SCORECARD

Fighting Fitmen prevail in 77 degrees Fahrenheit


The summer of 2025 will long be remembered for its exceptionally dry and warm conditions. Hardly a single fixture has been cancelled or even curtailed by inclement weather and as part of the cricketing fraternity we have all benefited (or indeed suffered) from lightning fast, parched outfields. It has got to the point where some respite from the incessantly baking hot weather is actually very welcome, and last Sunday the first step in helping to achieve that goal came prior to our second match in so many weeks against Walsall Health CC when the visiting skipper made the fateful decision to call ‘heads’ south of the Rotunda and (as anyone can guess) lost the toss.

The resulting whooping and hollering from the relieved Fitmen could be heard all the way over in Handsworth Wood and the oppo were also heard to mutter ‘guess they don’t win the toss very often then?!’ Well, true as that may be, as the mercury climbed ever higher, it was agreed by all that this was a toss well worth winning! After the mini celebrations had subsided, unfortunately the start made by the Fitmen opening batsmen was far from conspicuous, with both the skipper and (even more unusually) Uncle Mo falling cheaply for single figures. Enter Jonesy and Ade to steady the ship and despite the naggingly accurate military medium Walsall bowling, were soon able to get the scoreboard moving along very nicely. Such was the speed of the outfield, once the ball had evaded the grasp of the first fielder more often than not it raced away to the boundary on the bone-dry outfield. Having played himself in, Ade was next to fall holing-out to extra cover for a quickfire 22 from 28 balls.

This brought Tom ‘safe as houses’ Rowland to the crease and again he carried on where Ade had left off, hitting some crisp drives and cutting the ball to the boundary with aplomb. Once again having got himself in and reaching the 20’s, unfortunately Tom was clean bowled, bringing Timmsy to the wicket. Sporting a pair of IPL-esque black gloves and all weather hi-vis trainers he certainly looked the part and proceeded to dispatch the second ball he faced for what looked like a magnificent straight six, only for the ball to land straight down the throat of a Walsall fielder lurking in the shadows at long-on… It looked as though the ever-defiant Jonesy might quickly run out of partners as he continued to bludgeon the ball to all parts, but Waseem soon put those fears to rest as his wild rodeo of a cricketing weekend continued and the runs flowed. Two mighty blows in the same over landed on the golf course and despite a few close shaves Chinese-cutting, this was a key partnership in the Fitmen innings, only coming to an end when Jonesy managed to seemingly underhit a shot ‘around the corner’ to the fielder standing at square leg. He had reached a very respectable 69 and his disappointment for the manner of the dismissal was evident, but happily this was not to be the end of his contribution to the cause.

With Waseem now seeing the ball like a watermelon, it was certainly not the time to lose faith (a- faith a-faith), and the arrival at the crease of Herr Bicey was to prove just how deep the batting order went as he helped to edge the total towards the 250 runs mark that the skipper felt would give the Fitmen a fighting chance of defending. Having cut and pulled his way like a bad boy to an impressive 38 runs from 23 balls he was out caught, and it was time for him to turn his mind to keeping wicket and the magnificent tea that beckoned!?
Bearing in mind it was his first game back since early May, the skipper had thought that young gun Sharif might want to bat further down the order than usual, but when offered the number 9 berth, he replied without hesitation ‘I’m your man!’ And so from a different corner of the pavilion, he emerged into the bright August sunshine to face the Walsall attack. Once again more useful runs were added, and thoughts even turned at one point to reaching a total of 300 runs. However once Sharif had perished for 25 with an careless whisper of a feather to the keeper, the arrival of Balvinder ‘Tavare’ Singh with 2 overs remaining meant that this ambition was tempered somewhat and after some textbook defensive strokes from the number 10, the Fitmen ended on 284 with Waseem not out on 57, an impressive knock.

The resumption of teas being provided at home matches this season has been a real highlight, but it has to be said that last Sunday’s offering was particularly amazing. The tea urn was fired up and the table overflowed with quiche, lime pickle sarnies, various home-made cakes, pizza and watermelon slices and the grateful opposition duly filled their plates with unbridled glee. Fully satiated, the Fitmen XI took to the field with Waseem opening proceedings at one end and Timmsy at the other. The Walsall openers soon set about their task to chase down the 285 required to win with Timmsy taking a fair bit of tap at the golf course end, Waseem also took a couple of overs to really find his rhythm and it was from his bowling that the first wicket fell with Nutter taking an absolute screamer of a catch at point to dismiss the big hitting number 2. After a few more brutal overs, it was soon time to bring a bit of control to proceedings with the ever- wiley Bal entering the fray at one end and Sharif at the other. Inroads were soon made into the Walsall batting order with both Tom and the skipper holding on well to catches, but all the while their skipper remained at the crease playing a watchful and impressive innings. Further bowling contributions were made by both Ade keeping it very tight at one end and Nutter at the other so very nearly taking the key wicket of the skipper with Timmsy just unable to snaffle a very difficult steepling catch at mid-wicket. Just as it began to look as though the oppo were going to make it to the winning total at a canter, cometh the hour cometh the Jonesy… steaming in from the city end he proceeded to dismantle the Walsall middle-order with some excellent seam bowling ending the afternoon with figures of 3 for 13 off 3 overs! The Walsall skipper had reached his century and deservedly so, but all agreed that by not going up a gear or two he ultimately ran out of overs to win the match and Walsall fell short by 24 runs… A great match to be involved in, despite the almost unbearable heat and ‘Wham bam thank you mam’ another W for the season!!