Match Report

The Stragglers brought the domestic season to a close with an emphatic win at Elham on a cool, blustery autumn day with the odd drop of rain in the air, quite different to much of extreme summer heat. Losing the toss and invited to field, the opening bowlers set the tone for a low scoring innings, giving little away and keeping the run rate under three an over until well into the latter stages. Freddy Evans generated cause for concern, while Tom Tribe went one better taking a remarkable return catch in his first over. A run out did not help the Elham cause and, when pace come off and Gilly and the Chairman took over, the score was a modest 29 for 2. An LBW shout was rewarded and runs seemed all but impossible to come by – the middle ten overs of their combined spell went for a miserly 25 runs. Even if the ball was hit off the square, the slightly long outfield tended to hold it up inside the boundary. As the innings progressed and some momentum was developing, Harry Churchill induced a false shot, held at mid-off, from the last ball of his over. This was followed on the first ball of Will Evans’s next by a remarkable slip catch by the Master Brewer. Jonathan had waved one through earlier in the innings, flailing with gay abandon. This time, he leant so far back to give himself time to see the ball, that he was almost horizontal when it arrived. Catches from consecutive balls by the elder statesmen, with combined age of 131!  A little flurry of runs followed, even with Tom (2 for 10) coming back to spread the stumps. The Elham innings closed on 138 for 6 from 35 overs.

The only qualification, which could be applied to Toby’s exemplary match management was his misreading of a message which said clearly ‘sadly no tea provided’ as ‘tea provided’.  The Stragglers left the field full of expectation for another sumptuous tea. To address the disappointment, Toby stripped the Elham village shop of monster munch, McCoys and slightly elderly sandwiches.

The Straggler innings was opened by a Neame combination, Jonathan and nephew, Harry. The latter was clearly in a hurry, eschewing defensive strokes and aiming to hit every ball into the Channel. Not all swings connected but those that did so were very satisfying. Jonathan has developed an issue with scoring 11, defending with care and driving with style before being bowled for 11 (again). Harry (17) had fallen in the over before, the score 33 for 2 in the 10th over. Straggler scoring had also been leisurely. With Benny and George (both having kept wicket) at the crease, the tempo moved up a gear, and the drinks break arrived with the score on 89 for 2. As is often the case, the break was enough to break concentration and Benny (20) launched into the first ball from a young leg-spinner (nothing about head down and having a look), which was gratefully accepted some yards inside the long off boundary. This brought Tom to the crease, fresh from a brisk innings at Street End. This time he was more than brisk. Tom watched his first five balls with care, the only maiden in the innings, but from then on, he was brutal, with George chipping in, on the rare occasion when offered the strike. The result was now academic, and the target reached in five overs, with Tom scoring a single to retain strike to set up the winning six. Tom finished undefeated on 35* (four sixes), with George 39*; victory by 7 wickets with 10 overs remaining.

Stragglers set off for Vis later this week for the international leg of the season, with six tourists vying for the batting award.