Mother Nature was the ultimate winner as Sunday's game against Horsley & Send was abandoned with 15 overs to go. The match started in fine drizzle and although the weather relented on a couple of brief occasions, the majority of the match was played in weather more suitable for rugby....or swimming. Huge credit goes to Umpire Briggs for overseeing 65 overs of action before the conditions became unsafe to continue.
We won the toss and elected to bowl first, thinking that the rain was going to relent. Lewis & Abbott put in a wholehearted effort with Joseph picking up 2 wickets, including an excellent boot high caught & bowled. The short boundary ensured that anything short was an automatic boundary and when our nice new match ball was deposited over the hedge, it was replaced by an older ball with extraordinary sponge-like qualities and holding the ball let alone bowling became really rather difficult. Tharpy had a rare day to forget (much to Darrell's amusement!), Hewitt never threatened, we dropped at least 7 catches and it was left to Fairclough & new recruit Tim "Sticky" Bunn to pick up a few wickets between them as the home side recorded 259-5 off their allotted 40 overs. A special mention to Charlie Lee for his excellent wicket keeping in the Colonel's absence who was rumoured to be scouting potential curry restaurants on the South coast in advance of our tour next month.
An excellent tea was served ("a 10/10 if the pasties had been hot") and after the drizzle had lightened, we started our run chase. Good bowling saw the Mogs on 5-0 after 4 overs and after Furns was bowled, Larke took the attack to our young opposition, before holing out. Charlie, Ollie Jago & Dave Stevens all found the boundary regularly as our run rate increased but the conditions were becoming more & more tricky & Fraser's decision to play without spikes gave his team mates many laughs as he skidded his way slowly from one end of the crease to another. Hewitt & Fairclough were at the crease when the heavens finally opened properly and we retired to the pavilion for a quick pint before returning home, wet but unbeaten.
MWCC Stats