Telling Tails — Sundaze vs Sutton Benger

Hi all, and what a bizarre game on Sunday and not something we’ve experienced for quite some seasons, so read on all……

An overcast day where we’d had a stack of rain over the county so it was a bit nip and tuck on whether the game would actually take place but take place it did. Our opponents were Sutton Benger over near Malmesbury somewhere and a nice bunch they are too. After the 40 min drive or so to get there in Tommy’s Scooby van with scooby, shaggy and Fred we arrive ready for action and somewhat suspect whether we will get many overs in before the rain was set to get us again.

We had a wander out to the wicket for an inspection and it was clear to see that it was a bowlers day today with humidity in the air a slightly soggy strip that had been freshly rolled that morning which had crushed the moisture even further into the wicket. Well, is that bad? Difficult to tell really as it was going to be the same for both teams. The ball will be going in all directions as the wicket softens so we needed to be on our guard. I personally didn’t mind from a bowlers perspective but I was sure it’ll take its toll on all the batters…

We lost the toss and we were batting first so best to get it over with rain forecast soonish. Laurence to open with Ninja so off they march into battle. Laurence to face and a beauty 4 off the first ball, get in, great start mate. With the ball twisting and turning as we all thought and dropping very low, a couple of dots were necessary to get settled in. No worries, next ball an another beautiful boundary which I will say was difficult in this field as it wasn’t rolling too well, it needed loft to take it over the line. A quick pad away with the next and a single, Ninja is on strike ready to put his WG Grace bat ( original! ) to good use. Tipping his pith helmet forward to look intimidating to the bowler he settled in with a dot ball guard, take that…..Confident he had rattled the bowler he did as he placed a nice stroke down through point but not quite boundary and two runs, it’s going okay. A continuation of massive movement of the ball and lots of defending required which they both did well until a nasty pitched ball caught Laurence out as he swung to middle it resulting in a miss time he launched the ball over the bowler but straight into the hands of a very grateful fielder ( 11 mins and 1 wicket down). Unlucky Laurence but a total of 10 runs 👏( btw, that turned out to be up there in this game!). So at the end over 3 overs we are 19-1. Cmon Jamie ( Walrus, 😂, I’ll explain later) run them up. The first few balls bowled went a bit AWOL with byes, leg byes and then some dots. Not the best way to start your batting ol boy but at least you’re not out! A few more dot balls for Ninja a single for Jamie and a couple for Nick and a 1 . Jamie on strike and a very straight ball caught him out as was probably expecting it to move like all the others and an LBW, feck, that’s 2 wickets and Jamie trundled off after 8 mins and 1 run, oh no, there’s a theme here. Hard lines ol chap, at least not a 🦆. So we are now 20 mins in and 2 wickets down, we need a leader to push on and improve the situation I hear you say. Well a stroke of luck as our regular #4 and very own skipper steps up to put things right. Cmon RL1, you did it last week, you can do it again. So chest puffed out the chiseled chin glistening in the afternoon haze and the tan still looking like gravy browning from his Greek holiday he marches out to battle. First ball at pace and a dot. Second ball a dot, 3rd ball nice and pacey looks safe as it pitches wide of leg stump a step forward a big swing boundary we hope but no, it takes a dive under the bat straight into the stumps and bails flying! Oh no, not much you could’ve done about that mate but a decent bowl and off to the pavilion in under 2 mins for a 🦆 and 50p fine. That over finished on a double wicket maiden, respect Mr bowler man 👏. 24 for 3 after 6 overs. We need to redeem the situation is my thought, we need the well ard northerner Tommy gun to show them a few things out there. Cmon big lad…As is tradition Tommy walks up to the crease nonchalantly swinging his bat around as though he was replicating a cheer leader at a Boston Red Soxs game. stops at the crease signals to the umpire “middle please” looks around the field, scuffs his feet a bit more then takes up his position. Leaning forward as though he was skiing down a black run in Val-D’Isere . Cmon then let’s have it….Bam down it flys with great pace and a beautiful defensive block. That looked confident, nice one mate. Now it’s Ninjas turn, change of bowler and a nice little edge gives a single. Tommy on strike and a beautiful swing, over the bowlers head and going for a 6 surely, damn, just pitches short but rolls over for a 4 but a top shot buddy. I think we may have had some byes or leg byes but Malc was half asleep so didn’t signal so we made it up! Only joking Malc… This bowler does look pretty decent like all the rest and decent he was by taking out our very own Tommy gun as he swings the bat through misses and clean bowled. That was a 7 min stint mate and off he trots to the pavilion! I’m loving these timings Laurie! Next up no show Joe , keen to make up for his no show last week he strides out to put these boys straight and that you can’t mess with the Ramsbury Bulldogs💪. A dot ball defended nicely well done but now a change of bowler and ninja is on strike and takes a few dots but a mistimed shot sends the ninja back to the pavilion as its confidently caught in the field. Ninja bows out at 9 which he’s disappointed in but survived 32 mins so respect my man. Joe up again on strike and a second flys down as a pacey yorker, yes you guessed it, under the bat, bam the bails are airborne once again. Sorry mate another 🦆 and 50p that was 6 mins btw.

We are not looking so good with 6 wickets down and only 31 runs and 9 overs. So as the men are dropping like flys, it’s girl power time and our very own Panini Pol is ready to take them on but can her partner in life be her partner in the field? Pol is off to a good start and let’s just say this, she was awesome, a great stance ( all that training Pete) defending all the Yorkers and inswingers, a great watch in what was a difficult game to defend. Running them up nicely with the wall, it was a pleasure to watch. The wall took a few dots then a couple of 2’s on the bounce and they haven’t yet fallen out! Surely this is a match made in heaven? Keep going guys which they did. A weird moment of bowling when the young lad came on delivering so many no balls, Laurie ran out of ink ! Talk about put you off but carry on they did. Unfortunately the bowler #4 came back on and sent an absolute flyer to Pol who stepped forward and got caught square in the pads LBW. A fantastic show and one you should be proud of as we all were to have you in the team. You managed to avoid the 🦆 50p with 1 run but stayed in an incredible 24 mins. Jeremy your turn now, let’s rack some up to at least a respectable number. It was on the cards for sure, this was not going to be a big day for record innings! Bowler 4 finished off his over and a new bowler steps up. Settling in with a dot and a single a couple of no balls and another single. This seems to be okay I thought as we were getting through their decent bowlers so can we knock a few up? Unfortunately not, there big wicket taker reappears and drills one down to Jeremy who try’s to block it and somehow it slips through his guard and bails are yet again airborne. That’s 3 runs mate and not quite double figures in bat with 8 mins on Laurie’s clock. My turn now to pair up with the wall which is unusual for me as he’s normally an opener so was looking forward to this. After a few settle in dots for me, I managed a single. Up and running and no 50p fine, I’m happy. The wall shows me how it’s done and leathers a 4 confidently into the undergrowth. Nice one I thought. A single and now I’m on strike and bam I also slug the ball for 4 runs, this could be good I thought, I wished I stopped doing this as every time I say this something happens and it did and what should have been 2 runs turned out to be a run out for my ol mate the wall. A mix up with calls and the mandatory 50p fine came winging its way to each of us! Feck, I’ll shut up about this looks good comments from now on! Cmon boom boom. Big Al steps up to partner his bowling mate and he manages a couple of dots, same for me and then the irritating pacey long pitched ball takes our super computer analysis boom boom out and sends the bails upwards for the very last time! 74 runs in just 19 overs….That was painful but fun nonetheless. We agreed on postponing tea until after the game as to try and avoid the forecasted down pour…It looks like we have a job on our hands to bring this back. Let’s see if we did????

A quick turn around and we are fielding. Boom boom to open as per. Not a bad start and 2-0. Next up Jeremy and a wide, and a couple more trying to get his eye in and finishing on 7-0 not bad. Cmon Al, his usual lightening pace and a ball is pitched short which gave the batter an opportunity to leather a few boundaries and a costly 11 off that one Al is not happy! Jeremy has his eye in now and sends one down and what a bowl a pacey inswinger sent the stumps flying, AMAZING bowl. The batter is sent packing after only 7 mins ( named as blue helmet man in the book) Adios Amigos….As blue helmet departs, another blue helmet arrives in the crease. First ball a 4, steps forward and clatters it, boy this lad can play. A dot and then a 6 off Al… need to be careful lads and pitch them long we thought. We could see they were getting their eye in and wanted to finish us off early to tuck into the Battenberg but we had other plans, after a few more runs between bat1 ( named nob green cap in the book Laurie!) and blue helmet they totted up the runs mainly looking for boundaries. Jeremy’s brilliant delivery had to be played and up it went only for Tommy to snatch it comfortably from the hazy sky. Nice one boys. So at the end of 6 overs we are 37-2. Our skipper decides to mix it up a bit now a give Jeremy and Al a rest. Who but the wall to take these boys out with his twisting and turning in the air missiles , cmon mate, payback time. We needed to do some damage and PDQ. Off he strides for the run up and a scuff in the dirt. Go go Alex allez, fast and furious as usual the bat manages to block it and that must have hurt as it was going at some pace. Getting the eye in now and a few wides ensued and a 4 finishing on 7-0. Up Jamie, we love his style of quick, slow, loopers, spin and just about anything quirky but effective all the same. Two bowls in and bam, a nice clean bowl sent Green helmet packing. 8-1 the walrus 💪. Also, we are 52-3 after 8 overs. 23 runs more is all they need to get back to the pavilion to start chomping on the Battenberg. Up the wall cmon boi. Inward bound is a new bat 99 Green 🤷‍♂️. The wall shows no respect and continues the pacey onslaught and a nice straight bowl went just past the bat threatening off stump and bye bye, LBW ol chap. The wall continues the over and the rest are dots. Where are we now ? 53-4 after 9 overs, can we do it? Jamie continues to bowl well and takes another wicket in his 4th over and again confidently plucked out of the sky by Tommy. That’s a great spell and finishes on 16-2 on 5 overs 👏. I get a go at bowling now and I’m up up against the young lad so I try to be nice and pitch a few slower bowls which he’s on a swing and a miss. Eventually he misses and I take the wicket. I’m sad for him but over it in 0.0.3 secs ( Al scoring) as we need to win! 64-6 off 14 overs ( only 21 overs to go and 11 runs needed!). We continue best we could and after a few singles and a couple of 4!s it was game over for the bulldogs. Total batting time 1hr 20 mins 😁

Not our best effort by a long shot but nothing better than spending an afternoon playing cricket with friends and family having the time of our life’s. How lucky are we?

We head off to the pub for fines, video , beer and general micky take…. The walrus thing btw is Ninjas quote. Describing Jamie after a dive

“ it was like watching a walrus trying to get back into the sea”

Legendary comments and all a work of fiction. As a reminder the fines were.

3 ducks, 50p for me, joe and Alan.

50p for Warwick and sean for run out mishap!

Misfield for sean, Pol x 2.

50p for all, as the game didnt last long enough for us to get many fines.

Thanks all, I enjoyed that, hope you did too.

Til next week

Seano