Pacific in Wells 17/18 July 2021

The tour started with breakfast in the usual farm shop in Pylle.  Stuart, Fred and Simon managed to place their order with no trouble, but Tommy wanted bacon with his marmite and toast.  “How many rashers would you like?” came the question from the waitress.  3 or 4 please.  The obvious confusion was written all over her face.  Tommy then retorted “Just 1 portion please”.

Upon arriving at the most beautiful Wells Cathedral School ground, it was obvious we were going to have fun playing cricket here this weekend in baking hot conditions.  After working out a 2 day game format of 170 overs, the Wanderers batted by mutual consent.  Simon and Bob rolled back the years reviving one of the most successful batting partnerships the club has had.  On this occasion, it was only worth 28 after Simon (20) got a thin edge to a delivery from Brett that stayed straight and he walked to the delight of those following on TikTok.  With Tommy at the crease and a change of bowling, Bob (21) opened his shoulders and played some glorious cover drives before he was comprehensively stumped.  Tom walked out onto his ‘home’ ground and did not look like giving a chance away.  As these two went through their shots a big partnership was developing.  Tommy was dropped 3 times on his way to 50 – twice by the keeper with the last chance as simple as you could hope for when standing back.  With the partnership worth 146, Tommy (76) went for the big 6 straight down the ground, only to find a fielder on the boundary who could catch.  Would it have cleared the line?  Who can tell, but it was certainly closer than the previous 2 “sixes” he has hit.  Tommy was replaced by his brother making his first appearance in 4 years and looking to make up for lost time straight away.  Tom batted superbly and hit 3 glorious sixes down the ground on his way to a century.  He was eventually stumped chasing a wide delivery for 102.  With 240 on the board and 40 overs gone, the question was could the Wanderers get the 300 before the enforced declaration at 50 overs.  Big Dog (7) kept Fred company for a while until he was bowled and Conrad (9) hit a remarkable six before he was caught chasing runs.  Fred (51no) was able to guide the club over the 300 runs line before securing his half-century on the last ball (302-6).  Jon now agreed to join the Pacific ranks to even out the contest.

The Wanderers went out to field at 17:40 with 25 overs left to play.  Pete Fos and David opened the bowling and although Fos looked quick and troublesome at times, no wickets came from the opening spell.  Conrad (1-14 off 4) came into the attack despite claiming a shoulder problem (as usual) and got the breakthrough when the batsman edged to Big Dog behind the stumps.  Stuart’s (1-9 off 6) first 4 overs were all maidens and included the wicket of the new batsman.  By now Nick had arrived and was called to get his whites on as the Wanderers were a man down, having lost Jon and James was not available until Sunday.  He was brought into the attack straight away with only 6 overs left in the day.  Tommy joined the attack for the last over but no more wickets were to fall that night with stumps called at 19:12, with Pacific 212 behind and a max of 25 overs the following morning.

In the evening – what goes on tour stays on tour (unless you are called Jon!)

After 2 uneventful overs in the morning session (starting at 11:30 not 1pm Conrad!) the session exploded into life.  Nick took the key wicket of the opening batsman just after he reached his half-century and then Tommy struck next over when Big Dog took a smart catch at wide slip.  Now was the prized wicket of Jon (17), batting at 5.  After hitting Nick for an enormous six over long-on, he went back to a ball that bounced and caught a thick outside edge.  Bob, at second slip, dived low to his right, taking the catch with his index and middle fingers.  With the incoming batsman LBW in the same over without scoring (he was not happy because he was forward, but the ball clearly wasn’t turning and on such a good pitch, it was out) and suddenly the score was 129-6.  Tommy had one that bounced and flicked a top edge that Simon parried behind the stumps, but couldn’t reach it on the subsequent dive.  Both bowlers soon had 2 fielders in short in front of the batsmen and 2 slips, with Stuart taking a low catch at second slip off Nick.  Tommy made a simple catch look impossible by running in and then leaping back one handed to bring up a 5-wicket haul for Nick.  Pete took a smart catch close in off Tommy before Tommy did the same off Nick to end the innings.  In 11.4 overs, the Wanderers had taken 8 wickets for 63 runs.  This left 83 overs left in the game and a lead of 149.

David and Conrad were sent to see off the opening bowlers and a good job was done.  After 8 overs the score was 11 but then Conrad started to find his form and the next 8 overs brought about 45 runs and then the wicket of David (12), caught off the spinner.  After an opening stand of 54, James came in and provided more attacking options before he too was caught forcing the pace.  Conrad (57) fell 2 overs later to leave the Wanderers 104-3 from 25 overs (253 in front).  The question on everyone’s mind was when would Simon declare.  With Fred in destructive form and Pete playing his shots, the run rate was great.  Pete (11) fell LBW to the leg-spinner, the ball pitching on leg-stump and turning towards middle.  Stuart came in at 119-4 (268 in front and 56 overs left).  Fred hit some fine boundaries and showed his brother how you clear the boundary for six.  When Fred (29) was bowled with the score on 158, Simon brought them in, setting Pacific 308 to win in 50 overs.

Pete deserved a wicket and should have had one in the opening over when the batsman played at a wide delivery and edged it through to Simon.  It was so obvious that Pete and Simon celebrated straight away, but the umpire did not give it and the batsman stood his ground.  With Pete going for 23 and Stuart 33 in their 4 overs, the spinners came on.  Nick got the first wicket in his second over when the batsman drove straight back to him, low down, and Nick held on.  Jon was now in at 3.  Nick bowled a leg-side delivery in PW style with Jon aiming at Simon behind the stumps, but failed to connect.  Next ball, the same happened, only for Jon’s swing to follow through with his glove clipping the top of the stumps.  Next over saw Simon take a sharp catch off Tommy behind the stumps, and then, when Tommy delivered a leg-side full toss that the batman top-edged, Simon ran out to take as Pete closed in on the ball.  Next over saw the 1st innings half-century scorer play all round a flighted full delivery from Nick to be bowled no score.  In the space of 12 remarkable deliveries, the score had gone from 65-0 to 71-5, still 237 runs adrift with 37 overs left.  Brett came into bat and suddenly made everything look simple, hitting 5 fours in his first 8 balls!  As the partnership gathered momentum, the pendulum of the game started to swing back away from the Wanderers.  Brett skied one to long-on where James misjudged the flight and it went for four; he then fired one straight back past Nick and then middled another that Nick got a hand on.  Unfortunately, this proved the last act of Nick’s game as he had to leave the field with a suspected break in his right hand.  By now Conrad and David were bowling together and the scoring rate had dropped somewhat, but the asking rate was still only around 7 an over.  With the partnership worth 117, the crucial breakthrough happen, with David manging to squeeze a ball through the guard, hitting top of off-stump.  Brett continued to frustrate the Wanderers until the return of Tommy, this time from the pavilion end, claimed the 7th wicket with the score on 211 and 11 overs left.  By now Fred was bowling from the cedar tree end, and although he was looking dangerous with 2 slips, gulley and short cover, runs were flowing.  Tommy struck twice in an over to bring in the last pair of batsmen to face the final 6 overs, still 54 runs adrift of the target.  Now it was all about the wicket, and one of the batsmen was determined to play the senior role, successfully taking a single towards the end of each over.  However, it was this desire to get a single off the penultimate ball of the penultimate over that cost him his wicket.  Tommy floated a straight delivery full on middle stump that the batsman tried to turn towards the gap in the leg-side field, only to miss and hit his pad.  The finger went up and after 2 days of cricket, the Wanderers won by 42 runs with only 7 balls remaining.

MOM: Nick (6-37 and 3-45, match figures of 9-82)

Catch of the match: Tricky between Big Dog and Bob, but just edged by Bob

Quote of the tour: What is a portion?