SCORECARD

Hot Heated and Heroic at Hopwood
Old Mo 173-8, beat Five Ways, 128-5, by 45 runs

To paraphrase Sir Alexander Fleming, if you leave something out long enough in the sun, Mould will grow and it will heal the sick. Firemen’s Mould has grown into a batsman, although we are not sure this will be as popular as penicillin for treating infections, but you never know.

11 Fitmen took the short trip south to the idyllic Old Edwardian’s ground. Skipper Tucker sadly was still tarnished with the Covid brush, so stand-in skipper Jonesy took the toss full of ginger confidence after YJB exploits 24 hours earlier in the Test Match. Called tails, obv, won, bat, please.

Pre-match, Nokia and Mould were lobbying the skipper for higher than form and stats-suggested batting positions. Skipper also doesn’t need an ethics advisor, so with a fresh beer in hand, both were rewarded with plush portions in the top 5.

Ungratefully, Nokia opened (“I said I wanted to bat, but I didn’t want to open”) with soon to join the SNP Gavlar. Unfortunately, Nokia took a middle guard and then decided to stand outside leg. Unluckily, Nokia was bowled off peg for 2.

Gavlar with his usually swashbuckling ball-striking struck 13 but was caught in the deep. The same dismissal did for Brother Nutt (2)and the inform Sam Moore (11) as Fitmen looked to play aggressively but struggled with the bounce of the wicket, and Five Ways took their catches well.

Fitmen needed a real partnership to please stand up, and the M&M pairing of Mouldy & Martin did so, hitting the balls around the outside.

Mouldy with (LMS/kwikcricket) runs in the bank this season but non in proper cricket found the middle of the bat early, and quickly played himself into form. Anything short of a length was expertly pulled across the line to the shorter leg-side boundary. If you squinted your eyes and had a few beers, it was like watching a young Ricky Ponting. Mouldy reached his maiden 50 off just 24 balls and brilliantly celebrated by taking off his helmet and raising both bat and helmet to the slightly embarrassed pavilion. Normal service was resumed when Mouldy was out next ball.

On the other hand, Veteran Ade is quietly enjoying another strong season with the bat, consistently batting for the team, and bashing another 36 of 27. Let’s hope those swollen ankles hold going into the second half of the season.

Skipper fell for a dozen getting out for the first time this season to someone who wasn’t Ian Nutter, and the lower order pushed well in the final overs to get the total passed 150.

Hilarity ensued in the final over when Billy drove down too long on for one, and saw the miss field in the deep so-called for two. Dave Moore (the other bat), a man of a particular vintage who knows never to run on a misfiled, so he stood his ground. Billy didn’t give this any notice, and both men stood at the other end of the wicket debating who should walk back to the pavilion. Whilst not within earshot to hear this debate, Frost/Nixon it was not. Dave finally begrudgingly did the right thing and departed, and Billy hit the final two balls of the innings for 6.

Total a strong-looking 173.

Waz and Adę opened the bowling, both bowling tight lines, which occasionally took a bit of tap as the Five Ways top order, who also made the most of the short boundary and randomly down to the third area.

Billy and Jonesy followed this. All four bowlers kept to the plan of bowling tight and allowing the fielders to uncharacteristically take their catches.

With the unrated creeping up and bats getting in and then out, Ian Nutt came into the attack, with his lovely loopy stuff hanging in the setting sun from the far end. Nutter took two textbook wickets with his guile and craft, which resulted in the Fitmen wrapping up the game and a victory margin of 45 runs, which slightly flattered us.

A good game played in the right spirit. Fitmen tired to the bar to celebrate Mouldy’s first half-century for the club. We hear he’s going to open at the weekend, and we hope that goes well.