SCORECARD

Fitmen fry as winning run fizzles out

The superb weekend Fitmen team finally met their match in an absolute scorcher at the Warwickshire County Council ground. Tails failed and (on sun charred paper) an excellent xi were inserted to broil in 32 degree heat on a flood plain square adjacent to the mighty river Avon.
It was hot and sticky but we started very well. Full of confidence. Good banter. Nice tidy opening spell from Waseem and Dee. Waz clipping top of the openers leg stump to get us off and running. Quality fielding from Nutter and all, putting bodies on the line and the score was kept low on a baked outfield and very bushy leg side boundary.

Sharif and Matt 1st changed kept things tight – a superb effort from Matt 7-1-20-2, the best figures of the day. Catches held. Then the nice new hard ball was lost into the bushes and the tide turned.

Maybe it was 3 hours of relentless heat. Maybe it was Sharif taking the 4th (and last wicket) getting the big hitting number 6 to the crease. Maybe it was bowling at least 12 full tosses which he dispatched to all parts, but from 70 for 4 at 20 overs to 235 for 4 after 40 overs, the tide hadn’t just turned, it had stayed out, King Kanute would have had a field day. The fast baked outfield meant anything a yard either side of a fielder went for runs. It was brutal. A century for the number 6, a fifty for the number 5. We were broken.
No tea. No milk. No sugar. Just crappy homemade sandwiches in a lovely clubhouse. Poor.

Timmsy kept really well but got a touch of sunstroke for his troubles. Dehydrated and spent. What more could you want from a Sunday afternoon?

Tom Rowlands and Harry started really well. Tom with 9 4’s in a quite superb 38. Picked the wrong shot out caught. Harry E toughed it out against very accurate bowling. Indeed all the Fitmen got in and tried their best, but the oppo’ didn’t bowl any full tosses let alone half volleys. All very tight lines, difficult to get away. Good fielding, catches held. Quality oppo’. Sharif, Nicks, Timmsy and Waz all scored some nice runs, but the run rate kept creeping up past 7, then 8 then 9 per over.,

Skipper Martin, capped miserable 24 hours, top edged into his face when a quick fire 40 was needed, the tailed waggled, but we were 36 runs short by the end. The opposition hardly breaking sweat as a beautiful breeze and light cloud drifted across the ground.
A really nice ground. Really nice opposition. Always what ifs with multiple dropped catches and missed run out’s, but no one was to blame.
Beaten by the better team. Still an amazing achievement to make it until July for the 1st weekend loss. Everyone who was involved in that run, can be proud.