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With the withdrawal of the skipper from Sunday’s game I was tasked with leading the side out against North Holmwood. The weather was perfect, clear skies with the sun beating down on my bronzed shoulders. I could feel that this was going to be a good days cricket and also excellent news for me as I could get just a little closer to beating Ed's summer tan!
I won the toss and in true Cudworth / Wright / Concorde CC tradition elected to field much to the delight of the team. Toby and Paul Titley opened the bowling to be greeted with a batsman friendly wicket. The pitch was very slow and the ball sat up nicely to anything dropped short, so both bowlers did well to contain the opening pair, in particular Paul, returning with figures of 6-2-10-0. However the game after 12 overs was lacking some flavour with neither batsman scoring runs but at the same time looking relaxed and in control at the wicket. With the sun melting the players shirts onto their chests I decided to give the opening attack a break.
Nick and Ian continued to spearhead our attack but with little luck. Both produced some tidy deliveries, but unfortunately any balls straying from a prefect line and length on this slow wicket were dispatched to the boundary! I also must add we didn't help ourselves by some sloppy fielding in which 5 catches throughout the day were decked. I won't name any names but … Brian, Paul x2 and Ian x2, you need to bring some massive buckets to strap to your hands next time to resolve this problem! (My father will tell you his two catches were hit very hard and clearly difficult chances but at the end of the day Dad you still bloody well dropped them!)
After a brief drinks break with the opposition sitting on 100 for no loss I decided to bring myself and Ed on to try and produce a much needed breakthrough! And that's exactly what I got. I dismissed the two openers in short time, both clean bowled, bringing 2 new batsmen to the crease. Between us we kept the scoring down and created some good pressure with both batsman struggling to lay bat on ball, and Ed picked up our third wicket, a plumb lbw. However as a special gift from Concorde's charity bowling box Ed, much to my dismay, offered a delicious buffet ball once an over which took its form in a 'half tracker'. Each of these was greeted with the deserved treatment in the shape of a boundary. I ordered Ed to stop this immediately before Paul and Toby returned for a quick blast at the end, with Toby making a smart run out and N.Holmwood ended their innings on 196 for 4.
After both teams had stuffed themselves with another top grade tea from my father we set about knocking
off the runs. Jerry ‘1st Slip’ Stockbridge and Ed ‘this four’s on me’ Fernandes took to the crease. Both started well taking full advantage of some wayward bowling. The score raced towards the 100 mark with no loss. Stockers lost his wicket after scoring a solid 32 bringing Douglas to the crease. He then duly obliged to forfeit his go and was out to a dubious lbw 4th ball bringing Nick in at 105-2 . Ed passed 50 in what was turning out to be a match winning innings. Nick looked solid from the start and crashed two splendid cover drives to the boundary. However he too fell early in his innings, top edging a skier for 10, bringing myself to the wicket to join Ed, still needing 70 to win. We went about our business in whittling away the runs. I must say, early on I was a bit streaky with my shot selection but the time in the middle is just what I needed and I settled to support Ed through to the finish. Ed ended with 85 n.o.and myself with 43 n.o.
A good win for the team and I’m pleased to have led the side to victory on my debut as Captain.