TDM Burleigh’s XI

Match Report

A career resurgent is the only way to describe Jonathan Neame’s contribution against TDMB’s XI at Wellesley House. He had bombarded the Match Manager with electronic reminders of his extensive range of abilities in the week before the game, and then, extraordinarily, went on to prove himself right. On a day threatening thunder, the Straggler change bowlers were carted around the ground by Tim’s top order batsmen, and there was a rumour that the Stragglers had never previously conceded 160 before lunch. However, the last overs before lunch had seen the first sign of breakthrough, with Hamish Morrison inducing a couple of false shots, gratefully pouched. Fortified by a substantial lunch and a small glass of beer, Jonathan entered the fray, and in a remarkable spell of 5 for 16 from 8 overs, the last wicket greeted with nonchalant surprise by the rest of the team, reduced a target which had been disappearing out of sight, to a rather tame 215 all out.

Another Sunday, another Straggler upper order failure. A defeat of record breaking proportions seemed on the cards as the young thrusters came and went, failing to address the antipodean leg spin of Alex Reese. An early tea was on the cards just to let the umpires pad up, as the Stragglers subsided to 54 for 7. Who should step to the fore to offer some resistance but that man Neame again? Jonathan, supported by Simon Allport and Nigel Snape restored a semblance of respectability before holing out at long off for 42 from a final score of 158.