Welford Park [A] Match Report
Wet, wet, wet this Sunday as we headed to Welford Park, a venue rich in winning memories as the former ground of our last win (circa August 2021) prior to last week's result thankfully overshadowing it.
With just four players from last weeks emphatic victory being available to attempt back-to-back wins, we fielded a team with almost wholesale changes. It's potentially a testament to our 'squad depth' that we got this game underway at all, but better still we began with 10 players... and once Will had recovered from his two-day-Oval-hangover and found the energy to drive from the train station to the ground we'd have had a full team.
Fortunately for our leg-spin-hero, we batted first, which would usually have given him plenty of time to arrive before borrowing someone else's bat to smack a few deliveries at number 7.
As we walked to the middle, I could feel it in my fingers... I could feel it in my toes... rain was all around me... but still the cricket showed.
Alex and Dobbo opened the batting, Alex to face the first... sadly also his last. Gone on the opening ball, a Royal Duck – and the recipient of potentially the biggest single fine in Ramsbury's playing history had rain not stopped the fine department from issuing statements – bowled around his legs leaving the ball... a new trademark dismissal for our usually reliable opener. Such was the shock amongst everyone that the opposition barely celebrated until someone said 'twice!?'. The bowler had done the same thing in a game just the day prior. Highlights available here: https://youtu.be/vtTrpy-F-x4?t=18
The brought Si to the crease, his first time facing the second ball of a game. He stuck around too, seeing off anything on the stumps for some time. Chris lost out to the day's first in-swinger, a ball that anyone would have struggled to keep out due to the yard it swung in and Dobbo wait patiently before smashing one down the ground for 4. Sam looked his usual positive self and tried to move the game back in our favour before mistiming one. Sean too hit the ball so sweetly he didn't need to run as it ran to the fence and newcomer Simon got off the mark after twenty years out of the game before the rain got too much and the bowlers lost their footing. Ultimately though Welford's opening pair were on fire (ironic given the downpour we played in) and they took a series of wickets with some great bowling. By far the fastest we've faced this year, and had we managed to get our eye in, we'd have found plenty more runs with their short boundaries in parts of the ground.
At 35-5 off 13 ish overs, we decided tea and cake was a decent shout before play was rightfully called off a little later.
This extends our unbeaten streak to 3 games as we now look ahead to next week against Collingbourne at home, 1pm start.
Jeremy on teas (don't miss out)
Jamie taking captain and WK duties (don't miss out)
And me trying to remember whats going on (don't miss out)
Be part of it (and if you can't please let us know asap).
Cheers. Go well.