Great kids, silver surfer and a Fat Keeper

Ah the Development XI. The youngsters that are coming through for when your knees are totally shot as oppose to the slightly older Juniors who are coming through now that have no problem whatsoever in saying (quite rightly) you are old and fat.

Two youngsters Messers Foy and Turner were playing their first ever game of hardball cricket. Skip a couple of generations and there was one player who had his first game of hardball cricket around the time Stephensons Rocket made its debut. Still it takes all sorts.

To avoid all that coin toss nonsense Fleckney offered the Diocese the chance to bat and the swift and very firm handshake that came back indicated that the team of the cloth thought that was a good idea.

The Bishop himself opened the batting and at the end of the runway was Russ Blake. Tall, easily the most athletic man on the team and with hair the tone of Donald Trumps skin. Unfortunately he was telling anyone who would listen that he hasn’t had a victim in literally years. We think/hoped he meant a wicket rather than anything Sweeney Todd related but no chances were being taken.

The Bishop batted beautifully for his 50 and how Russ laughed (ok maybe thats the wrong word) when the ball flicked the stumps and didn’t dislodge the bails. Thankfully his fortune improved later when he finally got a wicket, but he was still ginger....

Fleckney gave all the bowlers a go. Young Marcus didn’t let his head go down when the flack was flying, Ashkaan sent down some good loopy spin but it was the left arm bowling of promising Frank Smith who bought the house down with his two wickets. It was genuinely fantastic to see him back in Fleckney colours and give him a couple more years and he may yet hit his prime.

A total of over 200 was always going to be too many but Fleckney batted out their 30 overs and fell 75 short. Chris Turner bashed a quick 50, Tom Seymour Smith used his willow to agricultural effect and even the youngest members who didnt score too many sold their wickets dearly. Heck even the fat keeper skipper hit one off the square.

Thanks so much to Ilston for hosting, the team loved the facilities . The setting and hospitality were first rate too. Heck they even made a ginger feel welcome.

We congratulate our youngest stars. They are both the future of the club and the ones who choose which nursing home we go into when we start smelling of cabbage...

The future is bright.