Teston is a really nice venue and its pavilion is arguably one of the best that we visit throughout the season. This fixture is also memorable for me, as Teston was the venue of my first game for Stone. Unfortunately for me and with no small irony given my profession, this game was very much a case of history repeating itself, my batting score on both occasions has been exactly the same – 0. Rather more happily for the team, however, the result of the game was also the same – a win – and, better yet, it came with Darren playing for the oppo. We knew that this was the case since, earlier in the year, he had mentioned that Teston were now his local side. However, upon arrival, it turned out that this game would actually be his first of the season for them and Vice, our skipper for the day, made sure that we would make it a losing debut for him.
Vice negotiates the toss and we do what we generally do best – bowl first and get some early wickets in the bag, courtesy of some very good bowling from Slater and Dino spinning the batsmen into a mess at the other. It’s a very effective double act, but Dino claims the wickets, starting with his very first ball and the taking one each in his first three overs. The third arises from a very good catch behind his head by Hangover. This brings Darren to the wicket with Teston on 31 for 3 and typically he looks to dominate the bowling and hit big. Dino has the measure of him, though, and a full-ish ball bamboozles Darren before taking off the bails. Off he trudges amid celebrations and no small hilarity on our part. Camo builds on his first wicket for the club in the previous game by claiming two more, and at a timely moment when their numbers 5 and 6 are mounting a comeback by finding the boundary at least once per over. There is a very impressive direct hit run-out by Jack and a wicket for Hangover, but then their Numbers 9 and 10 go for broke and hit big. Despite the return of Dino, who is searching for his (and the club’s) first 5-for of the season, they stick around. Finally Vice brings himself on and takes two wickets in an over to finish things off. It should also be noted that Vice does a very admirable thing when their young number 11 is clearly discomfited by any sort of pace, switches to spin and then withdraws an appeal for what looks an unfair dismissal. It was the right thing to do, it was very good to see, their skipper (at the other end at the time) appreciated it, and it didn’t cost us anything as the batsman was clean bowled shortly thereafter. They finish with a total of 128, with Dino (4 for 34) the pick of the bowlers.
After a very decent tea (always improved by having a bar in pavilion, even if they need to work on the range of beer that they serve), we set off in pursuit of this very gettable target. Jack and Stumpy open the innings, but it just isn’t Jack’s day, as he is dismissed for a duck at the end of the first over. Vice strides to the wicket as a man on a mission with two aims – get that elusive 50 and make the most of Darren’s bowling in doing so, not least because Darren has made it clear to his new teammates that he has our collective number. Not so, it seems, as Vice puts on a very entertaining display of hitting, especially off Mr McGrath – a particular one-bounce 4 back over Darren’s head was a particular highlight. Alas, the 50 was not to be – following a lovely 6, Vice went big again and was caught for 42. With Stumpy anchoring the other end and steadily accumulating runs, it should be plain sailing from here, but that’s not the Stone way. Dartsy comes and goes for 8, which brings me to the wicket. First delivery, I strike the ball straight out of the sweet spot but my timing was out so it plopped back up into the hands of the bowler (who was no athlete, to make it even more annoying). Oh well – at least I can get back to scoring. Slates only lasts three balls, for 1, leaving Hangover to join Stumpy and see us home for a win by 5 wickets.
The post-game is dominated by a very long and involved game of keepy-uppies for most and beer for the rest. Dartsy is SBotD for ‘protecting his modesty with a flannel’ in public. Voting for the Ainsley is a stitch-up, where Vice is set up by Stumpy and Dino to ensure that they don’t have to write the match report (and I ended up doing it anyway).
– Paul