SCORECARD

“It’s dry under the covers!”

The prevailing weather forecast from the Fit Meteorologist team based in St. Irchley (readings taken from the chairman’s greenhouse) was of a moist morning followed by a milky sunny afternoon! Arriving at the ground a little later than schedule due to a late phone call from the oppo an hour before start due to a heavy downpour in the Romsley area enquiring if the game was still on! Fit skipper for the day Howarth was just relieved that we had a game to play after the downpours of the previous days.

The removal of the covers revealed a verdant green area both ends of the wicket three yards into the track with a light brown area in the middle of the wicket! A much changed oppo XI was duly noted by the eagle eyed Fit opening batting partnership of mssrs Jawad and Mo......as a result no doubt of the cuffing that was metered out by the bludgeoning, Mo the last time these teams met (last season for the 1st time!). With the toss duly won by the visitors it was with no surprise that the Fit Men were asked to bat 1st!

Semi-pro ump Mr Mould jumped at the chance 1st up partnered by “newbie” Steve Nicholls. After which a hugely watchful and circumspect Mo and Jawad advanced cautiously on a volatile track, which yielded variable bounce and lateral movement. Play and misses were interspersed with controlled and measured runs scored. So much in the favour of the bowler early doors was this game that at 20 over the score was just short of 60. (Openers from a bye gone era of Howarth and Harrison would have been proud of Mo and Jawad’s effort). The Fit openers were keen to press on and as it was agreed Jawad would be the one to press on, however sadly Jawad perished driving and caught behind for 20 odd.

Mo followed soon after so with new batters Caesar and Howarth at the wicket the emphasis was a T20 attempt to see where we could get to. All the oppo bowlers had been accurate and this pattern continued with the introduction of their first team all round fast spinning ”leggie”proving difficult to get away and and he soon clears up the middle order bagging Howarth, Nicholls and Sharif in no time at all. At the other end a normally fluent Caesar went for 13 off 30 odd off the accurate floaters of the fairer sex.

So with the innings faltering it fell upon Huxley and Feraz to get the innings to a defendable total! To the oppo’s credit sensing pending doom for the Fit Innings if “leggie” and Co were kept on, a more friendly attack was introduced. Huxley and Feraz struck up an effective if not eccentric partnership with a combination of a few fours, telepathy between the batting pair and misfielding the innings closed on a creditable total of 129.

An excellent tea comprising tuna, cheese and the hugest pile of egg sarnies on white bread ever witnessed at a cricket tea in the northern hemisphere (Courtesy of Mould Catering Ltd)..... French fancies and apple tarts ( from the house of Kiplings) washed down with lashings of tea. The Fit XI weebled and wobbled out onto the field of dreams! Followed by the oppo batters!

Normal service for batting resumed with the Fit bowling attack proving to be just as devilish as the oppo’s! Debutant “Dastardly” Dan Glicher (who also represents the Birmingham Uni First XI, opening their bowling, when not consuming egg sarnies in white on a Sunday afternoon), opened top end and after 8 consecutive overs of accurate pace and swing had fab figures of 3 for 20. At the other end the spin twins of Sharif and Caesar (Senior) bowled a tight parsimonious line with balls shooting and bouncing and with both taking a wicket apiece at 20 overs the oppo where 5 down for 58. Game on! (The Fit Men hoped). At which point the 1st team batting all rounder “Leggie” took the game along a different path......with Feraz, Mould and Mo bowling well the sixth wicket partnership took the oppo to the brink......but not before Mo snared the “Leggie”......that one proved to be the last wicket the heroic Fit bowling unit could get of the oppo’s and hands were then shaken and stumps where pulled!

Thanx to my team for trying their hardest and competing right to the last ball.

Special thanx to Marcus Huxley who after being denied his request by Fit Skipper to leave the field complaining of severe gut rot (no doubt as a result of over indulging in egg sarnies)......fielded manfully right to the last ball.... before gambolling gently straight to the gentleman’s!

Can’t wait for the return game at the Toffee Factory!