We’ll start with thanks to Dartsy who on the Friday evening before the match noticed an errant digit in the Post Code and got us all back on the right track. Not the only errant digit from Friday night for Dartsy if Mrs Darts’ secret sex blog is to be believed.
We arrived with much excitement at Old Dunstonian’s on finding a scene that really felt like the right stage for our “talents”: perfectly-manicured outfield, electronic scoreboard, a big crowd. The bubble burst on discovering this was all for their 4ths. Our level, the 5ths, were in the cow field in a different post code (not the one the Team Seccie originally sent around either).
Skip lost the toss and we were sent out to pasture, but with a genuine spring in our step, as the mixed bag presented to us reeked of wickets and a nice early finish.
Didn’t quite work out like that and we spent the full 40 overs in the field having struggled to pick up wickets on a regular basis. Credit to all the lads for a good high energy effort throughout the 40 overs. The fielding was sharp, I can’t remember any obvious dollies going down (Semtex at full stretch the only real 1/4 chance), the energy remained high and the chat was pretty good. We restricted them to under 3 an over and the chase was set at 118. Kudos to the skip and vice for taking pace off the ball early doors, the whole arena really was a pudding and whilst we rarely threatened we always had a vice like grip on the run rate.
Bowling figures are above and I invite you to pick the bones out of them. Gloriously tight – I will leave you to make up your own analogy.
Exceptional tea – marked down for the sausage rolls that, despite at least three promises, never did appear. It was a tea though that was good enough for me to pick up the Ainsley Hot Stuff Award. As we all now know, a good fixture seccie is only judged on the tea the oppo supplies (no, I am not still bitter about what Sexual Harassment Panda and Jim Davidson got away with Saturday on tour).
The chase – not sure it would go down as exciting (I think it was five days later that Roysie, Halesy and co were smashing the Shackle Draggers for nearly 500), but it was pretty well paced and there were contributions from everyone apart from Gumsy who I think claimed to just want to give someone else a bat. In the end we chased down the total with around six overs to spare and six wickets in hand.
Highlights would include: a bit of old skool niggly aggro between me and their keeper who, with an approx. combined age of 110, probably should know better by now; Dartsy going all Babe Ruth with his running and making 3rd base (those digits again), which saw the end of not one but two buckles on the pads he was wearing; the Vice having potentially just been saved from being stumped by an as ever effervescent (asleep) Jordan Oaten smashing the bowler straight back over his head next ball for a shot-of-the-day majestic one-bounce 4; and a masterclass in average protection from Stumpy who, with the game won and with 10 needed from eight or so overs, was not ever going to chance a shot in anger. Special mention goes to Semtex who really is loving his scoring right now and is fast becoming Stone CC’s answer to Rachel Riley. Calculator in hand he was able to tell me my strike rate was somewhere near 0.65 in what was the innings’ significant contribution of 68* (sorry, I went a bit Candyman there).
Back at the club bar, jugs were enjoyed (oi oi), oppo were ignored (standard), and awards were dolled out. Well they would have been if they’d been there. SBofD went to Ladies Love Cool Dory. Something about GCSEs, a Friday night PARTY, some snatch, a load of Diamond Whites and 4th base. It really got the Skipper’s goat.
Point to note – the Skipper left early. Not sure I like this. But I reckon items 3, 4 and 5 were on his agenda from Dory’s Friday night.
– Blainy