Colts: 129 for 5, Crabtree Dads 115 all out

Sadly this game was an irrelevance, as the league had been wrapped up the week before when Long Marston won their final game. Even if we won this last game and finished on level points, the title went to Long Marston as we lost to them in our game. Also Crabtree only had 5 players and picked a useful ringer to give us a game.

However, we were successful in our last game, but made hard work of it. We won the toss and for practice reasons, I decided to bat. Dave and I opened and got off to a slowish start with Dave again struggling to locate the side wall. I faced fours ball scoring 9 and then when Dave did hit the side wall with a firm push to midwicket, somehow it flicked a fielder’s finger off the side and then hit the bowlers stumps, leaving me stranded. Neil then joined Dave and the run rate again was rather slow, before Dave holed out off the side wall. Trevor then joined Neil and the run rate briefly climbed when Neil started to located the back wall. Neil retired and Trevor was joined by John Cowan, but only briefly, when a calling mix up left John stranded at the strikers end with Trevor still in his crease. John Callendar was next in and received a few good overs so the run rate started to slow. Trevor then fell caught leaving Neil to return for the final two overs. These were quite productive, but Neil fell on the last ball going for a second run (somewhat encouraged by me), which would have meant 6 runs, however the rules mean that indoors completed runs don’t count, which I didn’t realise this(;-(. This left the final total on 129 for 5.

Dave opened the bowling and was immediately successful, a straight ball which the opener played all around. I returned to my leg spin and immediately found a good length, hitting Trevor nastily in the teeth with a climbing top spinner, but this bye was the only run conceded in the cover. Dave produced a second good over and they lost another wicket to a suicidal run. My next two overs were good too and they lost another two wickets, to a good stumping from Trevor and a fine catch by Neil at silly mid on. However given our low total, they were still 50 odd after the first 6 overs and still in without a shout. As the overs went by, they kept just in touch and when their 5th wicket fell, this let in their opener who had retired and had looked good. We were down to the final over with 20 required to win: difficult but only two or three shots from victory. However, with three balls to go, we took the final wicket, a fine catch by Dave off the side wall to leave them 115 all out.

Played: Simon, Dave, Neil, John Ca, John Co, Trevor