We arrived at The Old Minchendenians ground to be greeted by a wake. The ashes of the football team's goalie had been scattered in the goalmouth, an area that doubled as fine leg. According to the poster in the bar the long standing sports club member had passed away in December but they had waited until the end of the season to honour 'The Cat'.
Stepping gently around proceedings and residues a delegation of Taverners wandered out to look at the pitch. Much trepidation was felt at the casual pitch relationship betwixt grass and bare patches. Hmm. Chris 'lost the toss' Brooks...are you sitting down?...WON THE TOSS!
After a short laser and firework display Chris elected to bat and sent out an unchanged opening combo of Simon and Andy R. The innings got off to a flying stop. In the second over Andy R played over a full length ball to be bowled. Soon after Andy P was brilliantly caught down the leg side. Then the ball after fizzing an extra cover boundary Simon was bowled. Chris top edged a pull to square leg and I chipped to mid off. 26-5. Oops.
Andy J launched a counter attack with some fierce drives over the bowlers head. At the other end Martin didn't hang around and joined in the drive-fest. The opening bowlers - who bowled their 8 straight through - were seen off.
Enter the spinners. With the score at 60 odd Andy J misjudged the line to be bowled offering no shot. Tony added 8 before fatally shuffling across to one that didn't get up and departing lbw. Matthias dug in with plenty of overs left and Martin looking set before reaching for one and nicking behind.
Barrie drove 2 fours raise the 99 before a shorter delivery defeated his forward defensive to clip off stump. Tom smashed his first ball for 3 to raise the hundred but next ball Martin lofted to long on and was caught for 41.
We thought we had a chance. At tea we heard some of the opposition agreeing that it wouldn't be a straightforward chase...
Andy J opened. 5th ball the batsman spliced one which looped towards the covers. Andy R dived forwards and got his fingers under the ball but couldn't quite hold on as his landing impact saw the ball agonisingly roll out of his grasp. Unlucky. Undeterred Andy J continued to steam in and made the breakthrough at 16 with an lbw verdict.
A frustrating period of swinging and missing followed. Andy J's opening partner Martin was replaced by Andy P but it was Andy J who struck again as finally a big swing delivered a nick that Chris pouched. Then Andy P dropped one slightly short. The batsman attempted some sort of pirouette pull. He missed. Andy P appealed - backed up by the keeper, gully and fine leg - and won some sort of thigh before wicket decision. I guess they all count.
Tom took over from Andy J. This was his first ever proper game of cricket (not counting the inter-tav pre-season friendly) and he started with a maiden. His next couple of overs saw him extract some bounce and he eventually took a deserved first wicket for the club when their number 4 sliced a drive to Andy R in the covers. Alas that proved to be our final success.
A 6 wicket defeat with 19 overs to spare looks like a stuffing, but to put it simply they had the better bowling and batting technique to create and deal with the vagaries of the sort of pitch we fortunately don't have to deal with too often these days.
After the match Chris declined to award the Captain's tankard because there was a new weapon in the armoury. Before the game Barrie had suggested awarding the match ball as a token of awesomeness, quoting a match passim that had seen him take 5-12 in 2000 (and producing the ball to boot). Chris - ever resourceful - procured a black marker pen from behind the bar, scribed the necessary and presented Tom with the match ball for his first ever Tavern wicket.
DT
