TDM Burleigh’s XI

Match Report

Stragglers are known for their ability to ‘go large’ when offered a sumptuous tea. At Wellesley House for the game against TDM Burleigh’s XI, the school offered not just a sumptuous tea, but a substantial lunch as well, and that may have been our undoing. Straggler openers, Patrick Mitchell and Hamish Morrison began with exceptional brutality, 24 being taken by Hamish of the second over, and 72 on the board at the end of the sixth. However, the Stragglers ability to collapse at inopportune moments then kicked in. The highlight of the last ditch stand was Nigel Snape’s valiant 26, which took him 2 runs past the founder as the leading Straggler run scorer with a grand total of 4,844 career runs. He was duly caught behind off the next ball. With Mark Baker White failing to marshal the tail, the Stragglers were all out for 170.

TDMB’s XI had plenty of time, but the openers set off as if they had a bus to catch, and with the help of some Teflon fingered catching, were cruising at tea on 90 for 1. However, a substantial intake of cake and a bowling change seemed to do the trick. Ian Gibson picked up a sharp chance behind the stumps off Hamish, Charlie Munton then held on to an exceptional return catch to remove Paul Bedford, Hamish got two more in the next over, and the impossible seemed on the cards. However, there was too much time and even with another couple of wickets falling, momentum was regained by the batsmen, and TDMB’s XI strolled to a three wicket victory.