Thornford 02/05/22

The drizzle kept on falling while a magnificent Sunday lunch was consumed in the King’s Arms but play was to commence in the rain.  Thornford elected to bat and Foz and David opened the bowling.  Foz found one delivery that flew off the outside edge on the third ball only for Tommy to chest it and then be unable to cradle it in his gut while lying on the floor.  It was clear that the rain has put severe brakes on the ball in the out-field and shots that looked a certain four were only worth a single.  With no wickets from the opening spell, Shan came on down the hill with Ali at the other end.  A couple of boundaries came while Shan was getting into his rhythm – the batsmen using the aerial route to the fence.  Ali (2-3) got amongst the wickets with a delivery that cut into the batsman slightly taking middle stump and then a one handed catch behind the stumps from Skipper with the batsman saving the umpires blushes and sportingly walking.  A sharp throw from Shan that (for the Wanderers) was uncharacteristically close to the stumps saw the other opening bat run out.  Raj (3-9), on debut, was always causing the batsmen trouble and making them play, when he replaced Shan at the Pavilion end. His first wicket came when the batsman was trapped back and in front of his stumps.  The next ball demolished off stump and although he could not complete the hattrick, the third wicket came in the over, again stumps all over the show!  Leo bowled up the hill and looked good value taking a wicket when Ali took a catch at deep extra cover.  Ben had an over that saw the young batsman at the non-strikers end get wacked by a drive into his ribs.  The innings closed on 104-8.

Ali and Tommy set about the runs and thanks to some big blows from Ali, the opening 5 overs provided 29 runs.  Tommy managed to get the ball off the square occasionally in support of Ali who was in fine scoring form.  After 10 overs the Wanderers were 58 for no loss needing only 47 from the remaining 15 overs.  When Tommy (29) played all around a straight delivery in the 15th over the partnership had yielded 79 and only 26 was required from the remaining 10 overs.  Ben took a while to get into his stride and when Ali (52) was superbly run out the Wanderers were 15 runs short of victory with 7 overs left.  Leo went in to bat at four and played some fine shots that were held up in the wet grass.  As the tension began to rise, Leo (3no)  played a glorious drive over the in-field for two leaving 6 runs to get from the final 3 overs, with Ben on strike.  The first two deliveries were played on merit but the third was pulled by Ben (14no) way over the square leg boundary to round off a great victory by 8 wickets.

MOM: Ali – 52, his highest score for the Wanderers

Catch of the day: Ali off Leo’s bowling at deep extra cover.

Quote of the day: Tommy: “Being in the slips at Thornford brings back memories of dropping a catch here off Fred”.  A feat that he was soon to replicate!