Bedouins v Kinlet at Kinlet, May 16th
Bedouins lost by 5 wickets
When the Bedouins rattled up 158 for the loss of just two wickets against Kinlet on the Moffats School ground at Kinlet, the talk in the dressing room (AKA the wooden shed at the back of the pavilion) was to the effect that it “ … ought to be enough”. But on a ground like Kinlet’s, with batsmen retiring at 25 and everyone being obliged to bowl two overs (aargh!), it would prove to be some way short of the required figure.
Having said that, it is unusual, in Bedouin terms, for a Wednesday evening 20-over-a-side game, to produce a total of more than 300 runs. Still, it was enjoyable for the crowd, even though by far the majority of them (in fact, come to think of it, all of them) were of the ovine (look it up!) persuasion. The ground does lend itself to high scoring, having an extremely short boundary on one side and a moderately short boundary on the other.
Once again, the Beds’ innings got off to a good start, with skipper John Branch continuing where he left off the previous week, hitting a succession of boundaries, plus the odd hobbled single, before reaching the somewhat meagre retirement point of 25. His opening partner, John Howells, also reached that point, but not before the pair had had the record keepers scurrying around to see if this was indeed a record combined age for a Bedouin opening partnership – decision pending.
Adrian Susman and Lee Bywater also reached the retirement score, both having included a six in their innings. Jon Stanier made 22, and Ray Bate 10 not out from the two balls he faced, bringing the final total to 158 for 2.
The Beds also made a good start to the home side’s innings. Spratters, who had earned himself copious Brownie points by being the scorer’s right-hand man throughout the Bedouins innings, when no-one else appeared to want to do it, took a wicket in each of his two overs, plus a painful blow to his foot which, no doubt, later had him wondering if it was really wise to get the toes in the way of that one.
Josh Lemm was also doing a good containing job at the other end, conceding only eight runs. But then the runs started to flow, with Kinlet benefitting from the batting abilities of a couple of guests (AKA ringers). There was a wicket apiece for Susman and Branch, but Kinlet reached their challenging target with a couple of overs to spare.
Then it was all back to the Eagle & Serpent for a couple of drinks at the “baa-baa”, where the Beds were looking a bit “sheepish” after their beating. The evening concluded somewhat better, however, for head of comms Adrian, who won a tenner on the Kinlet sweep; no doubt most of it will go on buying his old man a beer at the weekend!
Bedouins 158 for 2 (Branch 26, Howells 25, Stanier 22, Susman 28, Bywater 27, Bate 10 not out)
Kinlet 159 for 5 (Spratley 2 for 19, Susman 1 for 9, Branch 1 for 13)