Bedouins v Belbroughton Strollers at Enville, June 7th
Bedouins won by 5 runs
Ever known a game in which neither team turns up with wicketkeeper’s gloves? It happened in this one – not an auspicious start to a new fixture for the Beds. Opponents Belbroughton Strollers apparently have no fewer than three wicketkeepers on whose services they can call. None of them was available, and no-one thought to organise the gloves for the stand-in keeper.
The problem was compounded by the fact that the Bedouins have still not managed to solve the mystery of the disappearing wicketkeeper gloves, in the absence of the regular stumper John Howells, who, of course, has his own.
The result – Austin Gregory jumping in his car and dashing off home to pick up a pair that resides there.
Last season it was a case of the missing stumps, with beer crates having to be used as substitutes. Now, no wicketkeeping gloves. What’s left? Probably no balls …. but perhaps that’s tempting providence!
So what of the game itself? Under glowering skies (see how poetic Beds’ cricket reports are getting these days?), and with light rain falling throughout most of the game, the Bedouins had first knock. Regular skipper John Branch was missing as opening bat, having gone in the fetlock or something, so it was Jon Stanier and Adrian Susman who got things under way. The latter went early but Stanier, after a slow start, got the scoreboard moving, eventually retiring with 31 to his name; he’ll have to get out sometime, to get himself an average.
There were also 30s for new recruit Keith Dawson (he’s already been invited back) and Jono Hill, showing a welcome return to form, resulting in a 20-over total of 118 for 3.
Belbroughton made a good start to their innings, one of their openers reaching the 30 retirement point in just the fifth over. Josh Lemm did well to take 1 for 20 in his four overs, while Adrian Susman, at the other end, did his best to grasp a wet bar of soap masquerading as a cricket ball and recovered well, after an expensive first over, to take 2 for 23.
The wily (though perhaps not “wiry”) Austin Gregory, having recovered from his glove-snatching escapade, included a precious wicket-maiden in his 2 for 12 in four overs. Leaving Jon Stanier and skipper Lee Bywater to see out the remaining four overs, aided by just three extras (one of them a wide) conceded by Jono Hill behind the stumps, to give the Bedouins a well-earned five-run victory.
This was a most successful first encounter with the Belbroughton Strollers, who seem to embody the same spirit in their play as the Beds – playing to enjoy the game and each other’s company but, at the same time, playing to win. We look forward to a return meeting later in the season.
Bedouins 118 for 3 (Stanier 31, Dawson 30, Hill J. 30)
Belbroughton Strollers 113 for 5 (Gregory 2 for 12, Susman 2 for 23, Lemm 1 for 20)