The Grannies

Match Report

The track at Belmont is particularly fine this year, and the toss needed to be won in this first fixture against The Grannies. Won it was and The Grannies were inserted. Opening bowlers Theo Allport and Toby Russell-Vick kept it tight, but were not as well supported in the field as of late. Night watchman, Hamish Morrison, had clearly been up all night, and the ball seemed to follow him unkindly round the park. Eventually it took a stunning return catch off his toes by Simon Allport to exert some control, aided by Mark Russell-Vick with a catch off Theo, and then a wicket as the rain arrived. Much discussion ensued about the sense in continuing after an early tea, but continue we did, and what had become a slightly lacklustre Grannies innings was given significant impetus by a final over with four sixes to take the Grannies to a declaration at 246 for 4.

Simon, who had suffered the indignity of the final over, was now a man on a mission. The night watchman was demoted to take on more fluids, and after the early loss of Theo, Mark and Simon set about a modest attack. One over extended to 12 balls, as one bowler yipped out. Mark, with 91, and Simon, 75 got close to the target with a stand of 157, but we faced the inevitable frisson, as a couple of wickets fell. Hamish did much to settle things down with a series of reverse swept boundaries, as he seemed to struggle to bat conventionally with the mother of all hang overs. Victory once again, reached in the 31st over.