By Mark Beattie
Garnering a full team for this game proved
surprisingly easy once the match manager, The Chairman, had enlisted the help
of The Skipper's whatsapp; something that The Chairman's Nokia Series 3 simply
did not understand. He has now succumbed to familial pressure and purchased an
EyePhone...... The team, rather delightfully, contained no less than three
fathers and sons (Tobes and Jake Clifton, Tobes and Arthur Mynott, Neilo and
Billy Grigson).
The weather gods were munificent, and,
after a pleasant session in The Bell, we managed to get onto the field before
3pm, having lost the toss (care of PK). The indomitable Guy Denning stood in
for errant Grigsons, who arrived a short time later. Neilo was happy for Will
Drew to continue at the helm.
In the fourth over Arthur Mynott struck
and the EICC's opening batsman was caught, either by Arthur or his father (PK, as it happened, ed.). The scorebook
does not elucidate, and my memory fails me once again. However, after this,
bats 2 & 3 very much got stuck in. It took many, many overs to dislodge
Read (no 2), who, by the time he was bowled by a rejuvenated Jez Sheldon, had
scored 98. I'll bet Jez felt less than rejuvenated on Monday morning! With
overs running short, bat no 3 retired after scoring 50 and after the allotted
32 overs (?? c/o Rascals 'Tosser' PK), the oppo had run up 169 for 3. It has to
be said that despite a spirited Rascals' effort in the field, we did drop a
good number of catches, which may or may not have proved our eventual undoing.
Tea, prepared and served beautifully The
Lady Chairman and Lady Tosser was a triumph. Whilst umping at square leg, a
neighbouring oppo fielder commented to The Chairman that, whilst the Stonegate
slope was similar to that at Lords, the tea was far superior.
It might be fair to say that the EICC's
bowling attack was a tad more troublesome than ours. Whilst the majority of
Rascals contributed well (six into double figures), no one was able to post
more than PK's 21. The two run outs might have indicated a degree of indolence
between the wickets, but, in truth, they were both wonderful direct shys. There
was a glimmer of hope towards the end of the innings with an aggressive Toby
Clifton and a magnificent Billy Grigson at the crease, but once Billy fell for
13 (13 more than his father!) we were left with much to do. Pressure resulted
in two stumpings, and when The Chairman, no 11, came to the crease, there were
a good twenty runs required, with two overs to go. Despite taking his time to
study the field positioning, he spooned it to silly mid on, first ball.......
We repaired to The Bell to join The
Impediments and The Collier XI for a good aling (is there such a thing?). We
imbibed and caroused in fine spirits, safe in the knowledge that, whatever was
to come, The Grannies, two weeks previously, had ensured that we would not
suffer a 'beaten season' . Hussar!
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