Wells (on tour) 17/07/22

After a fun night of drinks in Wells, Big Dog looked ready for 40 overs behind the stumps following the loss of the toss, again.

Stu was not as sharp coming from the net end and Foz struggled to keep as good a line and length as the previous day – a point that Big Dog mentioned that got Foz (0-30) heated!  Stu (1-21) did pick up a wicket when the opener tried to drive and got an edge, sending the ball high into the blue sky.  Skipper thought it was going to Tommy, but it became clear it was his and he took a comfortable (in the end) catch to get the Wanderers on their way (25-1 from 5).  It was hard going in the heat with David coming on from the net end and Jon up the hill from the Pavilion end.  David did get the breakthrough that the Wanderers desperately required with a delivery that tied up the batsman and took middle and leg (107-2 from 17).  With another huge total looming, the Wanderers slowed the pace down for a while until Big Dog took an excellent stumping to dismiss the young batsman with his dad giving him out!  With Jon leaking 25 from 4 overs, Skipper turned to Ben who, having gone for 20 in his opening 2 overs, took an amazing return catch to dismiss the opening bat 13 shy of his century (162-4 from 24).  Tommy bought a wicket with a full-toss that the batsman managed to give back to Tommy.  At one point Tommy was in danger of pitching six deliveries in an over, but that form did not last long.  However, another c&b again kept the pressure on (200-6 from 29).  With Simon on for David (2-49) after his allocation was bowled, the question was could Simon improve?  With 17 from his opening over, the fear was the answer was no, but he got into a rhythm and nearly got a wicket when Skipper dived low to his left only to get fingers onto a rocket.  A smart catch from Big Dog gave Tommy his third wicket in the 35th over at 226-7.  Simon bowled the last over and took a wicket when a long-hop was belted to Skipper at mid-on, and then when Foz took a diving catch at gulley.  After 40 overs, Wells had scored 263-9.  Jas was lucky to escape with a glancing blow when a boundary came hurtling towards her at long-on as she slept.

In the first over, Tommy informed Stu that he had a free-hit following a no-ball that Stu blasted away only to be caught at mid-off.  However, this advice was as useful as a chocolate tea pot as this was yesterday’s rule, and Stu was given out for no score.  Tommy (11) lost his middle stump while attempting to scoop the ball to the leg-side in the 6th over to bring Tom to join his brother on 16-2.  The brothers put on 56 in 9 overs before Tom was caught pulling to the leg-side and not getting enough on it to clear the fielder.  Skipper (30) hit some big blasts in a 41 run partnership that ended with a catch on the boundary.  At 113-4 from 23 overs and the asking rate nearly at 9, Simon joined Jon.  They put on 53 in almost 10 overs, but with 100 needed from 7 overs, Jon (63) was well stumped trying to force the pace.  Simon (8) was dismissed the same way next over (166-6 from 34) leaving David (8no) and Mike M (6no) to provide the entertainment for the closing overs as Wells brought back the opening bowlers! 194-6 was a 69 run defeat.

MOM: Tommy was in contention with an impressive spell of 3-38.  However, his responsibility for the loss of Stu was too much and the award goes to Jon for a solid 63 with the bat.

Catch of the day: Ben’s c&b was excellent and taken nonchalantly.  However, the diving effort from Foz was remarkable.

Quote of the day: Ben “I think the tsunami warning has been issued in the far East after Foz’s dive!”

Most retired to the Swan for a well-earned cold beer!