Apologies for the delay in filing this report. At the time, it wasn't a great performance and I had little enthusiasm to commit anything to paper. Relative to a few other recent displays however this was a positively heroic struggle where we just came up short and but for a few massive changes of fortune and ability here and there we might have delivered a different result.

This fixture was the return leg of the opening game of the season. Notable events from that particular game was the first public appearance of Busted's pink balls on a bitterly cold evening and what unfortunately has subsequently been proven to have been a rare victory. Whilst Busted's balls were again in attendance even if the man himself wasn't, the weather and the result were both markedly different.

Access to the clubhouse was gained and the fire alarm panel disarmed along with the security panel for good measure. A short boundary was set and our Captain the Corporal got us off to a fairytale start by winning the toss and electing to set a target. Saddos to bat.

The established pair of Peel and Longbottom strode out to open the innings and set about the opening bowlers. A beautiful knock from Peel saw him retire on 25 and Longers nearly followed him but for a leaping one-handed catch on the shortish long-off boundary, out for 22. Bugger. However, a solid foundation had been laid. A cameo appearance was made by Wilson, with a quick-fire addition of 6 runs before succumbing to a trademark dismissal, caught on the edge of the square. This brought WG to the crease at no. 5 to join Church where he justified his promotion up the order by playing a beautifully composed innings. Church was looking well set for a big knock but made the error of knocking their best bowler out the ground for a lusty 6 and his middle stump was unrooted next ball. A solid 17 runs added and things still looking good. Williams came to the middle, hit fours off the first two balls he faced but the sound of bleating in the next field over were a distraction and he was castled next ball. Odd that rather than returning to the clubhouse he departed in the direction of the sheep and was later heard complaining of a hamstring injury to his groin.

With the exception of the rest of WGs innings, which was ticking along very nicely thank you very much, stop reading now if you like your match reports to be positive.

Jones, Winfield, Bond and Evershed all came and left in short order without making any contribution to the score really worth mentioning and the innings was left in the capable hands of Hook and WG to see out the remainder of the 20 overs. Hook survived unbeaten and WG finally went, to great relief from the Marshalswicket team, for 16 runs. This brought Peel back to the wicket to smash the last ball of the innings for a six. Wonderful ending but considering the last 6 or 7 overs hadn't furnished many runs, 129 never felt like it would be enough.

In Marshalswicket's response, the opening batsmen saw off the new ball pairing of Winfield and Church, albeit with little return. Figures of 9-0 and 7-0 respectively were inside the run-rate. Generally downhill from there though. Peel took the solitary wicket credited to a bowler, pouched by Bond with a quite unbelievable straightforward catch. There was a run out earlier in the innings, the details of which escape me. Overs were coming at a cost and the short boundary compounded the problem. There were more retirees than you'd find on a SAGA holiday. There's probably not too much to be gained by reviewing anyone's bowling figures in too much detail. Hook and Williams reasonably economical, Jones so-so, Bond, WG, Wilson and Evershed less so. Runs knocked off in 16 overs.

On a more positive note, the Queens Head did improve the sausage and chips per cricketer quotient and also threw in the left overs from the quiche and salad that the table behind us didn't fancy.


Up the Saddos.