AVCC vs PSR Maharajahs (Aka C Lee lads and dads), 30 overs

Unlike previous opposition, some of us met them in the pub before the game commenced, and had a couple of drinks with them - partly aided by the delay caused by their captain locking his keys in his car so that we had to await the RAC to come along and break-into the car before we could start. However, we tossed up at the Swan in Enford rather than on the pitch and the PSR Maharajahs elected to bowl - fuelled by the bravado of now all having tour "nicknames" plus a couple of pints (and a fry-up) inside them. The delay with the car break-in, and the away team's desire to get home to their powerpoint presentations (bunch of sales persons apparently)..meant we elected to have a 30 overs a side game.

So under blue skies, on another excellent pitch prepared by Nigel Wookey (many thanks), and with a late assembly of the home troops, we sent the Laws into bat as our opening combination - dutifully in the spirit of the match. Their teenage opening bowler (G Lee, son of their captain) had the longest run-up we have seen this season at home and runs were hard to come by initially until Tim and Rory got to grips. They progressed us nicely onto 32 in the 9th over when Rory was caught off the bowling of their gnarled and fearsome looking player called "The Guv'nor" who got one to straighten up.

Rory had made a good start and scored a solid 11 runs. Ben Eveling then marched in at the elevated position of 3 and looked comfortable before also falling to the "Guv'nor" when on 7. 50-1 quickly became 50-4, as after Ben, we lost Alex Hitchin to the "Guv'nor" next ball and then Simon Borthwick to a run-out before the over was out after a mix-up with Tim. Hmmmm. Fears of a middle-order collapse were being muttered, and our captain Graham Newland had to struggle out of the changing rooms still doing up his pads to take his place after this unseemly and untimely mini-collapse.

However, Graham and Tim steadied the ship and put on a 5th wicket partnership of 69 during the next 10 overs. Tim was unluckily out first for his maiden (AVCC) half-century on 53 (5x4s) when we had reached 119 in the 24th over, and were looking to push on the scores to set a big target.  Tim was out to the deadly straight ball from the "Warthog" having played very well and looking very comfortable as an opener. Graham followed in the next over - holing out to their secret weapon (called A May amongst other things) - with the score on 126. Graham scored 42 including 6x4s.

Their secret weapon finished us off - taking 4-10 in 4 overs of tight bowling (8 of which came off Graham trying to hit him out of the attack in the over he was out). During this time, we had a bright cameo from Greg Caswell who scored 12 and looked well set before mis-timing the deadly straight ball. Bruce Carter was not out on 5, and we were finally all out for 150 in the 30th over.

At tea - during which we heartily enjoyed another excellent spread and tea service from Nicky - we did wonder if we had enough runs. 150 off 30 overs was a good score....but 170-180 would have been better. We had to field and bowl well! We couldn't afford to lose as Erlestoke (who they lost to on Saturday) had "bigged us up" the previous day telling them we were very competitive and determined cricketers (must have been the beers we bought them when we beat them recently).

Graham sent in Tim Law and Ben Jones to open the bowling. They did excellently, and put a brake on the scoring from the outset. Tim Law was particularly difficult to play and beat the bat with great regularity. He bowled D May (son of their special weapon bowler) when the score was just 4. Ben then bowled their no 3 with the score on 15 and hopes were raised...especially as Tim was now very fearsome and posted 2 maidens in a spell of 4 overs 1-3.

Then out came A  May (their secret weapon) who opened up with 3 booming 4's smacked around the ground. Was he going to be our nemesis? Almost....but along came Greg Caswell and bowling some nifty spinners right arm around the wicket, he dismissed this danger with a smart caught and bowled.......turning the Maharajahs to 31-3. "The wizard" went in next and looked handy scoring 10 quick runs before Greg bowled him with a great turner.

Rory Law then chipped in with a great lbw dismissal of the new batsman and we had them in trouble at 50-5 (similar to our earlier 50-4). Rory made their batsman very uncomfortable in an excellent spell of spin-bowling of just 1-13 off 5 overs. At this point, their umpires got active and invented some local rules/technicalities about how many consecutive overs could be bowled by bowlers, and we took Rory and Greg off shortly afterwards. I think if the score were less promising, a tense argument might have taken place on the subject. Greg had bowled beautifully and got the impressive figures of 2-16 off 5 overs. Ben Eveling and Graham Newland then bowled steadily and kept their run-rate below the asking rate with their contrasting spin styles. This gave their batsmen time to consolidate and with luck (including 4 dropped catches) they pushed onto 96-5 with 6 overs to go. Then Ben Jones caught their no 7 - who had scratched his way to 18 - off Ben Eveling's bowling,. 96-6!

The game was evenly poised and so time to return Tim Law and Ben Jones to wrap the game up. Tim promptly removed their opener, danger-man and captain Chris Lee - for 44, with a sharp catch from Angus Harley, when the score was 101. This was the magic wicket we needed. Ben Jones then wrapped up their innings in the next over with 2 wickets together with a phenomenal run-out in the same over by Alex Hitchens whose accurate throw from mid wicket took out one of their batsman (a 13 year old who was then lectured by their umpire for shouting something that sounded like you hanker (my hearing is not what it used to be)..........meaning the PSR Maharajahs were out for 113 and AVCC had won again by 37 runs. Tim Law finished with the outstanding figures of 5 overs, 2-5 including 2 maidens, and Ben Jones had good figures with 3-20 off 5 overs.

Overall, an excellent team effort. Everyone contributed. Completed nicely with drinks with the Maharajahs down the Ship afterwards. I hope we meet up and play them again. Nice bunch - although no push-overs. Also nice to find someone who knows Simon from well-back....such images and stories of his youth.......well those are for another day

Graham Newland