Fleckney beat Stoneygate by 8 wickets
Hot? You better believe it. Even some 4 hours after the game when these lines are being written your Roving Reporter could fry eggs on his forehead, put Rudolph to shame with his nose and his ears were seemingly dipped in Salsa. For perhaps the only time Cricket A la Igloo seemed a reasonable proposition.
Clearly on such a day no self respecting skipper would bowl first, indeed any captain doing such a thing would presumably find them self strung up by their er Googlies. Such a situation would make Mutiny On The Bounty seem like an Old Folks Home dust up on bingo afternoon. Stoney won the toss and Fleckney reached for the suntan lotion and the ice cubes.
The game got off to a fairly sedate start with 4 an over seeming to be the ready reckoner. However concentration on a semi regular basis was broken by an intermittent car alarm going off. Players looked nervously around thinking it wasn't theirs BUT you never know.
Visting skipper Morley had just voiced his irritation with the alarm and his comparative lack of success at Fleckney when he tickled one behind. Two balls later it was 2 wickets down and maybe batting first wasn't quite the gimme it first seemed.
Sam Hill on a belated seasonal debut quickly scored a couple of strikes. Number 1 an inswinger that rearranged Joff Ward's poles, then Number 2 a delivery that roared back off the seam , missed the batter and the wickets but then painfully rearranged the Vice Captains unprotected personal furniture. We wouldn't say it took the wind out of his sails but he dropped to his knees in either great pain or a sudden religious moment. This blow however was enough to send him to the pavillion for a few overs whilst he cooled down and stopped singing Soprano. Mandeep took the gloves and when the former keeper did re-emerge he had donned the demeanour of John Wayne after a very long day in the saddle.
The car alarm issue was eventually narrowed down and we are sworn to secrecy as to who had left their sunroof open. However if you did want to find out drop us a postcard to Scoots Dad Competition , PO Box Doh!, Fleckney.
The fun hadn't quite finished. Frankie came on to grab two wickets, one via a frankly ludicrous one handed grab by Farhan and Sam boosted his own tally with a fine grab of his own and a late wicket. 196 the final score.
Such a chase was possible but nearly 200 is still a way go travel. To do it with 4 overs and 8 wickets to spare though was something no-one really saw coming.
Brij got things to a good start with a brisk 19, Farhan just missed out on a deserved 50 and then Mandeep and Mike Dunkley guided the ship home. Also fair mention to Siddiq for a top spell of Pad Rash.
So how do you sum that lot up? Firstly we have said it before and we say it again, Stoneygate we love you. Similar outlook, similar ability and just damn nice people and we wish you nothing but the best for the rest of the season and beyond. Secondly at least Cinderella ran away from the ball, our Vice Captain presumably wishes he one to runaway with.
Until next time....
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