From our correspondent at Yattendon
Well my dear old chaps, for those of you who did not make the trip you missed a perfect exhibition of what the noble game of cricket is all about, massive totals, fantastic batting, excellent technique, blistering heat-wave and to top it all a rock hard billiard table of a wicket....
TEAM
P.BRYAN
P.BRYAN
L.GARDINER
C.ANDREWS
K.HAWTON
DAN BENNIMAN
Snob
TUNNY
B.MORRISH
D.KEARNS
B52
The 'SKIP' did a superb job of winning the toss and with his team of hardened veterans around him elected to BAT.
Oh dear that is when the trouble started, the Doc plays a text book shot to miss the ball and is on his way back to the pavilion. Gardiner manages to trouble the scorer with a single followed by catching practice for the bowler. Andrews marches out and back in again ( are you beginning to get the picture ). I cannot remember how vice skip ( Patty B ) got his, but I am sure it was a cracker of a delivery.
Where was I? Ah yes the skip manages to put bat to ball for a short while ( another dose of single figures ) and back to the hutch.
Out walks Dan Benniman and in walks Dan Benniman a superb contender for the Golden Duck award.
Dan Bell has a quick flurry and walks the well worn track back to the pavilion.
Ah now we come to Tunny ( is this really his nickname ) natural eye hand co-ordination, confidence and the ability to whip the ball off middle stump ( technique needs a little attention, but not too much to ruin such a good eye ) achieves the dizzy heights of double figures hurrah, hurrah. Ah well nothing lasts forever.
Ben arrives and settles in to for long innings for a glorious nought not out.
Ah yes I forgot Mr Kearns (blink) pads did not even get warm, and not to be forgotten Bomber! He was at a disadvantage from the beginning he elected to forgo the trusty Harrow and use the Gardiner railway sleeper allas it was 2lb14oz too heavy.
AND THE GRAND TOTAL 54 ALLOUT OFF 19 OVERS!!!!
Its decided! All out attack no quarter given, go for the throat. A minor exception Skip and Vice decide a backstop is in order, I will say no more. Andrews and Bell start the attack it soon becomes clear that it is not going to be that easy to reach the 55runs needed for total destruction of the mighty Letcombe.
I cannot for the life of me remember the fall of wickets,the Doc snapped up a catch off Snob at pointish ( hands now ringing ) and Mr Andrews hit the woodwork.
Short recess for rain. We take the field again, Bell bowls split second later the death rattle - another one back in the pavilion.
It is at this point (they have not got many runs on the board) that it becomes very clear that the Yattentonions are struggling as well, Letcombe is now well and truly up for it!!!!!!!!!
Morrish and Gardiner take to the wicket and start to inflict panic in the Yattendon ranks ( there is a real possibility of win )
WARNING:- what you are about to read is of a disturbing and unnatural nature ( please brace yourself )
Mr Kearns destroyed the stumps and earned a stumping.
I must be honest I bowled, beat the bat through to the keeper screamed what sounded like an appeal but was actually a groan at what I thought was a missed stumping - sorry Kearnsy.
We kept going with 9 & 10 at the wicket ( their skip was at one end a canny old goat, new exactly what he had to do win )
and managed to bowl 30ish overs before the inevitable flick to leg.
Game over....
Good Night
Laurence