Junior BB

Match Report

Will Evans, Match Manager for the Junior BB game at Tory Hill, basking in the luxury of having a team on his books two weeks before the game, ran into a well-established Straggler selection issue in the days leading up to the game. Drop-outs came not as single spies, and he was only rescued late in the evening before the game with both Freddie Fisher and the President offering their services to fill the final place. Freddie got the nod. The Straggler openers, George Long (one of three Longs playing) and Stan Weir, faced some hostile early bowling, punctuated with an array of wides, no-balls and other extras. In fact, the first two balls, which Stan faced were ‘free hits’, a luxury Stan would welcome in future matches. Having despatched the second of these back over the bowler’s head, Stan seemed to have found his range and continued in much the same vein for the rest of his innings. George departed in the 5th over, and Archie Brown now settled in to admire Stan’s stroke play, while occasionally taking advantage of a loose ball. Sadly, just as a target well over two hundred was being contemplated by the crowd, an ill-advised run saw Stan a few inches short, heading back for a well-struck 66. Archie and Freddie Fisher (18) kept the scoreboard ticking, albeit not quite as explosively as Stan, until Freddie’s wicket set off something of a mid-order collapse. 147 for 2 rather swiftly became 160 for 7, as partners came and went, while Archie tried to up the rate and retain the strike. Xandy Long, followed by brother Rex, provided some resilience, as Rex, in particular, turned a number of singles into twos scampering to Archie’s call. Archie ended undefeated on 59*, taking the score from 35 overs to 184 for 8.

Stragglers needed early wickets to put pressure on the Junior BB upper order, lead by Straggler, Angus Hay. And in the sixth over, just as the openers were opening their shoulders, Alec Boyd (2 for 25) produced a perfect over to remove two batsmen, the score on 34 for 2. The second wicket taking ball, a perfect delivery out of the back of the hand, dipping at the last moment to fool Henry Schilder. Freddie Evans then followed up with another Jaffa, a knuckle ball, to send a third batsman (Archie Brealy) on his way. Angus Hay, however, was still in place and began to turn up the heat. To find a way to unsettle Angus, Stan spent some time between balls four and five of his 4th over, carefully moving every fielder except the keeper, to leave a huge gap in the covers – Angus had to hit it there, but the ball delivered by Stan was too good for that, clipping the top of off (109 for 4). However, the removal of Angus didn’t really help, as it brought Willy Wood (who we had met previously at Sittingbourne in May). He took a no-nonsense approach, ignored Will’s attempt to take pace off, and clubbed the Junior BB to victory in the next 6 overs, reaching the target with more than 12 overs remaining. The final over, with two needed for victory was offered to Thomas Bishop, who had fielded with great enthusiasm in the deep.