Stragglers have a wonderful ability to take impossible catches, while routinely shelling the more straight forward. The first two fixtures of the 2014 season have seen three examples of the former, and each quite special. In the cold, dark and windy conditions at Birley’s against the Kings School XI, Simon refined his field placing, moving Matt two yards to the right, getting him in just the right spot. The batsmen obliged, smacking an ugly smear straight at Matt, who slowed the ball by allowing it to bounce off his sternum before catching it safely.
Matt then went on to take a much more challenging catch, holding on to a skied swipe, which swirled in the strong wind, obliging Matt to spin like a top before it finally fell safely to hand.
And then on to Selling, where a modest (except for Ralph and Harry) Straggler batting performance had put some pressure on the bowlers to keep it tight and get some wickets. This was not happening, and we needed something special to separate the openers, who were cruising. The something special was Carl’s catch on the boundary, where, diving full length, he seemed to float effortlessly above the ground until the ball arrived. Fabulous catch, and a good time to post a contender for the Champagne moment, with 5 committee members present!