Rain saves Strollers’ blushes against Beamers

A downpour late in the day brought Sunday’s fixture against the Beamers to an abrupt end, earning the Strollers a fortunate draw. With more heavy rain the day before, the match was relocated at the eleventh hour from North London’s main pitch to Ferme Park — apparently because it was in better condition, although from the muddy square and leaves strewn across the pitch you wouldn’t have known it. Still, both sides were glad to be able to get a game on so proceedings got underway. Beamers’ skipper Ralph won the toss but apparently had no idea what to do so, in an unprecedented move, he quickly ran back to the changing rooms to discuss options with his team mates before re-emerging to ask the Strollers to bat first.

It looked to be a good call as his bowlers were helped by some decidedly variable bounce and, in the face of some accurate quick bowling, openers Gav and George  did their best to dig in and work the shine off the ball. Scoring opportunities were few and far between but George in particular looked to be in good nick, dealing well with the surprising bounce, keeping the ball down. Mayes, bowling up the hill, offered no quarter but when Turrell sent down a bouncer George swiveled to punch away a glorious hook shot that brought up the first boundary of the day and got things moving. Gav continued to defend whilst George began to open his shoulders with a couple of well-timed cover drives. After the first 6 overs, 22 had been made before Gav also attempted a drive to one that reared back up, hit the splice, and the ball was skied to point where Blount took a well taken catch, much to Gav’s disappointment.

Mickey came in at three and was initially pinned down, although George by now seemed to have sized up the bowling well, dispatching a lobbed off drive for four more from a delivery from Turrell. Ralph reacted by setting the field back so when George attempted the same shot two balls later he was caught by the opposition skipper himself at long off, having made a handy total of 19 — which, frustratingly, looked as though could have been a lot more.

K***** was next in and immediately looked to attack although he too initially had some trouble discerning the pace of  a pitch that seemed to offer more bounce than the bowling and wet conditions warranted. But K***** quickly adapted and, with Mickey, began mounting a stubborn third wicket stand which offered stoic resistance and punishment for any deliveries that strayed off line.

The Beamers’ opening bowlers completed their respective spells to be replaced by Whalley and Ralph, which allowed S**** and Leighton to attack more with both batsmen driving well and K***** improvising some run making opportunities behind square. But, having put on a  valuable 50 partnership, the war of attrition sadly came to an end when Mickey went for a six over long on, but was caught right back on the boundary by Mayes with the score now 82-3.

Mikey, promoted to five, looked to up the ante with some faster running between the wickets and some aggressive shots, bringing up the hundred in the twenty-sixth over. With first a powerful pull shot and then a towering six, Mikey looked as though he was about to change the complexion of the Strollers’ innings entirely and the Beamers’ fielders were posted to all corners of Ferme Park. But, in his urge to push forward, Mikey unfortunately brought about his own downfall as he lunged forward at a looped delivery from Whalley and was promptly stumped, dismissed cheaply for 13.

In form batsman Chris Lucas, fresh from a mighty 73 not out for North London, was in next and shared Mikey’s intent to attack. But after a single and one lusty blow through the covers, Chris was unfortunate to directly hole out to mid off  who didn’t so much catch the ball so much as bravely put his chest behind it, receive a mighty thwack and somehow manage to collect it in his arms.

With one eye on the scoreboard, particularly the rapidly descending overs remaining column, Graeme joined K***** at the middle with the intent to push on. With young Kyle Pittman brought into the Beamers’ attack, the Strollers sensed now was the time to hit out. But Pittman bowled accurately and with the Beamers fielding well, saving numerous shots destined for the boundary, the batsmen were left with little option but to run everything. This they admirably did until K***** took a swing at one that pitched up from Pittman senior — now bowling from the lower end — mistimed, and was bowled, unlucky to have missed out on a half century, for an invaluable knock of 44 that had undoubtedly glued the Strollers’ innings together.

Jake joined Graeme at crease, keen to continue the running game, but sadly the partnership did not have time to gel as when off spinner Satish was brought on to replace Kyle, Graeme flashed his bat and saw his middle stump dislodged, having made 10. Jez, next in, lasted only a few balls before he too was dismissed in identical fashion. Simon came in at ten, ready to re-enact some of the late order stands that he and Jake have enjoyed in recent years, but it was not to be as, playing back to a first ball grubber from Satish  he was — not for the first time — judged LBW by umpire Gav and dismissed for a golden duck. This much to Boughey’s chagrin who insisted that bat had made contact with ball. Sadly ‘snicko’ was unavailable for comment.

With just an over to go before the close, Jake implored to Trevor, last in, that they stay in and make the remaining deliveries count. In not untypical fashion, Trevor swung and missed at his first ball, but put bat on the second with a well-timed pull to square leg. This was followed by a magnificent heave for six over midwicket that brought up the 150 and with a frantic single off the last ball, the Strollers ended their innings on 155-9 off their 35 overs.

Having suffered in the past from the short boundaries of Ferme Park, the Strollers took tea knowing that the score they had posted was some way short of the kind of total that could be easily be defended. Equally, however, the pitch that had caused the Strollers batsmen problems was by no means improving, and with possibly the greatest number of bowling options available to the skipper, there was always a chance that the Beamers could be rolled over cheaply.

As the Strollers took the field the skies overhead noticeably darkened and in suitably stern mood, no doubt stirred by his dismissal at the crease, Simon tore in from the top end with palpable aggression. Mikey took the second over and, despite his protestations of his patent dislike of bowling from the lower end of Ferme Park, instantly found a good length and a probing line.

Known for just the one shot — the flick off his hips — a bespoke field was set to the Beamers’ wicketkeeper-opener Woolmar with K***** planting himself at leg slip. The ploy looked to pay off straight away when the batsman swiveled to pull, mistimed and hit the ball hard directly to S****. But, despite a valiant effort to cling onto the ball, the chance went begging.

With that let off and sensing that the light and cloud may be a factor the Beamers batsmen keenly set about their work, attempting to score. With the ball continuing to rear up from the pitch, Blount rode his luck as he clipped successive deliveries from Simon over the slips. But further boundaries were curtailed as some energetic fielding from the Strollers saved precious runs and when Jez successfully chased down a certain four to fine leg and returned to dislodge the Stumps, the Beamers knew this would not necessarily be as straightforward a task as they’d like.

The Beamers had reached 46 without loss from the first eight overs when the clouds broke. Pushing on in the pouring rain in the hope that the storm would pass, Blount played with greater aggression, giving rise to some colourful exchanges with both Simon and Gav, but when the sheet rain intensified there was no further argument and the teams retreated to the changing rooms for cover.

When the players re-emerged some fifteen minutes later, the rain was only spitting and, in the spirit of fair play, the Strollers took to the pitch to allow the Beamers the opportunity to chase their target. By now, what was left of the wicket resembled little more than a mudbath and, for all their efforts, Simon’s accuracy and Mikey’s pace now offered little potency and the Beamers batted on untroubled. Jake was brought into the attack to replace Simon, but lost his radar early on and George, standing in as wicketkeeper, did well to save byes. Blount made the most of the loose deliveries with a couple of powerful fours square of the wicket.

When Trevor came on for Mikey at the lower end the rain intensified and despite the muddy conditions underfoot, troubled the batsmen with his first over — Blount lucky to survive a good shout for caught behind with a sharp take from George. But when Graeme took over from Jake at the top end, the end was nigh as, when he skidded flat on his back off the follow through from his first delivery, the umpiring Mayes looked up and declared “right, that’s that!” and led the sides off the pitch with the Beamers having scored 94 without loss, some sixty runs short of the target. With the light dwinding and the rain now teaming down on Ferme Park, Ralph reluctantly agreed with Gav that no further play was possible and the match was abandoned.

With the skies more closely resembling Autumn rather than August, the wet weather had undoubtedly come to the aid of the Strollers, but it had been a valiant effort by all in decidedly difficult conditions both overhead and underfoot. And, with the game drawn, the Strollers march on to Chippenham next weekend unbeaten in the last four games — let’s keep the record up!

Gavin Richardson
11.08.08

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