At 04.00 hours we were awoken to the large crash of thunder and then slowly at first the rain began to fall, by 9 o’clock if you ventured outside you might as well have been stood under High Force in upper Teesdale, such was volume of water descending from the heavens. We rang our President and our Vice Chairman both of whom reported heavy rain and then our captain who reported nothing as he was still asleep! From the opposition’s captain there was no answer as he had only just gone to bed and so the day seemed doomed to domestic chores. An hour later our persistent calls did finally get a response and yes, the Reprobates would be assembled to play cricket by 11.30.
With the clouds fast disappearing it was a somewhat chaotic scene that gathered at the pitch to start erecting tents, making lunch and getting all the kit out but finally we took to the field, Gregory having lost the toss and been inserted by Reprobates captain Ed Collins. Glen Burrell (0) and Anthony Slack (33) marched forth only for Burrell to march back after 4 balls, bowled by Will Middleton (4-1-6-2). Andy Fife’s (0) cameo role must leave his captain wondering, for having taken guard he was yorked first ball (quack, quack) and returned disconsolately to the pavilion.
With the score at zero for the loss of two wickets after the first over it was the time for a captain’s innings. Gregory(18), with useful counseling from Slack, stuck to his task and the two managed to see off the fearsome opening attack from Middleton and Jeremy Taylor (5-0-24-1). Middleton in particular looked very dangerous and when he was taken off after only four overs there was an audible sigh of relief from the Entrecasteaux batsmen. Slack punished anything short, whether bowled on the off or leg side the ball flew to the mid-wicket boundary and so the pair started to compile a reasonable partnership. Bilkit (6-1-31-1) had replaced Middleton and when he bowled a lame long hop to Gregory the response was equally lame and an easy catch was gratefully accepted by mid wicket with the partnership having reached 31.
It was a foundation and from such great things are built. Perhaps great is too strong a word but the runs were accumulating, thanks in part to some errant bowling from the opposition – indeed the extras total at 32 was Entrecasteaux’s second highest scorer. Stocky James(17), a friend of fellow Kiwi, Robbie Lange, had joined Slack, and he likewise prodded and pulled never allowing the bowlers to dominate.
Slack was looking unmovable when he tried to sweep a ball to the leg and in doing so fell and twisted his knee out of joint. In great discomfort he continued but having taken a single and facing James Davidson (2-0-5-2) who had joined the fray from the Garden House End, he was bowled. Robbie Lange (0) joined his countryman briefly before being given out leg before wicket, to a ball which he felt would have cleared his stumps. But the umpire’s decision is final and he returned to the pavilion magnanimously
The Vice Chairman – Maurice Mitchem (2) – now brought some wisdom to the crease and with his left handed rolling of the wrists he was able to frustrate the bowlers for quite some time. Stocky had been dismissed to a well taken catch on the mid wicket boundary off the bowling of Brodie whose figures of 5-1-18-3 gave him the title of most wickets for the Reprobates. Tom Slack(3) now joined Mitchem and in gritty fashion he too showed what promise, with further practice, this young man has for any cricket team.
With Mitchem bowled by Davidson, and Slack likewise dismissed by Brodie, Ed Harland (19) had been joined by his brother James (0) and when Ed drove the ball for a straight six and then two 4s to cow corner, ECC began to think maybe this guy really is like his countryman Andy Flower, who could bat a bit! But Ed was given leg before wicket off the bowling of Thompson(4-0-19-1) which brought last man Fergus Harrington (0 not out)to the crease. Sadly James Harland did not emulate his brother and when he holed out to mid-off the Entrecasteaux innings closed on a very gettable 124 runs.
After an excellent lunch of baguettes with all sorts of delicious fillings, quiches and plenty of wine, very kindly prepared by Yvonne Slack and Ann Mitchem, Entrecasteaux took to the field knowing they had to bowl and field well to have any chance of victory.
Gregory (6-3-9-2) opened, with Burrell (6-1-15-1) from the football pitch end, and with their allotted 12 overs bowled they had taken 3 wickets and 1 one run out with a miserly 24 runs on the score board. Both bowlers were fast and accurate. Gregory’s 2 wickets were both LBW decisions (from the opposition’s umpire), Bourne(1) was the first to go and then the highly prized wicket of Davidson (0) who had made a century in this fixture last year. Burrell meanwhile was equally hostile and when he got a ball to rise off a length opening batsman Jubb (0) could do no more than fend the ball off his gloves to an expectant Ed Harland at short leg. Gregory and Burrell were then involved in the run out; with the ball struck firmly to Burrell at square leg he returned it over the stumps to the bowlers end and Gregory had no problem in removing the bails as Lloyd (14), who had looked dangerous, scrambled to make his ground having called for a run to the immobile Ratner (24 not out).
Middleton (17) was now joined Ratner, and Lange (6-0-29-4) had taken over from Gregory. Lange bowled as well as we have seen this year and claimed 4 wickets including the powerful looking Middleton, who having already hit Fife (4-1-13-0) for a straight 6 tried to do the same again only to find Gregory’s velcro like hands and the catch was well taken just inches inside the mid-off boundary. He then bowled Stickler (0) and Brodie (6) and with Thompson (4) being well caught by Harrington behind the stumps the Reprobates target was looking extreme.
Stocky James (2-0-8-1) had Taylor (1) well caught at slip by Anthony Slack who was not able to bowl himself due to his twisted knee and therefore his son Tom (2.5-0-23-1) was asked to perform the honours. Not only did he do this admirably but he also administered the final coup de grace when Ed Collins (10) sliced a ball to the ever receptive Harrington behind the stumps.
The Reprobates innings closed with a total of 94 runs on the board, Entrecasteaux had won by 30 runs. When one considers the weather at the beginning of the day it was amazing that any cricket was played at all but in the end all those involved had an extremely enjoyable day.
A big shout of thanks goes out to Yvonne Slack and Ann Mitchem, ably supported by Hanah Slack, for their excellent lunch. Thanks also to our president Len Terry for keeping the score book.
Entrecasteaux XI: Gregory, Burrell, Lange, Slack A., Slack T., Stocky, Mitchem, Harland E., Harland J., Harrington, Fife.