SCORECARD

A GAME OF 4 QUARTERS
Winning the toss was crucial on a rain soaked Graveyard ground. An over night deluge had left a very soggy wicket...ooeerrr missus.
Upon losing said toss the Fitmen were inserted in to bat.
Rolling back the years with an opening partnership of Chris Tavere (Marcus) and Geoff Boycott (Si) the scorers could at least put there feet up and read the papers without fear of missing too much.
Chris Tavere had 56 innings in ODI's scoring 720 runs at an average of 27 (strike rate 48.94) - the cricket historians quoted "Everything about Chris Tavaré annoyed the Australians in the early 1980s, right down to his acute accent: he was the antithesis of their idea of a cricketer. An Oxford graduate, rather silent, effete-seeming, he simply refused to get out of their way and batted for hours, even days. The energy other players put into their strokes Tavaré expended by walking halfway to square-leg after every delivery. He could play shots and was particularly effective at smashing off-spinners over the top. But he didn't like to let on and rarely got the opportunity in Test cricket: though he much preferred to bat No. 3, England forced him to open because there was no one else."
In a similar spirit Marcus Huxley really got into character and delivered a simply brilliant 1 run from 21 balls (strike rate 4.76) - Chris would have been proud.
At the other end our very own Geoff Boycott (who scored 1082 runs in ODI's at an average of 36 - Strike rate of 53.56) was hugely impressive scoring 31 of 51 deliveries including 6 4's. The likeness of Turgio Howarth and Boycott is uncanny as the historians said "If ever a defence appeared to be impenetrable it was that of Yorkshireman Geoff Boycott when his mind was set on staying in. The features of his forward stroke were the distance he thrust forward behind a big left pad, how low his head was as he searched for signs of movement from the ball, and its balance and compactness. Add a sharp-edged thigh-pad protecting the top of his leg and there wasn't a chink of daylight to be seen." If you read that and dont think "Si Howarth", you are obviously watching from a different parallel universe.
Conditions were tough, the bowling was tight - even the mighty Tahir struggled with 15 off 27 balls, but then the sun finally came out and started to dry the pitch and outfield in the matter of seconds. All subsequent bats somehow managed to score at more than a run a ball with Raj Singh particularly brutal. The final score of 152 from 30 overs was a decent effort but probably 20 short of a good total.
With a lovely day now un-folding and a quality tea as always, Shah and Jowett opened up, both bowling a good line and length to claim a wicket apeice. Raj picked up 2 and Nutt 1, but the Blackwood number 4 was a more than decent bat, timimg the ball well and smashing good balls to the boundary. His 70 was the pick of the day's innings and despite taking the game into the last over the Fitmen were finally beaten with 3 balls to spare.
A typical English summer day did have a huge impact on this game, but fair play to Blackwood in taking advantage of this.