Bedouins v Oldswinford – 17th May 2023

Beds lost by 49 runs

And so another year of Bedouins fixtures begins. Full of confidence from the recent nets, new team mates and freshly cleaned whites. Unfortunately the smell of defeat was all too familiar.

You may have noticed these match reports are a little well…..late. That will be because our main man Ade has had to have some time off to tend to Mrs S. Sometimes there are more important places to be than at cricket and i’m sure we all wish Nikki a speedy recovery and will assure her that once she is fed up with bed side service, Ade doing all the housework, tending the garden, cooking, washing, ironing…………Hang on we are never getting him back! In all seriousness, we miss you pal and hope you come back and win the bowling stats again………even after giving us a head start.

So….anyway, you got Skip for a few games. Wallowing in self pity at his lack of results and complete lack of fitness. Poor grammar, terrible sentence structure and slow not just in moving but also in typing. Lucky you!

Our good friends at Oldswinford turned up full squad and raring to go. Bedouins also made a slight mis-calculation with the opening fixture managing to arrange 12 players. All good though with a rotation system in place that gave everyone the chance to play. There was clearly something in the air tonight, heightening the senses, bringing tears to our eyes and sending the blood to places its never been, thanks again to our team sponsor………….deep heat!

The game begins after Skip loses the toss……again! We are fielding.

We are back to the late 90’s with an opening partnership of Bywater and Gregory. Gregory starts tidy with 4 overs for 14 runs and Bywater, despite appearing to have eaten his way through a small factory and wearing an extra small bedouins crop top….bumbled in to give impressive figures of 4 over 2 wickets for just 9 runs. A marvellous start. I do distinctly remember a stunning catch in the slips from Branch. Never in doubt.

Staniers Snr and Jnr both chipped in with steady spells but it was Branch who stamped his Bedouins authority and made inroads into the Oldswinford middle order. 3 overs 2 wickets for 24 runs had the Oldswinford on the back foot at least for a few overs.

Brett Brigdale had been and gone making a quick 30 runs for Oldswinford. Griffiths also hitting 33 very quickly and well supported by Farnsworth Snr with 23. Bedouins realising that despite a good start and splattering of wickets that a steady total of 125 would be tough.

Bedouins were actually forced into a tactical change due to the potential outfield impacting our very own Usain Branch. It’s true that he is not as mobile as he used to be…or that’s what he says. How is always first to the bar though?

The length of grass in the outfield did cause us to consider consider putting in a sheep at no.1 although he would not be allowed in the clubhouse afterwards. Apparently bbaaaahhhhd. (come on…..you didn’t get this quality before)

Lippitt and Gregory started up our reply. Lippitt making 30 ……almost. Falling on 29. Gregory and Smith falling cheaply. Overs flying by……

Bywater was in a rush to get to the buffet and smashed a quick 22 although the long grass was even slowing the big boy down.

The Beds that followed didn’t have time to impact unfortunately and we ran out of overs just like the Enville groundsman had run out of petrol.

Well done Oldswinford, a sterling effort played in the right spirit.

Beds finish on 76….must do better.