Two overs to go, the Village needs 2 runs with 2 wickets remaining. Tension every where was at fever pitch. The Village, after a slow and unsteady innings, surely looked to have secured the game following a couple of well played shots by Bomb. What followed was a calamity. A beating the likes of which caused every Villager to hang his head in his hands. Wicket, maiden, wicket. The Village loose by 1 run. With a target of just 116 we had total confidence as we munched on our pizza, sandwiches and clotted cream scones at tea. How had we thrown it all away?
Before drilling into the gory details of failure, we must acknowledge that there were many positives from our bowling display. We stated with a fine catch by Potty courtesy of a rebound off his ribs, from some tight and accurate bowling by KP. At the other end, Bomb started a little loosely before finding his range ending with an impressive 1 for 10 off 5. The Village had them three down in no time with a generally tight fielding display.
Then, in what could be seen as the first as many critical incidents in a one run loss, their no.3 Venables played a poor cut without moving his feet to Bomb and it sliced away hard to Morgs’s left. Probably standing too close, he threw a hand at it but he never picked it up and dropped his first of the season. This proved to be the first escape amongst many for this batsman. He frequently chipped balls before or just over fielders showing an incredible luck that proved to be crucial. On one occasion, KP having bowled tried to turn himself around but failed to reach one just over his head that gently landed almost alongside the non striker stumps.
Chris mate of Nig and the Louse bowled for half the innings. The oppo put on a few runs, especially against the out of form Chris mate of Nig with some short bowling going down the slope and easily hit through the on-side. Both went for about 5 ½ an over. Amongst a flurry of fours, batsman got bored awaiting the arrival of Louse’s deliveries and played loose shots. A skier to Parp! was well taken but only after a solid partnership between Venables and Meads had developed of about 40 runs. KP securely held one on the long-off boundary rope, then Chris mate of Nig was picked out, taking a fine catch from a long hop at backward square leg…. Suddenly, the wickets were tumbling.
The next change saw Ek come on alongside Maj who decided to do his Dave Ireland impression arriving 30 minute late. Both looked to take advantage of a slopping and turning wicket. Ek returned to form with some ‘good areas’ while Maj had their lower order all at sea with pace, variation and accuracy. Two catches well caught in the gully off Maj made up for Morgs’s earlier drop while Ek made a good stop off his own bowling and quick thinking ran Meads out after an impressive 20. Suddenly, they were now 9 down following a majestic Maj slower ball cleaning Wright for 7. Ed Thomas came on to finish them, completing the task in just one ball as the ball was sprayed up to mid-on. Their last 7 wickets had come for around 25 – all out for 115; including 3 for 2 off 4 overs for Maj. The Village were buoyant.
In all likelihood the Village may have showed some hubris. Especially as their opening bowler, formally clad in a dressed shirt, served up two beamers for Potty to dispatch into the flowerbeds. Bizarrely though neither were called by the umpire (Chris mate of Nig) for being a no-ball which, like any small difference, would have been enough for victory. As it turned out both he and his opening bowler partner Castle proceeded to bowl with unerring consistency with a nagging line and length that was difficult to dispatch on the sloping pitch. Potty, clearly with abuse at not having any attacking shots on his mind, and emboldened by those hooks, tried an expansive drive to a ball that was not full enough and too straight. His ill-placed endeavor was rewarded with a ball going through a gaping gate and gutting his stumps. When chasing such a low score on a difficult wicket the situation was ripe for Potty of old. Defense and preservation of your wicket was at a premium.
In his place came Teddy T, who, following his one ball bowling spell, batting for just as long. As a true all-rounder he now averages the same (zero) with both bat and ball this season! Next in was Plimmer who alongside Morgans steadied the ship. With help from Frank, they kept the pace at 3 ½ an over for 10 or so overs. Plimmer was more attacking surviving three Chinese cuts but also relieving pressure with some well played shots through mid off. Morgans was wary, the bowlers were keeping the pressure on and barely played an attacking shot as defense was paramount. He tried relieving the situation with some expansive running between the wickets almost being run out from a poorly judged 2. His dive, though impressive, would not have saved him but for the fielder failing to take the bails off when he had the ball in hand.
At the first change two new bowlers came on as Plimms and Morgs hoped to be able to up the rate to ease the game situation. Yet, some how these bowlers were as good as the first set! Plimms now playing more aggressively suffered as the ball came down the slope to clean bowl him for 23. Next out was KP to join an unsteady and still defensive Morgans whose footwork was getting worse and his concentration flagging. As the heat grew Morgans began to flake; an lbw shout, and a wafting drive were followed by a missed straight one. He played what he thought to be the line but, according to later reports, played inside it. Unfortunately, the ball just clipped the off-stump and he fell for a stodgy, hard-fought 17. Parp! took his place in the middle. Having done the man’s cricket Morgans missed out on the easier bowling to come.
Parp! lived up to his previous billing as “improved” by some nice defensive work and then making hay as the oppo put on their weakest bowlers. Backward cuts were mixed with some genuine edges as Parp pasted OAPs behind square to reach a dashing 23 before edging behind. Wickets kept falling despite the ease in bowling. KP was strangely subdued and Ek never looked settled playing a flamboyant shot that was well taken at slip. With 5 overs to go and still needing 3 ½ an over, (17) then in came Bomb and Maj.
In all truth the Village failed to score enough during the period of weakest bowling and all Villagers were guilty of playing poor shots and throwing away their wickets. As wickets tumbled the run rate failed to come down, remaining all game at around 3 ½ an over. Maj clearly saw an opportunity to up the anti by attacking, well, like a headless chicken. Maj looked like he needed the toilet, so desperate was he to throw away his wicket. A spawned 2, a drop and several near stumpings preceded Maj’s one real connection which flew to long on and… was easily taken by the one fielder Maj managed to pick out in the deep. Out came Chris mate of Nig to join Bomb. Bomb duly played those earlier mentioned shots to relieve for a moment the pressure. Following one shot, Chris mate of Nig was left on strike for the final ball of the over – stumps went tumbling. Out came Louse. “Over bowled”. Surely Bomb, a man strong under pressure, could get runs off the next over off their weakest bowler, a pensionable pie chucker.
Dot ball followed dot ball. How could this old man roll back the years and contain Bomb?
On the sidelines the Village was tense. As the wickets fell, fear overtook us all. At the non-strikers end, Louse was waiting for his first ball. Bomb had to get the runs that over or Louse would face the return of their rapid opening bowler at the end that sloped into the stumps that had so far taken 5 wickets, all bowled. We still needed 1 to draw and 2 to win. The frustration grew, another dot ball; 3 down 3 to go. On the 4th ball Bomb attacked, whacking a ball hard. Yes, surely there was victory?
Alas no, Bomb hit it hard back to the septuagenarian bowler. Although the bowler did well to stop it, he failed to cling on to a tough catch. His nagging consistency continued, and despite another attempt to dispatch it off the last ball, the bowler’s continued accuracy was rewarded with a maiden. Bomb put his faith in the Louse’s ability in the final over, ready to sprint at the hint of contact of bat on ball. 1 to draw, 2 to win.
Villagers’ tension grew as the Louse awaited his first ball off the final over, a thick edge, a leg-bye – some thing, any thing would do to secure the draw and get Bomb on strike. Sadly however, his wicket was a repeat of all others from that end. A good straight ball spraying the stumps as the ball came in off the slope. We had lost by one run. A tense, and tight match decided by the smallest of margins. Off the Village went to see how England would fare and over-analyse our narrow failure. At that, if at nothing else, the Village were a class apart.
