2s beat Bidborough

After last week’s walk-over we returned to competitive action against Bidborough 3s on the Green this week. Well some sort of competitive action anyway. The league have arranged a few Bonus Games where you play a normal match but only your batting and bowling points count. Nothing for the win.

After Friday’s rain, the pitch looked in good nick but was a little green and soft.
As ever, Croom lost the toss but was happy when the away skipper asked us to bat.
Bidborough only had 9 players.

Tim Lush and Dave Latter opened up. The opposition opening bowler was fairly rapid, bowling a decent line. On a harder track his short ball could have been uncomfortable. Our openers started tidily and we reached exactly 50 off 10 overs. With lots of gaps in the field more runs could perhaps have been picked off though. With 60 on the board Latter was bowled, by the quick, for 45.

Skipper Croom was in at 3 and initially looked punishing on anything short. He then unleashed his lofted drives. However the one he held back on, which looped slowly over the bowler’s head landing near the other set of stumps was agonising to watch. One glorious flick over midwicket crashed onto the pavilion roof.

Skinner was helping John Savage with umpiring duties. He asked the new bowler “what’s your name please, for the scorer?” “Bowler” came the polite reply so, not being the sharpest tool in the box, Skinner repeated the question eventually to realise that the lad’s name was indeed Bowler.

Off 20 overs we had reached 118.

Having been dropped once, Croom was eventually caught for a swift 75 with the score on 174
Filmer was in at 4 and was out for 7, somehow helping a poor ball onto the keeper.

Ewan Coveny was next in. If at a mere 14 years of age he was nervous, he certainly did not show it. His first two balls were despatched for boundaries.

Lush having carefully counted his way to 49 promptly chipped one to midwicket. It was put down and he scrambled a single. The look of disgust when he realised he would have to buy a jug was plain to see.

Off 30 overs we were on 196, having started to accelerate, the running between the wickets becoming much better.

In the final over Lush departed for an important 86, clean bowled by Petrie.
Terlicki came in for a brief cameo, hitting 3 of his 4 balls for boundaries.
Coveny was unbeaten on 35 and looks a talent.
We finished on 281 for 4

After tea Lucas Brookman opened down the slope from the White Horse end. His left arm round generates a good speed and he gets some movement.
Ben Lush opened from the other end. His first 5 balls were beauties. The last ball of the over was a rank long hop. Guess which one got the wicket, courtesy of a good catch from Terlicki at point.

Lush continued to bowl well and went through unchanged, ending with deserved figures of 9-4-19-2.

Terlicki replaced Brookman (who had bowled his initial 6 over spell). The pitch suited him and he ended up with 2 for 34 off his 9 overs.
In one glorious bit of village cricket, a relatively gentle straight drive back was missed by him. Croom who was covering also missed the ball. Young Flynn Armstrong also covered. And also missed the ball.

Armstrong himself came on to bowl. He looks useful. His 5 overs went for 27 runs.

Latter was as tidy as ever, conceding only 9 runs from his 6 overs. His two wickets came courtesy of a catch by Filmer and a stumping by Midgeley.
Midge kept well and took a great diving catch off Brookman in front of first slip.
Filmer bowled two tidy overs.
For the second half of the innings, your aged match found himself at silly mid on. Two hard drives narrowly avoided his beautiful face. It is hoped, that with a liberal application of Vanish spray and a hot wash, his cricket trousers may return to being white.
The opposition finished on 125 for 7 off their 40 overs.