Colonel Mustard back from his ‘holiday’ reports on the Bays latest triumph. Before he does so however, he’d like to pay tribute to young Mr Jardon who so beautifully described last week’s match. That chap’ll go far and with his onomatopoeic name should in all rights already be an upstanding member of the club.
So to the game! Well we tried to get to it, but due to a motor vehicle accident, all the roads within forty leagues of North and South Leach had been taken in and stored in a vast warehouse somewhere near Cirencester. Bays players arrived on horseback, bicycle and electric scooter to avoid the blockage. Only a slight delay in the end and Nobby having won the toss surprised everyone present by deciding to bat. 40 overs we were told, to which the seasoned players laughed and the younger ones scowled as though trying to understand the madness of a game scheduled to finish by candlelight. Oh what fun!
Mr Horner (vp2) thundered out of the blocks and roared to 71 off 68 with 8 fours and 2 juicy sixes. He seemed set for a century and finally went to a well taken catch in the deep (a place where Moby Dick may well have teased Capt Ahab).
Before Chris fell, Sean went off injured after 11 dots and a single which Northleach transformed into a 5 with an enthusiastic overthrow. Mr Pritchard (teacher, knife thrower, bicycle repair man and chief examiner for 3 major organisations) departed for a quacker after nine dots.
Nobster Pierce, capuchino and novelty hat entrepreneur steadied the good ship Bays with a 22 off 27. Mr Alex Van Dyke (trainee wicket keeper and liquorice all sort enthusiast) hit 41 off 45 in a cultured knock that would not have looked out of place on BBC 2. Tom Liley, Bays latest centurion sadly fell for 6, unable to repeat last weeks heroics. Charlie Worral 22/30, put on 29 for the 8th wicket partnership with Steve (vp1) Liley (Twiglet aficionado!). Liley finished 9* with Saunders 5* at the death. 217 for 6 in 40 with no Northleach bowler picking up more than one wicket.
In reply, Hall and Shoaib made 51 before the dangerous Hall was caught off Saunders by Tom Liley. A tracer bullet that may well have injured a supporter or a squirrel down from a tree. Well done Tom & Paul. Manning was next to go caught by Nobby off Tom, who clean bowled Hughes for a golden quacker. The hat trick was denied, but a big hole had been put in SS Northleach below the waterline.
Wickets continued to fall, with by Worral and Harding C taking two a piece. Alex and Colin achieved a Bays first, by being the first father / son to take a catch off one another’s bowling. Alex’s catch was never in doubt, but Colin’s……..
With 33 runs needed, the match was finished by Steve Liley removing Lane’s bails. A much closer finish that it might have seemed.
A large number of crows contributed an arousing cacophony near the end as though to say cricketers should be in bed or the bar when it’s getting so late. Interestingly, earlier on at tea, a solitary rook sat on a telephone cable as though demanding a piece of the splendid chocolate cake made by Lee! Drinks were had at a cocktail bar in the square of the village. Unusual smelling tobacco aromas seemed to dance in the air and almost say, ‘Hey man that’s far out!’
The Bays then drifted home after today’s trip.
Bayshill 217/6
Horner 71/68 8&2
Pierce 22/27 4&0
Worral 22/30 4&0
Northleach 184/10
Hall D 30
Shoaib 40
Gardner 28
Lane E 28*
Liley T 4/1/9/2
Worral 7/0/32/2
Harding C 6/0/38/2
Liley T 2 catches, Harding A, Harding C & Pierce A 1 catch each
Liley S 1 stumping