BELT @ Sherborne School 20/07/25

Skipper won the toss while several of the Wanderers were still trying to locate the venue for the 11am start.  David opened the innings with Mike J (aka Nipper).  David edged through the keeper’s gloves for four second ball and then Nipper got a leading edge offering a simple chance to square-leg, who dropped it!  Next over David edged another to the keeper who managed to get a glove on it.  Nipper started to get into his stroke playing and was soon caressing the ball to the cover boundary and bludgeoning it to the mid-wicket boundary.  The 50 partnership was brought up in the 12^th over and David (16) was out LBW in the 19^th over ending a 95-run partnership.  Garry came in and was soon cutting anything slightly short to the boundary.  Nipper hit a big six over mid-wicket and then a delightful straight drive.  Nipper (103) retired with the score now 133-2.  Tom (4) was unlucky to get an inside edge to play on, but with Garry adding pulls into the repertoire the score was moving along nicely (179-3).  Leo survived the 10 minutes with Garry before lunch, which was taken at the Skippers pub.  Garry (72) was caught trying to pull again (230-4) and Leo (27) was well bowled at the top of off-stump.  With Adi also bowled trying to drive across the line (239-6) Skipper was joined by Brett.  By now, Skipper had hit a big six over square-leg but also been dropped at long-on and top edged into a gap at mid-wicket.  A big total was not assured, but with Skipper hitting runs every ball and Brett carting some good deliveries to the boundary, runs were soon flowing.  Skipper called an end to the innings after 51 overs with the total 306-6, and Skipper (42) and Brett (22), who hit the last ball for an incredible six, not out.

After an opening maiden from Foz from the Westbury Road end, Leo took the opening wicket of the innings, bowling the batsman through the gate with his late in-swing.  Leo was soon involved in the next wicket, this time perfectly positioned at fly-slip to take a comfortable catch from a top edge off Foz, who was really motoring in (12-2).  Foz took out the new batsman’s leg-stump without any addition to the score and the Wanderers were on fire.  It was clear at this point that BELT were not going to get the runs and even the introduction of PW (0-18 from 4) could not entice them to score.  The tea interval was brought forward when a rain shower drew the covers back on, but no time was lost in the game.  Ben (0-14 from 4) bowled well in patches from the Westbury Road end with Skipper standing up to pressurise the batsmen.  There was an excessive delay while tape was sought to repair a bail that was damaged by the covers, although 5 minutes was added back onto the game time.  Garry replaced PW from the Pavilion end and looked to be on a perfect line and length.  Unfortunately, this drew the batsmen further into their shells.  It wasn’t until a dreadful leg-side full-toss drew a false shot that Tom neatly took at deep square-leg that the Wanderers sniffed a chance (86-4).  Brett (0-1 from 3) was his usual accurate self, and Skipper nearly created a stumping chance down leg-side.  David (0-6 from 2) bowled well although the most excitement came with Adi diving to field and stopping the ball with his head!  It was Adi (1-10 from 3), bowling from the Pavilion end, that got the key breakthrough.  A slightly fuller delivery was driven to Foz at mid-off who caught with ease (114-5).  Going into the final 10 overs the Wanderers needed wickets quickly and Skipper turned to Leo (Pavilion end) and Nipper (Westbury Road end).  Nipper was generating some pace but Leo got the wickets with 2 LBWs, the first hitting half-way up the pad in front of middle and off and the second on the boot in front of middle (125-7).  Nipper (1-7 from 5) finally got reward with one that clipped the top of off-stump (125-8).  Leo opened the last over with a priceless wicket when he bowled the batsman through the gate leaving everyone crowding in to claim the last wicket.  The last ball took a big edge that flew past the slips resulting in a drawn game.  (131-9 form 45 overs)

MOM: Although Nipper played a superb innings, Leo’s second spell of bowling was, at times, too good for the batsmen and nearly got the Wanderers the win.

Catch of the day: Foz for the pressure of the game situation.

Quote of the day: David said to Skipper while batting “Where’s the scoreboard here?” with the huge electronic scoreboard beaming down at him from square of the wicket!