Cerne Valley 31/07/22

The hosts elected to bat in a 40 overs game that started late due to a shower of rain at the scheduled start time that brought the covers back on.  Stu (8 from 4) was very economical but never quite able to produce the killer ball.  Foz managed to beat the bat an several occasions but was hit away from time-to-time.  Ollie was desperately unlucky not to get the breakthrough when he replaced Stu, with Tom dropping a catch at short-cover that seemed easier to catch, a sharp chance low to Bob’s left and an edge ballooned over Tom into a gap between three fielders all in the space of 2 overs!  David, from the church end, was bowling one of his best spells.  He was using the slope effectively and had a couple of half chances, for LBW and an edge flying past Skipper and Bob, before getting the opening wicket, when Nick took a good catch at mid-wicket.  PW was brought into the action to get wickets, and was soon involved.  Tossing the ball up straight and full with the leg-spin accentuated by the slope, he trapped the new batsman plum LBW.  David rushed a delivery through that the incoming batsman tried to pull, only to sky it towards David (2-19 from 8).  After establishing that no one was coming to take it, he claimed the catch with aplomb.  PW then pinned the dangerous left-handed opener back in his crease so much that he hit the stumps.  PW was unlucky when slip was moved to short cover, only for an edge to fly into the vacant gap.  He then got his third wicket with a comfortable c&b to give figures of 3-52. Nick was by now tossing the ball up from the church end, and he was unlucky not to get more success.  Stu had to leave the field after a heavy dive onto his shoulder had him in some discomfort.  Ollie came back on but could only manage 1 over after feeling the effects of fielding the ball with his foot – a dangerous habit that many a Wanderer has fallen prey to!  With options running out, Foz was back into the attack, and this time he had bite to his deliveries, comfortably bowling to his 6/2 off-side field.  Tom took 2 catches at cover before Foz smashed into the off-stump to get his 3-23 from 7.  Nick (1-37) took the final wicket to dismiss Cerne for 167.

The hosts were not providing tea, a throw-back to Covid times, so Skipper provided tea in the boot of his car.  Progress was slow at the start of the Wanderers’ innings, with David and Bob hitting 18 from the opening 10 overs.  David (4) was out in the 12th over trying to drive over the top, only to be caught at mid-off.  Bob (15) was out in the same over to bring Skipper and Nick together.  All looked good for the pair to rebuild the innings, only for a smart piece of bowling at Skipper’s (8) legs had him stranded out of his crease with the  sharp wicket-keeper delighted to take the stumping.  Nick (8) was caught trying to drive over extra-cover and getting a thick edge to cover.  Foz (2) was bowled and Ollie, with Nick running for him, adjudged LBW for no score to leave the innings in tatters at 42-6 (with Stu in A&E).  PW (0) kept Tom company for a while before he played back to a full-length delivery and was bowled (60-7 from 20).  Mike M (5) played a sterling innings before he, too, was bowled.  Mike H went into bat as last man at 82-8 with 13 overs to score the last 86 runs.  Tom and Mike seemed to be playing the cat and mouse game well, frustrating our hosts until Mike was given caught off his pad to end the game prematurely.

MOM: Tom – a great knock of 77 marshalling the tail.

Catch of the day: PW – most unexpected.

Quote of the day: Foz “Am I only bowling because all our other bowlers are injured?”