was the Beds’ best all-round performance for this and many other seasons.
Beacon 118 for 3 (Bywater 2 for 27; Spratley 1 for 9)
Bedouins 119 for 2 (Woodhouse 33; Branch 22; Smith 19; Susman 18 not out; Jono Hill 14 not out)