Cumnor IV 156 (S Weston 3/42)
Bicester & North Oxford III 157/4 (A Balasubramanian 89*, N Pickup 42)
Today was the first league match I have played since last September, and a 75-minute nine in a cowfield in Buckinghamshire. Today, both sides were full of youth players as the holiday season kicked in, and we took two early wickets before the afternoon turned into a slow, turgid grind. Cumnor's skipper was gated, but they worked onwards and were sitting reasonably at 90/3. Our inability to catch a single offering didn't help matters.
However, their remaining opener then walked inside a ball that seamed away a fraction, into my waiting gloves for as straightforward a stumping as you could wish for. Wickets then began to tumble at regular intervals, although Cumnor continued to chip away: mainly thanks to one U14 who could not be dissuaded from playing everything behind square on the leg side, no matter how many times I chided him, nor recited Dick van Dyke's lyrics from Mary Poppins. I am also convinced I had him caught behind at some point during the innings. I did manage a catch that stood in the penultimate over, however, standing up to our opening bowler - and two byes in 45 overs up to the stumps was a pretty pleasing effort. Cumnor 156 all out.
In reply, I was asked to bat three after I described my own batting style as "brick wall, particularly when I'm out of practice and form, such as now". I contemplated saying that was a ridiculous idea, but decided that I was fed up of not scoring runs and this was not an opportunity I'd be passing up. The chance came rather sooner than I expected, after four balls of the first over after the boy at gully dived full length, one-handed, to snatch the ball a yard behind his head.
I decided I'd try to remember everything I always told my squads - with the last match standing out beyond all: one boy made 78 (previous HS: 20) and said to me "I started to get forward properly and then it was just so easy" - so I decided to get forward... and the boy was right. I got off the mark with a flick behind square for four, a shot I rarely play - and even more rarely score off. From that moment onwards, I felt great, and the runs just started to come - ones and twos into gaps, and the odd boundary when the bowlers strayed too far onto the legside. I could feel the chance for the landmark from so early in the innings, but it was to prove not to be: in the 30th over, I made a fatal error - slightly off balance and down the wrong line, the ball scooted through into the back pad, and staring at the umpire did no good.
The second-wicket partnership was 125, and we went on to make 157/4 to record a comfortable six-wicket win: and 25 crucial points in what was a 10th v 9th basement battle.
I never thought I'd be pissed off having scored 42, but there you are: I have seen so many boys make maiden fifties this season, that I knew I could manage it: and it was infuriatingly close. It's a funny combination of pride and anger: but if today's taught me anything, it's told me that I am teaching the boys the right things, and that anyone can get runs if they do the hard yards.
Stupid game!
4 cheap wickets with my leg spinners towards the end.
