SATURDAY XI v LOCKS HEATH - 23rd July 2016
Last Saturday Curdridge welcomed Locks Heath III's to Reading Room Lane, a team that was sat near the lower end of the league, but always with the potential to put out a strong side on any particular day.
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Skipper did his bit and lost the toss and was invited to stand in the field in the Mediterranean heat - Sunblock all round.
Unfortunately this is where it gets a bit hazy - a combination of a missing scorecard and several beers after the game have rendered skippers memory a bit sketchy,
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Here’s what I recall,
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Openers were dispatched relatively early, both bowled (one apiece for Steve ‘Sponsored by Monster’ and Del ‘Sponsored by Age Concern’)
A young nipper came in and played really well, taking a liking to anything full and dispatching it to the boundary, he would end up last man out for 76 - well batted sir!
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Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals with some good catches from Hiller (M), skippers belly button, and Luke at long off (much to the astonishment of Alan)
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Dan Clarke welcomed a new batsman to the crease by serving up two balls that were dispatched to the boundary (one troubling the residents of St Peter’s Close)
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The same batsman decided that the balls that Fieldsy was bowling would be much happier if they were in the car park.
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Eventually the innings would close with Locks Heath on a total of 207 all out. Credit to Del who finished with figures of 4-29.
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Innings started badly with Nick cleaned up by one that kept low, Jack by one that cut back and Alan got the same ball as Nick,
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It was not Skipper’s day as Jack smashed a straight drive back towards the bowler - so straight that it brushed the fingertips of the bowlers hand before clattering into the stumps at the non strikers end, leaving the skipper stranded out of his ground. Cue the skipper trudging off working out how many weeks Jack would be dropped for.
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Good contributions followed by Chris Clode (30) and Mick Hillier (22 on one leg), before the tail was finally broken through and Curdridge’ s innings ended on 92. A disappointing result given the promising season to date.
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Man of the Match: Del Candy 4-29 was the highlight
Champagne Moment: Mick Hillier fielding at long off at the groundsman’s shed end, clocking up full speed down the hill before putting in a full length feet first dive, complete with arms generating full windmills as he hit the turf, coming to a halt inches from where the ball proceeded to trickle across the front of where his torso had embedded into the turf and dribbling over the boundary for 4 - full marks for effort though Mike!