Stainsby Hall 4th May
Posted Monday, May 5, 2008
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Sunseekers 181-8 (Carpenter 53, Taylor S 34, Sibson 32)
Stainsby 182-2 (Coxon 8-1-22-1, Bennett 6-0-17-0)
Stainsby won by 8 wkts
After the original opposition cocked up the date of the fixture, our tireless secretary spent hours on the telephone sorting out a replacement (that's a tenner please Col). What a fixture it was too. The ground had a rural feel to it and the opposition played the game in a splendid spirit and were very welcoming.
"it was a magnificent ball, swung a yard"
Our innings started well enough, we did not lose a wicket in the first over but that soon changed. Jim Taylor was bowled in the second over with the score at 4. Steve Nicholls then joined BB at the crease and managed to avoid his customary first game duck, but by the 6th over, both had been dismissed (BB by the usual "Magnificent ball, it swung at least a yard" delivery).
That brought Carpo and Sam together and they made somewhat of a recovery, Sam initially in a supporting role but then taking over when Carpo was finally caught out in the deep. Their stand was worth 78. Following the departure of Sam and then me, Robin and Gibbo put on a very handy 50 until Robin was run out attempting a quick single. With little more than one over to go, Coxon arrived at the crease and stylishly thrashed a quick 11 to take the total past the 180.
Following a really good tea, we waddled out on to the field. Stew and Ross opened the bowling - there did not seem to be much in the wicket but nevertheless, they did beat the bat on several occasions. Bennett came on as first change and bowled much better than in his previous outing, he would have had a wicket but had the no.3 bat dropped round the corner (by me - damn). The Stainsby No.2, Tom Wood, looked solid and made his way to a chanceless 50. Eventually, he offered a couple of chances but it was to be his day as he finished with 112 not out, but then he is way above our class of cricket as he plays for the Debyshire under 15s (he's not yet 14). Following the controversial dismissal of the Stainsby no.3, who claimed that the ball had not bowled him but simply bounced back off Robin's pads, the game was taken out of our reach by a brisk 41 from the Stainsby number 4, S. Cresswell, passing the target with 5 overs to spare.
The fielding was not as bad as such a high score might suggest, there were the inevitable early season dropped catches, including two from Nicholls - although he tried to discount one as it was from a no ball. A drop's a drop Steve! Seriously, if either chance had stuck, they would have been contenders for catch of the season - a normal Sunseekers fielder would have just been watching the ball sail past to the boundary, out of reach!
To sum up, an enjoyable game against a good bunch of lads.
