Coombe Bissett 11/05/25

On a glorious afternoon in Wiltshire, the Wanderers’ season got underway. Skipper won the toss and elected to bat with the pitch looking like a middle of the summer ground rather than early May. David and Ben opened the innings with Ben (5) holing out to mid-wicket early on to bring Leo to the crease. After a good pull for four, Leo (4) tried to go over mid-on, only to offer up a simple catch instead (11-2). Tommy played some classic strokes to the boundary before firing over the top. The fielders were confused (never seen Tommy hit over the top) and were not sure whether it had cleared the boundary but then indicated a six! David (5) appeared to be in two minds in his shot selection when he offered up a return catch. With Skipper and Tommy at the crease, a partnership was essential. A straight drive for six was followed by some classy drives on the ground for four. Some typical running between the wickets kept the fielders on their toes, the scoreboard moving and the strike rotating. A long-hop was met by Skipper (24) trying to flat-bat straight down the ground, when he got a thick edge and the keeper took a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss him. Henry (on debut) was bowled soon after for no score with Harry well caught, again by the keeper for no score. By now Tommy was motoring through the gears with another ‘six’ close to his century. PW pulled for four first ball although Tommy was by now marshalling the strike with consummate ease. A large partnership between this pair for the seventh wicket was just what the Wanderers needed, with PW having to run plenty of twos to maintain the strike for Tommy. This was only broken when PW was trapped LBW in front of the stumps. Foz was caught for no score and then Mike H offered some excellent resistance. Tommy’s superb innings came to an end when he was caught on 162 to be the fourth highest score in Wanderers history (Fred 204, Tom W 166, Skipper 163no) and 72% of the teams overall total (just behind Skipper on 82 and 77)! Big Dog (0) managed to block onto his foot onto the stumps to conclude the innings on 224 all out. There were 4 ducks and only Skipper managed double figures in support of Tommy’s titanic innings of 162.

Tea was taken in the Fox and Goose before Foz took the new ball from the Playground end, with Leo at the Pavilion end. The trouble with a new ball is that it can race to the boundary when it hits the middle and the Wanderers found this out in the early exchanges. Leo was causing some difficulty with some good inswing, and he was replaced by Ben who got the desired breakthrough (58-1, 10). In his next over a swipe across the line to an in-swinger saw Ben (4-0-25-2) hit top of middle stump (72-2, 12). The other opener nearly holed out to Leo, only for Leo’s lack of growing upwards in the winter to leave him short of the catch! Harry (5-0-24-1) had replaced Foz and was starting to find a good line and length, getting his just reward when a leg-break turned to get the outside edge to leave Skipper a routine catch behind the stumps (99-4, 17). David came into the attack from the Pavilion end and found the outside edge first ball. Unfortunately it fizzed through Big Dog at slip before he was able to get a hand to it. The Coombe Bissett Skipper was proving hard to dismiss, but his partner offered a simple chance to Tommy at deep square leg, only for it to be spilt. Next over from David (6-0-40-0) and more heartache as the CB skipper offered 2 chances to Tommy in the same place in successive balls – both were spilt. Henry went behind the stumps at the drink interval (130-3). Leo (5-0-28-0) had a burst from the Playground end before PW came into the attack and took

some time to deliver a line that did not offer a simple four to backward square leg! However, next over he removed the CB skipper with a leg-break around his legs. It may not have had the Shane Warne rip, but the result was just as impressive (198-4, 27). Foz came back, this time at the pavilion end just as balls were being lost with a big six beyond the lane. PW (3-0-38-3) took 2 wickets in his next over; when the batsman came charging Henry cooly took off the bails and then another batsman departed bowled (221-6, 29). Skipper put down a chance in the deep with the ball only visible once it cleared the tree line, he never really got into a comfortable position to claim it, but did get both hands on it. The last over was concluded by Foz (7-0-53-0) with 4 byes the winning score!

MOM: Tommy – although he did manage to go from hero to zero!

Catch of the day:

Quote of the day: As a four raced past Foz on the boundary Skipper commented that he didn’t think Foz saw it and Leo said “either that or he didn’t want the batsmen to run another two to him”.