Colts 146 for 5, Park St Dads 108 all out

There is no point in trying to upstage Graeme’s last strictly come dancing match report, so this will be a more factual straight-bat style report.

Well my expectation were low for the evening as we were playing the bottom side who have lost every game so far this season. We were on a hiding to nothing as a victory was the least that could be expected and total ignominy if we some how even came close to losing. All did not auger well, when there skipper politely asked if we were any good, as this might affect what he would do if he won the toss, which he did. They also asked to borrow Trevor’s son as they only had 5 players. So were inserted, which is what I would have done if we had one the toss anyway. Andy and I opened the batting and my expectation dropped even lower as the first two balls made it nowhere near the matting, along with another two in the first over. A similar pattern emerged over the first few overs interspersed with a few legal deliveries that somehow seem quite hard to hit. As the overs went by, the bowling straightened but our ability to score worsened. Finally somewhat frustrated Andy clipped a nice drive towards the back wall, where Trevor’s son pounced and in Gary Pratt style rather too expertly threw down the bowler’s end stumps to run out Andy. Steven then joyed me but only for a short innings, when I limply drove straight back to the bowler for Steven to be run out backing up. Trevor and JohnCa quickly came and went for little addition to the score, leaving us at 90 odd for 4 off 9 overs. All this time I had scratched around and retired on 25 but quickly had to return to join Tim. The tide started to turn at this point when as usual Tim and I combined to run many quick singles and steal extra runs off their wides. All went well until the last ball of the penultimate over when Tim and I went for another quick single and Tim’s hamstring went. The last over was a real let down after the carnage in the previous two, with Tim succumbing bowled off an inside edge aiming for a 10. However we just got full bonus points finishing on 146 for 5. Compared to Redbourn last week though this was poor, they managed 208 again PSD.

Bowling was going to be a headache, I was counting on Tim to be one of our 4 bowlers, but he really couldn’t walk let alone run. So I turned to Trevor and Andy to work out who was the best to fill in, Trevor volunteered and took the 2nd over after a steady start from JohnCa. Trevor’s start could not have been scripted, being on a hat-trick after his first two deliveries. The first was a superb return catch taken high to his left hand side (from a ball that pitched off the carpet) and the second a fierce drive straight at me at silly mid-on to which I could only react by letting it hit my chest and arm, but I reacted better to the rebound that I snaffled. Trevor’s night just got better when he took another two wickets, a smart stumping from Andy and a possibly even better caught and bowled catching the ball just above the carpet to his left-hand-side. He was a bit generous though when his son came in last man and threw up a few dollies until his last ball when there was some attempt to take a record breaking 5th wicket. At 60 odd for 4 after 6 we thought it was all over, but Trevor’s son stuck around with their opener and they kept the score ticking over. I finally bowled Trevor’s son but their opener went on an all out attack but square rather than straight. He finally succumbed with an over to go to a suicidal single, leaving them 108 all out. An easy win in the end, but it didn’t feel like we played well.