Thornford 02/05/21

After a splendid lunch served in some beautiful sunshine at the King’s Arms, the Wanderers won the toss and elected to bat.  Mike Moore kindly volunteered to play for Thornford to make the game 10 a-side.  David opened with Tommy and started with attacking intent.  With the first 10 overs yielding 47 runs, the 50 partnership was greeted with rapturous applause by the spectators.  Tommy continued to hit strongly off the back foot and he passed his 50 with ease.  David (12) was the first to go when he was hit on the pad in front of off-stump to break the partnership of 72.  Simon T was off the mark with a four but he too was LBW to one that kept a little low on the artificial pitch.  Shan hit a marvellous six to get off the mark but he was bowled soon after to bring skipper to the crease with the score 106-3 from 19 overs.  The 2 were keen to build a stand and took it easy placing singles into gaps until Simon started to find a rhythm.  Tommy hit 14 fours (but 0 sixes) including a fine boundary to bring up his century, and then retired allowing the rest of the Wanderers to show their stuff.  Unfortunately Big Dog was bowled first ball and Ali caught with no score.  Simon (44) played on with an inside edge when looking to hit boundaries and PW was bowled, also no score.  The brought Stuart and Mark together for the last wicket partnership with the score on 187 with 11 overs left to use!  They used 7 of those overs adding a useful 28 taking the total to 215 all out. Credit to our hosts who played on through a spell of dismal weather in the middle portion of the innings.

After a truly wonderful tea, the Wanderers started their aim to bowl out their hosts.  Stuart was nursing a sore back and could not find his length.  His opening over went for 15 but Mark made a magnificent start with some accurate line and length bowling.  Tommy, fielding at first slip, managed to catch a sharp chance off the outside edge high to his left, only for the ball to slip out of his grasp as he fell – he does have history of dropped slip catches on this ground!  Simon moved to slip with the ball whistling past the outside edge.  After a fantastic over it was probably the weakest delivery that got the breakthrough; a tame offering to Shan at mid-off.  Stuart soon got in on the wickets with a splendid delivery that started on off-stump and straightened with the pitch to middle hitting the pad low down.  However, with runs flowing at both ends Shan and Ali came into the attack.  From 10 overs the score was 69-2 and runs seemed to be coming easily.  Ali struggled to find a line and length that would trouble either batsman and David came on up the hill.  Shan misjudged a chance coming from the sun and David, at long-on, tried to catch one with his shins!  With the opener still there causing havoc, it was a low bounce from David that got him in trouble when he went back right in front of the stumps leaving the umpire no option but to dismiss him for 64.  The partnership of 90 was broken and an opportunity beckoned.  David once again taking a wicket with the batsman refusing to get forward – this time taking out all 3 stumps!  He also claimed the much vaunted wicket of our own Mike M when he attempted the helicopter shot to one that, in truth, was not there to hit and again, the stumps were clattered.  With Simon T getting the other free-scoring batsman the next over when Big Dog took a great stumping off a wide delivery, it was time for PW to do his magic, and he did not disappoint.  Mark took a great catch off Simon T – unfortunately it was a no-ball; then nearly took one in the same position 2 balls later when he stuck out a hand and the ball slapped in and out (for four).  With PW claiming 2 more great stumpings from Big Dog off some magnificent deliveries – tossed up outside the left-handers’ off-stump with turn back in with the slope inviting the batsman to come down the wicket.  A diving catch chance fell to Simon who made the ground but couldn’t hold on so the last wicket went to PW with a catch from Mark.  A 52 run victory was well deserved.

MOM: Tommy – A fine innings and a humble retirement.

Catch of the day: Shan

Quote of the day: When looking at Big Dog’s 2015 Lords and Commons tour shirt Simon T asked “When was that tour?”