Otterden

Match Report

A well balanced Straggler side containing a blend of exuberant youth and wily experience arrived for the inaugural fixture at Otterden, whose picturesque cricket pitch is set within the grounds of a country house. Losing the toss and being put into bat, the Straggler opening pair of Simon Allport and Jasper Smallwood got the side off to a good start putting on 56 for the first wicket in somewhat tricky conditions. Thereafter wickets began to fall at regular intervals, but one Straggler held firm. Jasper Smallwood displaying a wise head on young shoulders, played a wonderful innings of great maturity, carrying his bat for 112 not out, with some truly glorious strokes. The Stragglers, asking the scorer what was a decent total to chase, were not to be bamboozled by the response of anything between 150 to 200 and declared at 202-9.

After a fine tea, Stragglers took to the field and were faced with an explosive start to the Otterden innings with the opening pair racing past 50 in little time. Toby Sinclair made the crucial breakthrough having an opener splendidly caught at deep fine leg by Eliot Forster. With the score rapidly moving on, the wily spin of Simon Allport was called upon to put the brakes on but catches were spilled and it looked like the game may have an early finish. However Barney Taylor bowling really well with good variation, extracted number 3, stumped by Jasper. Simon got rid of the other opener for a quickfire 66 and, when Jonathan Neame was brought on after an hour of hinting, and then got an early wicket, the runs started to dry up. The Stragglers were suddenly in with a chance. Alas, Otterden managed to reach the total with six wickets down and 4 overs remaining. Good cricket played in a fabulous setting and the right spirit, meant the Stragglers are looking forward to next year’s return.