Since the cancellation of the Harry Wilkins Gazette, thanks to low readership, we have been lacking a Features section of the match reports, however, I’m pleased to announce by common acclaim a new section, which will feature handy nuggets of wisdom which will stand us in good stead each week.... May I present:

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Advice from Eden

1. “You all just need to pull yourselves together.”

2. “If you put the bat in the way of the ball, it can’t hit the stumps.”

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Look forward to next week’s instalment. Though I do think based on today’s performance we could also add “See that round thing flying through the air? Catch it.”

 

And onto the match report. At the end of a week which was a just a little on the warm side, and with that only just abating, we welcomed Solent Rangers IIIs to the Bowl, in a match was a must win to get our season back on track. It also saw the return of Mark Acaster, having seen recent results and swooping in like one of the Avengers. 

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Jules won the toss and elected as usual to bat first. This week we would see by common accord a change to the opening partnership, with Mark Emm and Dom striding out to the crease. This change immediately brought dividends as it did not find Jules walking out to the strip after only a couple of overs. The Rangers bowling offered a threat, but also opportunities for runs, and the innings got underway smoothly, as both Dom and Mark began to accumulate. We had some good fortune as a couple of edges were dropped by the wicket-keeper, and the runs continued to flow as the opening partnership reached and moved beyond 50.

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Rangers would strike not long after, though, as a trademark cover-drive from Dom flew through the air but was well-caught at cover, and the first wicket had fallen. However, the first solid opening platform of the season had been set thanks to Dom and Mark, and in went Jules to join Mark at the crease.

 

After last week’s blip in form, Jules was soon back to run-scoring, but a second wicket would fall as Mark Emm was caught. Jack would follow soon after, in a very rare occurrence of experiencing disappointment with the bat, and the innings was looking on shaky ground. Runs were still coming, but the run-rate hadn’t increased much, and the middle order was now exposed.

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Fortunately, Craig was in a no-nonsense sort of mood, and set about steadying the line, as he and Jules gave nothing away and kept the total mounting as it headed towards the 150 mark.

 

Pushing for runs, Jules would be the next man to fall as he was run out, bringing Rob to the crease. A fortunate dropped catch second ball saved him, as he then added a few boundaries to the total before losing his stumps, and Alan strode out to join Craig, also looking to push the run rate on, and adding some more vital boundaries as the score began to approach the 200 mark and that vital final batting point.

 

Alan became the second run-out victim of the day, again as he and Craig looked to force the total onwards, bringing Tom to the crease. With the score on 199 going into the final over just a single run was needed to get us to 200, but as Craig went for the runs he was caught, departing for a solid and sensible 41 which had anchored the middle of the innings.

 

The returning Mark Acaster went in, but a lack of match play told as he departed without scoring, and with just two balls to go a run for that batting point was still needed, with Tom stranded at the non-striker’s end, in went Mike whilst Sammy desperately scrambled to get his pads on – although first needing to get his socks on, then his shoes, and, well, generally get ready to play.

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However, the time-out clock wasn’t needed, as Mike immediately struck the extra run needed, and then he and Tom darted through for a leg bye to the wicket keeper on the final ball to end the innings on 201-8.

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A solid total, if perhaps somewhat shy of where we were expecting to get to on a good day and track for batting. The runs had been steady, though, and the positives of a much better start to the innings, solidity in the middle and some useful contributions supporting Craig’s central role. Getting the final batting point was a must, so it was with some relief in a shaky final over that that was achieved.

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We would need to bowl and field well, though, to ensure we turned the start into a victory, and to take away much-needed full points from the game.

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Mike and Tom would open the bowling, hoping to get in amongst the batsmen early. Putting to bed last week’s difficulties, both openers were on song early, keeping the runs down and the bowling tight. Tom in particular looking like he was in wicket-taking mode. And indeed an opportunity came early as the ball spiralled out towards cover point. Rob running back from extra cover put in a dive for an over-the-shoulder catch as the ball fell to earth, but the ball devastatingly being dislodged as Rob hit the ground. A difficult chance, to be sure, but if it’s in the hands it should stay in the hands.

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It seemed liked the cricketing gods were going to be malicious, today, with events at the other end as Mike continued the attack, and struck early, with the ball clipping the bat and Jack snaffling it behind the stumps. The whole team went up as the nick echoed around the Bowl, and so did someone walking their dog at the other end of the village as they heard it too. However, neither the batsman nor the umpire appeared to have heard it, so we must all have been mistaken.

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Frustration abounded, but a wicket would come soon after, as Tom get his well-deserved breakthrough, Rob running in from cover and diving forward to take the catch, and we were up and running.

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Resolved to take wickets the hard way, a couple of overs later there was no doubt, as Mike sent the other opener’s (the one who absolutely hadn’t edged it behind an over or so ago) stumps askew and the bails flying. Two down, and things were looking positive, though a long way to go yet.

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Tom would take his second wicket of the day soon after, forcing the ball through and cleaning up the batsman’s stumps, shortly after ending his spell of five overs having gone for just 14 runs, plus a vital couple of wickets.

 

Not to be outdone, Mike would soon pick up his second wicket two... Now, I have on occasion commented upon Sammy’s novel field placings and general anarchic attitude towards where he should be in the field. On this occasion, a ball from Mike was struck hard in the air right over mid-wicket, where Sam had been placed by the skipper… but know, Sam had unilaterally dropped himself out, and instead of the ball flying away for four we were all surprised to see it go straight into Sam’s hands, and the fourth wicket was down.

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Sam and Mark Emm would replace Mike and Tom to continue the attack, and it behoves me to mention that throughout the middle of the innings and on towards the end, we were fortunate that dropped catches didn’t cost us. Some were certainly harder than others and the fielder would have done well to hold it, some should have been taken. I won’t go through the list to name names but multiple culprits abound.

 

The cursing from the captain fielding out on the boundary attested to this, though perhaps some of that was in frustration at the one he put down too… Nonetheless, chances came and went, and although the score was being held in check – not least due to good fielding preventing quick singles, turning twos into ones and boundaries into twos - the wickets needed to be taken. 

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The breakthrough finally came, ironically enough, in the form of a catch plucked smartly out of the air at gully by Tom. From here, wickets began to fall more rapidly, particularly as Mark Acaster came on for his first spell of the season. He was soon on the board and would take three wickets in the space of four overs, twice teaming up with Mark Emm as the latter took smart catches. Interspersed with a run-out as Jack alertly darted from behind the stumps and threw to the bowling end, and the win was in sight.

 

A late rally by the tail end caused a bit of nervousness, and so Dom was brought on to finish things off. This he duly attempted to do but his first over didn’t quite go to plan, before in his second over he found his range and sent the ball clattering into the stumps to claim the final wicket, and securing a 72-run win as Rangers were bowled out for 129.

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A vital win and much-needed maximum points, so let’s hope that might start to turn our season around.

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Thanks to Jan for scoring, and also to Mike for the pitch work, as well as to Jules who braved the mid-afternoon heat during the week to finish the pitch prep.

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Next Week: Halfway point of the season reached, we welcome Eastleigh to the Bowl.

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Donut of the Day: Lots of Donuts to hand out this week, mostly in the form of fielding errors. No-one wants to drop a catch, though, and we were fortunate that the half-dozen or so which went down didn’t cost us. Still, some were easy and should have been held, others were much more difficult. So a whole basket of Donuts to the team, and things to improve on.

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Champagne Moment: A couple of great moments: Mark Emms’ second catch diving forward and to his right, and Mike bowling the Rangers batsman who absolutely definitely did not edge the ball straight into Jack’s gloves a couple of overs previously. On the whole, though, it has to be getting over the line for the win.

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Man of the Match: Great spell of bowling and big effort in the field from Tom, but the Man of the Match goes to a batsman again this week, with Craig having held the innings together and put us in the position to claim full batting points once again.