Match report: v Redbourn 22 Oct

Like Chamberlain's piece of paper from Berlin, Princess Diana's last letter to the Queen, the Russian linesman's match report from the 1996 World Cup Final and the score-sheet from The Colts v. Redbourn match - some documents are destined never to be found. On this basis, The Colts famous win against their old nemesis will live on in the memories of those that witnessed it whilst the facts and figures evaporate in to history. Tall tales will be told by old men with rheumy eyes in the corner of The Snug in "The Crossed Keys" on a wet Thursday evening - of Steve "Monsters" Ball's final over, of Don "200 Degrees" Fahrenheim's clean striking of an orange and of Trevor "Harbour" Bridger (brother of Sydney) with hands like fly-paper on the bark of an old apple tree.

The Colts had to make wholesale changes for this match with no Whiteley, Spencer, Howard, Hedges, Callender, Murphy or Williams (was there a party on somewhere that we weren't invited to ?) so there were first appearances of the season for Neil "Chuck" Berry, Tony "Hooperman" Hooper and the old hands Fahrenheim and Bridger whilst Ball and Sprowson made up the final six with Williams watching from the stands with a dicky knee. Redbourn won the toss and chose to field perhaps looking at a perceived weakness in The Colts' line-up as Sprowson and Ball opened up in their contrasting styles. This fixture has some history and is notoriously closely fought but The Colts have always been the crocodile to Redbourn's Captain Hook and there was almost a frisson of interest in the crowd as the first ball was bowled by Redbourn's "Wiley" (it's not known if this is his nickname or his proper name but either way he's a cagey opening bowler). Sprowson nudged and nurdled but Ball was becalmed like a Spanish galleon in calm seas and an attempt to hit a "pieces of eight" to the back wall saw him sink without trace without many on the board. Hoops then strode to the wickert but was a class apart from this crude form of the game and he was run out quickly as Sprowson shrewdly managed to protect his average by sending the sporting scientist back to his test tubes. It was Don Fahrenheim who put bat to ball after Sprowson retired on 25 and he connected freely with several hits to the back wall and aided by the "old skool" cunning of Bridger the score was nursed towards 120. With Sprowson back on court it was agreed that anything like 130 might be a good total and helped by the odd leg-side wide in the final over The Colts reached 134-4 - a par score with the new orange ball but defendable if the bowlers could hold their nerve and their line.

The second innings bowling performance was almost flawless. Ball and Hooper were straight, true and miserly. Whilst no wickets fell in these early overs Redbourn were unable to get up to anything like 10 an over and as the pressure grew it was clear that like Freddie Mercury in drag somebody was going to have to try to break free. Eventually a single to Mr. Bridger (aptly positioned near the cell on the side wall) was a desperate attempt to get things moving and the run out was completed at the non-striker's end. Berry and Sprowson then came on and bowled just as straight with hardly a hint of a leg-side wide. Bridger swooped for a sharp catch and another run out as only the Redbourn opener managed to make it to 25 despite having taken a few overs to get there. A very sweaty Sprowson then conceded an 8 to the back wall of the first ball of his final over but responded with two dots as the rest of the over yielded few extra runs and Redbourn were under intense pressure. The Redbourn opener came back in but "Hooperman" bowled a tremendous penultimate over including a fantastic final ball strategic bouncer that almost took off the batsman's nose. Surely 20 runs off the last over would prove to be too much ? Well, it just about was - but don't call me Shirley. It was a great end game of cat-and-mouse as Bally speared in darts to the one class Redbourn bat who was determined to get down the track and hit straight. By the final ball only a magic top "10" hit would result in a draw/tie. A hush went round the 9 people watching in the gallery. Ball let the orange go - was it a shade too slow, a shade too full or just a hazy shade of winter ? The final delivery was hit hard and well but roughly a bat length wide of the "10" target. The Colts had won by 2 runs despite being the underdogs. Church bells peeled across the night sky as men of Harpenden still a-bed held their manhoods cheap that they had not been with us to celebrate that evening.

Men of the Match : "Big" Don and "Big" Trev - a very welcome return.